She does not know what awaits her at the enemy’s gate.
Elisa is a hero.
She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country’s ruler should be secure. But it isn’t.
Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.
To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten—and forbidden—clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom—despite everything—she is falling in love with.
If she’s lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.
The Crown of Embers, the second book in the Fire and Thorns trilogy, is a step up from the first book. I didn’t know if that was possible but Rae Carson far exceeded all my expectations.
The Crown of Embers does not succumb to the second book syndrome. It’s not just a filler book. There is so much going on over the course of the book. There’s romance, a great adventure, betrayal, and so much more.
First up, the romance. There were two romantic interests in The Girl of Fire and Thorns and both died. I wasn’t sure where Rae Carson was going to go with the romance after killing both. The new romantic interest isn’t a new character, just a blossoming of a relationship from friendship to romance. Hector is this new interest and he’s by far my favorite. Seeing Elisa and Hector’s relationship slowly start to change was perfect. There was no insta-love between them and I greatly appreciated that.
Then there was the adventure. Elisa is on a quest to find the zafira, the power from the earth which supplies the animagi with their magic. Elisa knows that if she can find this power source, she will be the most powerful person and defeat Invierne. Reaching the zafira will not be easy though. Many dangerous tasks face Elisa and her companions on the quest for the zafira. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book.
As for the betrayal, I won’t give anything away but let’s just say that I didn’t see it coming. I was so broken by the betrayal and I felt beyond torn up for Elisa. Just be warned, it will make you want to scream. And possibly reach into the book and hit someone.
Overall, read The Crown of Embers if you haven’t already. Rae Carson is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine with this series alone.
What others are saying about The Crown of Embers:
Alexa Loves Books’ review: “Clearly, The Crown of Embers is a remarkable book.”
My Life is a Notebook’s review: “It was a solid follow up to The Girl of Fire and Thorns, and it left me screaming for more.”
Love is not a Triangle’s review: “She remains my favorite part of this series, and I continue to be amazed by her growth and strength.”