I'm so disappointed with this as it was one of my most anticipated reads but it just didn't deliver. Either the characters are unlikeable or just unmemorable. The story is messy and long. It wasn't very original and the bits that were just didn't get explained or developed enough.

Thank you for providing me with an arc for this book.

The author explores themes of mystery and deception, but regrettably, it didn't quite resonate with me. The plot felt predictable, and the young adult tone didn't fully engage my interest. While I respect the author's storytelling efforts, this novel ultimately fell short of my expectations.

@DNF at 35%

UGHHHH i couldn't read anymore! the MC is soooo annoying from the first pages I was already rolling my eyes and it did not get better with time. The urban fantasy did not work for me and then I'm special girl trope nah nah because it didn't captivate me. The vampire revenge was also meh and all the lets go walk at night to try to find one just because yes. not for me

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3 stars

Overall good read, slightly predictable and I think led ti it being slow in some parts. Did find it quite similar to other books of this nature hence the score.

You'll have to forgive my vagueness - I picked up this book at the start of the year and somehow forgot to post my review... and unfortunately, I really can't remember much.

On paper, this is 100% my kind of book, but I really struggled with it. Perhaps I was in a slump at the time, but it just didn't grab me how I wanted, I didn't connect to the characters, and I think my lack of recall regarding most of it says it all.

That said, I do think this is one of those books that will completely captivate and enrapture a lot of people and I think it was very much a "me" issue, hence the middle ground rating.

I really enjoyed this though I found that there were some issues with the pacing. As a result I found myself sometimes losing interest. It’s also entirely possible I losing interest in the myriad of tropes first and foremost, the vampire trope 🤷🏽‍♀️

Overall however, it was a solid read and one I would recommend.

A fun YA book with a cool concept. Felt a bit slow in parts but enjoyable overall. I thought the main character was strong and enjoyed her story.

Thank you for so much for giving me an arc of this book!

I enjoyed every minute of this! It’s an amazing story of revenge and how someone can grow and find a new family while figuring things out and healing.

It was a little bit slow at times and some parts felt a bit long and perhaps unnecessary. But all in all, I absolutely adored this book!

DNF. at the start of chapter 2, when the main character said she learning vampire slaying from watching vampire movies. I just couldn't take it seriously.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC 😍❤️

I love vampires and I looooove magic so I was drawn to this book like a magpie and it did not disappoint me at all!!

I can definitely see the comparisons to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Caraval, it’s like a melting pot of all the great things of both the fandoms. I LOVED the magic system and how it built the world when Ava arrives at the secret society!! It’s just so so cool!! I love a found family trope and there was a bit of sexy forbidden romance going on as well which I really enjoyed 😏❤️ I’m a HUUUUUUGE fan of vampires as a whole and this book looks at them from a differ angle and I really really enjoyed it a fresh look!!

Cruel Illusions combines magicians and vampires wonderfully and I’m totally here for it!! Please add this book to your TBR you will not regret it!! 5✨

I read this entirely because it was described as Caraval meets Buffy, which basically means there's games/a challenge of somekind, with a circus or carnival type vibe, and vampires, and yep - that's pretty much what we get, a troupe of illusionists, a vampire hunter, vendettas, challenges, a hint of romance and a dark house/academy kind of setting. If that sounds like fun to you, you'll like this book, and I did. Another guilty pleasure of a book, I had a really good time reading this, and will look out for more of the same.

DNF AT 47%
This was bad. Not bad bad but not good either. The main character is insufferable, the magic system is weird and the mc is amazed by someone making bubbles??? The vibes were off, just imagine this story being set in the 1920s, would have been perfect (hoping the mc wouldn’t have been this annoying). I was so exited for this book and it was just a big let down.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I did like the concept a lot, an interesting take on magic and Vampires. I do feel like there could have been less angst and more world building to fully realise this concept.

For me the characters were fine. I didn’t find them to be overly fleshed out-a bit meh.

Not a bad book, but overall like the characters- meh

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Cruel Illusions is such a beautifully written fantasy. The world-building is outstanding. The story is well written with an enchanting storyline and well-developed characters that engage from start to finish. The world is atmospheric and feels real with vivid descriptions and rich imagery. I cannot get enough. Highly recommended. Be sure to check out Cruel Illusions today.

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.

But it's been ten years since anyone's seen a vampire, and Ava has lost hope that she'll ever find one . . . until she stumbles across a hidden magic show where she witnesses impossible illusions. The magicians may not be the bloodsuckers she's hunting, but Ava is convinced something supernatural is at play, so she sneaks backstage and catches them in acts they can't explain.

But they've been waiting for her.

The magicians reveal they're part of an ancient secret society with true magic, and Ava has the same power in her blood that they do. If she joins them, they promise to teach her the skills she needs to hunt vampires and avenge her mother. But there's a catch: if she wants to keep the power they offer, she needs to prove she's worthy of it. And to do so, she must put on the performance of her life in a sinister and dangerous competition where illusion and reality blur, and the stakes are deadly.
Full of twists and turns, it will keep you furiously turning the pages. Giving this one four starts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Read it!

The premise of this was enough to grab my attention, anything that's marketed to be similar to the Buffyverse and I'm a goner!

The magical intricacy and the whole system was fascinating for me, I loved the addition of hunters and vampires, the world building was there and I felt like the characters were well built up and developed throughout the book.

The twists and revelations weren't all solid surprises but I felt firmly at home within the pages of this story. I loved the found family aspect too. Solid read for something to take you away from the everyday norm in my eyes.

If you like Buffy, Now You See Me, and semi-sentient buildings, then Cruel Illusions is for you. If you also like main characters that make dumb decisions and deliberately fall for the wrong guy, this book is also for you.

Cruel Illusions was very much a solid YA read. The plot was good but predictable, the romance was light, and the magic system was arguably the best part of the book. There were some surprisingly gory parts and darker themes that make this more of an upper YA read, but the writing felt a little too juvenile.

Overall an enjoyable and easy read.

Incredible, I also reread this on the Fairylot exclusive and it was just as good as reading it the first time around.
It had me griped from the start, I love how I felt like I had become part of the gang and my best friend was Ava.

The magic element, especially learning how it works alongside Ava, and then Vampires enter the mix and to learn how they are all connected. I don't normally go for a vampire book but love a magic book but this has opened a new love!

The deadly competition where Ava and a number of other Apprentices compete to become the next immortal magician in a series of trials was particularly engaging, is very Hunger Games style. It’s intense and you never know what’s going to happen next when magic is involved.