Review: Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

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.

The first book in this series, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, blew me away with its originality and wonderfully made characters. This second book, I think, was even better.

The world building in this series is great because the author uses description so well. Readers are able to picture just about everything and can actually place themselves in a certain kingdom. The only place I wish would’ve been in the book was Invierne (but I think that’ll be mostly in the third book).

Different characters are introduced in this book such as Conde Tristan and the ex (I use this term very lightly)-Invierno Storm. I grew to like each one and what I like most about Rae Carson’s characters is that they all have different personalities. Elisa was one character that kept me cheering for her to win. She transforms from a shy, self-conscious princess to a magnificent, queen who takes charge and tries to do what’s right for her people.

I love, love, LOVED this book and this series is among my favorites. I seriously need book three in my hands now, because THAT ENDING…You’re just gonna have to read it for yourself.

5 Stars!