Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Dive into a world of enchantment and romance in this lush fantasy, which Stephanie Perkins, international bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss, called "an absolute delight—a magical, sparkling, dangerous world with witty repartee and a romance that will light your heart on fire." Fans of Libba Bray and Cassandra Clare will fall in love with this captivating stand-alone novel from Kiersten White,New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy.

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets the gorgeous, enigmatic Finn, who introduces her to the secret world of Albion's nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn't—power, money, status . . . and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, and the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess them. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits, can stop him.

          Illusions of Fate is as delicious and delicately woven as its cover.

          Like all of Kiersten White's books, it features a strong female lead: Jessamine, a young islander now living on the continent that 'civilized' her homeland. (Think the British empire and colonization.) In a land where she is a second class citizen, Jessamine has to fight for every advantage she can get. I love how confident she is: proud and tall in the darkest circumstances. And boy does she go through some doozies! From being tortured to losing those close to her, she puts up a stiff lip and presses forward. She has a particularly snappy take on life. And Finn! Where do I even begin? Jessamine is so well-rounded there are points he seems underdeveloped by contrast. But still he epitomizes the dashing, mysterious, perfect gentleman magician with card tricks, charm spells, and a deep dark back story. I enjoy his flair immensely, but I approve of his utter adoration of Jessamine even more. He gives her his shadow, guys. HIS SHADOW. And it's all so sweet and desperately romantic I haven't been able to stop smiling all day.

Characters: 4 Stars

          Along with the heart-pounding romance comes all manner of political intrigue. Jessamine is suddenly thrown into life on the upper crust and finds it far more disturbing than she imagined. From one intricate thread to the next, the reader is led along a path that delves into the darker motives for expansion and the darker uses for magic, exploring exactly what it means to have a fate. With mystery upon mystery, we get to see Finn's metal tested and Jessamine's courage tried. The story moves fluidly through revelations faster and faster until culminating with a beautiful, shattering finale. I just wish there were more chapters after the climax! It's probably for the best it ended so quickly, or I might have passed out from not breathing.

Plot: 4.5 Stars

          I have always appreciated Kiersten White's respect for the reader. There are no shortcuts and no dumbing down. She doesn't write just to have more words to her name. Each story piece is tastefully crafted for its own place: no bigger or smaller than it merits. Illusions of Fate is exhilarating, swoon-worthy, and elegant.

Style: 5 Stars

Rating: 4.5 Stars
Source: Library
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 275 Pages
YA Fiction

Read the sampler on Amazon! You'll be hooked!

Review: The One by Kiera Cass

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen—and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

The Selection (Bk. 1) was very gook. The Elite (Bk. 2) wasn't nearly as good, but pretty much every trilogy is prone to the second-book-slump. Unfortunately, things continued downhill in the third and final book, The One. I had a hard time getting through it.

          I've always loved America's fire and impulsiveness. In the past these traits have driven a good deal of the story, and they continued to in The One. However America's character seems to have shrunk from a strong, beautiful, independent young woman into someone forever angsty and grouchy a good deal of the time. The very impulsiveness that made her lovable before, now paints her as naive and self-centered. She abuses Aspen and it felt like the majority of her interactions with Maxon ended with her yelling, refusing to communicate, blaming him for all her problems, and hiding in her room. It got frustrating. Luckily for her, Maxon wasn't much better. At one point they declare their everlasting love for each other despite their weaknesses and literally the next page over he calls everything off, refuses to communicate and runs away too hide, presumably in his room. I felt like their story had so much potential, only to fall flat and shallow. All that being said, I did enjoy America's interactions with her fellow elite. I thought they came out of their shells in a very realistic manner, and the relationships that bloom between them felt natural. In addition, Aspen's journey to moving on was well developed, and I appreciated how things turned out for him.
Characters: 2 Stars

          The One twisted Apocalypse with The Bachelor in a high stakes game of choice. Beyond the issues I had with America,  it was a fun easy read -- perfect for anyone looking for an easy chick flick book. Though the book did cursorily bush on some issues of depth, with the the king, the rebels, and the girls putting on the pressure for Maxon to choose which girl to make his, most of the plot centered around his relationship drama with America (90% of which seemed easy to resolve if she would just talk with Maxon.), but for those of you more adventure-inclined, there are a few gunfights. With political forces, seen and unseen, tugging and pulling, America has to make her own choice: how far she will go to get Maxon if it means she might lose herself in the process.
Plot: 3 Stars

Kiera Cass is a talented writer, and though America grated on me in this book, I enjoyed a glimpse into the future the world could have. I felt the drama was a bit much, but oh were the dresses gorgeous! Her descriptions held all the elegance and glamour of high palace life. If I went back, I probably wouldn't pick up this series, but as it was, the series has an interesting premise and is worth finishing.
Style: 3.7 Stars

Rating: 2.9 Stars
Source: Library 
Genre: Romance
Length: 323 Pages
YA Fiction

Review: In The Shadows by Kiersten White & Jim Di Bartolo

Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch.

Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.

Arthur is also new to the boarding house. His fate is tied to that of Cora, Minnie, Thomas, and Charles. He knows what darkness circles them, but can’t say why, and doesn’t even know if they can be saved.  

Sinister forces are working in the shadows, manipulating fates and crafting conspiracies. The closer Cora, Minnie, Arthur, Thomas, and Charles get to the truth, the closer they get to harm. But the threat is much bigger than they can see. It is strangling the world.  

Until one of the boys decides he wants to save it.  

          I've enjoyed all of Kiersten White's work, and though I'm not as familiar with Jim Di Bartolo, I believe I can say they showed their finest through In the Shadows.

The character work was masterful, particularly in the art portion of the book. Bartolo painted with such deft detail and powerful emotion that, to be cliche, the characters seemed to walk off the page. Both the text and the art story matched up seamlessly in their character portrayal with incredibly gorgeous hues and descriptions.
Characters: 5 Stars

          I'm not a fan of graphic novels, and, thankfully, this was not a graphic novel. The art has such class that each painting could feasibly stand on its own, with anguish, hope, happiness, and all the other tales of human life displayed in such striking scenes. Trust me, no interest is lost for the fact that the action is painted. I was equally pleased with the written story and found it to be heavy in intrigue, friendship, romance, and the supernatural. It is very emotional and well matched with the intensity of the art story.  And the beginning of the book, the text and art story seem to be generally unrelated. As things lead towards the finale, however, both tales spiral tighter and closer until they collide with a heart wrenching bang. No matter what twists you expect, this is a book that will demand to be reread from a different perspective as soon as it's finished.
Plot: 5 Stars

          I could go on and on about the style. The art in combination with the text was an entirely new experience and was quite exhilarating. This unique story of love and loss and struggle all brilliantly portrayed by two talented creators was beautiful. I will absolutely be researching more of Jim Di Bartolo's work and continuing to keep an eye out for Kiersten White's future books.
Style: 5 Stars

Rating: 5 Stars
Source: Library
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 374 Pages
YA Fiction