by Rae Carson
Part of Girl of Fire and Thorns
First published 2011
Elisa carries the godstone in her navel, marking her as the chosen one destined for greatness. Yet at sixteen, she remains overshadowed by her older sister and doubts her own worth. Her world shifts when she secretly marries a king whose realm faces invasion from enemies wielding dark magic. The king needs the chosen one's power, not a princess who feels like a failure. Elisa finds herself caught between savage forces hunting her and a revolutionary who believes she can save his people. He sees something in her that others miss, stirring feelings she has never experienced. As war closes in, Elisa must discover whether the prophecy will come to pass through her actions. She faces a harsh truth: most chosen ones die before fulfilling their destiny. Everything depends on whether she can find the strength buried within herself before her enemies destroy her. The fate of kingdoms rests on a girl who must choose between safety and the terrible responsibility of her calling.
Genres: romance, adventure, fantasy, young-adult, young-adult-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, epic, romantic, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, coming-of-age, enemies-to-lovers, political-marriage
432 pages · Hardcover · Greenwillow
Content warnings: violence, war