Willa Knight: Dweller. Slave. Non-magical being.
In Minatsol, being a dweller means that you are literally no better than dirt. In fact, dirt might actually be more useful than Willa. Her life will be one of servitude to the sols, the magic-blessed beings who could one day be chosen to become gods.
At least her outer village is far removed from the cities of the sols, and she won’t ever be forced to present herself to them... Until one small mistake changes everything, and Willa is awarded a position to serve at Blesswood, the top sol academy in the world—a position that she definitely did not earn.
Under the sudden, watchful eye of the gods, she will be tasked to serve the Abcurse brothers, five sols built of arrogance, perfection and power. They are almost gods themselves, and under their service she is either going to end up sentenced to death, or else they are going to ruin her so badly that she will wish for it.
Either way, she is in trouble.
So I basically begged the author Jaymin Eve for an ARC of this book because I was so excited about it and it didn't disappoint! While the style of the writing and the world building were not what I was expecting, the story was enjoyable and original from beginning to end.
Willa is a fantastic main character and narrator. She reminded me so much of Rose Hathaway from The Vampire Academy series: Sassy, hilarious, and always ready to make trouble. I loved how she rolled with the punches but approached everything with such earnestness. The world that she lives in is kind of horrible, but she continues to persevere to better her life and the lives of those she loves (which is basically just her sister from another mister, Emmy).
I thought the world of Minatsol and the magic that governs the world was great. It was what really drew me to the story in the first place, when I first saw it on Facebook. The idea of castes and social standing, while a common theme, was brightened by the many nuances concerning gods, their powers, and the role of Willa and her classmates in the machinations of those above her. There are so many details when it comes to the world and the rules that govern it and I loved that aspect of the story.
Oh, and the Abcurse brothers. What can I say? God-like humans or human-like gods, they make up a very hunky and troublemaking group. You know from the beginning that they are going to be trouble. Five brothers are a lot to work with, and I thought Jaymin and Jane did a fantastic job making each brother recognizable and have their own unique character and characteristics. Their true role at Blesswood is yet to really be revealed and while I initially found them hard to relate to (or root for) they quickly grew on me (like they do Willa).
While Willa is a great narrator and heroine, I thought that there was a little bit of disconnect between some of her dialogue and reactions to the time period and setting that Jaymin and Jane have created. There are parts of the world that we understand but that aren't particularly the same, like clocks and the telling of time, and that some of the diction and sayings are quite contemporary in comparison to the world. I also thought that the reactions of some of the characters and their development were a little stilted at times. The relationships, platonic or otherwise, developed rather quickly towards the end, and the way some of the characters reacted to this developed seemed a little unbelievable at times. Despite these moments, they don't hinder the storytelling or Willa's journey, which is at the heart of this book (and the series, I would think).
Willa is a fantastic main character and narrator. She reminded me so much of Rose Hathaway from The Vampire Academy series: Sassy, hilarious, and always ready to make trouble. I loved how she rolled with the punches but approached everything with such earnestness. The world that she lives in is kind of horrible, but she continues to persevere to better her life and the lives of those she loves (which is basically just her sister from another mister, Emmy).
I thought the world of Minatsol and the magic that governs the world was great. It was what really drew me to the story in the first place, when I first saw it on Facebook. The idea of castes and social standing, while a common theme, was brightened by the many nuances concerning gods, their powers, and the role of Willa and her classmates in the machinations of those above her. There are so many details when it comes to the world and the rules that govern it and I loved that aspect of the story.
Oh, and the Abcurse brothers. What can I say? God-like humans or human-like gods, they make up a very hunky and troublemaking group. You know from the beginning that they are going to be trouble. Five brothers are a lot to work with, and I thought Jaymin and Jane did a fantastic job making each brother recognizable and have their own unique character and characteristics. Their true role at Blesswood is yet to really be revealed and while I initially found them hard to relate to (or root for) they quickly grew on me (like they do Willa).
While Willa is a great narrator and heroine, I thought that there was a little bit of disconnect between some of her dialogue and reactions to the time period and setting that Jaymin and Jane have created. There are parts of the world that we understand but that aren't particularly the same, like clocks and the telling of time, and that some of the diction and sayings are quite contemporary in comparison to the world. I also thought that the reactions of some of the characters and their development were a little stilted at times. The relationships, platonic or otherwise, developed rather quickly towards the end, and the way some of the characters reacted to this developed seemed a little unbelievable at times. Despite these moments, they don't hinder the storytelling or Willa's journey, which is at the heart of this book (and the series, I would think).
Overall, Trickery is a great introduction to a colorful, unique world filled with sassy heroines, dangerous gods, and even more dangerous boys. It was a romping adventure filled with comedic misfortune, swoon-worthy boys with crazy powers, and unique and interesting world building. I can't wait to see what Willa does next!
Jaymin Eve:
Jaymin Eve is the USA Today Bestselling author of Young Adult and New Adult romance novels (both urban fantasy and contemporary). She loves surrounding herself with the best things in life: her two girls, a good book and chocolate.
Living on the beautiful Gold Coast in Australia, the family loves spending lots of time on the beach. And traveling as frequently as possible.
When Jaymin isn’t trying to wrangle two daughters, a puppy and her husband, you will find her hiding in a corner trying desperately to write her stories (without little fingers pressing random keys). She asks for forgiveness if you notice the occasional sskkkkssis appearing in her book, her children are proud of their contribution.
She’d love it if you contacted her, giving feedback or just to have a chat.
Jane Washington:
Jane Washington is a 'Literary Awards off the Internet' bestselling author and ‘self-awarded’ award-winner with a professional capacity to take herself seriously and a steely determination to seduce the entire book world… or at least to have someone walk up to her in Kmart and tell her that they loved one of her books--even if they're mistaking it for another book. She holds herself responsible for the Beatrice Harrow young adult series, and the Seraph Black slightly-older-young-adult series.
If you want to know more about her, you’d better hire a private investigator because she’s proven to be a terrible online communicator. On the other hand, if you’re one of those people that gets off on terrible online communication, you can contact her at inquiries@janewashington.com.
That sounded wrong.
Is it too late to take that back?
*I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review (thank you Jaymin Eve!)*
Find out more about Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington and their books here:
Jaymin: http://jaymineve.com
Jaymin Eve is the USA Today Bestselling author of Young Adult and New Adult romance novels (both urban fantasy and contemporary). She loves surrounding herself with the best things in life: her two girls, a good book and chocolate.
Living on the beautiful Gold Coast in Australia, the family loves spending lots of time on the beach. And traveling as frequently as possible.
When Jaymin isn’t trying to wrangle two daughters, a puppy and her husband, you will find her hiding in a corner trying desperately to write her stories (without little fingers pressing random keys). She asks for forgiveness if you notice the occasional sskkkkssis appearing in her book, her children are proud of their contribution.
She’d love it if you contacted her, giving feedback or just to have a chat.
Author Links:
Jane Washington is a 'Literary Awards off the Internet' bestselling author and ‘self-awarded’ award-winner with a professional capacity to take herself seriously and a steely determination to seduce the entire book world… or at least to have someone walk up to her in Kmart and tell her that they loved one of her books--even if they're mistaking it for another book. She holds herself responsible for the Beatrice Harrow young adult series, and the Seraph Black slightly-older-young-adult series.
If you want to know more about her, you’d better hire a private investigator because she’s proven to be a terrible online communicator. On the other hand, if you’re one of those people that gets off on terrible online communication, you can contact her at inquiries@janewashington.com.
That sounded wrong.
Is it too late to take that back?
Author Links:
Happy Reading!
Jasmine
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