Series Review: Fire & Thorns by Rae Carson

All three volumes of Rae Carson's New York Times‒bestselling The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy plus the three novellas set in the same world, available together! An insecure princess with an unclear destiny becomes a secret bride, a revolutionary, a queen, and—finally—the champion her world so desperately needs in this epic fantasy series that Tamora Pierce called "engrossing" and that Veronica Roth said was "intense, unique . . . definitely recommended."

This complete collection includes the three volumes of the trilogy: book one, The Girl of Fire and Thorns; book two, The Crown of Embers; and book three, The Bitter Kingdom. It also includes the three novellas set in the world of the series: The Shadow Cats, The Shattered Mountain, and The King's Guard.

Once every century, one person is chosen for greatness. But the prophecy is vague, and Elisa has no idea why she was chosen or how she will fulfill the expectations. Her future is unknown and her potential is tremendous—even if she doesn't realize it. A sweeping fantasy series about a young woman finding her true strength, this is perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore's Graceling and George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones.

Hello! My name is Nick and I have a new obsession and its name is the Fire & Thorns series.

There’s so much I want to say about this series because for two weeks it’s all I lived and breathed, and honestly, my review is not going to do it any justice. It’s been a while since I’ve been so thoroughly enthralled with a series, and I’m so happy I gave the Fire & Thorns books a try because this series is going down as one of my top 5 favorite trilogies. Everything about these books was pure perfection from start to finish. In fact, I thought these books only got better and better as the story progressed – how many series can you say that about? Rae Carson is undeniably a talented storyteller and I couldn’t get enough of her writing.

Here are the elements that stood out the most for me during this trilogy:

Elisa: Protagonist & Queen of My Heart

When it comes to books, I generally find myself gravitating more towards the male lead, mostly because I like swooning over them, but in this series, without any doubt, Elisa was the bright spot for me. I knew from the very beginning that she would be a character that I would love with all of my heart. So it wasn’t a surprise when by the end of the trilogy, I had a mad girl crush on this girl. Her character development has got to be one of the best I’ve ever read in a book. Rae Carson left no stone turned when it came to fleshing out her characters and showing the changes to their personalities as they went through hell and more. Elisa was an intelligent, but naive young woman with a quiet strength, who had been bestowed with a gift and a huge responsibility at the beginning of the series. Throughout the books, she slowly turned into a clever, wise, and badass queen, who you wouldn’t want to mess around with. She grew to become so much stronger, resilient and comfortable in her own skin thanks in part to the heartbreaking, dangerous and scary obstacles that she was thrown into. What made Elisa such a brilliant protagonist for me was how real she came across through the narration. She was unconventional for a YA heroine with her dark skin, plain looks, heavier than normal body weight and her intense love affair with food. Her fears, insecurities and her desires were raw and made it easy to relate to her personality. Add to that her selflessness, bravery and independence, I was hopelessly in love with this girl.

A Motley Crew: Lord Commander (Heart Stealer) Hector & A Diverse Cast

HECTOR! HECTOR! HECTOR!
I know I said I thought Elisa was the strongest part of the Fire & Thorn series, even more so than the male lead, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t completely in love with him. Hector was one fine man. MY GOODNESS. It’s like he came out nowhere and charmed the heck out of me. He didn’t play that crucial of a role in the first book and if there were any hints as to him being the love interest in that first novel, I completely missed them. In book 2 though, Rae Carson started to really dig into the fiercely loyal, sweet, and fearless character that was Hector. And then in book 3, she goes around and SLAYS me with Hector’s POV and I stood zero chance against his charm. If every YA love interest was like Hector, I would forever be a happy reader. The secondary cast, more prominently, Mara, Belen & Storm, were also brilliantly crafted. They accompanied Elisa through most of her journey during this trilogy, and along with her, they too grew into their skins, becoming progressively stronger and fiercer. I LOVED this cast so damn much and I don’t know how Rae Carson was able to give each of them a story arc and make them so complex. I would have never gotten tired of them had this series been infinite.

Relationships to Envy: Friendship, Romance & More

I love reading about friendships in any book as many of you probably know, so I was thrilled beyond words at the intricate relationships that Elisa had throughout the Fire & Thorns trilogy. Her blossoming friendship with Mara, has to be one of my favorite literary female friendships. They were comfortable around each other and showed each other support and strength no matter what the situation they were in. One of my favorite scenes in this series was in The Crown of Embers when Mara and Elisa had an incredible conversation about sex and love. It was empowering and really depicted what female friendship should be like. Elisa also had great, but very complicated relationships with Belen and Storm. I adored the banter they all shared together, but more than that, what stood out to me was their devotion towards one and another and how well they worked as a team. I shipped all these friendships!

The romance was just as brilliant as every other aspect of this series. It was very much a slow-burn romance, that remained in the background for the most part, but you guys, it was swoony, and made me ship the couple so hard. Elisa & Hector’s romance didn’t begin until The Crown of Embers and I’m grateful for Rae Carson for allowing Elisa to mature into her strength before she began to fall in love. The relationship was so perfect, because it was based on friendship, trust and companionship. Hector considered Elisa an equal in every respect and he allowed her to be who she was and make her own decisions. They were a perfect team, complimentary in every way. And boy did Hector make me swoon with some of his lines. I loved this OTP!

A Magical Story: Religion, War & High Stakes

Rae Carson is highly skilled at the art of storytelling. Every plot turn, piece of world building and character is calculated and she never wasted her time with overwhelming info dumping in this trilogy. I sometimes struggle with world building in YA fantasy books, it’s very easy for me to become lost and dazed, but here, it had an easy flow to it and it helped that she built it slowly and steadily. The fictional religion was a huge part of the Fire & Thorn books, and I loved the author’s take of it and how she seamlessly incorporated it into the book. Impending war with neighboring nations, discrimination and prejudice were other pivotal parts of the series and with the inclusion of magic, it was portrayed tactfully and beautifully. The whole series had a very adventurous feel to it, with Elisa and her companions traveling long distances to reach neighboring nations, often times encountering enemies, human and natural, and the stakes were undeniably high. I was scared for the fate of the characters. I loved the addictive quality that the story possessed and I appreciated the fact that there was never a single dull moment throughout the series.

In the end, the Fire & Thorn series is one I’m going to cherish forever and no doubt one that I will come back to again and again in the future. Now that I’m done with these books, my heart feels a little empty. I will miss the characters, especially Hector and Elisa dearly. Thrilling, character-driven and subtly swoony, this is a series I will never stop recommending.

Image Credits

Individual Book Ratings

The Girl of Fire & Thorns : 

The Crown of Embers : 

The Bitter Kingdom : 

Have you read this series yet? What is one of your all-time favorite series?
Let me know in the comments below!

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