Review Kiss of Deception

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Release: July 8, 2014

Source: ARC from publisher

In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

The Kiss of Deception is the first book in a new Young Adult fantasy series. And while I can think of a few other fantasy books that I enjoyed more, I am glad that gave this book a try.

There's nothing unique about the plot. Princesses often run away and resist arranged marriages. The main character is often "special" or the "chosen one". Love triangles are a staple in Young Adult series. These are cliches that Pearson uses, and in her skilled hands, she's crafted a story that I genuinely cared about.

Lia is the first daughter, born with the belief that she'd inherit powers. Lia knows she doesn't have the power, though. And she knows that her marriage of convenience to a neighboring country's princes is a sham. So she runs away, and settles for a new life in a small little village. While there, she meets two men. Unknown to her, one man is the jilted prince and the other is an assassin sent to kill her.

Yes, this book has a love triangle. But I think that it is handled well. Lia isn't wishy-washy, as she clearly has a preference.

My favorite aspects of this book, though, are the characters and the world. I found Lia very relatable, and I loved her faithful companion Pauline. It goes without saying that I also found the two men swoon worthy. The world, too, is incredibly rich. I have a feeling that Pearson only barely scratched the surface, and I look forward to reading more about this world.

I also have to admit that Pearson really managed to mess with my head. For the first half of the book, the identity of each of the two men are kept a secret. I had my suspicions of who was the prince and who was the assassin. And I was wrong. Now that I think about it, though, I recall hints carefully placed that identified each man. The fact that Pearson was able to trick me was impressive, and it added a bit of mystery that had me turning page after page.

If you are looking for a fun YA fantasy, this just might do the trick. It's not a perfect book, but I very much enjoyed the read.