[(Fire and Thorns)] [ By (author) Rae Carson ] [August, 2012] Paperback – 23 Aug 2012

Loved this book especially our heroine who unlike most heroines is rather on the large side! The way the author describes the sweat on her upper lip as she starts walking down the isle, or when her dress is so tight that laughing or crying rips the seams to the chaffing of her legs when having to walk any distance, is so real, I could totally feel for this girl and relate to her in lots of ways. It did make me laugh as you can totally put yourself in her shoes. I was a bit disappointed that she loses the weight and becomes the stereotypical heroine. But saying that she still finds herself untrained in various situations which again is an usual spin for these types of books.I hope the 2nd is as good and not just a different version of the first.

An interesting fantasy, for both YA and adults alike. On Princess Elisa's naming day when she was a baby, she was gifted by god with his God Stone which was embedded in her navel. Once every hundred years someone is gifted with a God Stone, which means that they are chosen for great things. Flash forward to Elisa's sixteenth birthday. Elisa has low self esteem and is overshadowed by her eldest sister who is the heir to her father's throne. Elisa, although very well educated and a scholar, feels useless in comparison to her sister and comfort eats to compensate, consequently she is very overweight which adds to her low self esteem. Her father, in an attempt to protect her, marries her off to a neighbouring king. In actual fact in so doing he is thrusting her into danger as the kingdom he's marrying her into is under threat from an invading army. An army who has animages who use blood sorcery to help conquer other countries. They want a living God Stone, which means danger for Elisa. This first book follows the personal journey of Elisa, as a uncertain girl who considers herself worthless, to a more confident seventeen year old. The book is full of action and adventure, as we follow Elisa's initial progress.

The narrative of this story is wonderfully descriptive, and Rae Carson's smooth writing style brings to life both the world in which Elisa lives, and all the characters that populate it."Fire and Thorns" (originally titled, The Girl of Fire and Thorns) is at its heart a coming of age story about Elisa. All her life she's known that she is was 'chosen', but if her sixteen years have taught her anything it's that she's remarkably unremarkable for someone waiting to do a great deed. When we first meet her she's insecure and pudgy, and very self-critical.The romance is well-written, and there's more than one flirtation for Elisa, but this is never written in a way other than what I could imagine happening in real life. Crush versus real love, and recognizing the people who say they will be there for you, over the people who actually show you they truly are there for you. Having said that, despite the elements of romance, there are so many wonderful plot twists in the story, and such growth of character for Elisa, that the romance never overshadows her and her self-discovery. Which is one of the reasons I've chosen not to mention the names of the other characters in this book. I'd love for other readers to discover them, without too much of an introduction beforehand, because I loved jumping into this novel, knowing very little before I started too. Sometimes trailers and reviews can give too much away, and I hope not to give away too much.She's taken from the safety of her father's castle, and it's in the outside world that she finally discovers who she really is, even if she's still unsure of what her chosen task(s) are, or will be. The plot takes Elisa and the reader on a voyage of discovery, where she discovers that maybe all that she knows about being a chosen, is merely the tip of the iceberg. There are things that others know and have kept from her, and there are things only she can know if she has faith.I loved Elisa's voice, and the complexity of the characters in this story. Not all the good guys are a hundred percent 'good', nor do all the bad guys seem entirely bad. They are simply a bunch of flawed people doing their best - or worst.Elisa's wonderfully perceptive and aware of the motivations of others, but even she's caught by surprise by one or two characters, who in their own way will change her life forever.Overall: The characters are easy to relate to and wonderfully complex. The world creation, with its elements of religion, faith and magic make for a fascinating read, and when you throw into the mix rebels, invaders, and treachery...well, that's a mix that makes this a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down :) 5 out of 5 stars.

I would recommend this to anyone is who interested in a story with a great/relatable heroine and who enjoys a read that is truly captivating. I found it hard to put this aside and as a result l read it in less than a day. The characters in this book are genuinely interesting and all play a vital role, which is freshing from other reads; that only have characters there to fill space.Happy with my purchase!

What an amazing read Fire and Thorns was. Elisa is the kind of heroine that one immediately feels drawn and attached to. Her character arc is inspiring, especially the weight loss issue that plagued her. One can see that she was comfort eating and when she started gaining confidence (well, in addition to lifestyle change) this brought a change in her body image, habits and attitude.The world building was amazing. It reminded me of Maria Snyder Poison series, the Magician's Guild and other favorite fantasy series. I cannot wait for the sequel! Please hurry up and write it Rae Carson!

A little slow to begin with but once your into it very readable and a well told narrative, good characters and I have purchased book two, so that's good then!

I thought this book was very good for a debut novel , I probably would have gone with 4 stars but given it was her first novel and was so much better than some authors that are on their fourth or fifth novel i thought she deserved five stars for that alone. i loved the story and the characters were well written, good plot and pace. It had the essential element of a book I know I have enjoyed in that it left me wanting more and looking forward to more from the author and this character/series.

Great book, great series!