Archaic | Books: The Cheapest Vacation You Can Buy

{September 8, 2014} {ARC Review} Illusions of Fate by Keirsten White

From Goodreads: Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“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.

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This novel pulled me in from the get go with its alluring magic and snarky, realistic characters. I absolutely adored it, and I am really hoping that there will be more novels set in this world. While a stand-alone, I’d love some companion novels or, better yet, a sequel. But, as it is, perfection abounds. If you’re a lover of Downton Abbey and all things paranormal, then this is definitely the novel for you. Similar to the hidden world of Harry Potter, White’s archaic world gives an old-world, realistic feeling to readers, and it exists exactly how I expect the early 1900s to have existed in Europe, but with a catch. Unbeknownst to the populace, the upper class possess magical traits, passed down through their lineage, adding an air of mystery and intrigue to this novel as the plot unfolds. And I loved every moment of it!

Jessamin is a wonderful, snarky, quick-witted character, and I just loved her interactions with my dear swoonworthy Finn. While utterly infuriating, Finn is indeed the epitome of the perfect man, and I really enjoyed getting to know him, as well as watching his and Jessamin’s love grow. Jessamin is a strong character, set in her ways, full of pride, and it was amazing to watch her carry on, especially once she was pulled into the magical war between Finn and Lord Downpike—a despicable man we just love to hate.

I have to admit that White had me on pins and needles as the novel progressed, especially near the end then the other show seemed to drop and I feared the worst. Thankfully, White does tie the end up with a nice bow, leaving readers exhaling in relief—and in my opinion, White also leaves the ending open enough that there could be more to come, should she choose to write it. And as I said, I hope she does. Five amazing stars!

I received this novel from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

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{April 5, 2014} {Review} The Savage Protector by Tamara Rose Blodgett (Savage #5)

From Goodreads: Queen Clara has chosen her future king but as the Wedded Joining draws nearer, the Kingdom of Kentucky’s sphere continues to degrade. Relations with the outside are non-existent and the beleaguered people housed within the confines of the kingdom will soon be loosed to join the fragment.

Calia and Evie join forces to escape the plan that Edwin has for Calia’s future. Frantic to locate the women, Maddoc, Jonathan, Philip and Daniel join forces to cinch the net of safety around the pair before it’s too late.

Calia doesn’t long for a future where a male is the answer. However, when biology and destiny collide, she will find the choice that she wants the least, may be the correct one.

Will Calia be allowed to remain true to herself by protecting those she has vowed to defend? Can she overcome her past and be healed by the love of her one, true soulmate?
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This is another beautiful novel written by the ever talented Tamara Rose Blodgett. Her ability to captivate readers with not only her storyline, but also her imagery, characterization, and intense action sequence always makes her novels a joy to read, and The Savage Protector is no different.

I was drawn into this fifth novel in the series from the very first page, and as Blodgett continues the perilous story of Princess Clara, the band, the spheres, and the fragment, I was riveted to the spot. I absolutely adore the writing in this series. A bit archaic in nature, this world Blodgett has created is beyond amazing, and she designs it perfectly, from the clothes and character mentalities to the language and mannerism, it flows off the page in perfection.

And the imagery? Wow. I don’t usually reflect on the writing in novels–I usually am too wrapped up in the story itself, but in Blodgett’s novels, her writing flows so beautifully that it’s impossible not to notice, and on many an occasion it brought me up short, going back and rereading the beautiful imagery Blodgett presents, even in the more dire of situations within the text.

“The mans flesh opened like a terrible flower in full bloom, blood pouring from the petals.”

“Though the temperature was not truly freezing, the bite of winter was evident everywhere, with small patches of the previous week’s snow surrounding stranded islands of blond prairie grass.”

It is just beautiful, and this, mixed with the heart-pounding sequence of events, is definitely a must read.

I also love the way Blodgett intertwines her story, shifting between character viewpoints throughout the novel. Though the entire novel reads in third person, events unfold simultaneously, which creates the need to follow different characters on their perilous adventures throughout the story, bringing each separate entity back to the main story and intertwining them perfectly. While this is indeed the fifth novel in this amazing series, and I do suggest reading these novels in order, all the novels in the Savage series read as beautifully as this, and I highly suggest you start from the beginning if you have not already done so. Five stars.