Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I am a hoarder of pleasure. If you looked at my house, you wouldn't know it because I don't really keep a lot of things, but what I do have I like to savor, and I always save the best for later. When I was a kid, I saved my chocolates at Easter and Christmas so long that my brother and sister started begging me to share. When I eat a meal, I always leave some of my favorite food until the end. And with books, I store up potential treasure-troves rather than reading them right away. I suppose I'm like a dragon with its hoard, happy to think about what's in store and afraid of using it up.

But there are a few anticipated times every year when I let myself indulge in some of the saved-up treats. Times when I know I'll have an entire day I can bum around without guilt and just read myself into oblivion. Thanksgiving break is one of them, and yesterday (Wednesday), after a couple false starts, I settled on reading The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

This was a real treat. It was easy to get into, the high fantasy world atmosphere was the kind I love to sink into, and the pace was just right for a day when I didn't have to stop reading. It had action and intrigue, and Elisa was a girl who really grew and changed throughout the book. I thought I knew where it was going with the romance a couple times, and was surprised at what actually happened. So it's not totally cliche - something to make me happy anytime I read a novel with a romance aspect. Now I'm not sure what's going to happen in the sequel, which I've already moved onto.

I've seen some other reviews that mention some flaws, like a lack of depth in knowing the characters and the relationships between them. I agree, and it's one reason I'm not giving 5 stars. I feel like there was potential for me to be more emotionally involved.

Another tiny thing that holds me back from a 5 star rating relates to how Elisa uses the stone in her navel, especially during the last fight. This scene was just a little too comical to imagine and took me out of the seriousness of the moment. Really, this was not a good mental image for a life-or-death battle.

Still, this had just about everything I enjoy in a fantasy while not being so serious and complex that it took me 200 pages to get into it.



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