The Bitter Kingdom (Girl of Fire and Thorns, 3)

Despite my best efforts at self-control, telling myself to slowly savor it, I finished this last book in the series in a day. I just keep saying, "just one more chapter" and suddenly it was over. I was so sad to see this trilogy end, but I enjoyed every moment of it and I plan to enjoy every re-reading of these three books. The Fire and Thorns trilogy is one of those rare things -- a book series that has close to perfect pacing and realistic character growth combined with a truly engaging story. Modern YA books can be fraught with dangers, mostly for the reader. They can be cliche, mind numbing fillers that might possibly blind a reader with it's stupid story lines and "strong but yet somehow very silly heroines" (Yes, Bella Swan I am looking at you). Here is a line up of the good and the short list of the "don't think to much about this" parts of the series (warning: Spoilers):Good:- Elisa's character growth from a insecure, binge eating princess to a strong, capable and brilliant queen is both believable and emotional. I felt her surprise as she grew physically stronger, cheered for her through the struggles and loved that she became strong through both the strength of friends and her own ability to see her strengths. I also loved that she didn't magically become a super model or a ninja. She worked for every bit of her new found warrior skills and toned yet rounded body. She was willing to see herself truly and accept both her strengths and weaknesses. Her moments of self doubt are believable and not sappy and I didn't want to kill her by the end of the books because she has so much self doubt and "he can't possibly like me" and "woe is me" inner thoughts. Bonus.-Hector. Sigh. Hector. Such an honorable man. I loved his strength of character, his self-control, his doubt, and his desire to both protect but honor and respect his queen and love. Hector sees Elisa deeply and respects her abilities. We need more men like him in literature. And in real life really. I loved the moments of interaction with Elisa and Hector and in The Bitter Kingdom, Hector's POV are well paced and provide perfect moments of insight into both Hector's mind and to what is happening outside of Elisa's experience.- Belen, Mara, Red, Storm and all the other characters are well developed and as much fun to read as Elisa herself. Even minor characters are well thought out and are introduced perfectly into the story line. Elisa is a sensitive ruler who is willing to make the hard decisions mostly because she has the backing of her friends. She is not too proud a leader to listen and they are not too proud to give well placed wisdom.- The story itself is compelling and the politics of war and peace are very well laid out into a believable ending. No simple happy ending is slapped onto this story. It is well developed politically, well fought and satisfying in the end.-Thank you, Rae Carson for keeping the long looks between Hector and Elisa well paced and not over done. The looks did not diminish Elisa to a gawker and Hector to eye candy as can often be expected in YA books. Elisa is a girl with a plan and doesn't just wait around staring at broad shoulders for decisions to be made. This gives power to the Hector and Elisa scenes that leave tingles while keeping their relationship real without all the "misunderstandings" and silliness that tends to bog down and kill many potentially good books.-Also thank you for not including insta-love, love triangles, or any of the other current romantic writing techniques that seem to be so popular now. Just because it is popular does not mean it is a good idea. While this series does include romance it is not a romance series. It is primarily a series about a girl's journey to defining herself on her terms not on others terms. In the end she learns that not even the Godstone defines her. She learns to be herself. All the other stuff - wars, ships, Godstones, etc. - is just the bonus part of her journey. It is the forge that shapes her into a strong woman. All that stuff is exciting and emotional and wonderful, yes, and keeps the reader interested. But nothing is really fluff. And nothing is instant or pops out of nowhere because the author was too lazy to do the hard work of making a real story."Don't think to much on this":- The belly button Godstone. This does seem silly placement but I really don't know where a better place to put this would be. By the second book I was accepting of this minor detail though is still seemed jarring occasionally.- The backstory on the Inviernos. Not as well fleshed out as I would like. One reviewer complained it was a bit colonialistic, harking to the days of Spanish conquistadors in the Americas. I don't know. It did seem a compelling mystery with a slight hint at a sci-fi kind of interaction. The idea that machines/science somehow were involved in combining and changing the DNA of Inviernos and Joyans hints at a time when the Joyans were more advanced that they are now. Somewhere along the line they lost that history and advanced science which considering their short history on the planet seems a bit questionable. In fact, it sounds a bit like Joyans dropped from the sky like space explorers but somehow it was blamed on the hand of God. Confusing. The whole who has a Godstone first, etc. got a bit confusing but I didn't find it irritated too much possibly because I was enjoying Elisa's journey too much. It was more of a hmmm, I don't know, that sounds dodgy . . . .oh but moving on. . .-The underground mine adventure was a bit LOTR like in its execution. I don't mind people borrowing from other literature because it is a time honored tradition (and I love LOTR) but I kept pulling up LOTR scenes in my mind while reading these chapters. Not super distracting but still. . . I couldn't decide if I liked this or if it was distracting to THIS book and its story. . .- From about 1/4 of the way through the first book till almost the end this is a non-stop adventure. It seems that if you think about it too much these people should fall down dead from exhaustion or sickness or something. They heal a bit fast, in my non-expert opinion, even non-Godstone people. They are kind of super human. They have their moments of "hey, we should probably rest cuz we haven't slept in days" but those moments seem a bit far apart considering some of the things they encounter. I liked it. But don't think about it too much.- Be warned that people die in this series. While death is dealt with in a sensitive and realistic manner - not overdone or too gory, this is still a country at war and death is a part of that. Elisa, as a sensitive soul, struggles with the realities of war and death, especially in her name or for her protection and cause, and she asks questions of how to minimize the damage to people caught in the cross fire of war. And how to mourn those you love. This can be both a plus and a minus to some.- Also, for readers who care, especially parents, be warned that there are references to birth control and hints at sex. These scenes are minor and subtly written but they are there. I couldn't decide if it would keep me from letting my daughter read it as a teen. Probably not because it could start a conversation and in fact I wish more scenes in other books were as subtle as these scenes. It is proof that subtle scenes can be more powerful than explicit scenes that share too much information. Miley Cyrus is proof of that. Too much info just ends up being a cultural joke. It's ok to have a little class.

Satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy. I love reading books that are very character driven and really explore personalities and relationships between the different characters. The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy did just that.Elisa went from being an insecure, sometimes whiny girl in the beginning of the first book, to a confident, fearless ruler in the third. It was great to watch her evolve and I loved it when she was reunited with her sister and Cosme and took charge of the empire.The dynamic between her and Storm was a joy to read. I found him irritating in The Crown of Embers but ultimately fell in love with him in this book. Just like Elisa did.I’m normally not a fan of kids being slotted into stories with a quest and upcoming battle. But I have to admit that the way Rae Carson introduced Mula and turned her into a useful tool for Elisa to use was brilliant. And I found myself laughing at some of her lines.And then there’s Hector. Strong, loyal, clever Hector. A match so perfect for Elisa! I loved him from the moment he was introduced in The Girl of Fire and Thorns and remember wishing he would be the love interest. I almost clapped with joy when they finally got together!I can’t wait to see what Rae Carson produces next.

5 StarsMagically enchanting, and wonderfully addicting, THE BITTER KINGDOM delivers an explosive conclusion that will leave you breathless and yearning for more!!! From it's rich lure of fantasy blend, and it's thickened plot, to it's breathtakingly hypnotic romance, and non-stop action and adventure, and magical background that solidifies this series to it's fullest. THE BITTER KINGDOM was one hell of a finale that I am utterly satisfied with, but drastically needing more...I am speechless after reading THE BITTER KINGDOM. I feel like my feelings are all jumbled and no words I can form will do it nearly any justice. There are no words to express the full depth and love I have for this book--no series. This series is one of those series that will stay with me for a very long time. And I'm saddened to see it all end, as I still want more from these characters and this world. But either way I still really enjoyed the way this series ended, even though at the same time it felt incomplete. But it doesn't really matter because it was an EPIC journey though it all!!Like I said above, this book ended great, it was absolutely wonderful. But, I still did feel that their were still too many unanswered questions that were left open at the close of this series. And it kept picking at me long after this book was over. It felt like it wasn't the end of the series and that another book would follow. It just didn't wrap up as good as I hoped it would have. I would of liked to see how some of the side charters ended up after the battle was all said and done. I guess I just wanted more from the epilogue, and to see how things fared after the main plot was played out. BUT nevertheless, it still delivered in more ways then one, and has stole my heart and branded it's world forever in my soul.The writing was as elegant and suspenseful as ever, and the characters had so much growth and development that it was heart-warming to see the strength they were able to pull from each other through all their struggles. I loved watching them through each book as they went through and endured each obstacles that tested them to their fullest, and were able to find the strength and endurance at each turn to overcome their predicaments and become stronger and more determined then ever!THE PLOTElisa has failed her kingdom, and now she's paying the price for that failure...Betrayed by supposed allies in her most trusted circle, Elisa is now hunted, a wanted fugitive in her own kingdom. Hiding amongst her own people, trying to blend in and cope with the capture of the captain of her guard and the man she's slowly came to love. Elisa can't possibly imagine it getting anymore complicated, but boy is she wrong. It's about to become a sandstorm of madness...ELISA HAS 5 GOALS:1-Free her beloved Hector before he makes to Invierne in enemy hands, and surfers a fate unimaginable. 2-Safely enter the City of Invierne and stop the impending war that's on their way to her kingdoms doorstep. 3-Meet with the neighboring kingdoms Queens, her sister Alodia, and her good friend Cosmé, to forge a health alliance and hopefully join their kingdoms. 4-Stop civil war from tearing her kingdom apart at the hands of the fellow Quorum Lord Eduardo, before it's to late. 5-And finally―finally, restore her kingdom back to it's once glory, or better yet, make it even more remarkable then it ever was.Simple right? Ooh no, far from it!! Elisa's journey will be horrendous as it takes her all across neighboring kingdoms and back, fighting enemy's and supposed allies at every turn. But Elisa is steadfast on completing her 5 goals before all is lost to them all. She is their Queen, and their born savior, and she will not give up until all is saved, until her kingdom is back in good graces, no matter the sacrifices, she will endure them all...THE BITTER KINGDOM went above and beyond the limits I expected, and though it didn't end the way I thought, it still rocked this series to the very core and has me eagerly anticipating more from Rae Carson. Because this woman is brilliant, and truly has the special gift of creating magical worlds that not only draws the reader in, but also invest them into her world and wonderfully characters, that satisfies in more ways then one.Overall, THE BITTER KINGDOM is a thrilling conclusion that is not to be missed. This whole series is wonderful and will go down as one of my favorite series of all time!! If you're looking for an epic adventure though enemy lands, and a battle to save a kingdom with magical elements, and a bitter sweet romance, then THE BITTER KINGDOM and the complete series is definitely for you!!

Similarities to Queen of the Tearling aside, a great book. Elisa is a strong, smart and interesting character. Worth the reading, no doubt about it.

Rae Carson is an underappreciated YA author that I would rank up there with Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games). She is a beautiful sophisticated writer and I look forward to reading other books by her! This is the third book in the trilogy and it was a great series! I highly recommend these books.

１巻からハラハラしながら一気に読みおわりました。戦い等のアクション成分が半分、恋愛や友情の成分が半分くらいで、全体を通して少女の成長が描かれています。良い本でした。

An Epic conclusion to a brilliant Fantasy series...The writing was amazing and is easily one of my favorite series in this genre

Exciting from the first chapter. Couldn't put it down .Didn't know there were three books I'd read two and three .