Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Published: 2012

# of Pages: 410

Source: Purchased Copy 

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.

Please be aware that this is the second book in the series; therefore, there may be spoilers. 

Okay let's just say that this book is full of nothing but badassness (I don't even know if that's a legitimate word)! I usually write my book reviews in a style where I talk about what I like and what I dislike; however, this book is too freaking fantastic and there definitely was nothing that I disliked about it. So let's go ahead and get into the gushing.

First thing, Elisa is my sole hero. I don't think I've ever found a female character that is the epitome of character development. It's like Rae Carson wrote her in a way that she just keeps getting better and better. In this novel she really takes ownership of her life and destiny. She just has this strong personality that is determined to not only protect herself, but also her people and kingdom. A character that appreciated as much as I appreciated Elisa was definitely Hector. I love a man that is strong enough to acknowledge how great of a ruler a woman can be and how strong she can be. He definitely serves as a strong support system for Elisa and I can't help to mention that they are my ship of choice without a doubt. A character that lost me in this novel was Ximena. I really did grow to love and admire her in the first book, but in this one, especially with her decision at the end, I just could not find it in my spirit to forgive her for the betrayal, but I guess I'll have to see where Carson takes me in the third book. 

The plot of the is book was definitely engaging and fast-paced. There were no boring moments or moments where the book seemed to drag on. Carson kept the drama rolling in with plenty of plot twists and surprises to satisfy everyone. She was brilliantly able to incorporate the new characters in with the old as if they were always there. And her writing style was fluid and beautiful. It left me wanting more of the story and the characters. 

Overall, I think that Rae Carson did a wonderful job with this book. The character development was exceptional and the writing style paired with the fast moving plot made for a wonderful story. I'm truly looking forward to reading the conclusion to this wonderful trilogy.