I have really been slacking on these reviews…..rest assured it’s because I’ve been doing a lot of book writing. It just doesn’t leave much time for book reading. Ah, who am I kidding? There is always time for reading. But book reviewing…well, not so much. I have been focusing my reading on YA books that are often recommended to me. Today’s review is The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson.
I heard so much about this book. So very, very much. Most of it revolved around this amazing plot twist. I went into this waiting to be shocked. Wanting to be shocked. Sadly, I wasn’t. I wasn’t even surprised by the ending (which leaves you hanging). I think if I had just picked up this book and read it, I would have enjoyed it more. As it was, I went in with ridiculously high expectations and ended up disappointed in what is a well written, interesting, intense book.
The book is the story of Princess Lia who runs away before she can be forced to marry a man she’s never met. I had a difficult time connecting with Lia. She was so determined to have a normal life, but her personality made her seem like someone how could never be happy with that. My biggest hangup with her was how easily she fell in love without her being too wary about the guy. You would think she would be more on edge. Overall, she was strong and sassy, but lacking direction. I’m excited to see her find some conviction in the next book.
The best part of the book was the love triangle. Yes, I just typed those words. The reason this was so well done is because as readers we know one of the love interests is the spurned prince and one is an assassin. We just don’t know which one is which. So intense! I loved that Lia decides pretty early on who she likes and doesn’t really lead anyone on. Searching out all the hints on who was who added a lot to this book and kept the intensity high. But this mystery is solved a lot sooner than I expected, leaving the rest of the story feeling less dramatic.
The writing in this book is more literary and poetic when it is from Lia’s viewpoint. The love interests are more to the point and distinct. Pearson did a great job keeping them distinct. The book also had a lot of moral dilemmas, personal loss, and other relationships outside of the main characters. The whole plot was really well flushed out. You feel like you know the characters and understand their problems. I won’t convince you it is the best book you have ever read or will ever read so, hopefully, your expectations will be more realistic than mine. If you love fantasy and intrigue, then this book is one you’ll like! Happy reading, my friends.
