Illusions of Fate

by Kiersten White

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Absolutely thrilling and beautifully written, Illusions of Fate, will captivate and wow readers with it's beautiful setting and wonderfully imaginative characters. You'll be swept up in a beautifully lush romantic atmosphere and brilliant shining characters that will tease and tantalize you, as you turn the pages. This world is gorgeously magical and compelling, that you won't be able to put it down until you have finished the last page. It's been said that Illusions of Fate is like Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare, but I think it's surpasses that in so many ways. The wit and enchanting charm that this young adult novel possesses, will definitely work its magic on readers by keeping them entranced in this amazing world.

I love how headstrong and likable, Jessamine truly is. She's such a determined and strong willed character that it's hard not to admire her and to want to cheer her on, as she works hard to obtain what she's working towards. She's your typical young adult and she has a lot of burden on her shoulders. She also comes off a tad bit judgmental, but who isn't at that age? I really admire the realistic way that White wrote her, which showcased her likable qualities as well as her flaws that were frustrating at best, such as being stubborn for stubborn's sake.

The side characters, like Eleanor are also just as wonderfully vivid and memorable as Jessamine is. There are many fantastic qualities about them that make them all likable, fun, and wonderfully easy to connect with. Finn, is hands down, probably one of my favorite characters in this book. Ahhh, he was just so amazing in so many ways, and I completely fell in love with him. I love how he was so determined to stand against the war, he didn't just fall in line with the majority. He stood up for what he believed in and he didn't care whether anyone knew it or whether it would end up hurting him at a later date. Strength and bravery like that are definitely good qualities to have in my book.

The romantic sparks between Jessamine and Finn ended up being as charming and endearing, as I hoped it was going to be. Once Jessamine let go of her stubborn streak and they really came together and left a smile on my face. And just how romantic was that whole shadow thing? These two just seemed to work better together, than they did apart on their own and it was so sweet to see their relationship grow and flourish and become so much strong as the story went on. No words, I just want to draw hearts around them, because they made mine smile.

I admired the way thatKiersten White was able to brilliantly stitch together the political and racial issues of that time so flawlessly, in such a way that it blended seamlessly with the magical fantasy aspect of this novel. It gave the plot a bit of edge and amped up the tension. Illusions of Fate is a richly lush and beautiful mysteriously written young adult novel, that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys paranormal fantasy romance and the Victorian era. It's not heavy on the historical side, but it has just the right amount mingled with witty banter, colorful characters with charming quirks, and a gorgeous atmosphere that readers will definitely want to sink into.