Review: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Title: Illusions of Fate
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Series: N/A
Pages: 275
Published: September 2014
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 3.5/5

“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.

This was easily a 4-star or higher story for me for most of the novel. It's White's strongest offering to date and thoroughly entertaining from the get-go. However the ending was too rushed and messy to really withstand any kind of scrutiny and ultimately detracted from the overall experience. That said, Illusions of Fate is a creative and diverse YA fantasy with a lot to offer. Its relative shortness makes it easy to breeze through Jessamin and Finn's story in just one sitting.

The strongest part of the novel lies with its main character. Jessamin is a great example of a well-rounded protagonist, especially for YA audiences. She's smart, capable, prideful, angry, and determined. She's also proactive and refuses to let anyone control her life -- even if they have her best interest at heart. I loved her honest drive to learn and to be herself. She's a refreshing character for many ways but her POC heritage in a fantasy is rare and all the more welcome. 

Finn is her love interest and sometimes counterpart and sometimes foil. Their relationship progresses pretty naturally and is enjoyable. White takes her time to craft a real connection between the two teens and it makes for a slow-burn romance. Eleanor is another great character. She's pretty stereotypically feminine but White shows that there's nothing wrong with liking dress and gossip, for Eleanor is also smart, cunning, and more than just a pretty face. However, outside of those three, the characterization, from allies to enemies, remains somewhat shallow and spotty.

I wanted more from the worldbuilding in Illusions of Fate -- regarding both the overall political layout and in how the supernatural element integrated into this world. There is some information about Melei (Jessamin's home) and Albion, but much less about the world abroad unless its mentioned in conjunction with Hallin magic. The magic systems themselves also need more expansion. White does a cursory job of illuminating how they're used and how they're different but it feels flimsy. 

This was a fun, fast read. While it wasn't perfect, it was creative and memorable. I loved Jessamin and the romance was pretty cute and shippable. It also made me willing to give this author another try. If you're a fan of YA fantasy, this would be a good recommendation for an afternoon's entertainment.

Review: The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Title: The Chaos of Stars
Author: Kiersten White
Genre: mythology, young adult
Series: N/A
Pages: 288
Published: expected September 10 2013
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 1.5/5

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

The Accused: The Chaos of Stars' cast, writing, plotting

The Offense(s): Criminal waste of time, cover fraud, squandering a great premise, using cliches and juvenile writing

The Prosecution: Jessie, a disappointed reader

Opening Argument: Ladies and gentleman, I present to you a blurb that promises Egyptian gods, a creative new take for young adult supernatural fiction, and an interesting plot. The Chaos of Stars delivers Egyptian gods, sure -- but shallow, lifeless representations of them. Instead of a new, fresh plot, the same old tropes and themes are trotted out to the reader's exasperation. It is a boring affair - full of instalove, a cheesy romance, and lackluster execution.

Exhibit A: Isadora's lack of personality. Surliness and self-absorption do not a character make. She doesn't even qualify for antihero status. She's boring, she's immature, judgmental, and impossible to care about. If it doesn't directly concern Isadora herself, she is uninterested. It's hard to stomach such a badly-written character.

Exhibit B: The Chaos of Stars uses the same theme so many other young adult novels fall prey too - magical girl, who is beyond gorgeous (of course) must wrestle with familial expectations while trying to figure out what she wants from life. If you're going to use the Egyptian gods as your main characters, make use of them. Don't make them fade into the background until it's too late.

Exhibit C: The writing. It's juvenile. It's unpolished.  There's no subtlety, no depth or any real emotion evoked in the nearly 300 pages of the book. You can skim the last 50ish pages and miss nothing. That is not good. There should be ethos, pathos, building tension, a dramatic conflict. There is sadly none of that to be found here.

Exhibit D: The plot. Where was it for most of the book? Your guess is as good as mine and I read the damn thing. For the most part, White focuses on a romance with an impossibly gorgeous Greek boy who is more than he seems to be (think about that for more than two minutes and you will have figured out a twist.) and who is in love with Isadora because...well... who knows.

Closing Argument: I was disappointed by this book from the beginning. For so much potential, the premise is neglected and the execution is lackluster. The characters are one-dimensional AND unlikeable or wooden, and the conclusion lacks emotion.

Verdict: Do not waste your time. It's not worth it, and you're honestly not missing anything by skipping this. Don't be lured in by that cover, or the promise of something original. There's none of that to be found in The Chaos of Stars.