Novel Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Historical Paranormal Romance

Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins)

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

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 Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord 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, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

The Cover:

I absolutely love this cover. It is completely beautiful, eye-catching; I just love it. It represents the book perfectly, showing several important elements, and overall is just so intricately gorgeous.

Quotes:

•  "'I don’t dislike them, nor do I like them. I’ve never understood why one must love children simply because they are children. I don’t love people because they are people; in fact, I rarely like any people at all. If a child is somehow deserving of admiration, I certainly won’t deny it, but why hand it out like candy on Queen’s Day?’” (Hardback, pg. 17)
• "'Shadows go in front of you, leading into your future, and trail behind you, leaving part of you in the past. They are clearest when we are in the light, and disappear when we lose ourselves in darkness. When a shadow elects to jump to another person, it is an indication that they are your present and your future, that in light you will find them, in darkness you will lose them.’” (Pg. 113)

Review:

I don’t think I have a whole lot to say about this book, and honestly I feel like it went by so fast that I’m having a hard time remembering it. But it is also one that I would be happy to re-read.

I love how White can change up her style and tone so easily and so well. It seems like she has a different tone for each story, each setting, each character. It’s so impressive. This book is set in an older time, and it reads like it, beautifully.

The story was really nice here. I liked Jessamin, and the romance between her and Finn is really well done. I appreciated that there was a friendship for Jessamin added, as well. The twists thrown into the story were really nicely done and surprising. The major storyline was exciting and just nice. The supernatural elements was also simply magical and sweet, particularly with the shadows.

Mostly I just loved how everything played through, along with White’s storytelling and humor. This was another very enjoyable novel from her and I can’t wait for more.