The Kiss of Deception: The Remnant Chronicles, Book One (The Remnant Chronicles, 1) Paperback – June 2, 2015

The only things I knew about this book beforehand were: 1) the main character was a princess and 2) there would be a love triangle. Based on this alone, I surmised that this would be the most YA book to ever YA. So I went into this thinking it would be mostly fluff and instead, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the more complex and intriguing elements featured.World buildingFirst off, I was NOT expecting such a lovely map. What's more, the world building didn't stop at the map. Throughout the book there were excerpts from holy texts or poetry that connected to a specific culture from this world. There was also the frequent inclusion of the Vendan language. As a linguist, I am aware of how authors attempt to skirt the task of having to create new languages for their fantasy worlds by merely inserting a few words or phrases here or there and calling it good. For the most part, that's sufficient and what I've come to expect - especially from YA novels. While the Vendan language may not be as complex as other fantasy languages, I was impressed with the efforts the author made concerning it. All of these things provided such a richness to the story and I just loved it.Because so many of the earlier chapters were dedicated to exploring various aspects related to daily life, traditional festivals, and religious practices, there were sections that dragged a bit as these aspects were either explained or experienced by characters. It should also be noted that this fantasy world is light on any magical or mystical elements. There are references to a gift of foresight and mentions of gods, giants, and dragons. However, it remains to be seen how much of this is just lore and what might show up in subsequent books. In many ways, I was reminded of the world of the Winner's trilogy (by Marie Rutkoski) which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. For me, fantasy doesn't always have to include overly complex magic systems or mythical creatures. This author did a good job at creating a unique and plausible world in which to tell this story.CharactersAs I mentioned, I already knew that the protagonist was a princess, but nothing beyond that. I did not anticipate that I would enjoy her as a character as much as I did. In addition to her positive attributes of being brave, determined, caring, fierce, gifted with languages, and even sometimes clever, she also demonstrated a more foolish, naive side with how much she blabbed to anyone who might be listening. All of these aspects fit who she was and made her seem believable. While I liked her character from the beginning, I gained a much greater appreciation for Lia during those last few chapters as she made decisions about who she wants to be. She is quite an admirable and inspiring character. I'm looking forward to continuing her journey in the books to come.When I realized her maid was also her best friend, I was afraid that Pauline would only be present to serve and counsel Lia - resulting in an unbalanced relationship. Instead, they seemed to have a true friendship and connection as they supported each other and kept each other's best interests at heart. Besides Lia and Pauline, I was pleased with the other female characters who were included throughout the story. These women were mentors, friends, and allies to our main characters and I truly loved that. We need more women supporting women in books.I have mixed feelings about the male leads. First off, I have to say that I did NOT expect their identities to remain hidden from the readers for so long and initially I absolutely loved that choice on the author's part. However, keeping their interactions and inner thoughts vague from the beginning made it difficult to connect with them and identify any unique aspects early on. They both felt rather bland and somewhat indistinguishable throughout the first half of the story. Once they were separated, their own personalities started to come out and they became more interesting during the last 30%. I'm hopeful that they'll continue this transition into more complex characters.RomanceWhile I typically love romances in books, the romance aspect here ended up being one of my least favorite parts. Considering I was promised a love triangle, I anticipated way more angst and drama between the three characters. However, it was so obvious which love interest was preferred and this made the whole concept feel weak. There was hardly any tension regarding whether or not certain characters would get together before the end. (Now whether they stay together remains to be seen.) I will add that some of the drama that I expected earlier did show up toward the end and I started feeling positive about the potential for a more compelling romance in the books to come.Final thoughtsI don't want to say much regarding the plot as I think it's better to go in pretty much blind - as I did. I will reiterate that the first half of the book did feel much slower with all of the world building (some of which wasn't necessarily delivered in the most engaging way and certain aspects were still not fully explained), but what we were given was sufficient for now so I didn't mind. While the romance was rather underwhelming to me, I still liked this due to its emphasis on strong female characters, creative writing choices, and immersive world building. I would recommend any future readers to have realistic expectations about what this is and is not. (And having lower expectations is always a good rule of thumb.) Overall, this was really good and I absolutely enjoyed reading it.

This book seems to evoke both ends of the emotional spectrum for most, and starting this book, I was a little hesitant on whether I would fall into the negative side, considering how Pearson's earlier books were not quite my type of read. But fear not, this book caught me hook line and sinker, with the kind of intensity I was not expecting. It's a slow read, like a flower unfurling its petals, and at a point I can't particularly pinpoint, I was fully immersed in the characters and their unwinding fates.If I could only reach out and touch the stars, I would know everything. I would understand.As someone who feels particularly negative towards romantic polygons, I was wary of the hint of the two decidedly male characters who appeared in the synopsis, all but declaring that there would be a love triangle. Fortunately, the suspense of the mystery behind the identities of both males made the first part less odious than expected. Call me morbid but having an assassin around more often than not sparks up some interesting dynamics in the character relationships, especially in conjunction with a prince. I spent a good deal of the book anticipating and speculating over which of the characters was which, and I'm happy to say that I was rather taken by surprise and the two males are quite difficult to pinpoint, with clever character development and intriguing appearances all the more better to disguise their true intentions."Some things last."I faced him. "Really? And just what would that be?""The things that matter."But of course who is a commendable love interest without a worthy partner? Lia, our heroine is a brave-hearted girl, despite her slightly wishful tendencies, and at heart she is true and fierce, making her a worthy candidate for her illustrious title. She had my sympathy from the start with her political bindings, and while she may seem rather too winning in her new-found role after running away, there is a strength in her that brought out admiration and love. Even with the introduction of potential romance between some of the characters, she never seems flighty, and her earnest belief in the power of love touched my heart. Towards the end, we see Lia tap into her inner strength, and I am excited to read the sequel in hopes of seeing more of that aspect shown."And if one can't be trusted in love," I added, "one can't be trusted in anything."Of course I have a favorite character, and in hopes of keeping the surprise of his identity intact I will not mention names, but the assassin has slowly crept into my heart, which is not surprising, with my tendency to develop a soft spot for morally unsound souls and their various shades of gray. As for the prince, he is equally handsome and charming, it is almost unfair how these two must be put in the same book for readers and Lia to favor one over the other. Loyalty and love, both emotions run deep into this book and propels the trio towards a rather compelling finale, with dangerous stakes teetering on each side.Maybe there was no way to define it. Maybe there were as many shades of love as the blues of the sky.There is also the fantasy of the magic that whispers and echoes through the book, which was not explored too much due to reasons, but has laid out a solid groundwork for the sequel to build upon and introduced roots of history that revolve around Lia. Speaking of history, the cultures within the different regions in the book are developed carefully and reflect the dangerous power dynamic fraught with tensions well, reminding me of some of my favorite fantasy books.The writing while leisurely paced, did not mince with the blades of tension and danger, thrilling the inner fantasy lover in me. While it is written in first person, which usually deters me in fantasy I enjoyed reading this book once I became accustomed to its stride and speed.This book sharply veers into much more dangerous territory towards the latter third, and I am quite pleased with the implications of these actions. The less you know the better, but as always, power and deception are quite the pair, with aftereffects that are catastrophic beyond repair. It is a relief to know the sequel is within grasp and I cannot wait to return to the world of the Remnant Chronicles.