Illusions of Fate
by Kiersten White
I picked this book up at the library b/c of the awesome cover and author. I really loved White's Mind Games & Perfect Lies. Due to the thickness of the book, 278 pages, I hoped it was as fast-paced as both of those. I wasn't disappointed.
Click on the title or cover to go to Goodreads for the premise, etc. I won't repeat what the story's about here, just my quickie review.
Here's my review... I'll hide my very spoilerish re-working of the ending, etc, below.
The story is told from Jessamin's POV and she's a very fresh, new personality. The world is also new and as solid as earth. Even the magic is easy to take for granted like the characters in the story do. The scale is epic, but the story line trips along from the first chapter.
Yep. I read the first page, ready to set the story aside for another time, and was pulled in that quickly. Jessamin is writing a letter to her mom, telling her what she thinks she wants to hear. Her own thoughts are so contradictory, it's funny. And then she ends with "I miss you very much" and her thoughts echo the words, "I do, very much." For some reason, this acceptance of herself endeared Jessamin to me immediately. She's sarcastic and rather cynical and yet accepts her emotions along with life's hardships.
Tea was not well portrayed. Just to warn other tea-lovers out there. I'm not sure I like sugar anymore at all. The birds flying off the cup on the cover are a very good, symbolic peak into the story, however.
I really, really, really like Finn. He's also fresh and fun. He's overly confident and yet has such vulnerable moments without diminishing his greatness of strength and character.
These two main characters are so vibrant. And Eleanor totally ROCKS. (Oh, do write a story for Eleanor, Ms White!!) Each of the characters step in and out of the story adding their piece full of color and life and then fade away, into the background again. Sir Bird is one of the best of them. So much character for a nearly-inanimate object with black - no blue! - feathers. :-)
I'm giving the story 4.5 Stars for awesome speed, depth of character, twisting storyline and smooth delivery. Definitely read this book. It's fast.
Ok... now for the spoiler fun...
***SPOILER ALERT*** I'm just gonna let some thoughts rip. Conversationally fun if you've read the book, but horribly spoilerish if you haven't. Don't ruin the story by reading this section. It's a fast book. Just read it. Humph.
Was it not the best idea on the planet to trade shadows?!?! Oh MY!! I love it! And Eleanor adds so much to the idea while Finn is dodging admittance while being so obviously adorably smitten. "I hoped to trade shadows like my parents." Swoon!!
So... um... at the end when Jessamin only has one shadow. *drums fingers* Don't we all know that she had his?! I mean, seriously. You cannot tell me that her end-of-the-world-as-she-knew-it confessions didn't send her own shadow hunting him down. So I call bull*** on his feet coming into her view with no shadow at all.
I can live with the rest of the ending, brief as it was.
The final will and testament along with Eleanor's hints left no doubt as to the meaning of the ring. I do wish the book was not so vulnerable to neck-twisting. The words were still necessary, so the feathers couldn't be so far gone. Is an HEA for Sir Bird too much to ask for?! *sigh* And what about the bad dude... and the solving of murders and stuff. That was... well, I felt a bit side-swiped, since I was so convinced who the minister of defense was, already two personalities crammed into one ugly dude. I would've liked a bit more info or creepy hints into Kelen's past. There was ample opportunity for something. Maybe it's my stubborn HEA bone that wishes to have seen a little foreshadowing. I mean, what does that say about me that I grew up and really loved someone to some level and didn't see blackness growing in his soul? That cruelty had to have started somewhere... maybe I just missed it.
And we only get to see that Finn will have closure, we don't get to see him have it? Ayayay... ok.
I still gives this book 4.5 Stars. It was a blast. I really couldn't put it down despite a super-busy schedule. :-) Lovely!!
