Elisa is now ensconced as queen of Joy d’Arena in this sequel to The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2011), but she’s finding it difficult to rule with authority. Poverty among her subjects to possible betrayal within the palace to threats from beyond the borders make her uncertain of the best course of action. With the weight of being a ruler settled heavily on her shoulders there are few people whom she trusts. Hector, head of the Royal Guard, is at the top of a short list, but unspoken tension between them, fueled by mutual attraction neither can nor will admit, complicates their relationship. A sham engagement designed to secure more support for Elisa’s position also serves as the impetus for travel across the kingdom, ostensibly to visit the region and meet the subjects where her betrothed is from. In truth Elisa is on a secret mission to attempt to harness the power of her Godstone, in hopes it will help defeat the Invierni who still threaten the kingdom. A would-be assassin adds to the dangers of the journey as Rae Carson continues the satisfying story of a smart, strong-willed young woman caught in the midst of political intrigue, and creating quite a bit of her own. The once confident Elisa is faltering early on, unsure of herself as queen, making the re-emergence of her strength and certainty—in terms of both ruling and romance—a satisfying conclusion to this volume, and one that will have readers clamoring for the next. (Age 12 and older)