The Crown of Embers (Rae Carson)

****

Sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns - spoiler alert!

         Elisa is now the hero of Joya d'Arena, but that doesn't mean that her life is any easier.  She has to deal with the discontent of her people, threats to her life, and grief for the loss of two people she loved.  On top of that, her advisors are distracting her from the threat of the Inviernos by trying to force her to marry.  Under the guise of visiting a suitor, Elisa goes to the south to find magic so she can defeat the Inviernos and fulfill her destiny as bearer of the Godstone.

         This book was SO GOOD - holistically, I'd say 4.5 stars.  Like The Girl of Fire and Thorns, it sped by.  One minute I was only a few chapters in, and then all of a sudden I had less than a hundred pages left.  Rae Carson kept me in suspense the whole time, too.  I did notice that in both of these books, it was obvious who Elisa would end up with from the second they started talking.  That being said, it didn't actually bother me at all.  Instead, I got the sort of smug feeling you get when two friends get together and you've known all along that they would.  The Crown of Embers was full of action and excitement.  If you read The Girl of Fire and Thorns and liked it, you will not be disappointed by this book.

Rating: 4/5
Completed: January 20, 2013

Sorry I've neglected the blog for so long!  I've still been reading (there are a few more reviews on the way), but I've been too busy with school to post anything.  The sequel to Tempest is up next.