// book review + discussion: the kiss of deception by mary e. pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception, (The Remnant Chronicles, #1)

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publication: Henry Holt and Company on the 

Format: Hardcover, 486 pages

Genre: Fantasy 

Goodreads // Amazon // Book Depository

“A princess must fund her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day. 

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father. 

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan. 

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. 

Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance. 

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive— and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin set to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets— secrets that may unravel her world— even as she feels herself falling in love."

Review: 

The Kiss of Deception was also one of those books you always see on tumblr posts so when Reign and I hung out and went to the bookshop she loved, I finally decided to purchase it. I found the cover of the book very pretty and eye-catching. I would be lying if I said that I fell in love with the book after being a few chapters in. It was slow and I just couldn't relate to her character. The story starts of with Princess Lia being prepped up for her arranged wedding. It was clear that it was against her will and that she was planning to flee. She was also complaining about her husband-to-be and was calling an old toad. She did this for about the first hundred pages. 

Then the story continues when she arrives in Terravin with her best friend Pauline. She left the comforts of her kingdom and is up to making a life for herself by being a barmaid. Back in her kingdom, she wasn't even allowed near the kitchen so she doesn't have any experience. But I do admire how she was up to learning them. She was quite quick to adapt. She says the first thing that comes in her mind. She doesn't sugar coat her words and I loved how genuine she was. Two mysterious young men arrives at the tavern one day and catches her eye. It was evident then that it would be a love triangle. Thank god it wasn't an annoying one though. I literally hate love triangles. Despite having two love interest for Lia, the romance was still slow. It didn't quite develop till you're about 300+ pages in. There was a few brief flirting here and there but none of them were developed fully. 

Thank god the book redeemed itself after reading that 300 pages though. There was finally some action going on! Lia’s short peaceful stay in Terravin gets interrupted when something bad happens and she felt she had to go back home to finally put an end to it. But things doesn't go well as planned. Despite the uneventful things happening, she does discover something about her true identity and her gift which rattles her world. 

Despite me being bored with the first half of the book, I do like the plot of the story. I found it interesting how there are different kingdoms in the place, then there are barbarians and people who show no loyalty to either three. There’s also magic that cant be explained. That certain people possess “the gift”. I was intrigued by Lia; who she really was and what she was capable of. I wanted to venture out with her and discover the answers she seek about herself. The writing wasn't out-of-this-world amazing but it wasn't too plain either. I guess it was sort of in between. The end of the Kiss of Deception was such a cliff hanger and I cannot wait the second instalment of series “The Heart of Betrayal”. I just hope it’s more fast-paced and more romance in it. Overall, my rating for it would be three stars. 

Has any of you read the Kiss of Deception? Did you like it? Are you Team Rafe or Team Kaden?