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433 pages, Hardcover
First published August 27, 2013
“You look beautiful,” Alodia says.The other characters, Belén, Mara, Hector, Storm, all feature promimently in this book as Elisa continues her quest, and they are truly essential to the story. I would venture to say that Hector is the weakest character in terms of character development, and to me, he was altogether forgettable, at times. If not for his status as Elisa's love, I don't think I would remember Hector much at all within this book. I love Mara and Belén's growing relationship, although I did want to bonk Mara on the head sometimes, for all her stubbornness.
I startle at the compliment. Then I smile. “I’m beautiful to the one person who matters.”
She nods. “Hector’s mouth will drop open when he sees you.”
“I hope so. But I meant me. I’m beautiful to me.”
“Are you the commander?” Mula asks, squatting down near his head. He manages a nod as his eyes are drifting closed. “I’m Mula, but that’s just my name for now. Did you know that Elisa is the queen? She has a sparkle stone. She healed me because I’m her best slave. Want to see my feet?”I also found Mula incredibly annoying.
“You look beautiful," Alodia says.
I startle at the compliment. Then I smile. "I’m beautiful to the one person who matters."
She nods. "Hector’s mouth is going to drop open when he sees you.”
“I hope so. But I meant me. I’m beautiful to me.”
“I am queen of Joya d’Arena and bearer of a living Godstone. I kneel to no one.”
Final books are always the hardest for me to write about. It is the end, and I know that there wouldn't be any sequels and things will stay the way they ended. At some point I am relieved how everything ended but some resolutions left me disappointed.
The plot. The crown of embers ended with Elisa and Co on the run. They must save Hector, find out the truth about Godstones, and then Elisa must again prove to be the ruler of her people and restore her rights as a queen. This part of the trilogy was action packed, without any stops to catch a breathe and think. I believe I have a few white hairs after finishing the book. But it was worth it. We finally have a map and now can see what is where and how to get there. The first part of the book was my favorite. When the characters traveled through abandoned mines, I've become claustrophobic. It was a scary place, really, and the creatures that roam the place... well, let's just say they are not pleasant. Brrrr. Also, we've got some answers but not all of them and some things are left unsaid.“It is human nature to concoct explanations to fill the great void of the unknown.”
I get that we can't have everything we want, but I hoped for more closure maybe? Things are kind of ended up abruptly for me and I was not prepared to say goodbye. The second book stays my favorite, this one is on the second place.
The characters. Elisa was the strongest character in this book. She almost didn't doubt herself and proved to be a true queen. But I missed the weaker Elise, the one who endured and suffered and won hard. It made her more human to me, not regal but alive. I still am proud of her and her accomplishments, but somehow power made her less interesting character. Though, most moments with her were still amazing and Elise is still one of the best female characters in YA for me.It��s possible I’ve been through too much, lost too much. War damages different people in different ways; Hector taught me that. King Alejandro became spineless and incapable. His father before him was rash and unpredictable, if I’m to believe court gossip. Perhaps this is my damage. Maybe I am numb to fear because I am broken.
What I really loved about Elise, that she puts more trust in herself than in god now.The truth is, I’m not sure if God looked out for us, or if we won the day ourselves. I’m not sure of anything about him anymore.
Peace is such hard work. Harder than war. It takes way more effort to forgive than to kill.
Poor Elise, imagine to be on a run almost for a year (I am counting all three books in one); it can be very tiring, especially when you always have to worry if this is a day when doom will finally catch up with you.These are the kinds of decisions I hate. It seems my choices too often are reduced to a single question: How would I rather die? Starvation? Scorpion venom? Falling to my death?
Yeah, hard choices.
We have chapters from Hector's POV in this book and I liked being in his head. He was strong and wonderful and protective. His relationship with Elise is slow-burning and intense and sensual. I totally ship this couple“But I’m powerless,” I whisper.
“Yes, powerless,” he echoes. “Which is why I have no desire to do this.” He kisses my forehead, letting his lips linger. “Which is why I can easily say no to this.” He presses his lips to mine, teases them open, and kisses me long and deep. “And why I am not utterly compelled to do this.” He yanks my body against his, and his hand slips under the hem of my shirt. “Do you see, Elisa?” he says, his voice dark. “How little power you have over me?”He has not stopped grinning like a little boy about to open his Deliverance Day gifts. He leans closer until our lips are a finger’s breadth apart. He brushes a strand of hair from my neck, and I shiver. “If we were alone right now,” he says, “I would . . .”
“I would let you.”“I love you too,” he whispers in my ear. “Wholly. Madly.”
“Does this mean you’ll marry me?”
“I suppose.”
But. BUT. In the second half of the book Elise was way stronger than Hector. She and only she had to make hard decisions. Hector kind of dangled in the background, and I found that his personality dimmed, and there were other much more interesting characters like Storm. Oh Storm, you are my favorite. He's got a really good character development in this book. I have a serious crush on him. Storm seems so careless on the outside but he cares and oh, how deep he cares.Storm chuckles. “Queen, chosen one, horse thief. Let it never be said that you are not accomplished.”
He catches Mara and me staring and rubs his hair, frowning. “It will grow back,” he assures us. “By the time we reach Invierne, it will be less shameful.”
“I’m relieved to hear that your vanity has weathered this egregious trial unscathed.”
“Thank y— Oh. Sarcasm again.”
I know, he is so self-assured sometimes, but I adore him.Storm leans toward her and says in a teaching voice, “Joyans consider it is rude to express one’s true opinion unless it is unequivocally flattering.”
Her brow furrows. “Then how do they express anything at all?”
Haha, indeed, how!In the afternoon, Storm suggests we make snowshoes. We’ve never heard of such a thing, and we ask him to demonstrate, but he scoffs, saying, “I was a prince of the realm. I bought snowshoes—I didn’t make them.”
“A deathstalker,” Hector says. “Larger relative of the common cave scorpion. They glow when frightened. Their sting is painful and mildly poisonous but not usually serious. The problem is when they swarm. Multiple stings can be lethal.”
“Ugh,” I say.
“Yes. I agree they are ugh,” Storm says.
Really, every moment in Storm's company is a pleasure. If I would compare him to other fictional princes I like, it would be Nikolai from Grisha trilogy. I want a separate spin-off from Storm's POV.
I love the friendship between Storm and Elise. It started rocky but transformed into something really precious:My heart twists. Storm and I have gone from enemies, to uneasy allies, to grudging friends. I would never tell him so, but I am fond of him.
Talking about the topic of friendship in this book, I'd say it has the best kind of friendship - the one that fought for through thorns with bloody fingernails: I look around at my companions. “This might be it. The gate of the enemy. None of you are required to accompany me. It’s your choice.”
Belén shrugs. “It’s a perfect plan.”
“As easy as falling in love,” Mara adds.
“Foolproof,” Hector agrees.
I don’t deserve such friends. I blink against the sting of threatening tears and say, “All you Joyans are filthy liars.”
Female friendship is amazing. I have no words, I always wanted a sister and what Mara and Elise have is precious:There’s a hole inside me that she fills, something I wouldn’t get from being queen or winning a war or even being with Hector.
“You’re the sister I never had,” she adds.
“And you’re the sister I always wish I had.”
Overall.This book was great. Last books of the trilogies are not always fulfilling; often they are disappointing. Compared to them, The bitter kingdom is an amazing conclusion to an amazing series. But still, I can't shake the feeling that something is lost to me, something more; the ending did not make me as happy and filled with satisfaction as I'd like to be when finishing a series I really enjoyed. Maybe it's me and everything is alright with this book, I don't know... It is a highly recommended series from my side and one of the best fantasy YA I've read this year.
“I think sometimes when we find love we pretend it away or ignore it or tell ourselves we’re imagining it. Because it is the most painful kind of hope there is.”