The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson / Book Review / Flashback Friday #35

By: Rae Carson

Published by: Harper Collins

Released On: August 27th, 2013
Series: The Girl of Fire and Thorns #3
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It!
Source: purchased booksAdd it to Goodreads

The champion must not waver.
The champion must not fear.
The gate of darkness closes.

Elisa is a fugitive.

Her enemies have stolen the man she loves, and they await her at the gate of darkness. Her country is on the brink of civil war, with her own soldiers ordered to kill her on sight.

Her Royal Majesty, Queen Lucero-Elisa né Riqueza de Vega, bearer of the Godstone, will lead her three loyal companions deep into the enemy's kingdom, a land of ice and snow and brutal magic, to rescue Hector and win back her throne. Her power grows with every step, and the shocking secrets she will uncover on this, her final journey, could change the course of history.

But that is not all. She has a larger destiny. She must become the champion the world has been waiting for.

Even of those who hate her most.

WARNING, SPOILERS are in this review!

Rae Carson wastes no time, and dives right back into Elisa's story with The Bitter Kingdom. This book picks up right where The Crown of Embers left off. This time around, I love that we get the story from both Elisa and Hector's points of views. This allows readers to see what's going on, on both sides of the story. The Crown of Embers about killed me, as did the beginning of this book. I swear I can hear Rae Carson doing the evil author laugh, all authors have when they know they're toying with their readers emotions. 

I know that the characters need opposition to grow, and wow do the characters in this series have that in this book. There is a lot that happens through out this book. Elisa has grown tremendously throughout the series, but especially through out this book. She has become a fierce fighter for her people. She sacrifices herself, and does what she thinks is right, even if her choices are picking lesser of the two evils. Nothing is fair or straight forward in war, and that's evident now. 

I found it interesting that while Elisa remains strong through out the book, she does start to question things. I felt as though her questioning of things challenged her, and forced her to grow stronger in her convictions. It allowed her to think outside the box and see things differently than she had before. Nothing is laid out for her. She's discovering her answers along the way. She has to make her own choices. I like that while she does make her own choices, she also seeks advice from her trusted friends. 

I have loved watching Elisa grow and become this incredibly fierce, and strong women. She knows herself, and her wants. She's not afraid to go after what she wants (Hector *cough, cough*), nor is she afraid to ask for help, and rely on her friends when she needs it. 

One of my favorite lines from the book is from page 428 - "I hope so. But I meant me. I'm beautiful to me." 

I felt like that is one of the most powerful lines in the book. It sums up Elisa's growth, it sums up the women she has become, and whom she is now. She's secure and happy with whom she is, and that's such a crucial thing. She doesn't need anyone else's acceptance of whom she is, except for from herself. She has definitely grown into a strong, fierce, unwavering leader. I admire her for her strength and determination. 

Though she's proven herself many times, and has risked her life to save her companions, I may have admired her a little bit more when she admitted she needed Hector to save her, when something happened to her. Hector and Elisa have something unique, and I have loved how they've always respected the other's individual strength, and whom they are individually.

Elisa and Hector are a match made in YA book heaven. Seriously, can they be any more perfect for each other?! No, they can't. I love how they get each other. I love their love and support for each other. Most importantly, I love how they've always supported each other for who they are. They've never forced the other to be anyone other than who they are. I love their stolen moments together, and those scenes.... *sigh*. I love that we finally get a wedding! I love that it was Elisa who asked him. I love that she gave him the choice. I also admired him for thinking it through. As she told him, it takes a strong man to say yes to someone of her power. 

The characters in this book/series are great. Rae Carson does such a wonderful job at creating characters that are more than just supporting characters, who fizzle away after the story is gone. She creates strong characters who support the story, and are very much apart of the story as Elisa and Hector are. I love her blend of action, romance, and the mythology/lore that is at the heart of the story. Readers have learned about Elisa's powers along side Elisa, and I really liked that.

I can't believe it's over! I have loved reading this series, especially back to back. It's one of my all time favorite series. I loved this series, and I really enjoyed this book. I have to say, that wedding may make this my favorite book from the series. Read my 5 star review for The Crown of Embers, here. You can find out more about each book in her series via our recent #ReadingRae Read Along posts.