Review Detail

As soon as I picked up this book, I could not put it down. I stayed up late reading it because I just HAD to know what happened. Elisa is the type of girl I would love to be friends with. She is your typical teenager, only more awesome. And what I mean by that is she is incredibly heroic, self sacrificing, brave, kind and a positive role model. It is so nice to read a book with this type of female lead.

Elisa marries King Alejandro de Vega on her sixteenth birthday. Adventure follows her to her new home Joya d'Arena and I was taken on a heart pounding, edge of my seat ride the rest of the book. As soon as the King and his new wife set out for their home, they are attacked. Elisa finds courage and bravery in herself that she did not know existed. She is immediately faced with tough decisions and I found myself forgetting she was only sixteen. Soon after arriving in her new home, Elisa must find a way to help while learning about the utter devastation going on throughout the kingdom. This is one of the best fantasy books I have read in a long time. Ms. Carson does an amazing job writing and bringing her world to life. Her world is unique, powerful and breathtaking. I absolutely cannot wait until the sequel.

I really liked all of the characters in the book. Every single character had depth. Every character served a purpose, they were not just thrown in to fill up the pages. I was really struck by the character of Humberto. He is so good, down to the very core. I am so glad I got to know him throughout the book. King Alejandro is not the type of king his kingdom needs. While he had a good heart, he is weak and a bit selfish, however I felt myself rooting for him. I wanted him to be the king that his kingdom needs so badly. Most of all, I adored Elisa. Not only is she a strong, courageous, brave girl, she is not your typical beautiful lead. She is a "normal" girl. She eats what she wants, she is a bit on the heavy side, but that does not define her.

If you love fantasy, romance, adventure, brave heroines and an incredibly imaginative world, go get this book and read it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.