The Empire of Dreams
Girl of Fire and Thorns Series
New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. With action, adventure, and a heroine set on destroying the patriarchal limits meant to keep her in her place, The Empire of Dreams once again proves that Rae Carson is a master of epic fantasy.
Even though Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name and a veiled past, she's about to be adopted into the royal family—by Empress Elisa herself. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and Red is left with no family and no future.
Grieving and lost, but determined to find her place, Red hatches a daring plan: she will prove herself as a recruit for the world's most elite fighting force, the legendary Royal Guard—something no woman has done before. But it's no coincidence that someone wanted her to fail as a princess, someone whose shadowy agenda puts everything she loves at risk. As danger closes in, it will be up to Red and her new friends—and maybe some new enemies—to save the empire. If they can survive recruitment year.
About the Girl of Fire and Thorns Series
Books in series order
- 1.The Girl of Fire and Thorns(2011)
- 2.The Crown of Embers(2012)
- 3.The Bitter Kingdom(2013)
- 4.The Empire of Dreams(2020)
- +The King's Guard(2013)
- +The Shadow Cats(2012)
- +The Shattered Mountain(2013)
Reading age: 13+ years
This series should be read in order.
Once every century, one person is chosen for greatness. But the prophecy is vague, and Elisa, always overshadowed by her accomplished older sister, has no idea why she was chosen or how she will fulfill the expectations. Her future is unknown and her potential is tremendous—even if she doesn’t realize it. A king asks her to save his troubled country. A savage enemy hunts her for its own—dead or alive. A revolutionary asks for her heart. And in the midst of ferocious battles and harsh quests, Elisa will find herself. She will find the strength she’s always possessed. She’ll find deep and abiding love. She’ll awaken the power that only she can control. And she’ll face those who want to rip all of it away.
Lush, adventurous, and wrenching, this trilogy will delight fans of Kristin Cashore’s 'Graceling' series and Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books.
"Palace intrigues, desert rebellions, kidnappings, forbidden romance, and bloody betrayals, along with not a little time at the banquet table, make The Girl of Fire and Thorns a delicious debut, even before Elisa begins to ask meaty questions about the nature of faith and her destiny in a country on the verge of war." — Paolo Bacigalupi, Printz Award-winning author of Ship Breaker.