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Trial by Fire Josephine Angelini Books

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Trial by Fire Josephine Angelini Books

Alternate worlds with the magic and monsters? Yes please! It was so easy to love a character in one world, only to turn around and hate them in the other.

As Lily is, somewhat, whiny at the start of this book, I still prefer her over Lillian; her alternate self in another Salem. This is what fascinated me with this book, the alternate worlds. I’m not big on them, but if the author can take the time to make them super villains of their original selves – or vice versa – I’m game. At the start, Lily is desperate to make that leap with her best friend Tristan. She’s been crushing on him forever and they finally may have something. All she wants is to go to a party on his arm, and for once, not let her allergies disrupt her life. Things turn out differently, and she is humiliated in front of her peers. “Dear God, make me a bird; so I can fly far. Far Far away from here”, is her mantra. Well, not those words but you get my point. And, wish granted! Only, she ends up in the other Salem, which is filled with creatures and magic. Most of all, Lily is not prone to sickness in this world, and she is as strong as ever. Lily soon learns that Crucibles can be cruel, and that Lillian is up to no good.

Rowan. I liked him instantly. He shows Lily how to use her magic to help the Outlanders. I loved the blossoming relationship between Lily and Rowan. But, when it all boils down, Lily has to make a choice. Stay in this alternate world where she is stronger and powerful, or return home and live with her allergies and self consciousness. She doesn’t want to face what she left back there and now she has found herself.

I really liked this story – though the ending left me wanting more. Well, only 3.5 months to go until the next book, so there’s not a long wait. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love witches and magic.


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Trial by Fire Josephine Angelini Books Reviews

Josephine Angelini writes some addicting stories. I wasn't sure how the witches + alt reality set up of this story would work out for me, but I ended up liking Trial by Fire a lot. I definitely couldn't put it down. Plus it's always fun to read a story that takes place in your backyard.

Set-up. Lily lives in present day Salem, Massachusetts, where her life is a daily struggle to survive a compounding amount of environmental and food allergies. It doesn't help that her mom is a little crazy and her dad is pretty much absent. But she has the constant support of her sister Juliet and her best friend Tristan. Lily has been interested in Tristan as more than a friend for quite a while, and it finally seems like he's noticing her. But after a disastrous night at a high school party, which almost kills her, Lily gets transported to a different Salem, Massachusetts. One filled with magic and witches, all ruled by an alternate version of her, Lillian. Only this girl is the villain in the tale.

Parallel worlds. I generally avoid parallel world/alternate reality books like the plague. Mostly, because the main character is typically in the head of multiple versions of herself and that means love triangles and confusion for me. So I appreciated that the characters in each of these realities were distinct individuals. Although the story feels very contemporary high school when Lily is in her Salem, once she travels to the alternate New Salem, the story becomes something different entirely. I loved meeting the alternate versions of characters we'd known before, as well as new people too. It's definitely an interesting nature vs. nurture debate to see what other versions of people have become.

Still, I did have trouble in places seeing Lillian as an evil villain. We don't spend a lot of time with her, and she rarely interacts with Lily. We also don't get her full motives or plans. I think also, because she was a version of Lily, I sympathized with her. Or at least felt like I didn't fully understand her enough to judge her, and I gave her some slack, despite the awful things she'd done. But all that also served to make the story and her character more compelling too, and it's one of the reasons this book was so very intriguing. I can't wait to see where her character goes in the future.

Magic. The New Salem to which Lily is transported is a place ruled by witches who wield incredible magic. The difference between men and women's abilities and how their talents work together is fascinating. Although all people have some magic in them, women are the most powerful, and Lily is one of the strongest. The strength of her ability has to do with why her Salem was physically killing her. But Lily, like other female witches, works best when her magic is projected through others. She also needs Mechanics (doctors/healers for witches) like Rowan to keep her healthy. Oh Rowan. We will get to him next.

Romance. [I'm going to outline this for those who like these details. Not major plot spoilers, but I'm candid about the romantic elements.] I would not consider this story to have any sort of Love Triangle, although it is a bit of of a progression in the beginning. It's clear pretty quickly that Tristan is not a great match for Lily, and I don't think there is any threat of that relationship reviving in any future world. Especially, after she meets Rowan in the alternate Salem.

Rowan used to be Lillian's head Mechanic and how he hates her for very valid reasons. Then he meets Lily who is a version of Lillian but also is very much not her, and he dislikes her on sight. I really liked the way that Lily and Rowan's relationship starts off antagonistically and takes time to build slowly over the course of the book, as they discover who each other is. Even by the end they are not trying to rush anything, which hopefully will mean that the author won't introduce an awkward triangle in future books to add tension (I hate when that happens).

However, just as I had trouble seeing Lillian as an evil villain, I struggled with the Lillian - Rowan - Lily situation. It's very clear that Rowan and Lillian once had a relationship. I don't think that Rowan would ever go back to Lillian, but it is a little awkward watching him move on to another version of her. I want to know more about how much his feelings for Lily are wrapped in Lillian - and see them separate from that. This lessened as the book continued, and I think the romance has potential to be very strong and epic as it continues. But it was uncomfortable at times, though that's also a reason why it intrigued me.

Cliffhangers. The end of this book is especially exciting. I really, really liked the direction it took, and that has made me quite impatient for the next installment. It's one of those cliffhangers that makes you eager to keep reading, instead of stressed out. It's also a good breaking point in the series.

Final thoughts. I read Trial by Fire a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. There was something incredibly compelling about this story for me. It's funny because the romance made me slightly uncomfortable, and I was't completely sold on the villain. But those elements somehow combined to make me more excited about what happens next. I want to know a lot more about these characters and I'm eager to get back into this story.
This one probably gets closer to 4.5 stars. It isn't perfect, but it is sooooo enjoyable. I really, really loved this unique story. After reading the blurb to this book I wasn't all that interested. Witches, Salem, alternate realities ... it didn't really appeal to me. But after reading some absolutely glowing reviews from reviewers I trust I decided to give this book a try, and I am so glad that I did. It was worth it.

The main character of this story begins as a weak one. She is a girl growing up in Salem, Massachusetts, in love with her best friend, Tristan. Tristan finally seems as if he sees Lily as more than a friend. The future looks promising. But it turns out that Tristan is really a jerk. Lily is a mess. She suffers from severe allergies ... allergies to almost everything. She goes through life in an almost protective bubble. But thinking that Tristan is finally going to be her boyfriend, she makes plans to attend a party with him. Long story short ... Lily gets all dressed up, straightens her super curly hair, goes with Tristan to a party, and ultimately gets completely humiliated by him. Thus ends all of Lily's hope when it comes to her best friend in the world. She is devastated, and in the midst of that devastation she gets pulled into another dimension somehow.

It turns out that there are multiple realities out there. Each decision we make creates an infinite number of universes where different outcomes occur. In the world in which she lands, Lily is in another Salem, Massachusetts where witches have great power and science is thought of as dangerous and subversive. Scientists and teachers are routinely hunted and killed by Lillian, Lily's alter ego in this place. Lillian is egomaniacal and cold hearted and amazingly powerful, and it turns out that Lily has the potential to be just as powerful with training. That training comes from Rowan, a man called a mechanic who can help the witches harness and utilize their power. He is joined by this world's Tristan twin and another man named Caleb. Lily finds herself in the role of a potential savior to a downtrodden and persecuted people, but it will take some time for her to accept and be up to this role.

This story is filled with action, adventure, and intrigue. There is a romance. It feels a bit like a love triangle at times, but it doesn't fall into typical love triangle territory. One part of the equation really gets stamped out from the beginning, so I don't think there is ever really a pull to fight for anyone other than the one who ultimately wins Lily's heart. There is a touch of an element that gives this story a steam punk feel in some ways, but I would say that ultimately this is a story of a young woman rising to a challenge, choosing to be good, and fighting for what is important.

Lily is a great main character. At first she is almost annoyingly fragile and weak. Even as she enters a new realm and has great power it takes her some time to really get comfortable with that. She just seems so very young. But by the end of the story she is able to grow into that role. She ends this first book of the trilogy strong and confident.

The supporting characters are wonderful as well. I loved Rowan, even though there is so much more to learn about him, especially regarding his past role as Lillian's mechanic. He was just the right mix of pride, aloofness, and compassion. He wasn't hateful enough to make me hate him, but he was distant enough to make me want to learn more. He is flawed, but one of his flaws is loyalty, and that is a great flaw to have. I can't wait to learn more about him. I thought that other secondary characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. Caleb and Juliet in particular deserved even more time on the page. I even felt as if Tristan (the alternate reality version) would have been more fascinating to read about if I could have seen more of him in the book.

There is still so much more to discover about this story. I am curious to know exactly what Lillian needs from Lily. I can't imagine that it will be good, but things are cloudy enough that it seems as if there is more to Lillian than just pure evil. I definitely think that Josephine Angelini's writing has improved a lot since her Starcrossed series. I can't wait to see where she takes this unique and refreshing story. Loved it! Five stars!!
Alternate worlds with the magic and monsters? Yes please! It was so easy to love a character in one world, only to turn around and hate them in the other.

As Lily is, somewhat, whiny at the start of this book, I still prefer her over Lillian; her alternate self in another Salem. This is what fascinated me with this book, the alternate worlds. I’m not big on them, but if the author can take the time to make them super villains of their original selves – or vice versa – I’m game. At the start, Lily is desperate to make that leap with her best friend Tristan. She’s been crushing on him forever and they finally may have something. All she wants is to go to a party on his arm, and for once, not let her allergies disrupt her life. Things turn out differently, and she is humiliated in front of her peers. “Dear God, make me a bird; so I can fly far. Far Far away from here”, is her mantra. Well, not those words but you get my point. And, wish granted! Only, she ends up in the other Salem, which is filled with creatures and magic. Most of all, Lily is not prone to sickness in this world, and she is as strong as ever. Lily soon learns that Crucibles can be cruel, and that Lillian is up to no good.

Rowan. I liked him instantly. He shows Lily how to use her magic to help the Outlanders. I loved the blossoming relationship between Lily and Rowan. But, when it all boils down, Lily has to make a choice. Stay in this alternate world where she is stronger and powerful, or return home and live with her allergies and self consciousness. She doesn’t want to face what she left back there and now she has found herself.

I really liked this story – though the ending left me wanting more. Well, only 3.5 months to go until the next book, so there’s not a long wait. I definitely recommend this book, especially if you love witches and magic.