The second book in Rae Carson's award-winning The Girl of Fire and Thorns fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and Kristin Cashore. Tamora Pierce called the first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, "A unique and engrossing read!" A seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.
In The Girl of Fire and Thorns, Elisa won the war. She saved her kingdom. But no one prepared her for how hard it is to recover from a battle, or to rule a people who still don't trust her. She's still fighting—against assassination attempts and more—and her enemies lie both outside her court and within it. So Elisa will cross the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. With her go a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume to Rae Carson's ambitious trilogy. Cinda Williams Chima proclaimed about the first book, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, "I LOVED this book!" and Veronica Roth agreed, saying, "Definitely recommended."
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"...Emotionally charged, suspenseful, and filled with plot twists." -School Library Journal
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 trail 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.
**
From School Library JournalGr 8 Up-In this sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns (HarperCollins, 2011), several months have passed since Elisa, through the power of her Godstone, destroyed the invading animagi sorcerers. Although the forces of Invierne were successfully driven back, the outer perimeter of the city still burns. Elisa is now queen of Joya d'Arena, and the crown is proving to be a heavy burden in more ways than one. The Inviernos still seek to capture her to manipulate the power of the Godstone she bears. There is massive civil unrest, and there are those at court who seek to undermine her rule. Although her husband has only been dead a few months, she is being pressured to remarry to secure an alliance with one of the noble houses in the kingdom. After several attempts are made on her life, she sets off on a perilous quest that is part of the fulfillment of her destiny as the bearer. As in the first book, Elisa's narration conveys a sense of immediacy. Carson has created vivid, palpable settings and complex multifaceted characters, and delivers a fast-paced novel that is emotionally charged, suspenseful, and filled with plot twists. The cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment of this series, which will especially appeal to fans of Kristin Cashore and Tamora Pierce.-Francesca Burgess, Brooklyn Public Library, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review"A superb fantasy built around an exceptional heroine." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)