Mystic City (Mystic City #1) by Theo Lawrence

Author: Theo Lawrence

Publication: October 9, 2012

By: Random House Children's Books

5 STARS! MUST READ

This has got to be one of the coolest covers I've ever seen! *stares*

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for this ARC. What do you get when you take a Romeo and Juliette-esque tale, a mysterious locket, unexplained memory loss and some flashing green lights?  Mystic City; a riveting story of romance, deception, political war and choosing the greater good regardless of the sacrifice.  

This book sucked me in right from the start and left me feeling like my heart would literally burst out of my chest before it ended.  Aria, having suffered a significant memory loss doesn't know what or who she can trust.  Everyone tells her she's madly in love with Thomas, the son of her family's political enemy but she can't remember loving him and worse, she doesn't feel like they're in love.  She does her best to move forward but when flashes of memories start to creep in and contradict what she's been told, she begins to question everything.  

With the help of a mysterious locket and a cryptic note left inside, Aria goes in search of answers but what she finds is Hunter, a beautiful mystic boy from the Depths whose everything Aria's been warned against.  Mystics are dangerous and those who still have their powers are illegals.  Aria knows she should keep her distance from Hunter especially with her impending nuptials to Thomas but she can't.  

As the political tensions come to a head, Aria is caught in the middle and faced with the impossible choice of saving those she loves or doing what's best for her city.  Neither decision is easy and both will require great sacrifice while leaving a trail of devastating loss in it's wake. 

The world building is enticing and detailed, making you feel as if you were walking through the heat and humidity right along with Aria.  The romance is sweet, intense and yet completely heartbreaking at the same time. I can't imagine not being able to remember the person I loved OR being the person whose been forgotten. *cries*

I enjoyed these characters but Hunter was my favorite. He's not only good looking but he's strong, selfless and funny. Aria shows great strength in her refusal to just keep the status-quo especially once she learns the truth about the mystics and Thomas is stoic in his efforts to keep the peace between the families. Turk and Davida are the kinds of friends anyone would be lucky to have.