Shattered Illusions

Terra Chronicles #2

by J.C. Jackson

Ketayl, an Elven Arcane Investigator, is forced to return to Mystic Port - a place she has not been for nearly 50 years, on an unplanned and unwanted vacation. Upon arriving, she struggles to reconcile who she was, a small child known as "The Faerie," and who she is now, which is only made harder by her sister and adoptive family. But they aren't the only ones who insist on digging up the past and to try and shatter her illusion of normalcy. As her family continues to run off without explanation Ketayl is left wondering if something else is going on.

150 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 21, 2017

About the author

J.C. Jackson is the author of the Terra Chronicles series. Writer of fantasy and science fiction, wife, mother, gamer, and a bunch of other stuff, but if she told you everything, where would the fun be?

Reviews

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post to catch up.
---
I love this world, this take on fantasy in a modern setting—I think I might keep reading these just to spend time in this world even if Jackson's stories weren't that great. Thankfully, I don't have to make that call, because Jackson can tell a compelling story.

I don't appreciate the way that many (most?) of the characters treat our protagonist, Katayl. They treat her with the kind of care usually reserved for glass on the verge of shattering, they only tell her as much of the truth as they want—all the while, wanting the benefit of her intelligence, abilities, and magic. It feels condescending and manipulative. And for that to be the way those closest to her to treat her? I can't stomach it. There's a decent contingent of characters that do treat her with respect, will tell her as much of the truth about things as they can, and allow her the agency anyone else would enjoy, and I trust those numbers will grow. I'm sure there's a decent reason the others treat her like an unstable suitcase bomb, but it rankles me to see it.

The blossoming friendship/partnership between Katayl and Silver is great, and I'm really enjoying it. I found this look into her past quite intriguing. And the end of the book? There's really a lot to unpack there, and I can't wait to see what the fallout from it all.

[Hope Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were a ton of surprises throughout the book. Everyone was keeping secrets from everyone else. Some of them made perfect sense in hindsight and others shocked me. Definitely curious to see what Ketayl's arcane rank really is. At this point, it's pretty clear that her alleged rank is a lot lower than her skill indicates. Kitteren's a major brat during this book. When multiple people tell you you're handling things poorly it's probably a sign. A lot of secrets Ketayl's been hiding get uncovered including the truth about the fairie. Considering how hard Ketayl fought to keep her past a secret it'll be fascinating to see what else she's keeping to herself. Looking forward to continuing the series and learning more about the team.

[Alyrica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Book

I am really enjoying this series. My favorite things are the characters and the somewhat unique mixture of magic and technology. What I know about this world is interesting but there isn't enough world building. If the world was more fleshed out this would likely be a 5 star read. Even without it, I am loving these books.

[M.A.SPRIGGS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable action packed read

Another great book in this series. It was a bit slow to start with but a quarter of the way through it started to get exciting and I couldn't put it down. Enjoyed it immensely particularly learning about Ketayl's past.Highly recommend this book.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crap i read these three book in under 24 hrs. I could
Not put it down

[Katrina Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hooked on this series! Yet again I had to force myself to put this down and get some sleep. Ket and Silver make a great team and I loved how those things Ket saw as a negative everyone around her saw as a positive. It also shows that your perception doesn't always match the perceptions of those around you. Great story and looking forward to the next book!