The Kiss of Deception

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Let's face it, everyone loves a good fairytale. A reluctant prince or princess, kingdoms that need to be united, bad guys, horses, magic - these are the elements of good fantasy. And this book has those abundantly.

The plot here is one that has been done time and time again: headstrong princess runs away from an arranged marriage. Prince goes after her. Enemy country sends an assassin to kill the princess. Epic adventure ensues. Happily-ever-after results. The end.

However, it has some nice twists that make it interesting. The story is told from three points of view; the princess, the prince and the assassin. Two male characters are introduced, but it is not clear which is the assassin and which is the prince. Thankfully, the reveal is about midway through the story. And once the roles are defined, the characters continue to grow. Loyalties are questioned and feelings are never really declared. The tension is kept until the end, which is not so much a cliffhanger as a prime setup for the next book.

So suffice it to say that the plot is well done. It moves along with a slowdown here or there, but nothing to really weigh down the story or make it drag. There is magic here but it is not the focus. And it is gypsy magic, perhaps with a Native American influence, which is a nice change of pace. The bad guys felt like a cross between Celts and Comanche, replete with headdresses and body paint and mounted on horses.

Lia, the main character, underwent significant character development from story's beginning to end. She never seemed spoiled or shallow, but she did seem naive. It was nice to see her undergo a gritty confrontation with her own shortcomings. And the dramatic shift in the assassin, which begins at the reveal, is unclear and keeps him a mysterious figure. We are never sure where his loyalties lie.

The ending was dramatic and left me wanting the next book. It was the ending of a journey but definitely the start of a tricky negotiation. I am anxious to see where it goes.

All in all, this was a wonderfully written YA fantasy adventure with some interesting twists on the lore. It may well prove itself to hold a place with the best YA fantasy of its kind as the trilogy unfolds.

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