Firstly, look at those covers! They are so pretty! So so so pretty. And they match up with the content. So let's start with the world, because that's the first thing that impressed me. It a world filled with magic and eastern-like culture. There are several big countries: Orovalle, Joya d'Arena, Invierte (and later Basajun) In Invierte live the animgi, who are powerfull, but evil people/nation, able to use the magic sourse. Orovalle and Joya d'Arena (and all the other countries) are fighting against Invierte and their chances are not good against the animagi.
Also every hundred years a Bearer is born. Those are peope chosed by God to do great things, unfortunately most of them die young and never complete their task. Oh, and they have a blue stone is their stomach. Like literary! I can't even imagine it. Having a saphire like stone on your stomach.
The main heroine Lucero-Elisa or Elisa for short is one of those bearers. That's the plot.
So, Elisa. The book starts on her wedding day si it's a bit confusing. Before i finally sat and read the book, I had been trying to start it for a year, but after reading the first page I just stopped and went to read something else. It's not that it wasn't interesting, but I was so unsure if the book's going to be good. I just didn't want to be disappointed.
So let's get back to Elisa. The first thing that amazed me about her was the fact that she was fat. Like very fat. And that made her unique, come on, you have to agree we don't see many fat heroines, princesses on top of that in YA. All of them are slim and badass and make us envy them. Then comes the Godstone in her belly. I couldn't and still can't imagine what a living Godstone looks like. Is it just this stone on top of your stomach, covering it or is it inside of you. Or maybe it's just like someone shoved a stone in your stomach and it stayed there? I don't know. I imagine it like this crystalised thing covering a part of the stomach.
Then I saw how insecure Elisa was and that bugged me a bit. She was so quite, so...good. And then there was the attack in the first book and she was so brave and selfless. I knew then that she is going to change and become strong and independent. And she did. Her development through the books is fantastic! Just brilliant and so real in the same time. In the first book when she lead the Maleficio. That's when she got really cool and in the second book she was still a bit unsure and was letting other people take disissions for her, but by the end she was a total badass. And adding bonus poins for getting slimmer and prettier and crossing the desert (twice!).
Now, Alodia and Elise's relationship. That was very interesting. It was very similar to the sister relationship in Cruel beauty by Rosamund Hodge, and yet so different. I really thought Alodia was a bit mean and didn't really trust her untill maybe the thrird book. I didn't like that she was so mean with Elisa when they were little and made Elisa blame herself for her mother's death. That's really cruel. Imagine a child living with the thought that it killed it's mother. That would depress an adult, let alone a child. But Alodia really turned out to be good. She really believed in her sister.
And then comes the other character Ximena. She is very secretive, if you ask me. I need to know more about her, for she is always keeping secrets. Rae Carson needs to write a novella about her. Or better yet a book about when Ximena was young (maybe an assasin) and having great adventures.
Alejandro! I didn't like him. From the very beginning I knew he wouldn't be a good king. He was just so weak. For God's sake, man. Get yourself together! You had your wife save your ass, twice! And when they arrived and he didn't annouce she was his wife...I was so frustrated. You take her out of Orovalle and bring her to this vast unknown country, where she has no friends and no one to rust except Ximena and you don't even announce her as your wife! That's just...just....UGH1 So there are many reasons I don't like Alejandro. But there is this one thing I like about him. He has the most wonderful, sweet son in the world. And it's mainly genes and Alejandro doesn't have time for his some, but the boy, Rosario, is so sweet. I want to hug him and then laugh and laugh and laugh untill they deside to send me to the madhouse. The moment I remember (also one of the reasons I hate Aleandro and love Rosario) is when Elisa comes back to court, slim and pretty and dressed like a savage tribe leader. She was all cool! And what does Alejandro do? He stand up and stares at her boobs. You have spent months with this woman and yet you can't recognise her because she is a bit tinner and prettier? Way to go there. And then comes Rosario, who has spent one afternoon with Elisa, just one, and yet he recognises her. How can you not love this boy?
Cosme and Humberto and Belen and Mara! Oh, and father Alentin! How can one book have so many secondary characters that I love? My favourite is Cosme. It's too bad we don't see her much in the second and the third book. She was mean and awful in a great part of the first book, but she has her reasons and she was so selfless when it came to protecting those she cares for. And she grew on me. That's all! Humberto wasn't bad. He had this crush on Elisa that I knew wouldn't live long (literary). I loved Mara and I'm not sure how I feel about Belen. He wasn't good in the first book, but then he was fine and yeah, he is not bad!
Storm! Oh, Storm! Tjis guy is so cool! I just can't! I can't even talk about him without grinning like a toatl idiot. Of course, I didn't like him at first, but the he (like Cosme and so many other characters) grew on me and I need a separate story about this guy! Or him and Alodia! They need to be together.
Hector! Hector! Hector! HECTOR! He....I....Elisa.....just Hector. I think he wasn't a big part of the first book and with Alejandro there, we can't pay much attention to him. Plus there was war. Sooo, yeah. I didn't really notice him. (Except those time when I couldn't stop thinking that he might just be a love interest) But, OMG! Wait untill the second and the thrid book. Hector and Elisa can make me laugh and cry and be happy and then depressed just by talking. Like that moment on the island in the second book...Does anybody remember that? That is probably my favourite Hector/Elisa hot moment and coversation after that ever! Of course I can't say it's their best moment, but still it was very very good. And, yeah, the dission to marry Hector was all kind of obvious! Like really, Elisa? He is a lord and he is going to inherit money and land and you can't just think: Hey, he is rich and handsome, he is a good alliance and I love him. Why don't I marry him? But, yeah! Hector is Hector and I love him and him and Elisa are my new OTP!
And one last thing (you are probably happy that this monstrous review is coming to an end!) Did anybody notica how dependant is almost everyone in the books of magic? For example, Elise loses her Godstone and she can't heal people anymore or fight the animagi or use the heavenly fire. She can't to anything. She isn''t bad at fighting, but you have to admit she loses a lot of powers when she loses the stone. Alos her Heavenly mission was to find a oasis! What the hell? What kind of mission is that? Sh saved her own kingdom three times! She saved all the other countries, she found the mistical power source, zafira, and she managed to destroy the Invierte power source and free Hector and rule Joya d'Arena! And in the end she found a oasis and her Godstone fell out. Maybe a hundred or a thousand years later someone is going to be saved by this oasis and that's the point. Like this bearer who dug a well and it helped the village 300 years later.
I can say a lot of things about those books if I think some more, but you won't probably read it (whoever you are!). I hope you enjoyed the review and sorry it was so long!
This is one of the best book series ever and I adore it. That's it!
I'll see ya next time!
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