As of March 2024, I’ve read “The Kiss of Deception” SIX TIMES in under 10 years. Not only has my love of the book grown, my respect for the writing has grown. And I was still buzzing when I finished the book last night–even though I knew everything that was going to happen!

Lia is the Princess of Morrighan and she’s unwilling to be forced into an arranged marriage. Lia and Pauline, her maid, run away to a small town to make a new life for themselves. Everything is seemingly idyllic. Except there are two newcomers in town who are not who they seem.

A unique part of this book is that there are 5 POVs between 3 characters. There’s Lia, the Prince who was part of the arranged marriage she ran away from, and the Assassin from a hostile kingdom who was ordered to kill her. The Prince and the Assassin also have POVs under their own names. We just don’t know which is the Prince and which is the Assassin! It is impossible to figure out who is who, and I switched my guess a dozen times when I first read it. You’d think that since I’ve read it so many times, this trick would get old. You would be wrong. It’s still so much fun to read and to catch the hints and the ways it plays off the reader's assumptions.

This was written during the height of YA love triangles, but I honestly don’t mind it. Lia, Kaden, and Rafe each have their own arcs in the series and are interesting to follow. Lia grows so much as a character over the course of this book, and her character journey throughout the series is so satisfying to watch. The political complexities of each of their situations are also very interesting… and we’re off to the next reason I love this series so much: world building.

The book is set in a world hundreds, if not thousands, of years after a practically world-ending devastation happened, and the ruins of the Ancients are scattered throughout the world. One aspect of the series that continues to bring me joy: we are the ancients! You can find plenty of easter eggs in the series referencing places and landmarks in our modern world. And take a look at that map! The world of the Remnant Chronicles being built upon the ruins of the Ancients enhances the themes in the series of the cyclical nature of history.

If you are a fan of grounded-fantasy with a side of romance, give this series a try. The first book is just the beginning of an epic fantasy series with great character development and world building. I’m never going to get over “The Remnant Chronicles.” ( )

3.75⭐ ( )

This was a fun and enjoyable read. Definitely not your typical princess story, I didn't want to stop reading. ( )

There was a cleverness of illusion here that is difficult to spot at first. Consider this--a princess flees, a prince follows and an assasin follows too. Who do you trust? The princess who puts her wishes above tbe peace of her kingdom? A prince who followed out of curiousity at first? An assasin who took the "easy job" so he could then go on vacation? Do you trust the man with an easy smile, charming charisma? Or the man who pushes you constantly? When does the lies you told to find your way become a trap that makes you easy prey?

Like The Fox Chronicles Pearson plays with perception, expectations and phrasing to leave the reader guessing about Kaden and Rafe as well as what was really going in with Lia. ( )

Oh my goodness. This book.

I thought I knew who was the prince and who the assassin was, but I was so wrong.

This book has so many twists and I felt so many emotions. I laughed a lot, I got annoyed, angry, and even had a few tears.

I have to read the second book. No question about it. I will be getting it shortly.

Highly recommend! ( )