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Book
I of Trilogy
Rae Carson
Victor Gollancz (Orion)
31 August 2011 / ISBN 978575099135
Fantasy / Teen / Young Adult
Amazon
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Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
Princess Elisa is not your standard fantasy princess. Sixteen years
old and fat, she is more interested in her food than in statecraft,
but it is she who is the important one rather than her beautiful
older sister. Once every hundred years a person is born to bear
the Godstone, a magical stone that appears in their navel and has
a vital role to play in service to their country, and the deity
who sent it. Elisa is to be married to the handsome, much older
ruler of a neighboring, much larger country. King Alejandro de Vega
of Joya d’Arena seems kind if not lover-like, but when they
reach his kingdom after a perilous journey it transpires that theirs
is to be a secret marriage. Their subjects are to think that Elisa
is merely a guest…but why?
Ms Carson’s debut novel is an enthralling, page-turning coming-of-age
tale set in an exotic desert world with a Spanish feel. Elisa makes
for a good narrator, and it is hard not to get involved from the
first page with her story. She has a lot of growing up to do from
fat, plain and ignored princess of a small kingdom to a vital and
innovative person with an important role to play. Aimed at the YA
market, there is a lot in it that would appeal to teenage girls,
with its lively easy-to-read style and sixteen-year-old voice. For
anybody else this is perhaps the sort of fantasy novel that could
have been published some time ago, lacking any paranormal romance,
anti-heroes or buckets of gore. If you (like this reviewer) find
yourself yearning for this variety of fantasy then it will hit the
spot nicely. The first part of a trilogy, it will be interesting
to see what adventures Elisa will be involved with next.
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