Review of The Kiss of Deception

Release Date: July 8, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Page Count: 489

Format: Hardcover

Genre: YA/Fantasy

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.

If there was ever a list of books I've always told myself I'll read the next day but then kept delaying it, Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson would be near the top. Originally finding out about it several months before its release I instantly told myself that I had to read it when it came out. With the release of the book my procrastination began and I only bought the book a year later when the author stopped by in NYC for a tour. Despite all my delaying, Kiss of Deception turned out to be a pretty good read that belongs with the other high level fantasy novels I've finished,

The world-building and settings, while not Throne Of Glass levels (very few books are as that's the top of the top for me) were high-caliber nonetheless. From Civica and Terravin in the kingdom of Morrighan to the Cam Lanteux and the kingdom of Venda each scene was superbly illustrated and written. From capital cities and small villages to sweeping forests and nomadic tribes in a harsh desert I couldn't stop myself from taking it all in. Even small details like the colors of each individual piece of cloth hung up in the Tribe of Gaudrel were there. To put it simply it was an example of a perfect scene for a fantasy novel to take place. With her first fantasy book, Mary Pearson writes a book full of gripping scenes and dazzling lands.

The Kiss of Deception continues its success from the world-building area with its characters. Lia (the main character) was one of the best protagonists I've read about out of all the fantasy books (my most read genre because its fantasy, need I say more) I've read. Despite being a royal princess she was down to earth, escaping from a arranged marriage for a free life even if it meant a lower standard of living. At the same time she was selfish and thinking about herself, dooming her kingdom to war, and causing multiple deaths. Through it all she becomes stronger bit by bit and I think it's safe to say she's like a whole new person by the ending. Pauline her best friend and the prince were all characters that I enjoyed immensely as well. With Pauline also leaving a life of comfort to follow her friend to a unknown life and the prince seeking out the princess who ran away from his marriage even though he basically had no reason to. On the other hand the Assassin can go jump off a well for all I care, he was sent to kill her or kidnap her at the least and knowingly he became friends with her and tricked her. He stopped her from saving her brother and saying her last goodbyes, basically one of my least characters in the book. In the end, however everyone from the main characters to secondary characters were written in detail and made me want to keep reading and finding out about their fates. While the settings of Kiss of Deception weren't TOG standards the characters were equal to the Celaena and the others in TOG.

Delaying my reading of Kiss of Deception is something I'll regret for a while but a positive side to that is that the sequel is only days from being released and I will most definitely be picking it up. With some slight adjustments I have full faith that the sequel will attain the five stars that this one couldn't get. Kiss of Deception would be a good read for people who like fantasy YA, great world-building, and amazing characters.

4.5/5 - Really good book