Author: Mary Wine
Publisher: SourceBooks Casablanca
Date Published: August 7th, 2012
ISBN: 1402264801
Author & Book Info:
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4 1/2 out of 5 Stars
Blurb: On the outside, Janette Aston appears to be a proper young lady; however, the people of England have no idea that this poised young miss secretly studies the scientific discoveries of the mysterious Illuminist Society. Janette soon grows hungry for more secrets about this Society, and she finds herself impersonating an Illuminist to discover more information. As she is exposed to secrets and dangers she never could have imagined, she begins to wonder if she's finally gone too far. But when she runs into gorgeous Illuminist Guardian Darius Lawley, she finds that, while her life is in danger, her sense of curiosity is most certainly piqued…I really liked this book! It had really likable characters, awesome world building, and the romance between the main characters was hot! Even the supporting characters were interesting and well-developed. I read it straight through and loved every minute of it.
Janette has spent her whole life trying to be the good little girl her father wants her to be, well at least she let's him think she is. She's been secretly reading scientific articles and has been tutored behind his back *gasp*! A love of logic and learning have come to define her, at least secretly. After sneaking into the Illuminist Society's building she finds out that she is a rare pure soul, who can handle the rare deep earth crystals without harm. She can also sense them when they are nearby, putting her in danger from the Illuminist's enemies, the Helikeians. Janette's character grows a lot throughout the book. She has to find the confidence to be an Illuminist, which goes completely against her high-society upbringing.
Darius Lawley is a Guardian in the Illuminist Society. He questions Janette after she is caught trespassing, and they have some great chemistry right from the start. They have one of those passionate, or should I say argumentative, relationships and it was great fun to watch it play out.
One of my favorite things about this book is that it has such an amazing world. The Illuminists rely on science and rare earth crystals to power their whole world. Lamps, automatic doors, noiseless carriages, and showers are all used to make their lives easier. Their society treats women as equals and they aren't held to any different standards than men. The larger part of society has shunned the Illuminists for their beliefs, and they tend to keep themselves separate. It was really interesting and I hope to learn even more about it in the next book.
The only thing I didn't like was the fact that Darius Lawley's past isn't explored more. It's alluded to in the book that Janette should be scared of him, but I don't think that it is was explained well enough. Honestly though, that was only a minor detail. It didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book, I really liked it! I hope to find out even more in the next book, and I can't wait to read it!
Chrystina! I DNF'd this. I enjoyed it at first but then I got tired of their cheesy banter and the first love scene was underwhelming. I'm glad you liked it though, gave me perspective. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI noticed that the reviews on Goodreads were pretty varied :) Some people hated it & some loved it, but everybody likes different stuff. I really liked it, and I debated on what rating to give it, between a 4 or 5 lol. Honestly though I really enjoyed it :D
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