REVIEW: Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini... what a way to start a series!

Trial by Fire

Worldwalker Series Book 1

Jospephine Angelini

Star rating: 4 stars!

One Word review... spectacular!

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.

 

 

Now I don't quite now how to group this book... is it fantasy? is it paranormal? Dystopian maybe? Maybe its just the perfect mix of all of them... with a bit of teenage romance confusion thrown in there for good measure! Actually, although this book does contain some romance, it isn't the forefront plot which makes the story unique in YA at the moment.

This books starts a series wonderfully, there is a tonne of world building, character building and a fast pace plot hat keeps you turning the page because you just have to know what happened next! Although some things could have been done better (lets face it, there are not many 100% perfect books out there), there were some absolutely mind-blowing elements!

 

Okay, so first thing... witches that can travel between dimensions?!? Let me hit you with that again! WITCHES THAT CAN TRAVEL BETWEEN DIMENSIONS! Oh, sweet lordy lord, this threw me and bam I was hooked on this book!

 

Now the main character Lily has come from a world like ours, where there is no magic and no witches; but she gets world walked into another world... where science was replaced with the witches magic and scientists are hunted in the same way witches were hunted in Salem. Talking of Salem, in both worlds, the characters are taken to Salem... can there not be witches in places other than Salem? Working on the Salem theme, Josephine took the horror of burning during the witches trials into a source of power... absolutely beautiful.

 

Now there are some really predictable elements of the book, the rebellion and the betrayal, of course there are going to be those elements and of course Lily becomes the head of this rebellion! Now Lily has to fight someone and who better than herself; there is a Lily in this world, but this Lily has turned evil and deranged, going by Lillian; she is actively hunting and slaughtering scientists or anyone who isn't reliant on her magic!

 

Now there are two companion characters that definitely need a mention here, firstly Tristan... an obnoxious oaf in both worlds, who believes that if he doesn't verbally commit to someone, he can do what the hell he likes, and to be fair it was starting to really get to be when he was exactly the same in the second world... even if he a little more open. However as this is the start of a series, he has a lot of time to make this up and become awesome.

 

The second companion is definitely Rowan... now Rowan is dark and mysterious... and slightly dangerous enough to snap Lily's ankle and make her try and walk on it... yeah that kind of dangerous. The only thing that got to me about Rowan was how close he was to the evil Lillian but after causing this Lily so much pain (physical and emotional), but of course she fell in love with him. She had to and it was annoying because it would have been amazing without it!

 

Now there is an element of the magic system that I am craving, its called mind-speak, where the two connected people cannot lie or even deceive the other while in mind-speak... oh and siblings can do it without the use of magic! Awesome!

 

Lily went through some humungous changes during this book, from a weak young girl, where everything in the air wants to kill her, to the most powerful witch... and that's my problem right there! In the weeks that followed her joining the new world, this Lily managed to learn what the Lillian of that world had taken all of her life to complete and even more. Its just too quick! Way to quick! Why make her so powerful at the start of the series... surely she needs to get more powerful?!?

 

On a side note, this book does contain LBGTQ characters, however for once this was not the focus of the scene, no-one could even tell that this character was gay until his boyfriend was introduced, and it got all of a lines attention before something terrible happened and no one even cared anymore... no making them special because they were homosexual... it was done beautifully.

 

Now if you love the sound of this book I also highly recommend the Half-Bad series!