Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White Kate Quealy-Gainer White, Kiersten Illusions of Fate. HarperTeen/HarperCollins, 2014 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-213589-6 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-06-213591-9 $10.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10 Determined not to end up as merely the mistress of some nobleman, teenaged Jessamin is working her way through boarding school in the dreary, rain-drenched country of Albion, missing the warmth and sun of her island home in Melei. Her plan to return home as a teacher is disrupted when she meets and falls for Lord Finn Ackerly. Their push and pull romance points Jessamin in the direction she’s been trying to avoid, that of being the love interest of a wealthy Albion, and it also draws her into an unknown world of magic and privilege, wherein Finn has enemies who see Jessamin as a target. Characterization is key in a story so reliant on familiar romance tropes, and White succeeds admirably with her portrayal of the feisty but flawed Jessamin and the equally appealing Finn. The action picks up nearly right away with Jessamin and Finn’s whirlwind meeting and a subsequent threat toward Jessamin’s life, but the initial quick pace leaves little time for worldbuilding, forcing characters to later explain various details in rather large chunks of expository dialogue. The colonialist relationship between Albion and Melei presents an interesting backdrop, but the ethnic and racial tensions that ensue are oversimplified. Still, a wicked plot twist will have readers gasping for air, and a happy ending, complete with a swoonworthy kiss, is likely to please. Copyright © 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois