Blog Tour: Kiss of Deception Review + Giveaway

July 14, 2014 ARC, Blog Tour, Book Review, Giveaway 25

I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Source: ARC from Publisher

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Welcome to the next stop on the blog tour for Mary E. Pearson’s The Kiss of Deception. Today I have a review and a giveaway for you. You can check out the tour page for a listing of all stops and what content they have.

 I’m so thrilled to be a part of this tour. Mary E. Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox was one of the very first books I reviewed here at YA Bibliophile (way back in 2010!) It remains one of my favorite YA books and put Pearson firmly on me “read all the books” list! I haven’t been disappointed yet! Without further ado, my review:

About the Book:

Kiss of Deception coverIn this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

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Read an excerpt of Kiss of Deception now!

My Thoughts:

Oh, what a treat this book was to read! I simply couldn’t put it down. I was captivated by the characters, the world, the events, the storytelling… everything! There were action packed sections and chapters that had a quieter feel. These worker together to really give the book a unique rhythm. It kept me reading and wondering what would happen next.

In The Kiss of Deception we get the story from three different characters. However, for part of the book it seems like five… how is this possible? That’s one of the things that makes it so different! The narrators are Lia, the assassin, and the jilted prince. We know that the male narrators are named Rafe and Kaden but we don’t know which is which! So, we get chapters from Lia, Rafe, Kaden, The Prince and The Assassin. How clever! I kept going back and looking for clues I might have missed to help me figure out who was the assassin and who was the prince. It certainly builds the anticipation of the story!

As far as the tale itself, gah!! So well done! The author did a fantastic job of building up the story and the characters. When the book starts all we know of Lia is that she is fleeing an arranged marriage. While I understood her reluctance to marry a man she didn’t know, the union was arranged to keep peace between her kingdom and those around them. Running away the day of seemed a bit impetuous. However, as we learn more about Lia and the situation in her world we really see her grow. We get a broader knowledge of the political situation and histories of the kingdoms. Each new piece of information we learn also brings up new questions to get the reader thinking. I loved the excerpts that were interspersed throughout the story from songs, tales, and holy books of the different kingdoms. There was just so much to take in and enrich the story.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson is not to be missed. It’s a beautiful start to a rich and compelling new fantasy series. I cannot wait to see what is in store for Lia, Kaden, and Rafe (especially after that ending!!!)

Giveaway:

I have a hardcover copy of The Kiss of Deception for one lucky reader. US/Canada only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Use the rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Monday July 7
Icey Books (Review)
The Starry-Eyed Revue (Guest Post)

Tuesday July 8
Adventures of a Book Junkie (Review)
Cuddlebuggery (Guest Post)

Wednesday July 9
FicFare (Review)
Two Chicks on Books (Guest Post)

Thursday July 10
Winterhaven Books (Review)
Tales of a Ravenous Reader (Guest Post)

Friday July 11
MundieMoms (Review)
Alice Marvels (Guest Post)

Monday July 14
YA Bibliophile (Review)
Bewitched Bookworms (Guest Post)

Tuesday July 15
That Artsy Reader Girl (Review)
Jenna Does Books (Guest Post)

Wednesday July 16
ExLibris (Review)
My Friends are Fiction (Guest Post)

Thursday July 17
Birth of a New Witch (Review)
Good Books and Good Wine (Guest Post)

Friday July 18
Google Hangout with Mary Pearson hosted by Belle of the Literati

25 Responses to “Blog Tour: Kiss of Deception Review + Giveaway”

  1. Aneta @ Angelic Reviews

    That’s such a hard decision, I love all aspects of Fantasy!! But if I really had to pick a favorite it would probably be the different creatures and monsters that are presented in the books. It definitely adds more action and story to the books 🙂

  2. Lisa

    I loved this book. I read an ARC. Would love to own it. I gave it 4 1/2 Roses out of 5. It was cleverly written and I so loved the twist which shall not be mentioned so as not to spoil it for anyone. I so want to read the next book. It’s books like this one that make a year seem much longer than they are. 🙂

    PS I’m not sure if this is happening to everyone or has something to do with my browser, but one of your fonts appears to be only half showing (The top portion) Some of the headings it’s happening to are: About the Book, My Thoughts, Giveaway, Leave a Reply, etc. Very strange. I’m using Chrome.

  3. Lisa

    The world building is the thing I love best about Fantasy novels. When done right its worth spending time there. 🙂

  4. Annette

    I totally agree. Really loved this one too. I posted a review today to. I think it’s kind of a unique genre. An interesting mix. Loved it. Great review

  5. Jessica R

    I really love when fantasy stories have great world building. They don’t have to have magic or assassins or fighters or royalty to hook me (though those are all SUPER awesome), I just need some kick-butt world building!

  6. Jacqui

    I love the world building aspect of fantasy. Being able to leave this world and escape a new and mysterious one, is one of the most exciting parts of reading.

  7. Stephanie T.

    I love being sucked into a world where things that are impossible in the real world, can become as normal as breathing in the fantasy world.

  8. Emma A

    At least with most fantasy that I read, I like that the story coincides with reality or have happened in the past.

  9. Christine

    The worldbuilding, for sure! A good fantasy story needs to have an engaging and well-developed setting 🙂

  10. Chenise J.

    I think the most important aspect to me are the characters, definitely followed up by world building!

  11. maat

    DFTBA!
    My favorite element of a fantasy story is believability… maybe that’s why I stuck with Eragon for so long. owo

  12. Orchid @ The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia

    Your review just makes me want to read this one even more!!!

    World building and character development are two very important things for me when it comes to fantasy books. I really feel that the world can either make or break a fantasy book.

    Thanks so much for the chance to win and for sharing your thoughts on this one. =)

  13. Kayla

    Such a hard question. I think my favorite part has to be the world. I love reading about the new places.

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