I want to be a witch in this world | The King Slayer

The King Slayer (The Wich Hunter #2) by Virginia Boecker

Published: June 2nd 2016 by Orchard Books

Genre: young adult, alternate history, fantasy

Goodreads summary: Magic, suspense, and political intrigue collide in this sequel to The Witch Hunter, perfect for fans of Graceling and the Grisha Trilogy.

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He's readying for a war against those who would resist his rule--namely Elizabeth and the witches, wizards, pirates, and healers she now calls her friends.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth's strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she'll go to save those she loves.

In this sequel to The Witch Hunter, Virginia Boecker delivers a powerful story full of action, suspense, camaraderie, and romance.

REVIEW

I loved The Witch Hunter when I read it last year, so of course, I was really excited about its sequel and devoured it when I got my hands on it. I wasn’t disappointed and I would highly recommend you to read this duology.

Elizabeth evolved so much during this book, I was really impressed with her. In the first book, we discovered that there was a reason witch hunters were so badass, but in the second book, Elizabeth is more of a human again. Because of that, she had to work so much to be strong again, I liked to see how strong-willed she was. Moreover, she had to make tough decisions and clearly showed that she didn’t need other people to tell her what to do, or to protect her.

The secondary characters were still great in this one, I really need this novella about Schuyler, you know? There is so much mystery about this past, so I just need it now. I wasn’t expecting to see so much of Malcolm during the story, but it was quite interesting to see, because of the past he had with Elizabeth. Virginia Boecker also introduced new characters I enjoyed and helped picture a bigger part of this world.

The plot was more complex in The King Slayer than in The Witch Hunter, because it was more war-driven and I enjoyed it seeing everyone training, getting on missions and then fighting on the battlefield. However, I have to admit that I struggled a little at the beginning of the novel, because I had a hard time remembering who was who and what was going on. I would advise you to read the books back to back or reread the first one before diving into this one, because the author doesn’t talk that much about what happened before. The pacing of the story was a bit slow at first, but it picked up and I couldn’t stop reading 100 pages into it.

I still wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance at the beginning of the book, even if the characters were cute together, but I liked that the author never made it evolve in a love triangle. Indeed, the main couple had big problems, which prevented them to be together toward the middle of the book, but it actually made sense. It wasn’t a problem of communication for once, which was quite refreshing. I actually warmed up to them during the book, because they went through so much and deserved to be together at the end.

The magic aspect of this duology was explained in depth during The King Slayer, because we ignored so much of it after The Witch Hunter, and it was so interesting. You could definitely see there was so much foreshadowing that led to understand the magic system. Boecker also explored more of the magical world politics and a betrayal quite surprised me. I was deeply in love with the alternate history aspect of the novel, just like in the first one, I liked how similar it was to England but yet, it wasn’t? Moreover, the ending of The King Slayer was pretty epic, heart-breaking at times, and I had enough closure to be satisfied.

Overall, I was satisfied with this conclusion and you should read this duology if you haven’t yet. Those books are some of the best witches/wizards books I’ve read in a while, so if you want to get back to them, do yourself a favour. I’m so excited to read what Virginia Boecker has in store next, because I need more alternate history in my life (I love, love, love it!).

Other:

• Review of The Witch Hunter

Have you read this book yet? Or The Witch Hunter? What did you think of them? What's your favourite historical period?

The idea behind this book is all I've ever wanted | Witch Hunter

Witch Hunter (The Witch Hunter #1) by Virginia Boecker

Published:  September 1st 2015 by Hodder & Stoughton (first published June 2nd by Little Brown Books for Young Readers)
Genre: young adult, fantasy, alternate history

Goodreads summary: The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.

Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.

But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.

Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

REVIEW

To sum it up, I loved it. I read it in two days when I was in a reading slump and then I got a book hangover. I remember reading mixed reviews about this one, so I was hesitant to pick this up but it was SO. GOOD.

WHY I LOVED THIS BOOK TO THE MOON AND BACK AND WANT THE WORLD TO READ IT

* It's alternate history set in a 16th England. Witches are supposed to be bad and everything and are burnt. Because of that, the world is a dark place and no one is safe. There was a plague started by wizards that killed half the country. Because there are wizards, there is an Inquisition (I've always wanted to write that kind of book so I'm happy)! So of course, there is an underground organization of wizards to fight against all the system (and they're called the Reformists so it's a TRUE alternate history).

* The main character, Elizabeth Grey, is a witch hunter (hence the title). As soon as the first chapter, we got to see her fight the wizards. She's strong and has a hard time trusting people. Because of the time period, even if she lived in the palace, she got through big issues and I liked that (well not really) because it was realistic. We didn't actually see what happened but it was there.

* The plot involves a curse that needs to be broken. It is a fast-paced plot, set in the dark for the most part, it was an enjoyable story to read about. The characters go to parties with supernatural beings.

* I was scared there would be a love triangle, because in the beginning of the novel, there was an overprotective best friend. But because of the choices Elizabeth made, the love triangle didn't exist.

* There is an untrustworthy ghost character! He was so funny and had a relationship with a living character. There are also characters like a seer-child. There are also pirates and the characters travel by ship!

* I didn't see the plot twist coming. It's true that some things were weird but… I hadn't realised. That ending was kick-ass, selfless and a little creepy. Can I have the next book, please?

BUT IT STILL HAD SOME ISSUES

* I wanted a little more world-building. Like more on: why witches, more witch hunter-y scenes, etc.

* When I realized what the romance would be, I was a little disappointed because I didn't buy it? She just fell in love with the guy who saved her life, of course… Still, the author wrote swoony-worthy scenes with these two characters so it was okay.

Overall, I love that kind of books, with witches and alternate history and everything. It's been a while since I read one like that so my heart was pleased. I really enjoyed the main character who was tough and had hard choices to make. I didn't really like the romance, but I'm sure it will be better in the next book. Basically you need to read it and love it! 

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Have you read books like this one (I'd love some recommendations)?

Firewalker | Book review

Title: Firewalker (The Worldwalker Trilogy #2)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Published: September 1st 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

Goodreads summary: Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini! 

REVIEW

Firewalker starts right where Trial by Fire left off, it put me back up in the story right away (I read Trial by Fire in August, so it wasn't a problem at all). Lily and Rowan are back in her world, where she first has to heal and then face the consequences for leaving during three months. Because obvisouly, if you go missing for three months, the police is investigating, the FBI is involved in that case, which is tough for Lily, but also Tristan who was suspected for months. It made sense that Lily had a hard time going back to school after all these events, it brought a slower pace to the book but it wasn't a bad thing.

With Lily's return in her world, we saw characters we had in the first book, who became closer to her and really important for the turn on events. Because soon, Lily's life is threatened again, she has to make her own covent and go back to Rowan's world. 

At the same time, Lillian shows us her memories to explain Lily why she did what she did in her world. I really enjoyed knowing more of Lillian's motives, Lily understood and respected it, even if she is trying to do it her way. Loyalties are soon questionned, especially between Lily and Rowan, because Alaric's motives are explained and aren't that benefic to this world. 

The world of the Thirteen cities was expended, I enjoyed learning more about the Woven and the Hive. I'm looking forward to see what these discoveries will bring to the next book, which I need as soon as possible. 

Just like with the previous book, I had a hard time processing everything that was happening, because there are a lot of information, switch of points of view and memories of other people in one chapter... Toward the middle of the book, I got a little confused, but it was better at the end. 

I wasn't really happy with Rowan and Lily's relationship in this book, because it was obvious they lacked communication and it would explode in their faces... I didn't agree with the choice one of them did, I hope this person will make up for it in the next book, but I have high hopes. My favourite relationship was Lily and Juliet's, in both world actually, they love each other so much it makes me want to cry. 

I felt like a lot of things were revealed in the last pages, it is a lot to process. I'm a little sad with that ending, because a part of it was too easy, but at the same time, there is a revelation about this world that makes me think and eager to know what will happen next (yeah, it's cryptic I know!).

• My review of Trial by Fire

Have you read this book or Trial by Fire? What did you think of it? 

Creatures of the Night | Book Tag

This tag was created last year by the Booktuber Katytastic, I thought it would be a great time to do it, because you know, Halloween is coming and everything. I must resist the urge to post Nightmare before Christmas' gifs but it's HAAAAARD. This tag is really easy to do, because you just have to pick a book for a paranormal creature. 

VAMPIRES

When I think about it, that's all I was reading back in the day, but now, vampire books aren't working for me anymore (like The Coldest Girl in Coldtown). But, two years ago, I read Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and this is the best vampire series I've ever read! Even if it took a lot of dedication (it is six books long and Bloodlines also has six books), it was totally worth it! I love the turn took on the vampire, it's inspired by folklore and it was SO GOOD. The main character is totally kick-ass, you will swoon over her love interest, aaaaand... There is Adrian Ivashkov so you should be sold!

WEREWOLVES

IDK why but I don't really remember werewolves books I read (yes one but it's spoilery^^) except for Twilight obviously. I'm gonna cheat a little and choose the Need series by Carrie Jones because there are shapeshifters and a werewolf among them! There are a were-tiger, a were-bear, so that's pretty cool! In fact, there are all sorts of paranormal creatures because there are pixies and even Norse mythology! I never read the last book because I spoiled myself BUT this book was cool because it had a list of phobias.

ZOMBIES

I've read one zombie book in my life and I finished it about... Yesterday (I'm not kidding guys). Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard is set in 19th century Philadelphia and it was amazing!!! I still haven't gathered my thoughts about it so I can't tell you more except that I was soooo stupid for not reading this sooner! Also, I tweeted to Susan Dennard after I finished the book and she thanked me for reading it, she's so adorable! I'm becoming a Hungry and will eat this series 'til the end of times. Also, the next book is set in Paris, so there's that! :D

GHOSTS

I read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake two years ago and it's a must-read for Halloween! The atmosphere is totally creepy, I looooooved the way it was an urban fantasy and the main character was a ghost hunter! The cover is stunning, I have the UK edition so it's part of the Books with Bite collection, which makes me laugh so much.

WITCH/WARLOCK/SPELLCASTER

HARRY POTTER! MAGNUS BANE!

It's so obvious I had to mention it, of course... More seriously, the magic system of Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms is on point, they have a magic academy near the military academy, there are amulets and everything... And of course there's Han who is a great main character who also happens to be... A thief. So yes, the spellcasters in these books are GREAT.

FAIRY/FAE

I was brainstorming when I remembered... *suspens* A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (how did I forget?). This book had such a great world-building with the Courts (Winter, Fall, Summer, Spring, Day and Night), I loved it. It was a really good book anyway, the last part of it took me by surprise because it was less "Beauty and the Beast" than the beginning, but it was as amazing. I can't wait to see the characters when A Court of Mist and Fury is released.

DEMONS

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent is a dystopia with demons. Oh God, this book was so great and took me by surprise. People that are believed to be demons are burnt in front of the all town so that's quite gruesome and scary and awful. 

ANGELS

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand has a special place in my heart because it was such a cute series. I was such a Clara/Tucker shipper (because Carrots ♥), I cried sooooo much (I cry for every single book she wrote anyways). No but honestly it was such a beautiful book with hope within it... *sighs dreamily*

ALIENS

I haven't read a lot of books with aliens in it, like there is The 5th Wave (mixed feelings for the second book), Alienated (ugh) and the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I adored the Lux, I know it was cheesy and everything but I loved it about these books! Compared to JLA's other paranormal books I didn't like (White Hot Kiss), the plot was important and so was the world-building. Of course, it was also a lot about Daemon and Kathy's relationship but I was rooting for them! And she was a book blogger so it excuses everything! 

SUPERPOWERED HUMANS

I thought about The Flash and then X-Men and then Heroes, but that's not books! Anyways The Darkest Minds features kids that have superpowers. The adults are actually scared of them and send them to camps, apparently to cure them, but in reality they never come back because no one knows what's happening. The part about the camps was absolutely dreadful, but in the second book, an organization works with the characters as a team and it was soooo X-Men I loved it!

Tell me your list for this tag, I'm always looking for more recommendations :)

Stolen Songbird | Book Review

Title: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Published: April 1st 2014 by Strange Chemistry

Goodreads summary: For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the mountain. When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she realises that the trolls are relying on her to break the curse.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind: escape. But the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time…

But the more time she spends with the trolls, the more she understands their plight. There is a rebellion brewing. And she just might be the one the trolls were looking for...

REVIEW

This book caught me off guard, I'm pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I first heard of this book last year, when there was a giveaway on Goodreads, but that's all. I picked it up randomly, because I loooove high fantasy, and I was curious about trolls. I didn't like the trolls in Frostfire a few months ago, but I wanted to give these creatures the benefice of the doubt, and I was right.

This book is set in a French inspired world, a city is called Trianon (like Marie-Antoinette's little castles in the château de Versailles), the main character is named Cécile de Troyes, and so on. For once, it wasn't painful to read a book set in something that looked like France, and I'm so happy about it. I also liked the trolls' world, who looked so much like Cécile's and the fact that Trollus was located under a mountain made me uncomfortable (hi, claustrophobia!), which made me want for Cécile to escape (just like she wanted). However, I found the name of the city to be simplistic, I'm sure the author could have find something better for a city of trolls, but that's details.

I could believe in this trolls, that are deadly because they are beautiful, but at the same time deformed, which made them looked like monsters. They are cruel, like show their history, and feels utterly superior toward humans and half bloods. Of course, they also have magic. I liked that Jensen explained how trolls came to the now called trolls, they didn't appear out of nowhere. 

As a main character, Cécile was fantastic. Of course, she seems to be a little helpless at the beginning, but she accepts her fate, even if at the same time, she fights for her freedom. She went through a lot of character development during this book, it was so well done. She doesn't hesitate to fight for what she believes in, she even cares for Trollus' habitants, when she has been kidnapped on orders of the king. It's also a good idea to name the different books in this series because of Cécile: in the first, she is the stolen songbird, in the second, she is a hidden huntress. Yes. Also, Cécile isn't a human amongst others, she proves herself resourceful and I can't wait for her to work on her gifts (I don't want to spoil but welllll).

Of course, there is also Tristan, her husband. He is totally despicable at first, but he has reasons for being so. He isn't the kind of heir that want to walk in his royal daddy's footsteps, it made him such an interesting character. I liked that the romance between Cécile and him didn't feel forced, they went from hostile strangers to friends to lovers. I totally ship them together and I'm pretty sure there won't be any love triangle, so well done, Danielle L. Jensen. 

The story was fast-paced, there is action in the first chapter and that made me want to read MORE. Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to read at the moment, but I caught up and I'm glad I did. The plot was executed well, it's about a curse to break, but also a rebellion and Cécile trying to be part of the court. 

The secondary characters weren't inconsistent, they were there quite often and had their backstory, like Marc. Anaïs really came at a surprise, I thought she would be the evil troll who would try to steal Tristan from Cécile, but she was a little more complicated than that. 

Overall, I loved this book and I can't wait to pick up the sequel. It's an amazing debut and I congratulate Danielle Jensen. I had a really good time with these characters and everything was believable: for example, the rest of the world doesn't know about trolls because of oaths made by the humans going in Trollus, they can't speak about it; humans just know about trolls because of legends. I highly suggest you to read it.

Have you read this book? Are you interested? Do you know other books about trolls?

The Copper Gauntlet | Book review

Title: The Copper Gauntlet (Magisterium #2)

Author: Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Published: September 1st 2015 by Scholastic Press

Goodreads summary: Callum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall.

It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc.

Call escapes to the Magisterium -- but things only intensify there. The Alkahest -- a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic -- has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes -- and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.

As the mysteries of the Magisterium deepen and widen, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare take readers on an extraordinary journey through one boy’s conflict -- and a whole world’s fate.

REVIEW

"Well, I'm no library expert, but A for Alkahest seems like a safe bet," said Tamara, skipping ahead. She was obviously thrilled to be back.

The Copper Gauntlet was better than the first book in the series, The Iron Trial. It is definitely a fast read, but I'm pretty sure I felt that because it is middle grade, so for a younger audience, I read it in a few hours. I loved the beginning and the ending, but had a harder time with the middle.

I liked that because of what was revealed in the first book, Callum was thinking a lot about his actions and the balance between good and evil, which is a very good thing for a middle grade book. The characters were well developed and I was able to understand them a little more, mostly because of the party we saw at Tamara's. Jasper was a pleasant surprise in this book, I came to respect him. I think he'll be a lot more with Tamara, Aaron and Callum, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I think the romance aspect was a little rushed, even if it was expected, because the characters are only thirteen and wouldn't act this way. However, we only see one side of the barrier, so I'm looking forward to see how the other character will react.

There was a point in the story, to find the Alkhahest, a copper gauntlet that can withdraw chaos magic (I think?). It was well executed, I liked that the apprentices weren't able to find it because they were the best and so on, but because they had been manipulated to do so.  However, I'm a little disappointed we didn't see much of the Magisterium.

"Call," said Tamara. "Is there someone in the bathtub with you?"

Call sighed. He hadn't expected his truth telling to bite him back so quickly. "Havoc," he admitted.
"Call!" Tamara said. "That is so disgusting." 

  

It was a fun read, especially with the Assembly, I'm still laughing when I'm imagining their faces. This book was also a little creepy because of the tomb and everything in it, so in my opinion, it's good for Halloween.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, even it still feels a little too familiar to Harry Potter. I think that if I was younger, I would love it so much more, even if I would still feel the similarities.

Did you read the previous book? Are you excited for this one?

Queen of Shadows | Book Review

Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Published: September 1st 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Goodreads summary: Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

REVIEW

I won't tell you that this book was perfect, to be honest, because it wasn't. However, it was fantastic, just like the other instalments in this series, and the plot took a big turn with the end of Queen of Shadows. At the end, a lot of things were resolved, it almost felt like a end... Even if it wasn't. I feel like Sarah J. Maas wanted to give a little rest to her characters, before things get bigger.

Dorian said, "So here we are."

"The end of the road," Aelin said with a half smile.

"No," Chaol said, his own smile faint, tentative. "The beginning of the next."

The plot was fantastic, I don't have anything to say about it, I was just hooked from cover to cover. The characters irritated me at some point in the first chapters (Aelin was acting a little out of character because she was missing someone, like whaaaat?) and I had a feeling Chaol was a little underdeveloped, because there was so many other characters to talk about, but it got better throughout the book. 

There was so much character development in this one, with a lot of secondary characters, I loved them all! I'm so happy how strong and kick-ass the female characters are in these books: Aelin, Manon, Lysandra, Nesryn, Asterin, Elide, you all won me over. I like how everyone has his part to play in this story, even characters that were new in this book but will have a bigger role in the fifth book. 

At first, I wasn't too happy about the romance, that's true. I don't like who Aelin is with right now, I'm totally against it. However, it is just my feelings, it will be up to you to judge. Still, I understand why the author made this choice and I respect it, because it is clever, just not what I wanted. 

"You make me want to live, too, Aelin Galathynius," he said. "Not exist-but live."

The ending was everything a reader could have wanted. So many things are resolved, it just seems like new beginnings. I can't wait to see how the characters will deal with all of that, but it will be really interesting. I won't tell you more, because I don't want to spoil you accidentally. Still, I'm a little disappointed because I expected too much.

What did you think about this book? Are you excited for the next one?

Tell me in the comments, I want to talk about this book so much!

Review : Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Title: Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1)

Author: Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Release date: September 2nd 2014

Goodreads summary: 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.

REVIEW

"Lily girl? Are you dead yet?" the shaman asked. The sound of his voice warmed her and gave her strength. She might be in the dark, but at least she wasn't alone.

"Not yet," Lily answered, smiling.

"Then let's get back to work. You've got a lot to learn."

Everyone seems to either love or dislike this book, I thought I would fall in the latter category, but boy I was wrong. For me, Trial by Fire was a very unique read and I can't wait to read the sequel, Firewalker, who will be released September 1st.

This book started as a typical contemporary: Lily starts to go out with her best friend, Tristan, but he's a total player and while they're at a party, things go wrong. Lily also has family issues 1) she seems to be allergic to EVERYTHING 2) her mom is crazy 3) her dad left and didn't divorce because he doesn't want to be stuck with her. When everything in her life starts to suck, Lily follows a voice in her head and leave. Then, she's is another world.

She's in another Salem, who seems medieval in some ways but futuristic in others. There, witchcraft rules the world, with Lillian at its head, which means… Lily 'evil' double. Here, science is punishable by death and no one knows why...But Lillian.

"Magic is a science only people who are born with a particular talent can do," Rowan said. He poured maple syrup on Lily's pancakes. "Actual science can be done by anyone. And there's no way for Lillian to control what people do with it or how far it spreads."

Caleb guffawed. "Like Tristan said. She's a power-hungry bitch who wants to rule the world with an iron-fist."

I really like this world, how much Angelini explained the way magic worked, but at the same time, it felt a little like info-dumping sometimes, it was hard to process all these informations.

For the characters, I thought that in the beginning, Lily was a little too much naïve, but she got through a lot of character development, I liked her a lot more at the end of the novel. Something I really liked about her was her relationship with Juliet, like her mom said "there is no Juliet who doesn't love you", it was such a strong relationship! However, I'm not sure about the romance, it was a little obvious and will be complicated in the second book, is their love strong enough? I'm not sure… I liked the three boys, Rowan, Tristan and Caleb, especially the dynamics they had together.

The plot was well executed and unpredictable, even if in the beginning, it seemed to be a classical learning and fighting the villain. Speaking of which, I found Lillian to be really interesting, the kind of villain who wants to do 'the right thing' but doesn't back up and can kill to achieve her goal. Lily could easily cross the line and end up like her, we'll see in the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story, I'm not really familiar with parallel worlds, now I want to read more books about that. I liked the dynamics between the characters, not particularly the romance, but maybe it'll improve in the next one. The ending makes me want to jump right into the next book.

Rating: 4/5