The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

This is the third book in the trilogy, and this review may contain spoilers for the first two books.

The journey motif - it's been done and done well. And Rae Carson did it really well in books 1 and 2 of this series. I kinda wanted more than a journey with this one. Don't get me wrong. This is an excellent book! I loved all the characters that reappeared - Storm, Mara, Belen, Hector, and I loved new characters - Waterfall, Mula (aka (view spoiler)). Ok I especially loved Mula. I hate calling her that, but I don't want to give away the name that she picks for herself, because that should be her revelation within her time frame. For the third book, I wanted to get to know the characters when they weren't being pursued or pushing themselves to stop an invasion. I felt that has already been done, and we know these characters in those situations. Sometimes the greatest courage lies in living an ordinary life. And I so wanted some ordinary time for Elisa and Hector. How would they act? Would different facets of their personalities have come through while trying to negotiate whether the curtains should be blue or beige? I know that doesn't make for a good book in today's market, but I loved these characters so much I wanted to see that for them.

One of the greatest aspects of the series is that Elisa doesn't feel special, but her stone suggests otherwise. She is constantly struggling with her purpose and what the touch of God means for her life. My heart broke for her when (view spoiler) We tell you kids that each is unique and special. And I firmly believe that each child is good at something and should be encouraged. But not everyone is going to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Not every child will gain fame or fortune. That's not to say that they can't, just in reality we need ordinary humans for life to make sense. This series is a great series for kids to start discovering what they are good at and where their passions lie, but it also tells them that it is ok to be who they were meant to be. Elisa is such a complex character, and her journey (or should I say journeys) is one that is readily identifiable with teens.

There was mention of a birth control drug and being ready for sex as well as some scenes that faded to black indicating that the characters had sex.  There was also a fair amount of violence, but none that was graphic. 

This book releases on August 27, 2013.