Trial by Fire Review: Lily

I have too many life-threatening allergies.
The world is literally trying to kill me.
I am weak, helpless, in this world.

But then I found myself in a different Salem.
One that is run by monsters and magic.
But above all, it's run by powerful women.

One of the women is Lillian.
She's me, but not me.
Lillian is this world's version of me.

Lillian brought me here.
But I don't belong in this world.
There can't be two of us in the same world.

But what makes me weak at home makes me strong here.
And Lillian knows it.
How do I save a world where I'm my worst enemy?

My name, in my home world, is Lily Proctor.

Hi guys! Today, I am Lily from Trial By Fire!

Book: Trial By Fire
Author: Josephine Angelini
Book series: Worldwalker Trilogy
Book status: Book 1
Setting: Salem (Massachusetts), Salem (another version)
POV: Mainly Lily, third person
Genre: YA fantasy

Reading: first time
Favorite line: "The people who love you will guide you like bright lights into the other worlds."
Rating: 4 stars




Okay okay, this may or may not be a spoiler, but I think it's pretty obvious that we're dealing with witches here. The name of the city Lily's from, Salem? As in the Salem witch trials? Yeah. Therefore I see no reason not to talk about witches, because it is, after all, the basis of the book.

Being Lily, I have to say, it's terrifying to enter another world (or version) of the same one we're living in. That, plus to also find out you have potential to be a very powerful witch? Terrifying. I'm going to break it down a little bit...

Same but different worlds. Let's start with that first. Lily finds herself in another version of her town, where though it's familiar, it's not the same. Lily pretty much does exactly the same thing I would: freak out. Very realistic. Especially since she's being confused with a very powerful (and scary) witch. It has disaster written all over it, and you got to wonder what the heck Lillian was thinking. Because now, there are suddenly two versions of Lillian (Lily's fully name is Lillian, but she goes by Lily), one who rules the entire place and the other who doesn't belong. If I'm in another world and there's an evil version of me running the world there, I'd for sure want out. Too weird. And creepy. Just like the rest of this other version of the world. Everything is similar, but not exactly the same. Again, weird and creepy.

Lily is constantly being confused for Lillian, and honestly, why wouldn't she be? Lily is Lillian, just another one from another world. They look exactly the same, have the same stubborn qualities and everything. Except one's a little crazy, and happens to be a very powerful witch. Lily, being confused for a powerful witch back at home? Laughable. But it turns out that's not quite the case, because again, what made her weak in her own world is what makes her powerful in this new world. Which is why Lillian is so powerful. Which also means Lily has every capability to become equally as powerful.

One thing that really resonated with me was Lily's weakness in her own world. Her allergies made her weak, like hospital-every-other-day-weak. But when she gets to the other Salem, it's what makes her strong. The foods she can't eat, the reason why she's always overheating with fever, her reactions, everything makes sense. And it makes her strong and powerful in magic.

What would you guys do if you found yourself in another version of your town? Found other versions of the friends you know, maybe even siblings or family? What if you found you in that world? And your other you was immensely powerful and maybe crazy?

If you want to know what I would do, read Trial by Fire.