Review - The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

The Bitter Kingdom
by Rae Carson
Hardcover, 435 pages
Expected publication: August 27th 2013 by Greenwillow Books

*Spoiler Alert!!!  Don't read this Premise if you haven't read book #2!!*

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. 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * The Book Depository

I'm so sorry for reviewing this so early!!  I found The Bitter Kingdom on Edelweiss... and then I just HAD to read it after that maddening ending (if it could be called that) in The Crown of Embers and this is insanely early to review a book that doesn't come out to August. So, I'm apologizing first.

Now to review.  *deep breath*

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!

OMG.  Very rarely - maybe once a year - I happen upon one of those books I have to read again immediately upon finishing. For 2013, THIS IS THAT BOOK!! No, that's not right... this book turned the entire series into THAT SERIES. I need to re-read this entire series again from the beginning and how grateful am I that there are Novellas!!  I can't walk away from Elisa - not her, her man, her kingdom, her family, her friendships, her prodigy... none of 'em. I can't. I've unwittingly turned into a fan-stalker-dreamer, whatchamaycallit.

If this book had not been broken down into four separate climaxes, I might not have slept or fed the family until I'd finished. I'm grateful for those moments of... "Phew! Got that done!" even while I was simultaneously delighted to see how much remained yet to be read. Everything that I've come to enjoy in this series is present. Each character deepens even further. The pace remains fast as each one arrives at conclusions and moves on to face new challenges.

I highlighted a few (not-telling-where-they're-from) lines on my Nook just to showcase how Rae's writing style is so vivid:

The icy air feels like tiny knife blades as I draw it into my lungs.  

We lock gazes. The rest of the world fades away, and without saying a word, we say good-bye.

I felt it... the more I read, the more intensely I felt it until I found myself fully committed to Elisa. She's become one of my favorite heroes in lit. Ever. She's so... down-to-earth REAL. She always sees herself as the overweight trying-too-hard person she begins the series as. Her humility is beautiful. When it looks like low self-esteem, it's endearing.

I can't reveal any more details of how awesome this book is without spoiling it, and that just isn't an option. I can share one more thing... Rae responded to my fanatical email (very daring of her) with this wonderful snippet:

Here's a factoid that few people know: My not-serious, working title for the first book was ELISA'S BELLY. Which is ridick, but it helped me to keep in mind that I was subverting genre tropes (ie. the amulet of power) and ought to have a sense of humor about the whole thing. :)

Wonderful and purposeful!!  Even in the most serious of situations there is this uncanny rawness, this sense of reality-is-awkward. The mention of "belly" in particular just cracks me up in a way that feels real. I mean, every time I try to be serious and deep - those are the moments I trip over my shoelaces or run into a pole. For me, this series grasped reality in a new way while being entirely fantastical.

I love it!

My Rating: 5.5 - All-time fav. A series for my library!!  I really want to keep this treasure of a series to myself. I love it on such a personal level. I'm kind of shy to admit how much I love it. Lol.


Rae Carson

I write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I moved to Ohio to marry my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. We live in Columbus with my teenaged stepsons, who are awesome. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.

Goodreads * www.raecarson.com * Facebook * @raecarson 

Two Novellas that go with the Trilogy:

My Reviews:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
The Crown of Embers
Dangerous Voices

Review - Dangerous Voices by Rae Carson

Dangerous Voices
by Rae Carson
Kindle Edition, 28 pages
Published November 11th 2012 by Rae Carson

Errik has been a prisoner--and alone--for a long, long time. He lives for the moment each day when the window of his dungeon cell shines a bit of light onto his bearded face.

But everything changes when he gets a new neighbor--a young girl with a voice as beautiful as the springrise.

They both know the rules: No singing. No speaking. Voices are dangerous. But they can't help themselves. And soon enough, Errik begins to remember himself, why he's here in this dark place, and why his captors will stop at nothing to ensure his silence.


What a surprising delight!  I'm going to have to stop being surprised at enjoying Rae Carson's writing. Lol. She keeps catching me off guard, though. This time I assumed that a short story written from an elderly male prisoner's point of view would be... *shrug* I don't know, simple? Straightforward?

Nope. There's so much more to singing. Without saying what or why, the story slowly reveals everything without such boring things as explanations. It's beautiful, like the patch of light in Errik's cell. It's unpredictable. Unsuspectingly glorious. It's cold, hard, gritty, bleak and glorious all at once.

And free. For Nook, at least:  Barnes & Noble

I don't know how to rate a short story, really. I feel like it must be a 5 - but then, pretty much anything Rae writes will be a 5 for me from here on out. Lol. It's unfair, really, but some writing works its way inside my innards like that. Either I'm right - it's really good - or I'm prejudiced to always think so.  :-)


Rae Carson

I write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I moved to Ohio to marry my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. We live in Columbus with my teenaged stepsons, who are awesome. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.

Goodreads * www.raecarson.com * Facebook * @raecarson 

Two Novellas that go with the Trilogy:

My Reviews:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
The Crown of Embers

Review - The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

The Crown of Embers
by Rae Carson
Hardcover, 410 pages
Published September 18, 2012 by Greenwillow Books

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. 

Amazon *  Barnes & Noble * The Book Depository


I kind of knew this book would be a treat to read. But I did not anticipate how much. The first in the trilogy, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, was a surprise treat - "caught me off-guard great" I wrote. This second book was all that... again, which is remarkable.

Elisa is so... un-assuming. Even as queen, the story follows her thought pattern and as she questions herself, I grew more concerned that she might be right. She's trying to be a strong queen, but she doesn't really know how and her attempts feel clumsy, but there's just no right answers. When things start falling apart, it is so real and so... unavoidable. 

I could hardly put the book down. Elisa grasps for her kingdom, but it slips from her hands. So slowly, so agonizingly sweetly, she falls in love. Everything that happened in Fire and Thorns just make each moment that much more fleeting, more treasured because of her acceptance of fate. I love her calculating thoughts as she faces her destiny... rises up to the challenge of being queen... accepts her heart. Elisa is so real. 

Always there is that distinct UN-greatness, too. Her Godstone is great, but it's lodged in Elisa's belly-button and embarrasses her as much as increases her. She has to be humble and embrace her weaknesses if she has any hope of succeeding and I just love the juxtaposition of it. 

Some of the story is told from Hector's point of view, too. His character unfolds slowly revealing his childhood, his hopes for love, his respect for his family, his incredible sense of honor. As he allows himself to love, he is put in a difficult position. He will save Elisa's life at the cost of his own without a moment's hesitation, but his focus on her starts effecting his ability to protect her. He recognizes how love eclipses his senses putting her in more danger.

What are these lovers to do? The choices they make are costly. Lives are at stake and there's always the weighing of that cost. Other, minor characters, are also essential. They do what is best - or what they think is best - and each decision brings consequences and leads to more difficult decisions. *rubs hands gleefully* It's amazingly complex, fast-paced... a perfect book to follow The Girl of Fire and Thorns. There is not so much a cliffhanger ending as much as... all these choices leading to a surprising climax that requires another book to answer.

If I have learned anything from Carson's first two books, it's that anything can happen to anyone at any time. Those "cute" coincidences where things "just work out" that I see in stories?  Yeah... not so here. Nope. Here the sand actually rubs raw, the bad guys are skilled assassins that get their targets, blood flows and gets sticky and messy, and it takes time to recover from injuries. (Imagine!)

My Rating: 4.98 - I love the characters, I love the situations, I even love hating the bad guys. I was frustrated right along with Elisa and Hector when they were frustrated. The world-building cracks me up sometimes like the Godstone - there's always an element of casual reality in the midst of epic drama that is so unique. Carson's writing style continues to catch me off guard. I expect to be able to set it aside and am surprised to find my knuckles gripping my Nook fiercely unwilling to stop reading until I gallop to the end.


Cover & Title: This is weird for me, but the cover still doesn't draw me. I see the gem - it's beautiful. I love the colors. I just don't feel the connection to the story with this cover.

The title, too, eludes me. I have to look up this series by the author's name, which is very memorable. Rae? Love your name!!  The titles... are mouthfuls that don't remind me of how these books FEEL to me. Don't get me wrong... there's a crown in this book and "ember" fits well, but... *shrug* What would I call it? Something boring, like Desert Queen, maybe. Or The Elusive Throne. Or... ok... The Crown of Embers is very pretty. And it does fit. I'll probably always look these up by searching "Rae Carson", though.

Check out this cover!! I want a copy of this one!

Rae Carson 

I write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I moved to Ohio to marry my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. We live in Columbus with my teenaged stepsons, who are awesome. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.

Goodreads * www.raecarson.com * Facebook * @raecarson 

Two Novellas that go with the Trilogy:

Wow - Embers!

Waiting On Wednesday 

is hosted by 

Breaking the Spine....

The sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns... I give you... The Crown of Embers!!

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.

"No one to guard her except Hector", hey?  :-)  Sounds like a great beginning to a much-anticipated book!!!  This cover w/ blue and purple is beautiful. (I made it super-big so I can examine it thoroughly. Frequently.) I am not a fan of the first cover, but I think they kept the theme and added beauty with this one. What do we have here?  Night sky? Stars? Lightning?!  And cliffs?  Hmmm....


What are you waitin' on?

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns 
by Rae Carson

Hardcover, 424 pages

Published September 20th 2011 by Greenwillow Books

Summary from book: “A fearful sixteen-year-old princess discovers her heroic destiny after being married off to the king of a neighboring country in turmoil and pursued by enemies seething with dark magic.”

My Rating: 4.5 Caught-Me-Off-Guard GREAT

My Review w/ NO spoilers (pretty much):

What an interesting, unique book!!

There are princesses, kidnappings, arranged marriages and love. There is plenty of danger and bad guys who range from well-meaning, to selfish, to soldiery to downright wicked - devious. With such great ingredients, I expected Carson to come up with a plot I recognized, so I was in for a great surprise.

I have heard other reviews comment on the praying and God in the book, and I agree with whoever said that it permeated the story so completely, it lost any awkwardness that might have been anticipated. The way Elisa grew in her understanding of God and praying made complete sense.  The characters of the priests added a lot of depth. I really enjoyed (or hated) them. There's plenty of MAGIC, too, surrounding the Godstones!

The supporting characters were so varied and real. I never had quite enough of any of them. Lord Hector - was there more behind his reserve or did we see it all? Ximena was such an interesting character. Elisa talked with her about wanting to know more about who she is, her past and her motivations, etc., but then the idea was dropped over a situation they don’t know how to discuss. Cosme is another person so full of intrigue. She has so many reasons to be hard and cold and yet so many cracks where we see passion. I want to get to know her better. I really like her almost despite myself!

Don’t even get me started on Humberto. There were so many chances for a relationship to brew, but the author didn’t turn up the heat up until she had other plans. Those plans felt forced to me, almost as if the author didn’t know how to resolve the conflicting relationships otherwise (something I was very curious to follow through with).  If you’ve read the book, you know what I mean. I didn't feel satisfied with Alejandro, either. His character is so unique - I totally loved that while feeling irritated with him. But I didn’t feel he was given a great loose-end-tie-up. (I loved Calico Reaction’s differing opinion with Spoilers - check it out especially if you disagree with me!!  :-)  Question: Am I irritated because of pre-suppositions of what should happen to the main guys in a story? Or because it really was as awkward as it felt to me? What do you think?!

I can only make these min-complaints because the author managed to write so seamlessly. I didn’t see the words on the pages (as I flicked through them on my Nook), I saw the story played out for me, big as real.

Elisa is amazing. Rae Carson didn’t tell me she was eating to console, she showed me, made me feel the why and the self-condemnation that accompanied it.  I felt as though Eating was something separate from Elisa, forcing her hand, impossible to stop.  I loved how the author made me feel the emotions while leaving my imagination to fill in just how big Elisa was. I ached with her, wanting to stop with her. Amazing. (See below!!)

En fin, I loved the way this book was written. I loved Elisa. I was surprised at every turn. The story was alive and I am very happy to hear this author is writing more. 

The cover is unique & interesting, but it was not part of my draw to read this book, to be honest. I didn't realize the godstone is on the cover 'til someone pointed it out and the rest looks like a forest scene, which, well... The face in the gem is really good. She looks wary, passive but ready to do something (am I seeing more than is obvious?) and that fits.


Author: 

  Rae Carson 

I write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I moved to Ohio to marry my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. We live in Columbus with my teenaged stepsons, who are awesome. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.

From Rae Carson's Blog, there is news that The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a 2011 Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction - yay!!

Just last week Rae Carson wrote a post for Greenwillow Books in which she discussed weight. The whole post is so great - you must hop over and check it out. The following is a clip where she describes how Elisa progresses in The Girl of Fire and Thorns and how she is perceived:

Elisa has an unhealthy relationship with food. No one believes she’ll accomplish anything, and her lifelong social conditioning has caused her to believe this harmful perception. 

She begins to change right away. In chapter two, she stands up for herself and takes control of her wedding night. In chapter three, she saves a man’s life by grabbing the weapon of a dead enemy and stabbing with it. In chapter four, she has an epiphany about her own self-absorption and makes a point to focus on others—and on and on through the end of the book. My goal was to show Elisa gaining confidence through a gradual process of taking control of her own life and destiny. 

But with Misogyny, Inc. so fresh in my mind, it occurred to me that some people in Elisa’s world might be unable to see past her body to her accomplishments and personal growth. So, for instance, without knowing Elisa at all, her maid finds her unworthy of being the chosen one, and despises her. And later, when (minor spoiler . . . ) Elisa loses some weight, a certain man finds her attractive for the first time—but is unable to acknowledge that she has become a great leader in her own right. 

One sees her as fat. One sees her as beautiful. Neither can see beyond her outward appearance to the truth of who Elisa really is.

Thank you to everyone entering my Giveaway and Following my blog!!  As the Faeries continue to come in, I am so happy to add them to my posts.

Regardless of what we actually look like, 

we are all beautiful  

and this creative expression continues to be a lot of fun...