{ARC Review} Illusions of Fate by @KierstenWhite @harperteen

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
Pages: 288
Published by Harper Collins, HarperTeen on September 9, 2014
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Love & Romance, Young Adult
Source: Paperback ARC from Publisher

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.

I loved this one so much! The magic and the world were all great, but what really made this book come to life for me was Kiersten White’s writing. I found her writing to be witty, engaging and utterly charming. I read this book with a smile on my face. Plus, I don’t think I have enjoyed a secondary character as much I did with Eleanor in a long time. Illusions of fate is set in an alternate past, where countries were colonizing. It had a historical feel with the vocabulary and the scenery, but it was also drenched in magic and secrecy. I ate it up!

The book starts out with Jessamin writing a letter to her mother. I know this sounds silly, but the letter was the reason that I knew I was going to love this book right off the bat. It showed the voice and personality of Jessa so well. In between each line of the letter she writes the real or honest letter in her head. It was so funny. I knew that Jessa was going to be my kind of gal. And she so was! Delightfully willful and skeptical and not afraid to speak her mind to anyone. She is clever and funny and a real treat. I wish more characters were like her.

Not only was Jessa a wonderful character, but I found one of my favorite secondary characters in Illusions of Fate as well- Eleanor! Oh my, Eleanor come and be my best friend. I will supply you with all of the gossip that you need. She is hilarious. For real. She had me cracking up from start until finish. I love so many things about her. She knows how to manipulate her life. At first glance she just looks to be a silly little girl concerned with only superficial things, but she is so much more than that. She knows how to hold her cards close to her chest and she actually has way more power than she lets on. But most of all, she is just so much fun.

Finn is great too, and with him he brings the mystery of the shadows. I wanted to see some more romance of the shadows revealed, but Finn doesn’t share too much. I think he was a bit embarrassed by it all. But I wanted to know more about the shadows because they fascinated me. I really liked his persistence with Jessa, and I liked how stubborn they each were. They were a great match because they challenged each other. I want 10 more books about them! I am not sure whether I want Finn for my boyfriend more or Eleanor for my friend. Not to mention Sir Bird! <3

I loved Illusions of Fate immensely. I even got some post it notes out and marked off pages that I loved. I hardly ever do that. I have an interview with Kiersten White coming up and I think I will share a few of the passages that had me cracking up while reading. Kiersten White’s writing was so fantastic. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face after reading this book. I am not sure if this is going to be a standalone book or not (and I kind of got the feeling that it was), but I really hope not! I want more of this enchanting world and more of these characters!

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• ARC August
• COYER

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