Book Review: Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson

The Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson was a pretty interesting read.  The first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, was a bit tough to get into at first.  The main character, Elisa, is the chosen one and a spoiled girl who has no self-esteem.  But, as the book progresses, she begins to change.  By the end of the first book she is becoming someone a reader can relate to.

In the second book, The Crown of Embers, she’s reached some of her goals (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it by giving away too much detail).  She’s still struggling, though, to stand on her own.  Then Elisa discovers the threat she thought she’d taken care of in the first book is coming back.  So she sets out on a journey to solidify her power base and stop the threat.

Finally, in the third book, The Bitter Kingdom, Elisa loses someone very close to her in a kidnapping just as she thinks she’s done enough to feel safe again.  She takes off on a daring rescue.  In the process she learns a whole lot about the world and that much of what she believed wasn’t the full truth.

I have to say I liked these books.  Like I said, the first one was hard to get into at first because Elisa wasn’t very likeable then.  But, Carson does a nice job of growing the character into someone much easier to connect to.  I also appreciated Carson’s skill at building tension throughout the series.  Yes, some of the tension was predictable in a way – who wins in harrowing situations, who falls in love, etc. – but it was subtle enough and with the right balance of detail to enjoy it anyways.

I would certainly put this trilogy on your to read list.  Yes, it is another young adult trilogy, but it’s worth the read.