The Crown of Embers Review

410 pages

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

Review:
This is a solid second book in this series. Elisa has a lot to deal with as queen especially since there are many attempts on her life. Elisa has learned a lot about politics and running her country, yet she has to do much more to help save it. There are returning characters who help Elisa on her journey to find what she needs. Although Elisa has gone through some serious tragedy, we see a new love start to blossom for her. While this book isn't packed with action it is full of intrigue and a great adventure. There are also some shocking developments with people Elisa thought of as enemies and friends. This novel is full with religious undertones yet it doesn't overtake the story itself, rather it enhances it. I absolutely enjoyed reading this novel and I can't wait to see what happens next. I definitely recommend you read this if you've read The Girl of Fire and Thorns first.

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The Girl of Fire and Thorns Review

299 pages

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake. Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young. Most of the chosen do. 

Review (ARC):
Well the first thing I have to say is that this book was definitely not what I expected. At first Elisa came off as a weak willed character especially since she used food to mask her feelings. However, every now and again I would see a burst of heroism that gave me hope for her character. She did not disappoint. I loved how the story turned out. I expected more magic in the book but it didn't subtract from the adventure aspect. There was plenty of romance but that didn't overshadow everything else in the book. Elisa became strong on her own without help from a supporting male figure. I definitely enjoyed that there were many strong female characters in the book. There was also a strong religious aspect to the book which didn't make the storyline any less exciting. I enjoyed this book and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good adventure novel.

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