Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Hardcover: 343 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release date: October 10, 2017

Series:  Gold Seer Trilogy #3

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Leah Westfall’s journey has been one of ever-present peril, hidden magic, harsh realities, loss, life, determination, and love. She has searched for a place to belong and a place to call home, and people who can accept a girl with magical powers that prove to be both blessing and curse.
Rae Carson has been lauded as one of YA’s best writers of fantasy, and fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Westworld will be riveted by the conclusion of this remarkable historical fantasy trilogy.
Leah is poised to have everything she ever dreamed of on the long, dangerous journey to California’s gold fields—wealth, love, the truest friends, and a home. Thanks to her magical ability to sense precious gold, Leah, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have claimed rich land in California Territory. But their fortune makes them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Leah and her friends must fight back with all of their power and talents.
Leah’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter California’s history forever.
With a distinctive heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure.

I never want Rae Carson's books to end, and this was no exception! Having made a deal with a deceptively smooth councilman for their town charter and needing to retrieve Becky Joyner's confiscated house, Leah Westfall and her band of pioneers journey out of their newly minted town of Glory, California to the big, high-stakes city of San Francisco to secure their future. When they arrive in San Francisco, they stumble into a much bigger extortion scheme and make an ambitious plan to fight for justice.

Most of this book is centered on San Francisco of 1849/1850 before California becomes a state. It brings to life a number of famously historical circumstances including the practice of sinking or grounding ships to establish or build real estate (SF Gate article). In fact, only within the last few years has it been more covered in the media that there are still actual ships buried under the streets of San Francisco (National Geographic article). I found this coverage of history, and my subsequent research, absolutely fascinating! I've been to San Francisco in the last few years, and now I'm kicking myself that I didn't visit the Maritime Museum. Anyway, one of the grounded ships is the vessel that brought Becky Joyner's house to San Francisco, and Leah decides to buy and turn into a sort of home since renting and living in San Francisco depletes their gold funds rapidly. The book illustrates the different uses many of the abandoned gold rush ships served -- as storage, hotels, homes, a jail, etc. -- which were all true in history.

Another of the book's history gems is bringing up the law of coverture (Wikipedia). When Becky Joyner goes to claim her house---and remember her husband is dead, the bank will not let her claim the property because, as they say, "a wife has no legal standing. All her rights are covered by, and thus represented by, the rights of her husband" which was known as the law of coverture. Since Becky's husband is dead and their son is not yet of age, the only one legally allowed to claim her house would be Becky's father-in-law back in Tennessee. This situation describes a very real and widespread problem for women and one of the driving forces behind the fight for women's right to vote as the majority of women couldn't hold property and therefore couldn't vote. It brings the law to life to view it through such strong female characters as Leah and Becky Joyner and hear their feminist voices discuss the ramifications.

Lastly, I love the character arc we've seen in Leah. She rises from scared runaway girl to wagon train leader to establishing a town to partially leading a civil rights rebellion and in this last novel, she certainly doesn't back down from greater heights. She and her fellows start a revolution in San Francisco against corruption and greed. She's also been practicing with her magic too, and manages several amazing feats. I'm not going to spoil any of these exciting plot developments here though. That's something you'll definitely want to read yourself!

The ONE question I still really wanted answered out of this series was just what happened with her mom? This question has been danced and danced around and we get closer here, but I just never felt true closure with this question. Alas, that's exactly how life is too!

We do see a few old friends (and enemies) surface. Relationships are built and furthered including that of Leah and Jefferson, though this is, as always, not the driving motivations in the book but rather a pleasant side-plot. I would love to see this series become a movie or tv show. It would be really cool to watch all of the history really come alive, especially that of San Francisco and the "Oregon Trail" west. I think this series might appeal to readers who loved Ruta Sepetys's Between Shades of Grey and Salt to the Sea and might be looking for something lighter but just as rich. It gives gold rush history a little bit of Leah's gold dust sense.

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Posted by Kara at 07:00

 Fantasy amp; Magic, Gold Seer Trilogy, Greenwillow Books, Harper Collins, Historical, historical fiction, Into the Bright Unknown, Library, Rae Carson, Review, young adult  1 Person left their mark

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release date: September 27, 2016

Series:  Gold Seer Trilogy, #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

After her harrowing journey west to California, Lee Westfall has finally found a new home—one rich in gold, thanks to her magical power, a power that seems to be changing every day. But this home is rich in other ways, too: with friends who are searching for a place to be themselves, just as she is, and with love. Jefferson—her longtime best friend—hasn’t stopped trying to win her heart. And Lee is more and more tempted to say yes.
But her uncle Hiram hasn’t given up his quest to get Lee and her power under his control. When she’s kidnapped and taken to him, Lee sees firsthand the depths of her uncle’s villainy. Yet Lee’s magic is growing. Gold no longer simply sings to her, it listens. It obeys her call. Is it enough to destroy her uncle once and for all?

(Please note for this post: The word 'Indian' is used to describe those of Native American descent due to it being a word culturally used during that period, and is also used in this review since it is in the book and a predominant sub-theme of the novel.)

This second book of the Gold Seer Trilogy has a very different flavor than the first as the first was a long journey narrative. This, by contrast, is more split into two parts, the first being an account of creating their homestead and helping it to survive, and the second of being an unwilling captive in her uncle's camp and joining a resistance movement in a fight for freedom. Rather than being a book all its own, it is decidedly a second book where mostly action carries the novel rather than plot or other drives, so readers will want to read the first before they try this one. The setting is much more localized, but we don't get to see much of California until the very end when there are glimpses of a historic Sacramento. It's possible that Glory, California, their small town (which seems to be fictional), could be Glory Holy Recreation Area, a bit southeast of Sacramento since it is both near mountains, east of San Francisco, and has quite a bit of water nearby as described in the book.

Our heroine Lee has also grown into her leadership role among the group, and most think highly of her judgment and abilities after their trek West. When other groups (men) begin to intermingle with their own, even these men come to recognize Lee's leadership and voice despite her gender. While Lee is captive in her uncle's camp, she must return to the pretense of being a proper young lady and subject to her uncle's authority and that of other men. Even when she is brought in by the leaders of the resistance group, Lee must still keep up much of the act to keep her friends safe. However, the very power her Uncle Hiram wants to use to save him, Lee grows to wield for her protection and as a potential weapon. Also, Lee and Jeff's romance heats up a bit, and Lee is no longer denying her feelings. Jeff is growing to appreciate his heritage, that of being half-Indian, and begins to see their rights as his own rights and speaks out among those who are not Indian.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this novel was how it brought cultural issues of the area to light without being overwhelming such as: the treatment of Indians of the period (capturing them, enslaving them, stealing their land, and treating them with very little human dignity or care for life); the treatment of the Chinese where they immigrate and gain work contracts which made them no better than performing slave labor, sometimes termed a 'coolie gang'; and still continued the issues of women's rights and slavery. Another change from the first novel is the growth of Leah's gold-sensing power. Here she begins to use it more frequently, perhaps because her secret is no longer as secret, and it begins to transform. No longer is it just a calling where the gold appears from the ground, but she is able to make it mold and bend to her will with greater and greater success. Lastly, isn't that cover absolutely gorgeous? Doesn't it really capture a glorious sunrise?

I still can't wait for the third and final volume Into the Bright Unknown coming out in October 2017, and I expect we will see even more of Leah come into her own, both in powers and in the world.

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Posted by Tynga at 14:26

 Fantasy amp; Magic, Gold Seer Trilogy, Greenwillow Books, Harper Collins, Historical, historical fiction, Library, Like a River Glorious, Rae Carson, Review, young adult  1 Person left their mark

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release date: September 22, 2015

Series:  Gold Seer Trilogy #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Gold is in my blood, in my breath, even in the flecks in my eyes.

Lee Westfall has a strong, loving family. She has a home she loves and a loyal steed. She has a best friend--who might want to be something more.

She also has a secret.

Lee can sense gold in the world around her. Veins deep in the earth. Small nuggets in a stream. Even gold dust caught underneath a fingernail. She has kept her family safe and able to buy provisions, even through the harshest winters. But what would someone do to control a girl with that kind of power? A person might murder for it.

When everything Lee holds dear is ripped away, she flees west to California--where gold has just been discovered. Perhaps this will be the one place a magical girl can be herself. If she survives the journey.

The acclaimed Rae Carson begins a sweeping new trilogy set in Gold Rush-era America, about a young woman with a powerful and dangerous gift.

This adventure is a blend of old Western and just a hint of magic (or rather a super-human ability much like our beloved superheroes), but Rae Carson writes just as magnificently with a little element of fantasy as she did in a fully imagined fantasy world like The Girl of Fire and Thorns series. I love the references to local history, especially that of the gold rushes in Georgia and North Carolina, like the note that there once was a gold mint in Dahlonega, GA, (marked with the "D" that Denver now uses). Carson recreates the sense of rural Southern life with deep spirituality, the distrust yet charitable feeling given to strangers, the dangers of the culture especially for women and black folk, and the spirit of the wagon train traveling the Oregon Trail.

Leah/Lee is a wonderful character. She's fiercely independent as she's been providing for her ailing family, but she's also possessed of a strong-will and determination that gives her the fortitude to withstand her parents' murders, masquerade as a boy, and then in the face of hardship travel on her own with little resources all the way across the country. For much of the novel, Lee must rely on herself to get to safety. After she is robbed, she signs on to be a boat hand on a flatboat ferrying people down the Tennessee River through waterways all the way across to the Mississippi. The boat is hired by the Joyner family, and when they reach Missouri, Lee accompanies the Joyners a-ways but is cast out as being a runaway to make her own way to Independence. There, she sees a few familiar faces, and after a few days of not finding Jefferson, Mr. Joyner hires her to manage his wagon and cattle as he only has one other hand. Luckily for Lee, his hired hand is none other than the fellow she's been searching for, her best friend Jefferson McCauley. Together with their wagon train of families, a group of college men, and a group with a large number of livestock, they must travel through the wilderness to make it to California, fighting dangerous illness, mutiny, and other dangers.

I think you'll be surprised how things change for Lee and how, despite being a girl and the cultural attitude towards women, she shows courage, leadership, and responsibility beyond her years and the expectations of those around her. Truly, she's an inspiring role model of a heroine while still staying true to the historical detail. If you liked the Oregon Trail game and adventures, you'll like this book, and stay tuned for book two, Like a River Glorious, as more magic, adventure, and high stakes follow Lee and Jefferson in California.

To read the first three chapters, click here to go to EpicReads. Just for fun, you can also try the name generator for Walk on Earth a Stranger! (For kicks, mine is Jefferson "Crazy" Digger. What's yours?)

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Fantasy amp; Magic, Gold Seer Trilogy, Greenwillow Books, Harper Collins, Historical, historical fiction, Library, Rae Carson, Review, Walk on Earth a Stranger, young adult  2 People left their mark

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Book stats:
Reading Level: Young Adult
eBook: 416 pages
Genre: High Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: September 18, 2013

Series: Fire and Thorns #2

Source: Borrowed from Friend

Reviewed by: Lili

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

I have a confession. While, I was greatly looking forward to reading this book I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. My problems with book one stemmed from the fact that our main character, Elisa, relied heavily on God for her power despite the fact that she discovered the power to lead within herself. I didn’t like the religious reliance even though it wasn’t shoved down my throat. While book two pulls back on it, it’s still there. But it wholly disappears in the second half of the book to give way to a story that had me freaking out and proclaiming my love in the middle of a Starbucks.

There was a lot of political maneuvering in the beginning and that is, perhaps, what made it so slow for me. The second half of the book began with that epic adventure that we expected Carson to deliver after reading book one and that’s what made this book nearly unputdownable. It just took a while to get to that point. We picked up shortly after book two where Elisa’s own political allies are turning against her and her people are rioting. There have been several attempts on her life and just as many people want her dead as those who want her to live. Characters from the past blast back into her life and her most trustworthy friends seem to be doing nothing but hurting her. And worst of all, she is being forced to search for a proper suitor and husband to ally her war-riddled country with someone else. It’s all rather great, and it holds your attention, but it just can’t keep you glued to the page until over two hundred pages into the book. That’s what makes the beginning feel so long and the amazingness that is the epic adventure pass by all too quickly.

But what I really loved about this book were two story arcs in particular: Elisa’s journey to being a proper queen and Hector. Elisa acknowledges that she’s been a weak ruler and she truly wants to be better. Hints of a powerful woman shine through at certain parts of the book and you can’t help but think, “I’d want this girl to be my queen if I was forced to subject to one.” It’s a huge emotional and psychological step up from book two.

And Hector. Oh, how I love you so. You and your newly lacking mustache are absolutely amazing and I love you. A lot. With all of my heart. Seriously. These two had a romance that began in book one with cute side-long glances and such. Now, their interactions are all the more frustrating because they remain cute. Yet these two are entirely devoted to each other and supremely passionate. I love every minute of this romance--the way one should progress.

This high fantasy is epic. It really is. It left me reeling and highly anticipating book three, though I don’t want to say goodbye to this series or this amazing world or even these amazingly well written characters just yet. Full of many surprises I couldn’t even hint at because of major spoilers, this book is one that you should definitely read. This series is worth continuing because the surprises are limitless and this book promises you the most epic epic of all time to take place in book three. Simply put, Rae Carson is a genius.

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Posted by Lili at 06:00

 Fantasy, Harper Collins, Magic, Rae Carson, Review, young adult  3 People left their mark

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

I have a confession. While, I was greatly looking forward to reading this book I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. My problems with book one stemmed from the fact that our main character, Elisa, relied heavily on God for her power despite the fact that she discovered the power to lead within herself. I didn’t like the religious reliance even though it wasn’t shoved down my throat. While book two pulls back on it, it’s still there. But it wholly disappears in the second half of the book to give way to a story that had me freaking out and proclaiming my love in the middle of a Starbucks.

There was a lot of political maneuvering in the beginning and that is, perhaps, what made it so slow for me. The second half of the book began with that epic adventure that we expected Carson to deliver after reading book one and that’s what made this book nearly unputdownable. It just took a while to get to that point. We picked up shortly after book two where Elisa’s own political allies are turning against her and her people are rioting. There have been several attempts on her life and just as many people want her dead as those who want her to live. Characters from the past blast back into her life and her most trustworthy friends seem to be doing nothing but hurting her. And worst of all, she is being forced to search for a proper suitor and husband to ally her war-riddled country with someone else. It’s all rather great, and it holds your attention, but it just can’t keep you glued to the page until over two hundred pages into the book. That’s what makes the beginning feel so long and the amazingness that is the epic adventure pass by all too quickly.

But what I really loved about this book were two story arcs in particular: Elisa’s journey to being a proper queen and Hector. Elisa acknowledges that she’s been a weak ruler and she truly wants to be better. Hints of a powerful woman shine through at certain parts of the book and you can’t help but think, “I’d want this girl to be my queen if I was forced to subject to one.” It’s a huge emotional and psychological step up from book two.

And Hector. Oh, how I love you so. You and your newly lacking mustache are absolutely amazing and I love you. A lot. With all of my heart. Seriously. These two had a romance that began in book one with cute side-long glances and such. Now, their interactions are all the more frustrating because they remain cute. Yet these two are entirely devoted to each other and supremely passionate. I love every minute of this romance--the way one should progress.

This high fantasy is epic. It really is. It left me reeling and highly anticipating book three, though I don’t want to say goodbye to this series or this amazing world or even these amazingly well written characters just yet. Full of many surprises I couldn’t even hint at because of major spoilers, this book is one that you should definitely read. This series is worth continuing because the surprises are limitless and this book promises you the most epic epic of all time to take place in book three. Simply put, Rae Carson is a genius.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Borrowed, Fantasy, Fire and Thorns, Harper Collins, High Fantasy, Magic, Rae Carson, Review, young adult  3 People left their mark

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 13 and up
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release date: September 20, 2011

Series: Fire & Thorns #1

Reviewed by: Tynga

Source: Net Galley

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

Chosen by God since her naming day, Elisa is destined for greatness in his name. If she doesn’t die first. Being married off to a King who wants to keep it a secret isn’t easy, and leaves her somewhat bitter, but this event will kick-start the biggest and hardest adventure of her life.

I’ve had this book on my kindle since it was up on Net Galley last year, and I finally started reading it when my friend Grace compared it to Graceling by Kristin Cashore, and I’m extremely glad I read it! Set in the medieval era, with an extremely original lore, the Girl of Fire and Thorns proved to be highly exciting!

Elisa bears a Godstone, a mark that was set upon her by God. Prophecies says that the bearer of those stones (there is one every four generations) will fulfill a great mission for humanity. She is either feared, respected or coveted depending on the point of view. This situation will get her in a load of trouble, but will also push her to aim higher. I wasn’t a fan of her at the beginning of the book quite honestly, because she had such low self-esteem, but as the story progresses, she really grew on me. I particularly liked that she was overweight. It’s so rare to see a character with weight issues in YA literature that I found it very refreshing and the way she dealt with it was rather interesting. More importantly, her self-confidence kept growing as her journey progressed, and her brain and faith allowed her great accomplishment.

I liked the wide array of secondary characters. I particularly liked the King’s personal guard, Elisa’s nurse and Humberto, a desert guide. Some characters grew on me, others I was very disappointed into until they proved me wrong, and there are some more I wished were more present.

Rae Carson killed a couple of characters in this book and one of those deaths felt like a slap in the face. It really surprised me and it was a really ballsy move. I was honestly stunned and felt like crying and throwing my kindle across the room all at same time.

The story itself is split in three parts, the fist one introduces the characters and the lore, the second one will challenge Elisa like she’s never been before and the third one concludes her epic quest. I grew more and more excited with every page and I’m really glad I waited this long to read the book because the end was a killer. The main plotline found its conclusion but the end is such a tease for what’s to come. I’m really curious!

In conclusion, The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a gem amongst YA fantasy titles, sitting right next to Kristin Cashore & Maria V Snyder’s books. Tired of vampires and werewolves? The Girl of Fire and Thorns is like nothing you’ve ever read before and I’m sure you’ll appreciate every page!

Read an Excerpt

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Posted by Tynga at 06:42

 Harper Collins, Rae Carson, Review, young adult  5 People left their mark