The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Starred review from August 1, 2011
Carson debuts with a smart, complex fantasy with stellar characters, first in a planned trilogy. Even though she bears the mysterious and rare Godstone, 16-year-old Princess Elisa has been a disappointment to her family and country. Plain, overweight, and unmotivated, she is content to wed a handsome neighboring king to cement an alliance. After an arduous journey to her new home, Elisa arrives to find that her husband wants to keep their status hidden. But there are more pressing concernsâthe enemy is preparing to invade, and Elisa is kidnapped. As she is thrust into a fight for survival on the borders of her new kingdom, Elisa is hunted by dark magicians and must piece together clues to fulfill her divine decree. Elisa is a sensational heroine, striving to fulfill her potential under perilous circumstances, while realistically growing in resourcefulness, inner strength, and intelligence. The odd nature of the Godstone (which is embedded in Elisa's stomach) may occasionally pull some readers out of the story, but Carson's mature writing style, thoughtful storytelling, appealing characters, and surprising twists add up to a page-turner with broad appeal. Ages 12âup.

November 1, 2012
Gr 8 Up-Princess Elisa, 16, is the Chosen One. Bearing a sapphire-colored godstone in her navel, she is supposedly marked for greatness. But she doesn't see how. Chubby and naive, the most heroic act Elisa has ever performed is sneaking into the palace kitchen to steal coconut pastries. Shortly after her secret wedding to a neighboring king as part of a political agreement, Elisa is kidnapped and taken deep into the desert. Once the initial shock wears off, Elisa sympathizes with her captors, a band of revolutionaries written off by her kingdom as the faceless casualties of a previous skirmish. She even finds love with Humberto, the first of her captors to show her kindness. With the certainty of war on the horizon, Elisa initiates a plan to help her kingdom win and, hopefully, free her new friends from their political ties. Rae Carson's story (2011), as well as the world in which it is set, is rich and complex. Although the plot is heavy with political and religious overtones, the author manages this without seeming preachy. Elisa's character is expertly-drawn, and her transformation from a whiny, self-absorbed princess to a courageous young woman capable of leading her people is believable, very well-executed, and performed to perfection by Jennifer Ikeda. Fans of Tamora Pierce will be enchanted by this strong heroine and eagerly await the next volume, "The Crown of Embers" (2012, both Greenwillow).-"Alissa Bach, Oxford Public Library, Oxford MI"

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