Review: The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The Bitter Kingdom

Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns #3
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 448 pages
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Source: Mid-Columbia Libraries
Rating: 5 stars
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most.

My Review:

What a breathtaking ending to an incredible series. I picked up this book feeling both excitement and dread. Excited to dive back into the world. Dread at it being over. When I finished the book, I just started crying. Not because it was sad. Not because it didn’t end the way I wanted it to. But because it was over. I love these characters so much and I am so sad that my journey with them is over. My first journey anyway. There will be many rereads.

At first, I was really worried that Hector and Elisa would be separated for the majority of this book, but fear not. Rae Carson wouldn’t do that to us. They are back together in no time and we get to see plenty of their romance. The book was broken down into three distinct sections. The first was all about rescuing Hector, the second about trying to make peace with the Inviernos, and the third about Elisa retaking her throne. Each part was suspenseful and had my heart racing.

I loved that in this book we got to learn more about the Inviernos. As always, Rae Carson’s world-building is incredible. She leaves no question unanswered. It was so interesting to see how the Inviernos live and find out exactly why they are the way they are. We finally saw what their ultimate motives were for tracking down Elisa and we learned a lot about them. Speaking of Inviernos, I love Storm so much. His character exploded into awesomeness in this book.

We got to hear from Hector’s perspective in this book!!!! Omg I love Hector so much. He is one of my top book boyfriends and I could sit here and swoon over him all day. My only complaint is that we didn’t hear enough from him. I wished that we had had more chapters from his perspective. I could read about Hector all day and never get tired of him. Hector is just so swoony. He’s the good guy and I just adore him.

“You were wearing the clothes of a desert warrior, holding weapons. Your back was turned. But I knew it was you. Instantly. I had memorized everything about you. The way you stood, the way you moved, the sound of your voice, the sheen of your hair….” -Hector

Omg. Literally. Just. I can’t. I can’t even. He is so freaking swoony. I just want to make out with him. And him and Elisa are so freaking adorable. I love them together so much (even though I totally want Hector for myself).

There is a new character introduced in this book, a little slave girl Elisa rescues. They call her Mula at first, but eventually the little girl picks her own name. (I won’t spoil it for you.) This little girl was so insightful, brave, and free-spirited. I adored her and just had to share this quote with you guys.

“You always feed me. You call me a true name. Now when I’m scared, it’s not because of meanness. And today I chose my own scared. It’s always a good scared, when you get to pick it your own self.” -Mula

Is that not insightful? This little girl blew my mind. She was smarter and wiser than I am.

Finally, Elisa. Elisa has come so far. In the first book, she was a princess with horrid self-esteem and body image. She was unsure of herself, timid and quiet. Now she is a strong, confident queen. She isn’t afraid to put herself in danger for the good of her country and her people. She isn’t afraid to share her true feelings with Hector. Elisa is an inspiration to young women everywhere. If you have a teenage girl with self-esteem issues, give her these books. They are so inspiring. There is a line at the end that brought me to tears because it shows just how far Elisa has come and I want to share it with you guys.

 

“I’m beautiful to the one person that matters.”

She nods. “Hector’s mouth will drop open when he sees you.”

“I hope so. But I meant to me. I’m beautiful to me.” -Elisa

Overall, this book was incredible. There were no loose ends. Rae Carson tied everything up perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to this amazing trilogy. There are no words that will do this book justice. Just know that it was an absolutely stunning end to a series that takes my breath away. Happy reading all! 

Have you guys read this book? Read any of the series? What did you think of the ending?