YA Fantasy Review: Trial by Fire (Worldwalker #1) by Josephine Angelini

Trial by Fire (Worldwalker #1)
by Josephine Angelini


Description:
Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted... which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and 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 all the Crucibles is Lillian... Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the savior of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?


My Review:
Lily, in a moment of weakness spawned by her best friend’s betrayal, is swept into another world by another version of herself.

What I liked most about this was the magic system. The Crucible’s magic and the bonds they make with their guardians, the idea that one could choose to become so powerful, but only by submitting to the will of another, intrigued me. That the main love interest was betrayed by such a bond added quite a bit of tension, as did the identity of the betrayer. Fantastic.

As for the love triangle, it is rather standard. Enough pros and cons for each fellow to allow the reader to fall into one camp or another, but still the author’s preference shines through. The complexities of the cross-world doppelgangers are exceptionally done, providing a great deal of conflict as the characters have to constantly overcome their preconceptions.

On the other hand, this story didn’t really catch me up and pull me in. It just felt a little standard and expected, despite the multi-verse aspect. The activism and save-the-planet themes felt a little heavy-handed, even though both worlds’ Lily’s approached it in vastly different ways.

Overall, I liked the book, but it was a little standard to the genre. I think folks who enjoy a bit of fantasy, alternate reality, and romance would enjoy this book.

I borrowed the audiobook from the library, and I must say the narration was very well done.


About the Author:

Josie was born in a tiny town in Massachusetts called Ashland. When she meets people from Massachusetts and tells them ‘what part’ she hails from, she usually gets one of two answers. The first is: “Isn’t that in Oregon?” And the second is: “I drove by it once on Rt. 9, I think.”

Her next stop was about as different from Ashland as it gets without leaving the country. As soon as Josie was legal, she packed a bag and moved to New York City to attend NYU. Somehow, she managed to squeeze in a little higher learning between bartending shifts and graduated with a BFA.

Massively in debt with college loans, she then moved to Los Angeles for reasons that are still a little blurry. Something about the weather was mentioned, and a vague idea to write poetry and find herself. She found that she is a terrible poet, but she never gave up on the writing bit.

Josie still lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter, and now writes YA fiction.

Author Links:
Author Page
Amazon
Goodreads
Twitter @josieangelini