Book Review: Schism by Laura Maisano

ISBN: 9781771276948
Published: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Read from March 29th to April 9th, 2015
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Art therapy hasn’t done squat for Gabe Jones. A thousand sketches of his fiancée can’t bring his memory, or her, back to him. Nothing on Earth can. His past lies in another dimension, a world just out of sight.
Another student on campus, Lea Huckley, unknowingly shares Gabe’s obsession with the fourth dimension. The monsters from the other side attacked her parents and fled, getting her folks locked up in the loony bin. Proving this other world exists is the only way to free them. Lea and Gabe strike a deal to help each other, and together they manage to open a door to the world of Gabe’s true origin. She’d use him for proof—if she didn’t already care too much.
While Gabe tries to reconcile his feelings for Lea and his rediscovered memories of his fiancée, a much more sinister plot unravels. He uncovers his history just in time to become the unwilling lynchpin in a conspiracy to start a war. His memory holds the secret to the final riddle the would-be conqueror needs to get the upper hand. Gabe must protect the riddle at all costs, even if that means leaving Earth, and Lea, behind forever. 

Review:

I'm not really sure how to explain Schism. I feel like it is both like and yet not like the books that I usually read. That's how I felt it would be going into it too, and I think that's part of what fueled me to read it. It's a fantasy book, which I love, but there's just something about it that makes it feel closer to sci-fi than most fantasy. I think it was Lea's attemps at calculating where the thinnings would appear and the fact that Illirin felt so much like an alien world and not just a fantasy one.

When I say that though, I don't mean to put people off. If you like fantasy but not sci-fi, I would still give the book a shot. After all, it's still definitely a fantasy book. You'll find plenty of that. But I thought the way the world of the book was laid out was really cool and something I hadn't encountered in the past.

As for the romance, I think the romance in this book was the best written romance that I've read in quite a while (unless I'm forgetting something). Maybe it's because the last book I read with any romance was one I strongly disliked, but I thought the romance in this was great. It took up just the right amount of the plot, and even though there was a small love triangle (which I grow increasingly tired of as the days go by), I actually liked how this one was done. I don't want to go into much detail for fear of spoilers, but it's nice seeing a love triangle done in a way that feels realistic. It's not an idealized thing or something where you're angry at the girl for jerking around the guys or where you puzzle over why they both feel strongly enough that they have to cause everyone so many problems. It felt real, and I thought all of the characters managed to handle the situation that didn't make you roll your eyes because it was just too over the top.

I really liked this book. I think it was my favorite that I've read in several months, and I'm really looking forward to the sequel. I need to get back to reading fantasy more often because I swear that the only fiction books that I've absolutely enjoyed in months have been the few fantasy books I've managed to read.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.