Illusions of Fate

by Kiersten White

Overview

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from Kiersten White, #1 New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken.

“Illusions of Fate is an absolute delight—a magical, sparkling, dangerous world with witty repartee and a romance that will light your heart on fire. Kiersten White’s best yet.”—Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets the gorgeous, enigmatic Finn, who introduces her to the secret world of Albion's nobility. It’s a world that has everything Jessamin doesn't—power, money, status . . . and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, and the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess them. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits, can stop him.

Readers who love Libba Bray, Cassanda Clare, or Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell won’t want to miss this captivating stand-alone novel.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062135902
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/08/2015
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	268,181
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kiersten White is the New York Times bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy, The Chaos of Stars, and the psychological thrillers Mind Games and Perfect Lies. She has neither magic nor a pet bird, but wants both. Kiersten lives with her family in San Diego, California.

Editorial Reviews

Illusions of Fate is an absolute delight—a magical, sparkling, dangerous world with witty repartee and a romance that will light your heart on fire. Kiersten White’s best yet.” — Stephanie Perkins, internationally bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss

“This well-written historical fantasy has romance, suspense, a fairy-tale feel, and a great ending that will leave readers cheering.” — School Library Journal

“An enticing blend of Victorian scenery and dark magic.” — ALA Booklist

“Inventive, fun, and enthralling from the first page to the last. Readers will find a new favorite protagonist in Jessamin Olea.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“Deliciously original in its intriguing plot and irresistible characters. ILLUSIONS OF FATE may be filled with spells, but it’s Kiersten White who is truly magic.” — Andrea Cremer, international bestselling author of the Nightshade series

“A wicked plot twist will have readers gasping for air, and a happy ending, complete with a swoonworthy kiss, is likely to please.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

Inventive, fun, and enthralling from the first page to the last. Readers will find a new favorite protagonist in Jessamin Olea.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

A wicked plot twist will have readers gasping for air, and a happy ending, complete with a swoonworthy kiss, is likely to please.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

A wicked plot twist will have readers gasping for air, and a happy ending, complete with a swoonworthy kiss, is likely to please.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

06/30/2014
White (A Chaos of Stars) claims the influence of Jane Austen on her latest fantasy, but the hero, Finn, is less reminiscent of Mr. Darcy than of Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey—all nervy blond elegance. Like Wimsey, Finn has a nameless role to play in keeping the empire out of war (in this case, the magic-wielding nation of Albion). Finn falls in love at first sight, most inappropriately, with narrator Jessamin, an illegitimate “island rat” whose father is a professor in Albion and whose mother is a marriage-obsessed native of Melei, a colony. Jessamin has blackmailed her father to gain entrance to an exclusive school, but she works in a hotel to make ends meet, a situation that allows for riffs on A Little Princess as Finn—and Finn’s enemies—inflict their attention and wealth on her. White’s critique of colonialism can sit awkwardly on the adventure/romance plot—Jessamin makes long speeches about the oppression she experiences, but there are no special insights offered. Ideology aside, the characters make a believable and intriguing connection across their cultural divide. Ages 13–up. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Illusions of Fate is an absolute delight—a magical, sparkling, dangerous world with witty repartee and a romance that will light your heart on fire. Kiersten White’s best yet.

Stephanie Perkins

Deliciously original in its intriguing plot and irresistible characters. ILLUSIONS OF FATE may be filled with spells, but it’s Kiersten White who is truly magic.

Andrea Cremer

An enticing blend of Victorian scenery and dark magic.

ALA Booklist

2014-06-18
Jessamin Olea has been sent away from her native island of Melei to attend school in the dull and sinister Albion, a country that bears a vague resemblance to Victorian England.While struggling with her studies and fighting both homesickness and poverty, Jessamin comes literally under the spell of a mercurial aristocrat named Finn Ackerly, who returns her affections and attemptsto protect her from the evil, sadistic Lord Downpike. The rebellious and headstrong girl refuses the attempts of the various Alben nobility to protect her, even as the elite struggle to gain control of Albion’s colonies. All hell breaks loose when Jessamin inadvertently takes possession of Lord Downpike’s familiar, a black bird that morphs into a book of spells on occasion but protects Jessamin from the worst of the magic. Downpike’s attempts to recover the bird/book and Jessamin’s frantic pursuit of the captured Finn through a maze of magic portals and strongholds make for a thrilling if confusing narrative. Jessamin’s engaging first-person, present-tense narration does not entirely compensate for the tenuous logic of the plot and the preponderance of stereotyped characters.Not really enough substance to make a satisfying read even for paranormal addicts. (Paranormal romance. 12-17)

Kirkus Reviews