Cruel Illusions: the deliciously dark and addictive magical fantasy

Product Information

This place is one giant illusion. This place is magic. There are no rules for what’s possible or not." Caraval meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this “beguiling” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review) young adult fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a magical secret society to enter a potentially deadly competition for the chance to avenge her mother’s death. I LOATH love triangles, and while this technically has one, it didn’t bother me? 🤯 (wtf is happening?) Their magic is really good, but Ava knows it’s not REAL magic because REAL magic doesn’t exist. It’s a publicly known fact in this universe that vampires exist, but magic? That just wouldn’t make sense.

Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston | Hachette UK

Ava has been through a lot of heart ache but I think she wants to trust and love freely but can’t seem to let down her guard, in walks the good looking boy who I think your supposed to like but he annoyed me from the start! There are a lot more diverse characters but I don’t want to spoil anything. . After, we had a trailer, and we moved around even more, and Mom was a little bit different, like a fancy dress missing the sequins it once had. She didn’t talk about Dad very much. Vampires that want to be able to live with people without needing to kill them often take a willing host who allows them to feed off them. Parker and Jacob stomp down the stairs, drowning out any of the subtle creaks and groans with their chatter. They take the two seats next to each other. Figures. I end up alone on the other side, watching them. Clap Your Hands If You Believe: The stage magicians' power is literally tied to the belief of their audiences. Their power is fed by the audiences believing that they can do their magic for real, and that gives the magicians a boost in power allowing them to do it for real.This book had me hooked, I read it over a few days and I really didn't want to put it down. It's a roller coaster ride into a dark sinister world where you constantly question what is real magic and what is just an illusion. The plot just keeps you guessing and the characters are so rich and interesting. In addition to that, we have a lot of heart and self discovery in this book, I felt similar when I read the authors first book and the heartstrings really get tugged on at points, in happy, sad and sometimes bittersweet ways.

Cruel Illusions: the deliciously dark and addictive magical Cruel Illusions: the deliciously dark and addictive magical

Nonetheless, Cruel Illusions is worth a shot to satiate your next YA Vampire mood but want a little twist. And Bonus points for this being a Standalone! Also, the vampirism doesn’t make sense. Only if a vampire drinks your blood can you turn, not if you bleed out. A vampire drinking your blood is an external factor, why shouldn’t bleeding out turn you? If it said something like there is a venom exchange through the draining process it would make sense but no turning catalyst was mentioned.

Review

My steps lighten as I hurry from the kitchen and dart up the stairs, dusting the banister with my hand as I go.

Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston - Goodreads Editions of Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston - Goodreads

Cruel Illusions is a standalone paranormal debut I adore so much. The world give us interesting blended atmosphere between secret magic society, deadly magic competition and vampires hunting. The story it self following young orphan Ava who struggles to fit into each foster homes for years. Ava determined to get revenge to Vampire who killed her mother and personal closures. When a magician's troupe offered answer of her life mystery with bloody magic competition, she finally found her place. Cruel Illusions is one of those books which consistently surprises you. There’s vampires and magic, family secrets and revenge. The magic was fascinating to me because it merges illusion magic with this idea of receiving our magic from the applause of others. People almost ‘feed’ our magic. This becomes a very interesting juxtaposition with the vampires. They obviously feed off the blood of others. Immediately, Cruel Illusions begins to complicate this dynamic. Ever since a vampire murdered her mother, Ava has been determined to get revenge. This all-encompassing drive has given her the fuel she needed to survive foster home after foster home.The side characters weren’t for me at all. Usually my favourite characters are side characters, but here?? I don’t think I had a favourite character. Aristelle?? Why 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 I care about her again?? Caraval meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this deliciously dark young adult fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a magical secret society to enter a potentially deadly competition for the chance to avenge her mother's death.