The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1)
By Mary E. Pearson
Genre: YA Fantasy
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
General Thoughts: The love triangle story hooked me from the beginning. But, you should know, I’m a sucker for a good love plot. I really am. I could see how this book would feel really cliché to some people who aren’t into that and need more, but it was enough for me. I couldn’t stop reading. I’m already itching to read the second book in the series.
Plot: I have to admit, I saw almost every part of the plot coming from a mile away, but like I said above, it didn’t make me hate the book. It was still an engaging storyline and it always seemed like lots was happening.
Characters: The characters helped make this book great for me. There wasn’t one character I found annoying (which is a tad rare for me) or particularly whiny (thanks goodness!). Mary does an excellent job of creating characters you can relate to because they are interesting and feel the type of emotions you would feel in a similar situation. I liked the personality juxtaposition of the Prince and the assassin and the side characters added a little spice as well.
Pace: I was quite impressed with the pace. I never found myself bored or forcing myself to continue, even in the beginning. In fact, more often than not I was putting off other things so I could keep reading because she wrote in a way that made me have to know what happened next. Again, I think the pace was mainly driven by the love story, but no complaints from me on that.
World/Setting: I adored the little town Lia ended up in. Mary describes it so well and it’s just the perfect, quaint type of fantasy town I thirst for in my novels. You get to know the surroundings, the types of people in the town, and more.
The Jist:
What I Liked: The love triangle. A thousand times over and by far what made me love this novel the most.
What I Didn’t Like: It was a tad cliché at parts. Of course the assassin sent to kill her falls in love with her. But it is kind of cute though isn’t it? J
Would I Recommend It? Yes! Especially if you love a good rom-com set in a fantasy world.
My Rating: 4/5 Lunas
