Synopsis: 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.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
My Thoughts:
If you were
looking for something original, than search no more, because Trial by Fire by the ever wonderful
Josephine Angelini surely fits the bill. This book was one of my most-awaited
novels of 2014, but as much as I appreciated the refreshing storyline, there
were a few flaws I couldn't overlook so easily.
I'll start
with the good points. The masterfully built world-building Angelini has created
is equal parts mesmerizing and dangerous. The idea of having an infinite number
of parallel universes threw me off my game for a bit; just think about it: if
our world is the normal, self-destructing and boring one and if there's at
least one with actual witches, then what would stop me from imagining a world
with vamps?? Or actual shadowhunters? Or or or demigods and warrior angels and
everything we've read about? This aspect appealed to me the most, because let's
face it -- this possibility would be awesome.
Long story
short, Lily, a sickly and smart teenager, is kidnapped from her (our) world and
transported into a parallel one where witchcraft controls everything and
witches make the rules and have the ultimate power. In this universe, Lily's
version of herself, Lilian, is that one witch that reigns over the kingdom and
the one that brought Lily into this mess.
The
originality is probably why this book will have lots of fans -- it was time
something unique came along in the vast sea of forgettable paranormal novels.
This sets the bar higher, because it blends science with fantasy. I mean come
on -- did you ever read about beings that work (and are named) like a crucible?
Witches that can transform heat into power with their will? I certainly did not
and I was pleasantly surprised to find out more about something like it.
The ending
left me excited for the sequel! There are countless paths Angelini could take,
but no matter what she'll choose, I'm sure this story will develop nicely.
Now on the
bad aspects. There were two big ones for me: firstly, I didn't fell in love
with the characters like over-the-top fantasizing about the hero or cheering
the MC; I just liked them and thought they were okay. For instance, Lily was
incredibly naive sometimes and the ease with which she perfected some tasks that
were thrown at her seemed forced. Her whole demeanor actually seemed too
perfect for my taste. Or maybe that's just the third POV impression the writing
style imprinted. *shrugs*
Then there
was Lilian, who still has these secrets and plans she doesn't care to share,
and all that "I know what's best for the entire universe" gibberish.
It was pretty frustrating most of the time, since we don't learn the reason why
Lily was kidnapped in the first place. Too much drama, really.
Rowan, the
love interest, was okay as well, cute, protective, smart and determined. But
sometimes, a few sentences would kill his overall hotness by making him appear
kind of whiny and without a backbone. The romance was also kind of tricky and
unclear, because although Rowan is obviously the one Lily falls in love with,
the development of their relationship was inconsistent: once, they're
bickering, then they're stealing glances at each other, then they share their
first kiss in a creeptastically weird scene where they're turned on because of
a spell (while Tristan was pretty much fondling Lily) and then they had this
bittersweet moment at the end like they're so completely in love. But again,
maybe that's just me.
On the
other hand, now that I think about it, I actually liked the secondary
characters, especially Juliet and Tristan. Juliet for being really selfless and
brave and Tristan for being the friend Lily sometimes desperately needed.
Secondly,
the info-dump. The world-building is based on a lot of science and when it was
explained it would hook me for a while and then bore me to tears as a quick
lesson turned into a really long lecture. I'm a fan of thoroughly explaining
the laws of a fictional world, but please make it appealing.
Maybe my
expectations were way too high, but I did feel a twinge of disappointment as I
read Trial by Fire because it was not
exactly what I thought I had signed up for. Still very enjoyable, though. If
you're a fan of witches, then you need to pick this up for the unique twist the
author gave to these special creatures, but if you don't really have a lost
love for them or for science aspects, then you should probably think twice
before starting it. Nonetheless, I'll definitely read the next one!
ENJOY! ©
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