Cruel Illusions

I like well written fantasy, that stretches my emotional strings, and this book certainly gave me both. Perfect for YA and everyone who enjoys a good story. Interesting slant - vampires are real and their favourite blood comes from magicians; magicians perform real magic hidden in their public performance to harvest the audience’s appreciation so that they can hunt vampires. Into this comes Ava and her brother who have been left orphans by tragic deaths. Since then the system has taught her to trust no one, give nothing and take nothing. She longs for her brother to have a family life. Can she trust others enough to find a family for herself? Can she find the revenge she longs for without losing herself? Twists and turns abound. This is fantasy, and love story, and a young girl’s searching for family and redemption. Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I love trying books that are similar to Caraval and this one checked a lot of boxes for me and a bonus is it was magic and vampires which are my favourites!

Super excited to dive into this one, I'd been stalking NetGalley waiting for it to drop and dived into it asap!

Loved the story and the plot, the characters were well written and I fell in love with some of them!

So recently I found a wonderful book called Vampires, Hearts and Other Dead Things so as you do when you love a book, you immediately look up what else the author has done... and I was so pleased to find another new book coming, and quite soon.

When I seen said book described as Caraval meets Buffy I was over the moon. Buffy is something I have loved for a long, long time now and I also have fallen in love with Stephanie Garbers Caraval series since reading it as well.

So big boots to fill, right... well this book fills them for sure!

Here we have Ava, who had been moved about foster home to foster home (with her brother Parker) since the death of their parents, who were stage Magicians. Parker seems to have found his place in their newest home but Ava isn't sure where, or if, she fits in there too.

Since a reveal 10 years prior, and then swift disappearance, Ava has always believed in Vampires and also the existence of real magic, even though her mother always told her there was no such thing.

One night, Ava happens across a magic show, and is drawn to charismatic Xander and his card tricks and from there is lead into a world of magic, vampires and secret societies. Xander and his troupe promise to help teach Ava to hunt Vampires but in turn she has to join them and take part in a high stakes (no pun intended) magical competion. We also have a rival troupe lead by Roman, who tries to scare Ava away from this dangerous world right from the get go.

This book had me hooked, I read it over a few days and I really didn't want to put it down. It's a roller coaster ride into a dark sinister world where you constantly question what is real magic and what is just an illusion. The plot just keeps you guessing and the characters are so rich and interesting. In addition to that, we have a lot of heart and self discovery in this book, I felt similar when I read the authors first book and the heartstrings really get tugged on at points, in happy, sad and sometimes bittersweet ways.

If you're still here now reading this, thank you, and I have one last thing to say, please go and get this book. Not long until release now as it is out 01 November. Big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this one early, will definitely be thinking about this one for a while!

Amazon summary
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.

My Review

I loved this book and am kinda sad it’s a stand alone. 5 stars from me!

The world building is good but could be better but I loved the characters,

Ava has been through a lot of heart ache but I think she wants to trust and love freely but can’t seem to let down her guard, in walks the good looking boy who I think your supposed to like but he annoyed me from the start! There are a lot more diverse characters but I don’t want to spoil anything. .

The story line is great, really interesting and a fresh spin on magic which was great to read.

I would really recommend this book.

Cruel Illusions is a dark urban fantasy standalone, full of twisted paths and bloody actions. I saw it was compared to Caraval and Buffy, and I can see both of them. Especially the later one with all the vampire hunting. It’s a lot more sinister than Caraval, and I think if you see past the magical aspects it’s almost more akin to the Hunger Games. Because, the competition puts all these different young magicians in direct competition with each other, while the adults watched it like the most entertaining show ever, and cheered for blood shed.

Ava is a very sympathetic character, and I really related to her longing to find a forever home. A place where she felt she belonged, for a loving family to call her own. The yearn for love and acceptance of just being herself. Apart from her there were some characters I adored - like Roman, Reina and sweet Willow - and others I couldn’t care for. Not to mention a certain evil baddie who just made my skin crawl and my hands curl into fists. I didn’t like him at all. Something else I did enjoy though, was the fact that nothing was ever black or white when it came to the magicians and the vampires. Every coin has two sides, and the story did a good job portraying it.

I liked the journey the book took me on, and there were so many characters that really carried the story for me. I also enjoyed all the unexpected twists and turns, it kept me on my toes while reading. It was dark, twisted, charming… I have so many feelings right now about this one. All I know for certain is that I can’t wait to re-read it in the future.

Cruel Illusions is a magical, fast paced standalone fantasy that features vampires, magicians and an excellent cast of characters. From the get go we meet our protagonist, Ava, an orphan who wants revenge against the vampire who killed her mother. I really loved Ava and thought she was an extremely strong and well developed character.

This book felt like a blend of Caraval and Ace of Shades, whilst still remaining unique. I loved the magic system and the main plot was exciting and full of twists and turns. The overall atmosphere of the book was very magical and mysterious. There is a love triangle, which I do not usually enjoy, but I think this one was done rather well. I actually found myself really enjoying the romantic aspects of this book.

Cruel Illusions is slightly longer than the average book (over 500 pages!!) but it managed to keep me very entertained and I was very disappointed when it ended! I highly recommend this book to fans of Stephanie Garber.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC of 'Cruel Illusions' by Margie Fuston.

'Cruel Illusions' is a story that combines magicians and vampires in a beautiful yet strange way. When I began reading this story I never thought I'd love it as much as I did, it was slow paced at first but getting into Ava and her story was quickly becoming interesting and I was highly invested in this book.

I loved this book so so much and I would definitely love to own my own copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this intriguing, mysterious YA fantasy! It was well paced and kept my attention with exciting reveals and dark plot twists! Ava the MC had a lot of issues such as losing her parents, being in an out of foster care and struggling to feel loved after everything she went through. I think these issues made her relatable and stronger. This book definitely has a dark side to it! The chemistry between Ava and Roman was great. I am so glad Ava finally got her family in the end!

I think this book swallowed me whole. It consumed me just as much as I consumed it. Stephanie Garber's way of building a world of magic was ever so present in this book. Much like Caraval, this world felt magical with a touch of sinister. Based on the author's note, it seemed Stephanie Garber was an inspiration for Margie Fuston and it works so well for this story. Fuston 110% nailed it and I'm sure Garber would be proud. I LOVED it,

Ava is a broken but determined character and I loved how she was constantly having to change her morals based on new information. Her journey to revenge isn't as simple as A to B, and all the twists make it so fun. The troupe had a unique blend of characters that made them fun to interact with.

I must say though, I feel like the troupe could have been more fully fleshed out. It seemed like they only wanted Ava so that their family wouldn't be split up and I would have loved to have seen more moral conflict of them actually liking her over just needing her and using her. Also, I felt like we were led to like Xander less from the start, so it wasn't hard to predict where it was going.

I did like where the story ended, even though the big finish was a little underwhelming.

P.S I LOOOVED ROMAN.

Cruel Illusions is a thrilling YA Novel full of mystery and magic. The plot was fast paced and full of twists and turns which I love as it keeps you guessing.
The world building was fantastic and I truly loved all the magical mystery.
Ava is the main character of the story and she is a young woman who has been living in foster care with her brother since her mother was murdered. Ava loves magic and comes across a magic show where she learns that magic is real. She is soon sucked into a world full of magic, mystery and Vampires.
Ava is also trying to find out who murdered her mother and put an end to them.
The plot is fast paced which really suits this story. I loved all the characters that we meet throughout the story and felt that they were well developed throughout. I did find the book to be on the longer side and felt the start was a little slow but I did enjoy this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Publisher for an eARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Cruel Illusions takes many familiar elements but mixes them in a way that offers something a little different. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this in advance of publication.
Our main character, Ava, recalls her mother’s death and is convinced that a vampire was responsible. Drawn to a mysterious magical world, Ava is willing to suspend her disbelief regarding the supernatural, but it quickly becomes clear that nothing could prepare her for what she is about to witness.
Drawn to the allure of a hidden magic show, Ava feels compelled to find a way to learn more. There’s something instinctive that draws her to these illusions, and the book focuses on Ava’s journey as she learns exactly what these illusions signify.
From the outset we had a mysterious trial, the age-old battle of good and evil and a clear sense of characters striving to do their best in very trying circumstances. There’s magic, darkness and a clear desire to encourage us to rethink some of our assumptions.
While the story itself felt quite familiar, the things Ava learns about herself and her family were engaging. The book ex0lores attitudes to family and belonging, while providing us with a highly entertaining story.

Cruel Illusions is exciting, tense, and heart wrenching.

Ava and her brother have been shuffled from foster home to foster home after her mum was killed by a vampire when they were young. She’s always loved magic, clinging on to the illusions her mum showed her to keep her close, while simultaneously training with one goal in mind - to someday kill a vampire for taking her mother from her.
When she stumbles across a troupe of real magicians who offer her everything she’s been looking for, she can’t take them up on their offer quickly enough… but everything is not as it appears.

I absolutely loved Ava and her journey to find a real family. She’s so wrapped up in her grief that it seems impossible early on, but as the book progresses you see her grow so much as a person and realise so much about herself. Roman was equally loveable - I’m a sucker for a soft-hearted grump! The emotions in the book felt real, and I loved that Ava was able to see past the betrayal she was feeling at certain points to realise that, while she didn’t want to be around certain people at that moment, she had come to see them as family and would forgive them in the future.

I’m not a huge fan of love triangles, but the way this one was handled I didn’t mind so much. Similarly, the competition element can feel overdone in YA fantasy but I liked the way this one came together, and found the challenges themselves interesting to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed Cruel Illusions and would read more from this author in the future.

Cruel Illusions is a standalone paranormal debut I adore so much. The world give us interesting blended atmosphere between secret magic society, deadly magic competition and vampires hunting. The story it self following young orphan Ava who struggles to fit into each foster homes for years. Ava determined to get revenge to Vampire who killed her mother and personal closures. When a magician's troupe offered answer of her life mystery with bloody magic competition, she finally found her place.

Her imperfect character and the potential intriguing me. Her emotions struggles and actions seem real. I love to see that sometime new skills is hard to earned and the process is overwhelmed. She makes mistakes, alot and she always tried do her best at each bad conditions.

The writing is good. I personally love scenes about illusion performance. It is so vivid and brimming with intriguing details. The slow burn romance is satisfying for a standalone. Enough chemistry and tension to make us believe. I expecially enjoyed story part about family strength and build friendships into healthy competition.

Thank you Netgalley and Hooder & Stoughton for provided my copy. My thoughts are my own.

Cruel Illusions is set in the same world as Vampires Hearts and other Dead Things.
Firstly I want to say how much I absolutely loved Vampires Hearts and Other Dead Things, so I was really excited to read Cruel Illusions. I loved the little hints to VHAODT, it was great to have that link.

Magic and vampires, what’s not to love. I fell in love with the characters straight away and couldn’t put this book down. I love how there’s little bits of information about real magicians throughout the book.

I loved Margie’s style of writing. I need more please.

Perfect for any vampire lover and fans of Hotel Magnifique and Caraval.