The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy,

Publisher: Henry Holt

Year: 2014

Ranking: 4,3/ 5

  

Synopsis

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

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.

The Author

Mary E. Pearson is the award-winning author of The Jenna Fox Chronicles, The Miles Between, A Room on Lorelei, and Scribbler of Dreams. She writes full-time from her home office in California where she lives with her husband and two golden retrievers.

Personal Experience with This Book

I will start saying that the first time I saw this book was in BookTube. And the person who recommended it was so excited by it that I just had to buy it. The intrigue of not being able to know who is who, really engages the reader into the story.

The story of the book is pretty basic, in my opinion. We have a princess, who does not want to marry for convenience with someone who she does not know aboutt, fleeing the day of her wedding to try to live a normal life. A prince that goes in her search in order to know who has been able to do what he could not - refuse to marriage without love. And a murderer, not like a murderer, sent to kill the princess. All of our characters go to Terravin, a city distant from the capital of Morrighan, Civica, where the king has little authority and where the news comes from the few travelers who come to it. In this village, Lia - our princess - try to start your new life without realizing that two men followed her. It is then, when love flows between the three characters and this love triangle is formed to build the story.

Many people say that the book is boring because it has no plot and we just read about a love triangle. These people can have the reason because the most part of the first half of the book is about Lia working in a bar and watching to see which of the two boys she likes more. However, after the secret is revealed, the story takes an interesting twist that will give rise to the rest of the series. That's why I think the book is perfect. It is the first book in a series, therefore has the function to show the reader the world, its main characters and the story that comes from there. The author achieved the objective of the first book.

The world created by Mary E. Pearson is fantastic. Please note that this is the second book I read about epic fantasy and the truth is that I loved it. I also liked the fact that traditions are very important and that magic is represented in a different manner to which I have read in other books.

As for the characters I must say that Lia is my favorite. It's not only a strong girl wirth a strong character but also a noble and a person with a warm heart. I love the fact that she always puts her principles ahead of everything and have that defiant attitude towards the injustices and hardships that are presented. Obviously being a girl raised to be a princess, Lia has real ups and downs. However, I think that just made her more real to me and I enjoyed it because I connect with her almost immediately. I think this phrase defines much of Lia’s personality.

"I should like to inspect you before our wedding day"

If we talk about Kaden and Rafe, I must say I was too confused. One seemed to be the murderer and then not so. I ended up with a headache and a craving to know who was who. And that kept me glued to the book for two days straight. Kaden is friendly and very polite. Rafe is distant and seems to have many secrets. Both make the perfect murderer and the perfect prince but who is who? The author really knows how to hide the little clues that she gives and only once you realize the truth has been revealed, those hints makes sense. Or at least that happened to me. I have been told by several people that they knew who was who before the truth is revealed. But I could not know.

After the truth about the two boys is revealed, the love triangle becomes more complex. Because before you know it and you are sure who the main character is, but after the change in the story you are like... what just happened here? You think you know who Lia loves and then not so much. I liked that too because it gives a new element to the plot. Plus you begin to know more about what all the story of this "Gift" supposedly Lia, as the first child of her family, owns. Which she has never felt before.

I loved this book. I give it 4.3 because in the second part the book becomes slow and that made me lose a little interest. I spent two days stuck to it and then it took me a week or so to complete it. However, I think it's a great start for this new series and I'll be happy when you the next book comes out.