Once every century, one person is selected to become the bearer of the godstone. Their destiny, to perform an act of great service. Elisa is the bearer, but as the younger of two princesses, she doesn't feel particularly worthy of her destiny. Today is her sixteenth birthday and also her wedding day. Tomorrow she will leave her home with the handsome young king she has never met to become the queen of his troubled desert country. Elisa may not feel useful, but a group of rebels thinks that, as bearer of the godstone, she could be their salvation. And one of those rebels makes her feel the way she has never felt about a man before, not even the king. All the while, her husband's enemies are pursuing her and will stop at nothing to gain control of the godstone. Elisa must trust that she was chosen for a reason and harness the power bestowed upon her to help those she cares about most.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is a good choice for teen girls who enjoy a mix of fantasy, adventure, and romance. Initially, main character Elisa has very little confidence in herself and feels undeserving of the godstone--a gift from God that is bestowed upon a person who is destined for great service once every hundred years. As the story progresses, she evolves from a pampered princess to a strong, self-sufficient strategist and leader. She is loyal to her friends and family, and strives live up to the honor of the godstone. In times of anguish, Elisa turns to prayer and the study of spiritual texts for comfort and guidance. Because the story is set against a backdrop of war, there is some violence involved and Elisa is forced to kill a man who threatens her husband's life. While she finds her husband appealing, he is respectful of her and the two never become intimate. She does share a few chaste embraces with a boy who she falls in love with during her months-long kidnapping. Fans of this story will be happy to learn that it is the first installment in a trilogy.

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