Review: The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers

Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, Book Two
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 410 pages
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Source: Mid-Columbia Libraries
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

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.


My Review: 
 
I thought I loved the first book in this series, but this book blew The Girl of Fire and Thorns away. I literally sat in my chair after finishing this book for like ten full minutes with my mouth open. I couldn't believe how good this was. I wanted to crawl inside this book and live there. Rae Carson is incredible, one of my new favorite authors.

In the first book Elisa grew so much, I worried about where she would go in this book. But being Queen isn't as easy as it looks. She struggles to gain the respect of her advisers and of her people. She is forced to make tough decisions that will effect thousands. All while facing the impending threat of Invierne, a country that wants her for her Godstone, leaving her plenty of room to mature and grow. Of course, she has her ever trusted advisers Ximena and Hector to help her along the way. 

Hector. At first I was upset about the budding romance that begins to form between him and Elisa even though I saw it coming in the first book. I thought it was a little quick after Humberto and Alejandro from the first book, but as the story went on, I fell irrevocably in love with Hector. I feel like if she hadn't been kidnapped in the first book, she would have ended up with Hector anyways because they are perfect for each other. Hector helps her make difficult decisions, protects her at all costs, and even teaches her how to defend herself.

As Elisa learns how to rule a kingdom and how to fulfill her service as bearer of the Godstone, she grows even more. She becomes the queen she was born to be. Her character is so incredible. It is easy to relate to her and even easier to look up to her. Though she is only seventeen, I often found myself picturing her as much older. She matures in this book and I became even more attached to her.
I can't say enough good things about this one! If you haven't read this series go get it now! It's amazing! I can't wait for the third one, The Bitter Kingdom, which has a release date of August 27, 2013! Happy reading all!