Chrysalis, from the A Perfect Order book series by Drew Kientz, presents an incredible, immersive and exciting storyline. Juniper Minerva Appleblossom is far from being what you would call a normal girl. Working as a drug seller and with a serious addiction on the line, she discovers that she’s special as she goes through her Awakening. The Enlightened have been living in secret around the world, grouping themselves in different tribes and using their special powers to fight against evil forces. Through Juniper’s experience, we get to meet many of these Enlightened people, as they teach her and help her get her powers in control, finding out alongside her the different types of powers that are out there, and how this new hidden world works.

The entire story is a thrilling ride comprised of adventurous scenes, compelling characters and a powerful world. The world building was great, the idea of it is intriguing and exciting. However, the best part of the story is probably the characters and their abilities. Juniper is not your usual main character, she deals with lots of problems, one of them being her addiction to drugs, and is probably a person that has been around the wrong type of people for a long time. With a distinctive and intense personality, she meets a group of Enlightened girls that throughout the progression of the story get closer to Juniper, help her out and accompany her as a friend. All of the characters feel different and unique, they have their own styles and are definitely intriguing in their own way. It was great meeting them and learning about the different abilities that each of them displayed. There is fire control, healing abilities, telekinesis, contacting the dead, teleportation and even some darker, sinister powers.

It was hard getting gripped by the story and the characters during the first couple of chapters, since the pacing was considerably slower here. However, with time everything started to move faster, the action started to build up and the characters felt more natural and familiar, so it’s definitely worth sticking around to find out what the plot and the intrigue is. The writing style is excellent, very descriptive and with a decent pace. The world is rich and leaves the reader wanting to learn and find out more about it, which is ideal because by the end there is a little sneak peek of the first chapter of the second book of the series, so I’m definitely eager to know what’s going to happen next to the characters we get to meet and to discover where Juniper’s journey is going to lead to.

The fascinating world of the Enlightened has a lot to offer and I can’t wait to find out more about it. Chrysalis by Drew Kientz is a fun book with a complex world, a gripping storyline and unique, all around fierce characters. The A Perfect Order book series has lots of potential, Juniper has still got many things to learn and overcome, so readers will have to keep an eye open for the next one.

Pages: 374 | ASIN: B0916GGM8R