Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Published: September 2, 2014

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Pages: 374

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

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

Ms Angelini's Awakening trilogy is near the top of my favourites list, so I have been waiting with bated breath for this new title to come into my library.  Happily, with only a couple of minor exceptions I was not disappointed in Trial by Fire.  Ms. A's world building is exemplary and she makes it very easy for readers to become completely entranced by her worlds.

The main protagonist in Trial by Fire, Lily, is transported from her own world to and alternate universe by another, crueler version of herself and she has to navigate her way through this strange, yet strangely familiar world.  She is helped/hindered along the way by Rowan, Tristan and Gideon, two of whom she recognizes from her own world.  The reader knows with a certainty that there is going to be a romance here, but it does take a little while to sort out with whom.

Now I have to add here that I was a little put off by the language in this new world.  Not that it was bad, but that it was idiomatically the same as ours.  Somehow, I had a hard time reading (hearing in my mind) Rowan and Tristan saying things like 'yeah', 'OK', 'dad' etc.  I realize this is probably just me nitpicking, but I found it very disconcerting for the first half of the book.  However, I didn't notice it bothering me as much by the end of the book.  

There is a lot of excitement throughout the entire bok and this is enhanced by the willstones/mindspeak aspect.  BTW, 'willstones' enhance and store a persons natural magical abilities and 'mindspeak' is basically telepathy among those who are claimed through their stones - read Lily. Sorry you have to read it yourself to find out more.

Trial by fire is a fast-paced, exciting and romantic and will have you reading 'til long after dark.  I'm sure fans of Ms Angelini will not be disappointed. A great start to a new trilogy.

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Published: May 29th, 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 487

e-copy: Courtesy of publisher and Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.


Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.


As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.


Josephine Angelini’s compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling STARCROSSED delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds expectation.

Before I tell you how absolutely wonderful this book is, I have to point out that if you are not a fan of Greek myths then Dreamless is definitely NOT the book for you.  Ms Angelini has delved into the world of Greek mythology so deeply and successfully that it's hard to remember it is just fiction.  It's confusing, complex, complicated and completely compelling.

It's been some time since I read  and reviewed Starcrossed, the first book in the trilogy, and on hindsight I wish I had re-read it - it took me a while to remember what had happened and I spent the first chapter or so with a bit of a puzzled expression on my face, but once my memory was jogged it was so easy to fall back into the world of the scions and their families. There is a lot of familial love in the story and it emphasizes how important family is for everyone, especially when refering to characters who have missed out on this. 

This is a story about a family, or House, who are being manipulated by fate - 'The Fates', to be precise, and of the struggles that ensue while trying to control their own destinies and beat 'The Furies'.  Helen and Lucas; Jason and Claire; Ariadne and Matt, - they are just the almost couples in the story.  There's also Orion, Hector, Daphne, Cassandra, Zach and too many others really to mention, but all are crucial to the story in their own way. And let's not forget the bad guys who are majorly creepy and revolting.  Dreamless has a love triangle that is just not quite what you are expecting and is so heart-breaking. I'm not normally a huge fan of triangles, but this one works, on so many levels.

I love the fantastical elements of the story - the superhuman strength, abilities like flying, bending light, shooting lightning from fingertips, etc - and they way that they all just seem so normal.  Couple all of this with mind-bending trips to the Underworld and meetings with Gods and you're in for the read of your lives. Wonderful storytelling, fascinating characters and a brilliant love story - what more could you want?  Number three perhaps? Not soon enough for me, that's for sure.