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Illusion
London, 1873.
Returning home from his travels with a stowaway named Kayan, Walter Balanchine is noted for the charms, potions and locket hanging from his neck.
Finding his friend Tom Winter’s mother unwell, he gives her a potion he learned to brew in the Far East. Lucid and free from pain, the old woman remembers something about Walter’s mother.
Walter is intrigued, for he has never known his family or even his own name – he christened himself upon leaving the workhouse.
Living in a cemetery with his pet panther Sinbad to keep the body snatchers away, word soon spreads of his healing and magical abilities and he becomes a sought after party performer.
During one of Walter’s parties, Tom is approached by Tamara Huntington, who reveals she is being forced to marry a man she does not love.
Will he and Walter come to her rescue?
Try as they might, sometimes all the best intentions in the world can’t put a stop to a bad thing, and she is soon married off to the cruel Cecil Hearst.
Drama and tragedy ensue, and Walter keeps his distance from Tamara.
That is until her stricken brother-in-law Daniel requires his magical healing, and he is forced back into her life.
With secrets beginning to emerge, Walter finds his mother may be a lot closer to home than he realised…
Filled with mystery, magic and larger than life characters, Illusion will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Returning home from his travels with a stowaway named Kayan, Walter Balanchine is noted for the charms, potions and locket hanging from his neck.
Finding his friend Tom Winter’s mother unwell, he gives her a potion he learned to brew in the Far East. Lucid and free from pain, the old woman remembers something about Walter’s mother.
Walter is intrigued, for he has never known his family or even his own name – he christened himself upon leaving the workhouse.
Living in a cemetery with his pet panther Sinbad to keep the body snatchers away, word soon spreads of his healing and magical abilities and he becomes a sought after party performer.
During one of Walter’s parties, Tom is approached by Tamara Huntington, who reveals she is being forced to marry a man she does not love.
Will he and Walter come to her rescue?
Try as they might, sometimes all the best intentions in the world can’t put a stop to a bad thing, and she is soon married off to the cruel Cecil Hearst.
Drama and tragedy ensue, and Walter keeps his distance from Tamara.
That is until her stricken brother-in-law Daniel requires his magical healing, and he is forced back into her life.
With secrets beginning to emerge, Walter finds his mother may be a lot closer to home than he realised…
Filled with mystery, magic and larger than life characters, Illusion will keep you guessing until the very last page.
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About the author
Stephanie Elmas
2 books52 followersStephanie Elmas was born in Hong Kong to an English father and Czech mother but spent most of her childhood in Bristol. She studied English at university in London. She has worked as a head hunter, taught English in Japan and returned to university to complete a Masters in Victorian fiction. It was here that she developed her interest in the dark dangerous world of Victorian sensation writing. Stephanie now lives in a chaotic house in Surrey with her husband and three highly energetic but wonderful children.
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July 29, 2018My thanks to NetGalley and Endeavour Media for a review copy of this book.
I requested this one because the combination of Victorian England and magic was one that sounded exciting—something like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, perhaps. This story opens with Tom Winter, a music teacher who gives the daughters of the well-to-do piano lessons, being cheated when purchasing some herrings for supper at the docks. He notices some shadows, a flicker of something, only to find that his old friend, Walter Balanchine has returned to London after three years in the East, and proposes to start performing magic acts based on what he’s learnt over this time, in which Tom is to assist him. Accompanying him back from the East are a young boy Kayan, and a black panther, Sinbad. But the unique and intriguing Walter is not merely an illusionist but also a healer, who wants to help those in distress, even if he isn’t a doctor in the traditional sense. Tom manages to find him an engagement, and they soon become a rage in town. In one of their ‘magic’ shows Tom notices the beautiful, young Tamara Huntingdon, and their lives take an unexpected turn. Tamara is to be married to the much older and sinister Cecil Hearst, and appeals to Tom to rescue her from this fate. Tom of course, turns to Walter and so begins their unexpected adventure.
This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Though I must say, when starting this book, while I was enjoyed the elements of the magic/illusion shows, and Walter’s character, I wasn’t sure where all of it was leading or what direction the story would take. However, once Tamara enters the plot, and more specifically, when she asks Tom for help and Walter begins to formulate his plan, I really began to get drawn into the story, not wanting to put it down. Even then, I couldn’t really tell where everything was headed or how things would turn out, and there were plenty of turns the plot took, plenty of little mysteries and revelations, nearly all the way to the end that I didn’t see coming and made it all the more interesting to read.
The characters are in some ways black and white, not so much grey about them―yet they are all believable. Tom, Walter, Sally, Kayan, and Tamara are each very likeable, each with their own distinct personality―one feels for them and wants things to turn out well for them. Cecil Hearst is menacing, creepy, sadistic, and all else in the same direction―someone who likes to show his power, to be in control, with no concern really of what he is doing and who he is doing it to. He was generally well done, with his equally intimidating henchmen, but there were points at which I felt may be not as convinced by his power. And Walter, I can’t not comment on him. Probably the most unique character in the book, both in appearance and in his traits, and one whose magic soon begins to affect the reader as well—at first, I wasn’t sure if (because of his unusual traits) he’d turn out magical but unsettling, but soon enough one realises, he is someone who really wants to help people, and who will ultimately come through for them, someone one begins to have faith in.
The settings too were an element I enjoyed, particularly Victorian London, where we see both the homes and lives of the wealthy, and of those struggling for survival. And this is yet another book where there is magic and Prague in one! And of course, there is also the ‘magic’ in the book which also took an unexpected turn. While there is the usual magic of marvellous illusions, hypnosis, and tricks, the real magic of the book turned out to be very different—more the kind that real life can sometimes hold, where things fall into place, and eventually all turns out right! While this was a book where one faces real life in all its ‘not so pretty’ forms, the overall impression it leaves you with at the end is of a ‘feel good’ book, where things will be right after all. Four and a half stars.
I requested this one because the combination of Victorian England and magic was one that sounded exciting—something like Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, perhaps. This story opens with Tom Winter, a music teacher who gives the daughters of the well-to-do piano lessons, being cheated when purchasing some herrings for supper at the docks. He notices some shadows, a flicker of something, only to find that his old friend, Walter Balanchine has returned to London after three years in the East, and proposes to start performing magic acts based on what he’s learnt over this time, in which Tom is to assist him. Accompanying him back from the East are a young boy Kayan, and a black panther, Sinbad. But the unique and intriguing Walter is not merely an illusionist but also a healer, who wants to help those in distress, even if he isn’t a doctor in the traditional sense. Tom manages to find him an engagement, and they soon become a rage in town. In one of their ‘magic’ shows Tom notices the beautiful, young Tamara Huntingdon, and their lives take an unexpected turn. Tamara is to be married to the much older and sinister Cecil Hearst, and appeals to Tom to rescue her from this fate. Tom of course, turns to Walter and so begins their unexpected adventure.
This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Though I must say, when starting this book, while I was enjoyed the elements of the magic/illusion shows, and Walter’s character, I wasn’t sure where all of it was leading or what direction the story would take. However, once Tamara enters the plot, and more specifically, when she asks Tom for help and Walter begins to formulate his plan, I really began to get drawn into the story, not wanting to put it down. Even then, I couldn’t really tell where everything was headed or how things would turn out, and there were plenty of turns the plot took, plenty of little mysteries and revelations, nearly all the way to the end that I didn’t see coming and made it all the more interesting to read.
The characters are in some ways black and white, not so much grey about them―yet they are all believable. Tom, Walter, Sally, Kayan, and Tamara are each very likeable, each with their own distinct personality―one feels for them and wants things to turn out well for them. Cecil Hearst is menacing, creepy, sadistic, and all else in the same direction―someone who likes to show his power, to be in control, with no concern really of what he is doing and who he is doing it to. He was generally well done, with his equally intimidating henchmen, but there were points at which I felt may be not as convinced by his power. And Walter, I can’t not comment on him. Probably the most unique character in the book, both in appearance and in his traits, and one whose magic soon begins to affect the reader as well—at first, I wasn’t sure if (because of his unusual traits) he’d turn out magical but unsettling, but soon enough one realises, he is someone who really wants to help people, and who will ultimately come through for them, someone one begins to have faith in.
The settings too were an element I enjoyed, particularly Victorian London, where we see both the homes and lives of the wealthy, and of those struggling for survival. And this is yet another book where there is magic and Prague in one! And of course, there is also the ‘magic’ in the book which also took an unexpected turn. While there is the usual magic of marvellous illusions, hypnosis, and tricks, the real magic of the book turned out to be very different—more the kind that real life can sometimes hold, where things fall into place, and eventually all turns out right! While this was a book where one faces real life in all its ‘not so pretty’ forms, the overall impression it leaves you with at the end is of a ‘feel good’ book, where things will be right after all. Four and a half stars.
January 22, 2018
When I started my blog in 2013, Stephanie Elmas was one of the first authors to contact me to request a review of her book. That book was ‘The Room Beyond'. I was so pleased that she did because that was a real gem of a read. When I saw that she had another book out, this time with Endeavour Press and the main character being Walter Balanchine, who appeared in the previous book, I just had to read it.
The story begins in 1873 in London’s East End with Tom Winter being reunited after 3 years with his childhood friend from the workhouse, Walter Balanchine. Walter has been travelling in the Far East and brings home with him a child stowaway named Kayan and a black panther called Sinbad.
Walter is an intriguing and mysterious character. He became known as the ‘Wizard of the East End’ because of his seemingly mystical powers and his reputation of being a healer. With his distinctive and outlandish clothing together with the numerous charms and bottles of potions hanging from his neck, he stands out, not least because of his unusual looks – very tall with an almost skeletal build and thin wispy hair. However behind this unusual looking man was someone with a heart full of kindness and courage whose loyalty to his old friend knew no bounds. Walter has his own mystery to solve. Abandoned at a workhouse as a young child, he doesn’t know his mother, nor even his real name.
Times are hard for everybody and Tom lives in tiny lodgings with his sick mother and has a friend Sally who cares for his ma whilst he is working as a piano teacher. Sally loves Tom but when Tom meets and falls for wealthy Tamara Huntingdon, events are set in motion that will test Walter’s talents for magic and illusion.
Told in four parts with both Tom and Tamara having their own opportunity to tell their stories, Illusion was a wonderfully descriptive and atmospheric story; we are taken from the dangerous, foul smelling and fog ridden streets of London to the countryside of Somerset and then to Prague – each destination having its own sense of place. Walter was a fabulous character who shone from the page, in fact all the main characters were superbly drawn – from the kindness of Sally to the cruelty of Cecil Hearst and, with the exception of Cecil and his henchmen, I really cared what happened to them. The unexpected turns and surprises were superbly done – at one point my heart was racing at the sheer injustice.
Stephanie Elmas writes beautifully and in my opinion her writing just gets better. Illusion was a captivating story of intrigue and mystery that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
The story begins in 1873 in London’s East End with Tom Winter being reunited after 3 years with his childhood friend from the workhouse, Walter Balanchine. Walter has been travelling in the Far East and brings home with him a child stowaway named Kayan and a black panther called Sinbad.
Walter is an intriguing and mysterious character. He became known as the ‘Wizard of the East End’ because of his seemingly mystical powers and his reputation of being a healer. With his distinctive and outlandish clothing together with the numerous charms and bottles of potions hanging from his neck, he stands out, not least because of his unusual looks – very tall with an almost skeletal build and thin wispy hair. However behind this unusual looking man was someone with a heart full of kindness and courage whose loyalty to his old friend knew no bounds. Walter has his own mystery to solve. Abandoned at a workhouse as a young child, he doesn’t know his mother, nor even his real name.
Times are hard for everybody and Tom lives in tiny lodgings with his sick mother and has a friend Sally who cares for his ma whilst he is working as a piano teacher. Sally loves Tom but when Tom meets and falls for wealthy Tamara Huntingdon, events are set in motion that will test Walter’s talents for magic and illusion.
Told in four parts with both Tom and Tamara having their own opportunity to tell their stories, Illusion was a wonderfully descriptive and atmospheric story; we are taken from the dangerous, foul smelling and fog ridden streets of London to the countryside of Somerset and then to Prague – each destination having its own sense of place. Walter was a fabulous character who shone from the page, in fact all the main characters were superbly drawn – from the kindness of Sally to the cruelty of Cecil Hearst and, with the exception of Cecil and his henchmen, I really cared what happened to them. The unexpected turns and surprises were superbly done – at one point my heart was racing at the sheer injustice.
Stephanie Elmas writes beautifully and in my opinion her writing just gets better. Illusion was a captivating story of intrigue and mystery that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
May 19, 2019
This book is what happens, when an author is not just a bit in love with herself, but thoroughly self-indulgent instead. Convoluted, repetitive and horribly cluttered prose, a grimdark setting which turns G.R.R. Martin into a writer of candy-floss fluff. A book which wallows in the alleged grime and horror of 19th century London. I mean, even Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy write rip-roaring humour compared to this.
I need brain bleach now.
It took me less than five pages and I was terminally depressed. I needed a hearty shot of brandy to get out of that mood, while watching Doris Day...
Seriously, this is the sort of writing that I know a couple of my friends adore, but which I consider pointless and pretentious, disrespectful of the actual history, and - well, no way around this - utterly self-indulgent on the author's side. It's an emotional wankfest of angst and h/h.
July 2, 2018
Publishing Date: June 2018
Publisher: Endeavour
ISBN: 9781549655173
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.8/5
Publisher’s Description: London, 1873. Walter Balanchine returns home from his travels with an air of mystery and magic about him. His lockets, potions and spells soon attract a favourable audience in Victorian London. But a labyrinthine path of sorcery, scandal and mortal danger unfolds when Walter encounters the beautiful and brooding Tamara.
Review: This novel received very high reviews but for one millennial reviewer. She wrote that she liked it but gave it a low rating. She rants about “triggers” and other identity nonsense while trying to be self-deprecating in the process. As to why anyone would give a shjt whether your’re offended or not by literary content, is laughable. Wow, the ego sure is expanding logrithmically these days.
This was a fine read. Constantly entertaining with characters that explode off the pages and movement that quickens the fire in your veins. A wonderfully crafted novel that embodies everything that makes a novel soar. Get this, and hope that Walter continues on in subsequent novels by this gifted writer.
You can read all of my reviews, here.
Publisher: Endeavour
ISBN: 9781549655173
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4.8/5
Publisher’s Description: London, 1873. Walter Balanchine returns home from his travels with an air of mystery and magic about him. His lockets, potions and spells soon attract a favourable audience in Victorian London. But a labyrinthine path of sorcery, scandal and mortal danger unfolds when Walter encounters the beautiful and brooding Tamara.
Review: This novel received very high reviews but for one millennial reviewer. She wrote that she liked it but gave it a low rating. She rants about “triggers” and other identity nonsense while trying to be self-deprecating in the process. As to why anyone would give a shjt whether your’re offended or not by literary content, is laughable. Wow, the ego sure is expanding logrithmically these days.
This was a fine read. Constantly entertaining with characters that explode off the pages and movement that quickens the fire in your veins. A wonderfully crafted novel that embodies everything that makes a novel soar. Get this, and hope that Walter continues on in subsequent novels by this gifted writer.
You can read all of my reviews, here.
August 14, 2018
In the late 19th Century, the mysterious Walter Balanchine is seen as a magician, with his clever slight of hand. There are so many secrets, and so much danger, for him and his friends.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't really sure what I expected from this, and I'm still not entirely sure!
It's an Historical drama, with suspense and discovery. There's friendship, and the bizarre family you find yourself with, as you pick up people through life.
It starts with Tom, he's a product of the workhouses, and he not only survived, he's started doing reasonably well for himself. He is a pianist, teaching young ladies to play, and looking after his ill mother.
When his oldest and dearest friend Walter returns from travelling, Tom knows that his life could go in any direction. Walter has that wonderful effect of creating chaos, and always seeming like it was planned.
We follow Tom, as by chance he meets Tamara, an heiress who is set to marry a hideous man, and needs to be rescued.
The first section of the book, when Tom is our central character is quite slow and dull compared to the rest of the story. He's the blandest character, and seems to be there to fill the role of Tamara'a love interest; and to be Walter's "normal" friend, which allows the reader to see behind (some of) the tricks.
Honestly, I didn't really like Tom's actions either. He leads along poor Sally (the woman that cares for his ailing ma, and is in love with him), but has no intention of marrying her.
The second section really starts to shine. It follows Tamara, as she is forced to marry Cecil Hearst, and live in his cold, unwelcoming house.
Cecil is a fascinating character. He's abusive and violent and smart; but there's more to him and his punishments than you might expect from a Historical villain. As Tamara copes with him, her character becomes more defined. She is more than just a pretty face, she has a quiet strength, as she resists her husband's attempts to destroy her sanity.
Things take a tangent in the third section, as it focuses on Walter's history, and the parents he never knew. This disrupts the flow of the book, but it is still very interesting.
This was a book with high and low points, but overall it was an enjoyable mystery.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn't really sure what I expected from this, and I'm still not entirely sure!
It's an Historical drama, with suspense and discovery. There's friendship, and the bizarre family you find yourself with, as you pick up people through life.
It starts with Tom, he's a product of the workhouses, and he not only survived, he's started doing reasonably well for himself. He is a pianist, teaching young ladies to play, and looking after his ill mother.
When his oldest and dearest friend Walter returns from travelling, Tom knows that his life could go in any direction. Walter has that wonderful effect of creating chaos, and always seeming like it was planned.
We follow Tom, as by chance he meets Tamara, an heiress who is set to marry a hideous man, and needs to be rescued.
The first section of the book, when Tom is our central character is quite slow and dull compared to the rest of the story. He's the blandest character, and seems to be there to fill the role of Tamara'a love interest; and to be Walter's "normal" friend, which allows the reader to see behind (some of) the tricks.
Honestly, I didn't really like Tom's actions either. He leads along poor Sally (the woman that cares for his ailing ma, and is in love with him), but has no intention of marrying her.
The second section really starts to shine. It follows Tamara, as she is forced to marry Cecil Hearst, and live in his cold, unwelcoming house.
Cecil is a fascinating character. He's abusive and violent and smart; but there's more to him and his punishments than you might expect from a Historical villain. As Tamara copes with him, her character becomes more defined. She is more than just a pretty face, she has a quiet strength, as she resists her husband's attempts to destroy her sanity.
Things take a tangent in the third section, as it focuses on Walter's history, and the parents he never knew. This disrupts the flow of the book, but it is still very interesting.
This was a book with high and low points, but overall it was an enjoyable mystery.
November 21, 2017
Set in London 1873 with Tom Winter as he catches up with old friend Walter Balanchine and his stowaway Kayan. Walter has been away travelling in The East learning healing and magic. Walter is asked to perform magic at a birthday party and that is where Tom first sets eyes on Tamara. She is there with her mother and a man presumed to be her father, but is actually Cecil Hearst, her soon to be husband. As the story progresses a picture is built up that delves into the lives and histories of the main cast of characters, a world of mystery, suspense and intrigue.
The characters of this story cover a good array of different traits, personalities and social backgrounds, rich, poor, feeble, heroic, manipulative and downright loathsome and evil. You will soon work out which character fits with which trait, who you will want to cheer on and who you will despise. Each has a very memorable personality making them easy to remember as the plot is explored. The plot itself is deeply twisted with an air of tension and suspense, taking the reader through many subplots. The story expresses the atmosphere of the era very well with some wonderful descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells.
I would recommend this book to readers of period fiction, mystery,that oozes atmosphere, suspense, mystery and intrigue.
The characters of this story cover a good array of different traits, personalities and social backgrounds, rich, poor, feeble, heroic, manipulative and downright loathsome and evil. You will soon work out which character fits with which trait, who you will want to cheer on and who you will despise. Each has a very memorable personality making them easy to remember as the plot is explored. The plot itself is deeply twisted with an air of tension and suspense, taking the reader through many subplots. The story expresses the atmosphere of the era very well with some wonderful descriptions of the sights, sounds and smells.
I would recommend this book to readers of period fiction, mystery,that oozes atmosphere, suspense, mystery and intrigue.
November 18, 2017
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'Walter Balanchine was still the most unusual looking individual that most people had ever seen.’
The author has created a wonderful character in Walter Balanchine. He’s like a young Sherlock Holmes with his acute powers of observation, mastery of disguise and gift for turning up at exactly the right moment – but with a touch of the exotic East thrown in. He’s a magician as well but is it ‘real’ magic or merely clever illusion? As he says himself: “Magic? There’s no such thing. Not in the literal sense anyway. Only illusion, my friend.” Walter certainly knows how to stage tricks that we know are just sleight of hand or intricately worked out illusions. But some of the other things he’s able to do? Well, the novel cleverly leaves it to the reader to decide if his powers extend to the supernatural.
I also loved the other main characters – Tom, Tamara and the saintly Sally – and the author has created a formidable “boo hiss” villain in Cecil Hearst. The novel’s plot and style expertly capture the spirit of a Victorian mystery making this reader think of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White with a touch of Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight. As well as the central plot concerning Tom and Walter’s attempts to rescue Tamara, there are other mysteries to be unravelled, including the truth about Walter’s parentage.
The author certainly captures the atmosphere of Victorian London.
‘They made their way to Limehouse, a quarter with streets so narrow that the houses seemed almost to touch in the middle. It was snowing now. A confetti of snowflakes filtered through between the narrow gaps in the gables above and floated, innocent and feathery, into the grime beneath their feet….Soon they fell upon Narrow Street, where chandlers sold their wares and the smell of spices and chops and old barnacled ropes filled the air.’
And there’s a suitably Gothic feel when the action moves to Cecil’s country seat. Definitely a touch of The Fall of the House of Usher there!
I really enjoyed Illusion with its engaging mix of atmospheric period setting, intricate mystery and sprinkling of magic. I would love to read more from this author in the future.
I received a review copy courtesy of publishers, Endeavour Press, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
'Walter Balanchine was still the most unusual looking individual that most people had ever seen.’
The author has created a wonderful character in Walter Balanchine. He’s like a young Sherlock Holmes with his acute powers of observation, mastery of disguise and gift for turning up at exactly the right moment – but with a touch of the exotic East thrown in. He’s a magician as well but is it ‘real’ magic or merely clever illusion? As he says himself: “Magic? There’s no such thing. Not in the literal sense anyway. Only illusion, my friend.” Walter certainly knows how to stage tricks that we know are just sleight of hand or intricately worked out illusions. But some of the other things he’s able to do? Well, the novel cleverly leaves it to the reader to decide if his powers extend to the supernatural.
I also loved the other main characters – Tom, Tamara and the saintly Sally – and the author has created a formidable “boo hiss” villain in Cecil Hearst. The novel’s plot and style expertly capture the spirit of a Victorian mystery making this reader think of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White with a touch of Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight. As well as the central plot concerning Tom and Walter’s attempts to rescue Tamara, there are other mysteries to be unravelled, including the truth about Walter’s parentage.
The author certainly captures the atmosphere of Victorian London.
‘They made their way to Limehouse, a quarter with streets so narrow that the houses seemed almost to touch in the middle. It was snowing now. A confetti of snowflakes filtered through between the narrow gaps in the gables above and floated, innocent and feathery, into the grime beneath their feet….Soon they fell upon Narrow Street, where chandlers sold their wares and the smell of spices and chops and old barnacled ropes filled the air.’
And there’s a suitably Gothic feel when the action moves to Cecil’s country seat. Definitely a touch of The Fall of the House of Usher there!
I really enjoyed Illusion with its engaging mix of atmospheric period setting, intricate mystery and sprinkling of magic. I would love to read more from this author in the future.
I received a review copy courtesy of publishers, Endeavour Press, in return for an honest and unbiased review.
June 19, 2018
(I thank Netgalley and Endeavour Media for sending me the ARC in exchange for my honest review)
4,5 stars
I grew quite enthralled by this unassuming story, which unfolded slowly and effortlessly. The writing is elegant and simple, for an evocative tale, rather old fashioned in a good kind of way.
The characters are all endearing or atrocious, with interesting villains, and if the story tells about some sinister deeds, the writer never insists with atrocious descriptions and details - the facts speak by themselves.
The magic is very limited in this story, and always veiled by illusions, so you mustn't hope for a fantasy world. For myself I loved the atmosphere, which strongly reminded me, for all the dissimilitudes of the stories, of "A little princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The main quality of this rather classical story is its smoothness and reading pleasure. Another one is in an original main character, who's never the narrator, always lurking in the periphery like a benevolent djinni and whose physique is so unusual that it verges on monstrosity. How many writers would have resisted to picture him as a formidable figure of paramount masculinity? Stephanie Elmas did so, picturing a wonderful caring character, resourceful mysterious and generous, but also quite bizarre...
The narrative is quite colourful too, with hints of exoticity, as a very unusual pet. And if the male main character suffers from instalove (he's probably a fantastic juge of character at first sight ^-^), the reader will be happy to understand that the object of his love behaves in a much more credible way in the circumstances she meets. I particularly appreciated how she reacts while suffering from a horrible situation, with courage and resilience, but without any improbable and out of character reckless temerity...
The denouement is satisfying, told in a mysterious and vaporous atmosphere...
A lovely tale, romantic and riveting, which doesn't elude the realities of dreadful situations, but doesn't dwell at length on them either, keeping a feel good vibe, letting the reader confident that the end would satisfying, positive and, even, happy.
4,5 stars
I grew quite enthralled by this unassuming story, which unfolded slowly and effortlessly. The writing is elegant and simple, for an evocative tale, rather old fashioned in a good kind of way.
The characters are all endearing or atrocious, with interesting villains, and if the story tells about some sinister deeds, the writer never insists with atrocious descriptions and details - the facts speak by themselves.
The magic is very limited in this story, and always veiled by illusions, so you mustn't hope for a fantasy world. For myself I loved the atmosphere, which strongly reminded me, for all the dissimilitudes of the stories, of "A little princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
The main quality of this rather classical story is its smoothness and reading pleasure. Another one is in an original main character, who's never the narrator, always lurking in the periphery like a benevolent djinni and whose physique is so unusual that it verges on monstrosity. How many writers would have resisted to picture him as a formidable figure of paramount masculinity? Stephanie Elmas did so, picturing a wonderful caring character, resourceful mysterious and generous, but also quite bizarre...
The narrative is quite colourful too, with hints of exoticity, as a very unusual pet. And if the male main character suffers from instalove (he's probably a fantastic juge of character at first sight ^-^), the reader will be happy to understand that the object of his love behaves in a much more credible way in the circumstances she meets. I particularly appreciated how she reacts while suffering from a horrible situation, with courage and resilience, but without any improbable and out of character reckless temerity...
The denouement is satisfying, told in a mysterious and vaporous atmosphere...
A lovely tale, romantic and riveting, which doesn't elude the realities of dreadful situations, but doesn't dwell at length on them either, keeping a feel good vibe, letting the reader confident that the end would satisfying, positive and, even, happy.
May 18, 2019
My word, this is lovely.
The writing is spot on. the characters delightful and 'real' and the tension enough to keep me engrossed throughout. It's dark and gritty but there is a lot of beauty to it in an odd sort of way.
The historical aspect is just right - and yet it doesnt have that 'forced' feel to it. A dark story with great characters that kept me wondering right to the end.
5 stars - I never ONCE felt bored.
The writing is spot on. the characters delightful and 'real' and the tension enough to keep me engrossed throughout. It's dark and gritty but there is a lot of beauty to it in an odd sort of way.
The historical aspect is just right - and yet it doesnt have that 'forced' feel to it. A dark story with great characters that kept me wondering right to the end.
5 stars - I never ONCE felt bored.
September 27, 2017
4.5 stars - an enchanting tale set in 19th century London.
Tom Winter is ecstatic when his best friend, Walter Balanchine, returns after three years roaming the globe. Walter is a very strange man indeed. He is very tall and thin with an oddly elongated head, and has some very strange talents supplemented by an array of strange potions he brought back with him, along with a stowaway named Kayan and a black panther named Sinbad.
After staging some magic shows and 'healing' a couple of people Walter gets a reputation as a healer and somewhat mystical figure. Is he a wizard, a magician or just a very perceptive individual? His friend Tom becomes besotted with a beautiful young woman, Tamara, who is to be married off to a cruel and horrid older man because he has some sort of hold over her mother. Tamara beseeches Tom to help her escape before she is forced to marry Cecil Hearst.
Walter devises a cunning plan to spirit her away but, alas, it backfires with dire consequences. Tamara reluctantly marries Hearst and suffers horribly under his thumb along with Hearst's ailing brother Daniel. But never fear, Walter will not let anything bad befall his friends and he manages to intervene enough to ameliorate the worst trauma for Tamara. After one visit he leaves her a cryptic painting on the ceiling of a room in an unused tower on Hearst's country estate. Tamara surmises that this is a coded message for her and takes heart while she tries to decipher it. Things eventually come to a head but to tell would be to give spoilers.
This was such an enchanting and heartwarming story without being in any way cloyingly sweet. Every time I read about 19th century London it seems so bleak and dirty and smelly but the character of Walter seemed to imbue it with life, colour and vigour. The characters were wonderful and beautifully portrayed. One of my favourites was Sinbad (well, I AM a cat lover). This story was one of hope, resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. I really enjoyed it. Thanks to Endeavour Press for a free copy in exchange for a review.
Tom Winter is ecstatic when his best friend, Walter Balanchine, returns after three years roaming the globe. Walter is a very strange man indeed. He is very tall and thin with an oddly elongated head, and has some very strange talents supplemented by an array of strange potions he brought back with him, along with a stowaway named Kayan and a black panther named Sinbad.
After staging some magic shows and 'healing' a couple of people Walter gets a reputation as a healer and somewhat mystical figure. Is he a wizard, a magician or just a very perceptive individual? His friend Tom becomes besotted with a beautiful young woman, Tamara, who is to be married off to a cruel and horrid older man because he has some sort of hold over her mother. Tamara beseeches Tom to help her escape before she is forced to marry Cecil Hearst.
Walter devises a cunning plan to spirit her away but, alas, it backfires with dire consequences. Tamara reluctantly marries Hearst and suffers horribly under his thumb along with Hearst's ailing brother Daniel. But never fear, Walter will not let anything bad befall his friends and he manages to intervene enough to ameliorate the worst trauma for Tamara. After one visit he leaves her a cryptic painting on the ceiling of a room in an unused tower on Hearst's country estate. Tamara surmises that this is a coded message for her and takes heart while she tries to decipher it. Things eventually come to a head but to tell would be to give spoilers.
This was such an enchanting and heartwarming story without being in any way cloyingly sweet. Every time I read about 19th century London it seems so bleak and dirty and smelly but the character of Walter seemed to imbue it with life, colour and vigour. The characters were wonderful and beautifully portrayed. One of my favourites was Sinbad (well, I AM a cat lover). This story was one of hope, resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. I really enjoyed it. Thanks to Endeavour Press for a free copy in exchange for a review.
August 25, 2017
This is a lovely book full of magic and mystery! There are some dark and sad moments, but the mystery of everything kept me reading and I am glad I did! I have 2 boys under the age of 4 so reading time is very restricted for me, which makes me a slow reader, but when I got to the final 1/4 of the book I would try to hide in the bathroom just to find out what happened next!
August 10, 2018
As the case with most books with me, the first thing that caught my eye for this particular one was the book cover. Done in gorgeous peacock blue background with a chain hung with some interesting looking charms on it, it looked absolutely stunning and extremely mysterious. Next, I read the synopsis which proclaimed the book to be historical fiction, another tick in the correct box for me.
While the synopsis and the cover would point to the story being about Walter Balanchine, this is really the story of Tom Winter and the innumerable sufferings that he must endure in the pursuit of true love. Tom and Walter were childhood friends from their days in the workhouse, and meet after the span of a few years at the beginning of the novel. It is obvious from the beginning that Tom looks up to Walter as his savior and angel of sort’s in this friendship, while Walter feels responsible for Tom, his family and his interests much in the way of a father or older brother. Whatever the description one may attribute to their relationship, it is obvious that both of them share a deep and strong bond.
Tom falls in love with the fiancé of a psychopath and what follows are a series of events that can only spring from a situation like this. There were times when I believed that the heroine of the piece would play poor Tom false and fall for Walter instead, but thankfully that never happened.
The story is sad and does little to give any kind of hope for the budding romance of these two protagonists, but for putting your entire faith and trust in Walter. Walter tends to move around in the shadows and although he is present throughout the book either in person or in someone’s thoughts, he never really grabs the center stage himself. It’s almost as if he is the puppeteer handling the strings of those around him and taking them all through the intricate and delicate dance of life.
The characters were an almost sorry lot, living their lives in absolute squalor and poverty. Yet, they struggle on in ways they know best. Throw a psychopath in the mix and things get just that much more interesting. There is a general air of melancholy throughout the book which can become a bit overwhelming at times and take away from the nuances of the story. For me, the whole story appeared to take place in a fog or mist and gray mornings and wet nights. This feeling tends to put one in the mind of bad endings with a constant threat of tragedy looming in a story. Makes for very stressful reading for me.
I certainly liked the book for its plot twists and its story taking some surprising backflips from what one would expect to be the easy way out for the author. Just when you expect that the story to come to a happy ending, it takes a tragic or frustrating turn. Which obviously makes for great reading! The story of Walter is told in bits and pieces and, while tied up prettily in the end, still seems like there are a lot of points that remain to be clarified. It feels as if this book may actually be the beginning of a series, as the ending seems actually the start of another journey for the main character.
So, why with all these excellent points did I not absolutely fall for this book, is a question I have been ruminating about for a few days now? I think it was first of all because of the all pervading sad and melancholy atmosphere of the novel. There are stretches of the story that seem to drag along interminably. And out of all the characters, with their interesting backgrounds and histories and ongoing adventures, the only ones that I fell in love with were the panther, the child in the end and the family of Walter’s apprentice, which is not a very good sign when one cannot feel any empathy for any of the main characters. However, these may not be issues at all for most other readers and are not meant to deter the historically inclined reader to not give this novel a well-deserved go.
While the synopsis and the cover would point to the story being about Walter Balanchine, this is really the story of Tom Winter and the innumerable sufferings that he must endure in the pursuit of true love. Tom and Walter were childhood friends from their days in the workhouse, and meet after the span of a few years at the beginning of the novel. It is obvious from the beginning that Tom looks up to Walter as his savior and angel of sort’s in this friendship, while Walter feels responsible for Tom, his family and his interests much in the way of a father or older brother. Whatever the description one may attribute to their relationship, it is obvious that both of them share a deep and strong bond.
Tom falls in love with the fiancé of a psychopath and what follows are a series of events that can only spring from a situation like this. There were times when I believed that the heroine of the piece would play poor Tom false and fall for Walter instead, but thankfully that never happened.
The story is sad and does little to give any kind of hope for the budding romance of these two protagonists, but for putting your entire faith and trust in Walter. Walter tends to move around in the shadows and although he is present throughout the book either in person or in someone’s thoughts, he never really grabs the center stage himself. It’s almost as if he is the puppeteer handling the strings of those around him and taking them all through the intricate and delicate dance of life.
The characters were an almost sorry lot, living their lives in absolute squalor and poverty. Yet, they struggle on in ways they know best. Throw a psychopath in the mix and things get just that much more interesting. There is a general air of melancholy throughout the book which can become a bit overwhelming at times and take away from the nuances of the story. For me, the whole story appeared to take place in a fog or mist and gray mornings and wet nights. This feeling tends to put one in the mind of bad endings with a constant threat of tragedy looming in a story. Makes for very stressful reading for me.
I certainly liked the book for its plot twists and its story taking some surprising backflips from what one would expect to be the easy way out for the author. Just when you expect that the story to come to a happy ending, it takes a tragic or frustrating turn. Which obviously makes for great reading! The story of Walter is told in bits and pieces and, while tied up prettily in the end, still seems like there are a lot of points that remain to be clarified. It feels as if this book may actually be the beginning of a series, as the ending seems actually the start of another journey for the main character.
So, why with all these excellent points did I not absolutely fall for this book, is a question I have been ruminating about for a few days now? I think it was first of all because of the all pervading sad and melancholy atmosphere of the novel. There are stretches of the story that seem to drag along interminably. And out of all the characters, with their interesting backgrounds and histories and ongoing adventures, the only ones that I fell in love with were the panther, the child in the end and the family of Walter’s apprentice, which is not a very good sign when one cannot feel any empathy for any of the main characters. However, these may not be issues at all for most other readers and are not meant to deter the historically inclined reader to not give this novel a well-deserved go.
November 25, 2017
From the very start of Illusion I was transported to the streets of London in Victorian England; the fog, the grime, the ever pervasive smells. The prose here is so evocative, even the simple act of buying fish is brought vividly to life. These are the streets of urchins and ruffians, beggars and thieves. It is here that we first meet Tom Winter, former workhouse boy turned piano teacher. Tom is at the docks, buying fish for his Ma, but becomes aware of the 'dried peas and eels' feeling that means something is wrong. Before long it looks like he is about to be on the end of a beating but then a hand grips his arm and steers him away from immediate trouble. That hand belongs to one of the most unforgettable characters I have ever met in a book, Walter Balanchine. His extraordinary appearance immediately sets him apart,
'Where others sought to paste themselves into their surroundings, melt into the muddy streets, Walter courted difference. He saw nothing strange in lurching about East London like a great, bony peacock.'
I can't help but feel Walter Balanchine and Sherlock Holmes would find they had much in common. Both have an otherness about them, possess the ability to look deep into a person's character, and have a perceptive insight into the human psyche. However, Walter is not a detective, he's a wizard - or so some people believe. He tells Tom there's no such thing as magic, "Not in the literal sense anyway." but his illusions weave a spell over his audiences, and indeed the reader, as his amazing abilities seems to transcend what we can understand. His stage performances aren't the only reason for his becoming renowned, he is also a gifted healer, the charms around his neck contain potions that make the sick well, the injured heal and the dying pass more peacefully.
It turns out that Tom and Walter have known each other since childhood when they both escaped from the workhouse. Walter has been away, travelling in the East while Tom now teaches rich young women and girls how to play the piano. When Tom suggests Walter could perform a magic show at the birthday party of one of these girls he isn't to know that their lives are about to be changed forever or that they will embark on a quest that will mean they uncover dark secrets and which will lead them into terrible danger,
The first part of the book is really Tom's story. He is irrevocably drawn to Tamara Huntington from the moment he sets eyes on her. When she approaches him to ask if he and Walter can help her escape from the clutches of Cecil Hearst - the man she is to marry - they soon devise a plan they believe can't possibly fail... We are introduced to the main characters in part one of Illusion and though Walter may be the vividly brilliant star at the heart of the novel, this is as much the story of Tom and Tamara. Tom is immensely likeable, the one child who could see past Walter's unnerving appearance, he is a decent and honourable man who works to provide for his bedridden and confused mother. Her nurse, Sally is an angel, patient and caring - and in love with Tom. Walter has returned from his travels with a new friend, a young stowaway boy, Kayan. Before long this little group are joined by the jovial and resourceful, if often drunk, Cornelius, his wife, the Missus Cornelius and a magnificent panther, Sinbad. They might be unconventional but the relationship between these loyal and principled friends is as touching as anything I've read this year.
If part one of the book is Tom's story then part two belongs to Tamara. There's definitely more than a hint of the Gothic to Illusion, particularly when the action moves to Somerset and to the oppressive and ugly house owned by Cecil Hearst. Tamara seems to be the archetypal Victorian heroine as at first she is the helpless victim forced to marry a man against her will. However, the hopeless situation she finds herself in forces her to become a strong and enterprising woman and slowly she finds ways to oppose and obstruct her cruel husband. She is delighted when Walter comes back into her life and when he leaves her a mysterious message she begins to believe that perhaps there is hope after all.
There are still more twists and turns to come however, and part three brings another change in circumstances for our characters, a visit to Prague, more magic, truths revealed and a welcome return. Eventually part four sees the conclusion of the epic tussle between right and wrong, light and dark, Walter and Cecil. If Walter is the conduit for hope in Illusion then Cecil is evil personified. Every time it seems Tamara will finally escape his clutches, this malevolent abuser seems to regain the upper hand. I was gripped from the first page to the last of this beautifully written and plotted novel. It so cleverly combines two stories; Tamara's is one of domestic abuse, a woman forced to marry a man she didn't love and as the steadfast wife, to endure whatever he inflicts, and then the other tale is the mystery of just who Walter really is. Named by himself and with perhaps the only clue to his identity from the occasional lucid moments from Tom's mother, just where does this extraordinary illusionist and healer really come from, and are his special gifts just the result of a sharp and inquiring mind or was he destined to become this mystical enigma?
Illusion is a book to savour, the prose is as magical as Walter's illusions and I was completely spellbound by this captivating story. I hope there will be more to come from Walter but even if there isn't, I look forward with eager anticipation to see what Stephanie Elmas' imagination conjures up next.
'Where others sought to paste themselves into their surroundings, melt into the muddy streets, Walter courted difference. He saw nothing strange in lurching about East London like a great, bony peacock.'
I can't help but feel Walter Balanchine and Sherlock Holmes would find they had much in common. Both have an otherness about them, possess the ability to look deep into a person's character, and have a perceptive insight into the human psyche. However, Walter is not a detective, he's a wizard - or so some people believe. He tells Tom there's no such thing as magic, "Not in the literal sense anyway." but his illusions weave a spell over his audiences, and indeed the reader, as his amazing abilities seems to transcend what we can understand. His stage performances aren't the only reason for his becoming renowned, he is also a gifted healer, the charms around his neck contain potions that make the sick well, the injured heal and the dying pass more peacefully.
It turns out that Tom and Walter have known each other since childhood when they both escaped from the workhouse. Walter has been away, travelling in the East while Tom now teaches rich young women and girls how to play the piano. When Tom suggests Walter could perform a magic show at the birthday party of one of these girls he isn't to know that their lives are about to be changed forever or that they will embark on a quest that will mean they uncover dark secrets and which will lead them into terrible danger,
The first part of the book is really Tom's story. He is irrevocably drawn to Tamara Huntington from the moment he sets eyes on her. When she approaches him to ask if he and Walter can help her escape from the clutches of Cecil Hearst - the man she is to marry - they soon devise a plan they believe can't possibly fail... We are introduced to the main characters in part one of Illusion and though Walter may be the vividly brilliant star at the heart of the novel, this is as much the story of Tom and Tamara. Tom is immensely likeable, the one child who could see past Walter's unnerving appearance, he is a decent and honourable man who works to provide for his bedridden and confused mother. Her nurse, Sally is an angel, patient and caring - and in love with Tom. Walter has returned from his travels with a new friend, a young stowaway boy, Kayan. Before long this little group are joined by the jovial and resourceful, if often drunk, Cornelius, his wife, the Missus Cornelius and a magnificent panther, Sinbad. They might be unconventional but the relationship between these loyal and principled friends is as touching as anything I've read this year.
If part one of the book is Tom's story then part two belongs to Tamara. There's definitely more than a hint of the Gothic to Illusion, particularly when the action moves to Somerset and to the oppressive and ugly house owned by Cecil Hearst. Tamara seems to be the archetypal Victorian heroine as at first she is the helpless victim forced to marry a man against her will. However, the hopeless situation she finds herself in forces her to become a strong and enterprising woman and slowly she finds ways to oppose and obstruct her cruel husband. She is delighted when Walter comes back into her life and when he leaves her a mysterious message she begins to believe that perhaps there is hope after all.
There are still more twists and turns to come however, and part three brings another change in circumstances for our characters, a visit to Prague, more magic, truths revealed and a welcome return. Eventually part four sees the conclusion of the epic tussle between right and wrong, light and dark, Walter and Cecil. If Walter is the conduit for hope in Illusion then Cecil is evil personified. Every time it seems Tamara will finally escape his clutches, this malevolent abuser seems to regain the upper hand. I was gripped from the first page to the last of this beautifully written and plotted novel. It so cleverly combines two stories; Tamara's is one of domestic abuse, a woman forced to marry a man she didn't love and as the steadfast wife, to endure whatever he inflicts, and then the other tale is the mystery of just who Walter really is. Named by himself and with perhaps the only clue to his identity from the occasional lucid moments from Tom's mother, just where does this extraordinary illusionist and healer really come from, and are his special gifts just the result of a sharp and inquiring mind or was he destined to become this mystical enigma?
Illusion is a book to savour, the prose is as magical as Walter's illusions and I was completely spellbound by this captivating story. I hope there will be more to come from Walter but even if there isn't, I look forward with eager anticipation to see what Stephanie Elmas' imagination conjures up next.
September 19, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest review and opinion.
This was an intriguing book. It starts in 1873, with Tom Winter, a pianist who has been down on his luck, but is slowly starting to get his life on track; he has a job, a girlfriend Sarah, who he doesn't love but cares deeply for and she helps with his sick mother, Molly. Tom then runs into his oldest and best friend, Walter Balanchine, who is mysterious and magical. With Walter by his side, Tom's life is brighter and fuller. Walter draws Tom into his illusion act, and that's where things start to get interesting; Walter has a dark haired boy, Kayan with him to help him with his magic act and of course my favorite partner in the act of illusion is Sinbad, the panther. The first part of the book is told from Tom's perspective and is kind of boring in places, but only because it laying out the story and then leads us to the climactic ending of the first part, where Tom meets Tamara and things will never be the same.
Part two of the book is told from Tamara's viewpoint and this is where the book picked up for me. I was enthralled, poor Tamara who was being forced by her mother to marry the cruel, vile, beast Cecil Hearst. Why was her mother so intent on her marrying such a man; what did he have over her, what ever could the reason be, was her mother just as cruel? Tamara's nightmare life with the cruel Cecil is tempered only by Cecil's chronically ill brother, Daniel. Together they try to concoct a plan to save themselves. Things don't work out as they planned and by the end of part two, poor Tamara is in worse shape then ever but we start to see her personality more and she begins to see that she is stronger than she thought.
Part three of the book is told from Walter's perspective and it was very interesting, this is where we learn some of his history and how he came to be in the workhouse with poor Tom when he was just a boy. This part of the book puts all our pieces together and the full extent of the story is shared with us. It was an enjoyable read, with unique and interesting storylines and I really liked the ending.
Overall, this was a great book. It was a little slow in the beginning but makes up for it quite quickly and the characters were enjoyable and vivid. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
This was an intriguing book. It starts in 1873, with Tom Winter, a pianist who has been down on his luck, but is slowly starting to get his life on track; he has a job, a girlfriend Sarah, who he doesn't love but cares deeply for and she helps with his sick mother, Molly. Tom then runs into his oldest and best friend, Walter Balanchine, who is mysterious and magical. With Walter by his side, Tom's life is brighter and fuller. Walter draws Tom into his illusion act, and that's where things start to get interesting; Walter has a dark haired boy, Kayan with him to help him with his magic act and of course my favorite partner in the act of illusion is Sinbad, the panther. The first part of the book is told from Tom's perspective and is kind of boring in places, but only because it laying out the story and then leads us to the climactic ending of the first part, where Tom meets Tamara and things will never be the same.
Part two of the book is told from Tamara's viewpoint and this is where the book picked up for me. I was enthralled, poor Tamara who was being forced by her mother to marry the cruel, vile, beast Cecil Hearst. Why was her mother so intent on her marrying such a man; what did he have over her, what ever could the reason be, was her mother just as cruel? Tamara's nightmare life with the cruel Cecil is tempered only by Cecil's chronically ill brother, Daniel. Together they try to concoct a plan to save themselves. Things don't work out as they planned and by the end of part two, poor Tamara is in worse shape then ever but we start to see her personality more and she begins to see that she is stronger than she thought.
Part three of the book is told from Walter's perspective and it was very interesting, this is where we learn some of his history and how he came to be in the workhouse with poor Tom when he was just a boy. This part of the book puts all our pieces together and the full extent of the story is shared with us. It was an enjoyable read, with unique and interesting storylines and I really liked the ending.
Overall, this was a great book. It was a little slow in the beginning but makes up for it quite quickly and the characters were enjoyable and vivid. I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
November 24, 2017
I loved everything about this book. So beautifully written, it captured my imagination immediately and drew me into the Victorian world of Tom Winter, musician and piano teacher, and his unusual friend, Walter Balanchine, a magician, illusionist, healer and mystic.
It is Walter’s return to London from the Far East, after an absence of three years, and his rescue of Tom from a potentially dangerous situation that sets the pace of this story. The momentum continues through many twists and turns right to the end.
Tom’s joy at the return of his friend hints at a deep and binding friendship revealed by flashbacks of their early years together in the workhouse and later, on the mean streets of the East End.
Apart from the more conventional Tom, and Walter, whose physical appearance and colourful choice of clothing make him stand out against the dismal, gas-lit and foggy aspect of Victorian London, Illusion is filled with many other memorable characters. On the evil side there is the repulsive and controlling Cecil Hearst and his thuggish henchman, Palmer; and Tamara’s mother, who is prepared to sacrifice her daughter’s well-being and happiness to protect her own secrets. The good are represented by Sally, who despite her unrequited love for Tom assists with the care of his mother, and Tamara, who endures physical and mental abuse from her husband, to discover that all is not as it seems and that her situation is far from hopeless.
Walter's search for the mother that abandoned him is poignant. His pursuit of the truth of his parentage uncovers a surprising connection to one of the characters, but can he forgive?
There are dark and disturbing elements to this novel, but these are alleviated by the magical moments and the wonder of Walter's illusions so vividly described as to be totally believable.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from Stephanie Elmas.
Thank you to Endeavour Press for a free copy to read and review.
It is Walter’s return to London from the Far East, after an absence of three years, and his rescue of Tom from a potentially dangerous situation that sets the pace of this story. The momentum continues through many twists and turns right to the end.
Tom’s joy at the return of his friend hints at a deep and binding friendship revealed by flashbacks of their early years together in the workhouse and later, on the mean streets of the East End.
Apart from the more conventional Tom, and Walter, whose physical appearance and colourful choice of clothing make him stand out against the dismal, gas-lit and foggy aspect of Victorian London, Illusion is filled with many other memorable characters. On the evil side there is the repulsive and controlling Cecil Hearst and his thuggish henchman, Palmer; and Tamara’s mother, who is prepared to sacrifice her daughter’s well-being and happiness to protect her own secrets. The good are represented by Sally, who despite her unrequited love for Tom assists with the care of his mother, and Tamara, who endures physical and mental abuse from her husband, to discover that all is not as it seems and that her situation is far from hopeless.
Walter's search for the mother that abandoned him is poignant. His pursuit of the truth of his parentage uncovers a surprising connection to one of the characters, but can he forgive?
There are dark and disturbing elements to this novel, but these are alleviated by the magical moments and the wonder of Walter's illusions so vividly described as to be totally believable.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from Stephanie Elmas.
Thank you to Endeavour Press for a free copy to read and review.
July 29, 2018
This book was very different from what I expected and I loved that it took different turns with each section. From the beginning chapters I had not expected that we would end up with multiple points of view and it added a wonderful layer to the book. We begin our story from Tom Winter’s point of view and things are a bit confusing at first. When I started the book I wasn’t sure I would like it because I didn’t feel any connection to Tom or what was going on his life,when Walter shows up things get a bit stranger. In the process though we start to learn more about our characters and that connection carried me through the first third of the book. The last 2/3 of the book were wonderful and I kept reading eagerly to see how the problems would be solved.
This book is a story about the magic of friendship and the magic of Walter Balanchine. The magical elements in the book are wonderfully balanced between the proclaimed magic which is tricks that are explained and the true magic of what Walter is able to do for those he cares about. The book deals with heavy issues, including abandonment, sexual assault, and domestic violence. If those are things you cannot read about comfortably, I wouldn’t recommend this particular book. Overall, the book was enjoyable and I am glad I read it, but there is so much going on (which admittedly does all connect in the conclusion) that it was a bit chaotic and by the end there were so many people to care about that I felt it took away from some of the main points. The ending seemed to leave an option for further stories of Walter and if that happens, I do think I would read them in hopes of checking in on the characters we met in Illusion.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a story about the magic of friendship and the magic of Walter Balanchine. The magical elements in the book are wonderfully balanced between the proclaimed magic which is tricks that are explained and the true magic of what Walter is able to do for those he cares about. The book deals with heavy issues, including abandonment, sexual assault, and domestic violence. If those are things you cannot read about comfortably, I wouldn’t recommend this particular book. Overall, the book was enjoyable and I am glad I read it, but there is so much going on (which admittedly does all connect in the conclusion) that it was a bit chaotic and by the end there were so many people to care about that I felt it took away from some of the main points. The ending seemed to leave an option for further stories of Walter and if that happens, I do think I would read them in hopes of checking in on the characters we met in Illusion.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 6, 2018
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Illusion follows the adventures of Walter Balanchine, an enigmatic magician / healer recently returned from the East with a young protegee. He encounters his childhood friend, Tom Winter, and they find notoriety in entertaining the upper classes with elaborate illusions. At one of his performances, Tom encounters and becomes enamored on the beautiful Tamara Huntingdon, doomed to marry against her will. The lovers endure hardship and hopelessness before Balanchine weaves his spells to grant them their happy ending.
I enjoyed the character developments and dynamics of the story, even though at times they perilously teetered towards the stereotypical melodrama of a Gothic novel. The overall pacing and structure was well done, with the section focused on Tamara's doomed marriage feeling claustrophobic (though there was never a doubt of if she would escape her abusive husband, but when and how it would occur). Walter Balanchine is a complex protagonist, using his seemingly innate powers to heal and help, while searching for answers of his own origins, having been abandoned as a child.
I look forward to his future adventures, or perhaps tales of his time in the East.
Illusion follows the adventures of Walter Balanchine, an enigmatic magician / healer recently returned from the East with a young protegee. He encounters his childhood friend, Tom Winter, and they find notoriety in entertaining the upper classes with elaborate illusions. At one of his performances, Tom encounters and becomes enamored on the beautiful Tamara Huntingdon, doomed to marry against her will. The lovers endure hardship and hopelessness before Balanchine weaves his spells to grant them their happy ending.
I enjoyed the character developments and dynamics of the story, even though at times they perilously teetered towards the stereotypical melodrama of a Gothic novel. The overall pacing and structure was well done, with the section focused on Tamara's doomed marriage feeling claustrophobic (though there was never a doubt of if she would escape her abusive husband, but when and how it would occur). Walter Balanchine is a complex protagonist, using his seemingly innate powers to heal and help, while searching for answers of his own origins, having been abandoned as a child.
I look forward to his future adventures, or perhaps tales of his time in the East.
October 5, 2017
Returning home from his travels with a stowaway named Kayan, Walter Balanchine is noted for the charms, potions and locket hanging from his neck. Finding his friend Tom Winter’s mother unwell, he gives her a potion he learned to brew in the Far East. Lucid and free from pain, the old woman remembers something about Walter’s mother.
Living in a cemetery with his pet panther Sinbad to keep the body snatchers away, word soon spreads of his healing and magical abilities and he becomes a sought after party performer.
During one of Walter’s parties, Tom is approached by Tamara Huntington, who is soon to be married to Cecil Hearst. Walter keeps his distance until her stricken brother-in-law Daniel requires his magical healing, and he is forced back into her life.
I found the beginning of the book confusing & wondered if I would enjoy it but after the first few pages I was hooked & eagerly read to find out what would happen. So bear with the beginning & soon you won’t want to put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to more from the author. A first rate read that was enchanting full of mystery & magic
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
Living in a cemetery with his pet panther Sinbad to keep the body snatchers away, word soon spreads of his healing and magical abilities and he becomes a sought after party performer.
During one of Walter’s parties, Tom is approached by Tamara Huntington, who is soon to be married to Cecil Hearst. Walter keeps his distance until her stricken brother-in-law Daniel requires his magical healing, and he is forced back into her life.
I found the beginning of the book confusing & wondered if I would enjoy it but after the first few pages I was hooked & eagerly read to find out what would happen. So bear with the beginning & soon you won’t want to put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to more from the author. A first rate read that was enchanting full of mystery & magic
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
April 7, 2018
This book is perfect for fans of historical fiction. It is based in the 1800s in London and Somerset. It initially centres around Tom, a young man who escaped the Workhouse and his friend Walter. Walter is an illusionist and becomes well know around London for creating incredible shows and for healing those with ailments.
Tom and Walter become embroiled in a plan to help a woman called Tamara escape from an arranged marriage. Not much more can be said without spoiling the plot!
I will say that this book was very fast paced and well written. I did not find any parts that I was bored, instead I found it hard to put down. I especially came to enjoy Tamara’s character and enjoyed the opportunity to read from her perspective.
Underlying all of these other elements is the mystery of Tamara’s mother. We know there is something from her past that is key but we don’t know what it is. I was kept guessing at this and it kept me turning the pages to find out.
Trigger Warnings : Abusive relationships as a result of a main character. These are therefore heavily discussed.
Originally posted at: https://thebookishfairyblog.wordpress...
Tom and Walter become embroiled in a plan to help a woman called Tamara escape from an arranged marriage. Not much more can be said without spoiling the plot!
I will say that this book was very fast paced and well written. I did not find any parts that I was bored, instead I found it hard to put down. I especially came to enjoy Tamara’s character and enjoyed the opportunity to read from her perspective.
Underlying all of these other elements is the mystery of Tamara’s mother. We know there is something from her past that is key but we don’t know what it is. I was kept guessing at this and it kept me turning the pages to find out.
Trigger Warnings : Abusive relationships as a result of a main character. These are therefore heavily discussed.
Originally posted at: https://thebookishfairyblog.wordpress...
June 14, 2018
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book when reading the official blurb, but I loved it. There’s mystical Walter, small Kayan, a black panther, unrequited love and real love all set against a grim and miserable London and a country house in a bog in Somerset. The author has woven a realistic world with Walter’s magic and it is sad and happy at the same time. It’s one of those books you can’t put down until it’s finished, but then I also didn’t want it to end. Well worth a read.
I would like to thank the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review
July 6, 2018
Illusion was a captivating tale of historical magical realism. The characters and their respective situations immediately caught my interest, and held it until the end. I did find myself a little disconcerted about a third through, with the disappearance of one of the main characters, but all soon became clear. Elmas wove an intriguing spell of mystery throughout the story that always kept me turning the page to find out more. Overall, a fun, quick read for fans of magical realism and historical fiction with a touch of the fantastical.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
February 2, 2020
This could have been a great story, if written by someone with more skill.
The concept certainly has lots of potential.
Sadly, as it stands the prose clunks along at a snail’s pace, the “twists” are at a coma-inducing level of predictablity, and the characters just aren’t sufficiently developed for me to care about.
There were many instances of what I’d call “lazy author syndrome,” where things were resolved just far too conveniently to make sense.
I understand that it’s supposed to be a Victorian fantasy-melodrama; but with full respect to the genre, there still has to be a limit to how much belief we are expected to suspend.
The concept certainly has lots of potential.
Sadly, as it stands the prose clunks along at a snail’s pace, the “twists” are at a coma-inducing level of predictablity, and the characters just aren’t sufficiently developed for me to care about.
There were many instances of what I’d call “lazy author syndrome,” where things were resolved just far too conveniently to make sense.
I understand that it’s supposed to be a Victorian fantasy-melodrama; but with full respect to the genre, there still has to be a limit to how much belief we are expected to suspend.
December 13, 2020
This is a nice book, and I use the word nice on purpose. It had the feel of a BBC 1 Sunday evening drama, where the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad.
There is no real depth to the characters and you know everything will be wrapped up well by the end. The good guys will be happy and the bad guys will get their just rewards.
On the plus side the historical setting is great, London does seem like the greatest character the book gets to share.
It won’t rock your world and you will see the twists coming a mile off but still worth a read.
There is no real depth to the characters and you know everything will be wrapped up well by the end. The good guys will be happy and the bad guys will get their just rewards.
On the plus side the historical setting is great, London does seem like the greatest character the book gets to share.
It won’t rock your world and you will see the twists coming a mile off but still worth a read.
June 6, 2018
What an enchanting read! I love the overlapping tales of Tom, Walter and Tamara. This book is filled with magic and mystery - it's incredibly difficult to put down. Set in 1873 England, the characters and setting are wonderfully detailed and described. The villain is loathsome and makes the story that much more interesting.
*I would like to thank the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*
*I would like to thank the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*
July 1, 2018
This books starts slow but once you're involved you cannot put it down.
It leads in a Victorian world that is full of magic and realistic at the same time.
I loved the characters that are well written and the vilains that are quite interesting.
It was a very enjoyable read and a fascinating trip.
I never read any other book by this writer and I'm surely going to to follow her writing career.
Many thanks to Endeavour Media and Netgalley for this ARC
It leads in a Victorian world that is full of magic and realistic at the same time.
I loved the characters that are well written and the vilains that are quite interesting.
It was a very enjoyable read and a fascinating trip.
I never read any other book by this writer and I'm surely going to to follow her writing career.
Many thanks to Endeavour Media and Netgalley for this ARC
June 15, 2018
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
Illusion invites you to a magical, atmospheric, moody Victorian London. Vivid characters, elements of mystery and - well, illusion - weave quite an enchanting story that I really enjoyed. It's my first book by Stephanie Elmas, but it certainly won't be my last.
Illusion invites you to a magical, atmospheric, moody Victorian London. Vivid characters, elements of mystery and - well, illusion - weave quite an enchanting story that I really enjoyed. It's my first book by Stephanie Elmas, but it certainly won't be my last.
July 24, 2018
Stephanie Elmas is a wonderful world builder. From the very start she captures the essence of life in London in the late 1800’s. Starting a bit slowly, this story quickly enthralls you and is hard to put down. With magic, mystery, captivating characters, and a hateful villain, I found this to be an overall fun read and fans of magic and historical fiction will enjoy this.
June 3, 2019
A wonderful read!
If you like intrigue and mystery, thrills and excitement, love and heartbreak, and of course, magic, then this is for you. A wonderful story that is not too long for it's own good, as some of the fantasy epics can be, with the charm that accompanies all tales in which the characters capture your soul. Most enjoyable.
If you like intrigue and mystery, thrills and excitement, love and heartbreak, and of course, magic, then this is for you. A wonderful story that is not too long for it's own good, as some of the fantasy epics can be, with the charm that accompanies all tales in which the characters capture your soul. Most enjoyable.
May 20, 2019
Wonderful old fashioned read!
The writing style is exquisite, the story is entrancing, villain you can boo/hiss at, an enigmatic hero with a mysterious history, illusion upon illusion, multiple enjoyable characters and, a black panther!
The writing style is exquisite, the story is entrancing, villain you can boo/hiss at, an enigmatic hero with a mysterious history, illusion upon illusion, multiple enjoyable characters and, a black panther!
May 30, 2019
Magically marvelous.
Conjured vivid images of early 19th century London with very evil bad guys to loathe and protagonists that you could fall in love with and want to read more of in future stories.
Conjured vivid images of early 19th century London with very evil bad guys to loathe and protagonists that you could fall in love with and want to read more of in future stories.
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