This book set in Bristol in the late 1800’s weaves the stories of several magicians, illusionists and their friends and enemies together into a story revealing the magical awe and wonder of the world of illusion.
The characters are likeable and you end up invested in their stories. It’s a quick and enjoyable read, filled with warmth and humour. With thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

What a magical book. I adored this book from beginning to end. There is a real charm about this book that comes through the writing. You can’t help loving all the characters, even the ‘bad’ guys are written so well. The story is so magically woven together, it is honestly just so cleverly written. I love the time period and how it is brought to life through the authors writing. I love it when you can feel how much the author loves the characters and World they have created because it just makes it feel even more special for the reader, and this is most definitely one of those books.

Really wanted to like this but ended up DNF-ing. I couldn’t keep up with all the characters. It just seemed to go from one to another and I was getting confused and struggled to keep up with the story. The premise seemed really interesting but it just wasn’t for me.

Beautiful read. Hyder knows how to immerse their readers in authentic 19th century.
I loved the little girl who is so much stronger than she realises; I found myself cheering for her, good or bad.

I'm not going to lie this book took me a lot to get into. But once I got past that point it was very enjoyable. There are characters which you become very found of, and those that you love to hate. The use of magic and illusions was really interesting, and you could tell that it was a highly researched topic.
I would say this is a read that it's best to be able to have a chunk of time to sit and read, rather than just dipping in and out of between things. Giving it that set amount of time, definitely makes it more enjoyable read and able to get absorbed into the world.

Super excited to read the next book from Liz Hyder, and this one did not disappoint.

A fabulous blend of magic, mystery and of course... Victorian Bristol! An engaging, page turning story. Loved it!

Overall I think I was underwhelmed by this story of magicians and early film makers in Victorian Bristol, which had a lot of promise but in the end, for me, it failed to deliver. It took me a long time to get through it because it failed to grab me from the start.

Judging by the book's afterword, the author did a lot of research for the book surrounding magic and early work with film, but I didn't feel that there was the same attention to detail given to the period in which the book was set. I never got much of a sense of the places in which the action was taking place, it felt really that it could have been taking place at any time or place in history. The characters too were a bit bland and lacklustre, strange for magicians because you would think they would be more flamboyant, but they all blended into each other, particularly the women, and I found it quite difficult to remember who everyone was.

I'm not sure what the point of the "real" magic was in the book, since so little was made of it.

Some of the arguments for actions the characters didn't take in the book made absolutely no sense at all, which was frustrating. Without wanting to give too much away, there's an incident that happens where it is universally decided that nobody will believe their word if they take it to the police because of a lack of evidence, but then later in the book information is revealed without any evidence and the same people seem to have absolutely no concern that they will be believed. It felt odd and inconsistent - another example being who gets forgiven for doing bad things and who doesn't, and which characters others feel they owe loyalty to and which they don't. It was weird and frustrating.

The final few chapters of the book feel like the cliche scene at the end of a high school teen movie where the bad guys get their comeuppance and it actually made me cringe. It's a shame because the part after that made for quite a good ending.

A book of magic and mayhem, imagery and illusion, tricks and talent but above all the sweetest story of found family. I absolutely adored these characters and witnessing how their extraordinary lives became so wonderfully entangled. Captivating, richly imagined and beautifully crafted, Liz Hyder has pulled off the perfect magic show within these pages - I loved it! 🎩💫

With a mixture of magic, burgeoning film making and Victorian illusions this immersive story switches point of view, following the lives of different young people trying to make better lives for themselves with pioneering techniques. Eadie with photography and films struggling to be taken seriously in a male dominated world, George as a daring magician wanting to prove he is worthy to succeed his legendary mentor and Cecily who is just trying to scrape by, suffering as the assistant of a con artist. Set in late Victorian Bristol.
This was a warm and heartfelt book with really engaging characters. The chapters are short and pacey, drawing the reader into this richly imagined world. The story brims with trickery and deception in tandem with hard work, friendship and trust. So enjoyable. A historical setting with an unusual take on magic alongside the practical use of new innovations, but the characters seemed more like interesting friends you want to discover more about. Excellent writing and world building.

I loved attending the launch event for The Gifts with Liz so was thrilled to be accepted to read The Illusions. In much the similar way as The Gifts, Liz has a way of drawing you and making you root for her characters. The way she writes historical fiction is magical - I’d definitely consider her an auto buy author.

A fantastic read, a really magical book. I felt the rush of joy reading this that I did when I was a child reading a magical book. Really entertaining, great characters. I had not read the first in the series but I will do so and I will then read this again for the context. I can't wait to read what Liz Hyder does next.

An enjoyable read, well written and entertaining. Hadn't read this author before but would consider reading again.

The Illusions was completely and utterly riveting - I couldn’t put it down!
It’s the late 1890’s and The Greatest Magician is ready to hand over his mantle (wand?) to George Perris. George meets Eadie Carlton, a photographer and pioneering film-maker, and decides that he wants to try and incorporate her work into his show.

Cecily Marsden finds herself alone again when her con artist master dies suddenly, and she gets a job in the house of his nephew. But the nephew has some secrets of his own. Luckily, Cec meets a kind gentleman who only wants to help her and take her away from her employer.

Cec, George and Eadie soon find themselves working together on the greatest magic show, and Cec has to try and save the performance from sabotage.

I loved this: there’s stage magic, a bit of ‘real’ magic and the excitement of the modern age and film. It’s exciting (will the show go on?), romantic (will they EVER get together?) and frankly magical (of course!).

I’m so glad I read this, it really did start my summer holidays on a high!

I absolutely love Liz Hyder’s writing style, the world is created so beautifully that it’s so easy to picture it all as you are reading. I sometimes struggle with historical fiction but Liz writes them so well that it’s easy to get swept away. I was worried this wouldn’t live up to The Gifts which was one of my favourite reads last year but it did. Highly recommend this one.

‘‘’Cecil,’ Valentin says, softly. ‘Magic only works if you believe in it too. I saw what you can do, I know what lies inside of you. You must believe in the trick but you must also believe in your ability to perform it.’”

My thanks to Bonnier Books U.K. Manilla Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Illusions’ by Liz Hyder.

I was enchanted by Liz Hyder’s adult debut, ‘The Gifts’ and was excited by the premise of this novel, which is primarily historical fiction inspired by real life illusionists, photographers, and film pioneers. While it is not a fantasy there still is a hint of magic.

Bristol, 1896. Cecily Marsden is scraping a living as an assistant to an ageing con artist. When her master dies in a freak accident, Cecily wonders if her anger might have triggered it. Could she have powers? She is given a new home by conjurer, Roderick Skarratt, who had known her former master. Yet he soon starts to act rather creepy around her.

Thankfully she encounters Valentin, an aging magician who has traveled to Britain from abroad to reunite with The Professor, his dearest friend and bitterest foe. He and the Professor, who is dying, are planning to stage a grand send-off where the Professor will name his official successor. Skarratt feels strongly that title belongs to him and is willing to go to great lengths to secure it. Meanwhile, Valentin sees great potential in Cecily and becomes her teacher.

Elsewhere in Bristol, Eadie Carleton is a pioneering early film-maker. She struggles for her talent to be taken seriously in a male-dominated world. George Perris, a brilliant young magician, begins to see the potential in moving pictures and believes that if he can harness this new technology, it will revolutionise the world of magic forever.

This was a delightful read with wonderful characters and plenty of intrigue given the rivalry between the illusionists vying for the title of Britain’s Greatest Living Magician. In her Historical Note Hyder provides information about the real life inspirations for her characters and where she has utilised creative license.

Overall, I found ‘The Illusions’ an excellent read that beautifully captured the atmosphere of the late 19th Century theatre and the stage magic of the time. Liz Hyder is a skilled storyteller and I loved this novel.

Beautiful.

The strength of the women in 5is book was brilliant and I loved the way the story twists and turns to its final extravaganza.
A look in to the mystery of illusions combined with film making, great fun.
I found myself really invested in the characters and wanted to know their outcomes, this author really captures my heart.

I love love love books like this and The Illusions by Liz Hyder doesn't disappoint.

It follows a group of illusionists (magicians) and early filmmakers in the late 1800s. Boiling it down, nothing huge really happens but the pacing of the story and different characters keeps you intrigued and reading on.

I found it truly bought the age to life and the descriptions of early films and magic mechanisms fascinating.

I'll definitely be looking to read more from this author.

The second book I’ve read by Liz Hyder and the second I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
The Illusions follows a group of pioneers in illusion and film making in 1896 Bristol, who come together by chance to work together to put on a spectacular show for the retirement of a world renowned magician and the introduction of a new star in the making.
This novel had it all - mystery, magic, intrigue, romance and fantasy. I loved the cast of characters, and the ‘bad guy’ Skarratt was almost like a panto character that you want to boo when he appears.
Completely engaging and hard to put down, I loved this story and recommend it to fans of historical fiction, magical realism and cosy mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley for an free ARC in return for an honest review.

A lot of cinema pioneers were women and this is a book about women and the magic of the screen and of the theatre.
A compelling and intriguing book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It is a historical fiction novel set in Bristol in 1896. It is about illusion and magicians, which I found very interesting.
Author described the historical setting and world of magic, performance and all the tricks very well and captivatingly.
I was drawn to characters in the book (so many) and their stories of life, love and dedication.
I enjoyed reading the book. It has such a cosy feeling, even though there was tragic love, envy, jealousy, violence, but also determination, a little bit of romance, friendship, and passion for magic.
I liked that the author focuses on the women in the book, especially in those not very favourable times, when they had to fight for their dreams (practice magic, run business) with all the society and prejudice.