BoundbyWords: REVIEW: Amulet of Elusion by Katie Lynn Johnson

Alexa Costa has a life-altering secret…only she doesn’t know it yet.

Confined by law to the kingdom of Alvair until the age of eighteen, Alexa Costa has lived a sheltered existence under the watchful eye of her sword-wielding guardian, Ivy. Her love interest, Caleb Whitman, is exactly the opposite. A merchant sailor and seeker of rare artifacts, Caleb has lived a life of adventure in nearby San Lucero, the long-time rival of Alvair.

After her eighteenth birthday, Alexa’s quiet existence becomes tumultuous, and she realizes she does not need to seek to find adventure. Myths become real, legend becomes fact, and Alexa discovers that she possesses rare abilities which make her a target for both sides in a centuries-old struggle for power. She must use every resource available to her—including her talents with the supernatural Amulets— to help her friends, rekindle her romance with Caleb, and save her island home from destruction.

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Sometimes I wish that I could clear my mind of everything I've read before, and approach a new book as if I've never read anything else in my life. That's how I felt coming into Amulet of Elusion. It was pretty much impossible to not compare the story line to the whole slew of other YA Fantasy books I read this year. However, I'm swaying you in the wrong direction, Amulet of Elusion had elements that sparked some serious emotion in me, and the scenery..was absolutely breathtaking.

Katie Lynn Johnson's world building was on point. The only downside being, that almost half of the book was spent laying out foundations, and fleshing out characters. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to completely immerse myself in a character's surroundings, to take a front row seat inside of their minds, but it got to a point where I just wanted the action to start already. However, pacing aside, I would have willingly gotten myself physically lost in the Kingdom of Alvair, it was beautifully mysterious, and filled with just the right amount of fantasy folklore. I was ITCHING for Alexa to discover her fate, and when she finally did, it was a hell of a ride to the conclusion.

Alexa Costa was a breath of fresh, determined, air. I think authors are starting to realize the appeal of a witty, self-motivated female lead, and that's exactly what Alexa exuded. I admired her strength, and her endless devotion to the people she loved. And what GREAT names those "people" had: her best friend Novella (Novella!), her guardian Ivy, and her love interest Caleb. I could have done without the seriously intense insta-love, but it can be forgiven if Katie just keeps cranking out those vividly enchanting backdrops-I am SUCH a sucker for a Kingdom, forests, and outdoor marketplaces on cobblestone grounds *swooooon*. I couldn't stop picturing them in my head. I felt like I was in a Disney movie, but with a dose of bad-ass added in for good measure.

There were just so many little details in this book that added to feelings of wholeness: the tiny shop selling odd trinkets and mysterious books, the clock tower, the native tribes living on islands only accessible by boat, amulets of clever names and colours. It almost gave me the same feeling that Neil Gaiman's Stardust gave me...almost.

I can't wait to continue this series, because my GOD, could the author have ended on a more jaw-dropping scene!?

Recommended for fans of: YA Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure