The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Synopsis: Once a century, One person is chosen for greatness.
 Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses.  The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can't see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king--a king whose country is in turmoil.  A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he's not the only one who seeks her.  Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her.  A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior, and he looks at her in a way no man has looked at her before.  Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most.  If the prophecy is fulfilled.  If she finds the power deep within herself.  If she doesn't die young.
Most of the chosen do.



My 2 cents:  I absolutely loved this book!  It had everything--great characters, a great plot, lots of suspense!  I especially loved Elisa--the author made her seem so ordinary, so imperfect.  It was hard to imagine that this chubby girl who loved pastries was going to save their country from war!  It really was a hero's journey--Elisa had to learn a lot to become such a kick ass heroine by the end!

I also loved the world that the author created.  I love getting immersed into a new imaginative world, and Carson delivered on that one!    The fantasy element was also great in this.  I love how the Chosen one centered around God, and was chosen by a Godstone in the baby's navel when they were named, in a special ceremony.  It was a very different way in building this world.  I saw lots of comparisons to our own world--how the majority of the public scoffs God in everyday life, and many more misquote sacred texts to try to understand their religion.  Very clever!

All in all, a great read, and if you haven't read it, I hope you will!  5 stars!