Monday, October 20, 2014

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Series: The Worldwalker Trilogy (bk. 1)

Genera(s): Paranormal Romance/Fantasy/Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: supernatural, witches, magic, parallel universes

Setting: Salem, Massachusetts

POV/Tense: 3rd person POV, past tense: Lilly Proctor

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 374 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: MacMillan: Feiwel and Friends

Summary/ product description: “This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.”





My Review:  This was a surprisingly good book. It’s a very unique combination of YA generas of both fantasy and sci-fi. Lily is taken to a parallel universe by an alternate version of herself. The other version of Lily, Lillian, is in change of Salem and a bit of a tyrant. Lily just wants to go home. Then she meets Rowan, a mechanic. He can do magic and tells Lily that she can too. She’s just like Lillian, and she has to explain that she’s not Lillian. Rowan teaches Lily to use her power.

The world building is really interesting. Witches are real and they run the energy of the world. They make all the scientific discoveries. Scientists are considered bad and hung as heretics. I especially love the idea of willstones. They’re a magical kind of technology that stores memories, power and information. They can help a user do magic. Regulars can do a little magic with them, but magical users can do more. They come in three colors. I love books with magical jewelry and amulets.

The romance is really great. There’s the complication that Lily and Lillian look the same. Rowan used to love Lillian until she started hanging scientists. Lily is like Lillian in some ways. She’s stubborn, but unlike Lillian she cares about people and doesn’t want to hurt them. Rowan is so gentle with her and help teach her to use her power. He prevents her from pushing too hard. They share memories with each other through willstones and they even share kisses later on. It’s a nice kind of romance.

This book was an exciting change of pace. It reminded me of a few other books I’ve read, but it’s still very unique. The book Tandem by Anna Jarzab is also about a girl who end up an a parallel universe and find herself in a similar situation. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz and is also about a normal girl taken to a magical world and has to defeat an evil Dorothy (who’s kind of a witch now). If you liked either of those, you may enjoy this book. I’m looking forward to the sequel.


Cover Art Review: It’s a nice cover and fits the book. The girl seems a bit generic and like it’s not Lily really. I like the castle, though.




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