Thursday, September 5, 2013

Review: Born of Illusion by Terri Brown


Title: Born of Illusion (Born of Illusion, #1) 

Author: Terri Brown

Rating: 4 Stars

Born of Illusion falls into that inevitably irritating category of novels which have received a mixed bag of reviews. A handful of my trust reviewers loved, another handful really enjoyed this, and still another group of them just couldn't connect with this one. Thus, I did what any reader would do: sit tight, wait, and make a decision concerning this novel after reviews of its sequel trickled in. Well, guess who was well and truly hypnotized upon seeing the breathtaking cover of this at the library? So thoroughly hypnotized that I check it out and proceeded to start reading it that very night (with deliberate sneaks at the cover from time-to-time, of course)?

Needless to say, I haven't regretted my love affair with the cover of this book. (An affair that quickly disintegrated as my heart turned its attentions to Cole. Yes, yes, I know - my heart is fickle.) Set in the 1920s, Born of Illusion follows the tale of Anna, the reputed illegitimate daughter of Houdini. A talented magician, Anna and her mother have traveled all their life, performing shows to earn their wages. When they move to New York, however, a string of strange occurrences begin, from Anna's visions about her mother in danger to a mysterious follower. If Anna isn't careful, someone could be about to trick her...

From the beginning itself, I absolutely loved Anna's narration. Anna isn't afraid to have a fair bit of fun in her life and on stage she's spectacular, capturing the audience and stealing the show with her genuine magical abilities. Yet, behind that exterior, she is also deeply vulnerable, unsettled by her past and her tumultuous relationship with her mother. Although Anna can read people's emotions with a single touch, she still struggles to connect with others, having only her mother to rely on in life. And that, my dear readers, is where Born of Illusion not only excels, but stuns. Anna's relationship with her mother is complicated a sticky, a mix of natural jealousy between two talented performers and affection. One of my favorite aspects of this tale is that Anna not only comes to understand her mother better, but along the way she also understands herself better. Furthermore, she comes to accept that her mother's dreams and her own dreams don't necessarily align and that is okay. For me, this is such an integral and important message: that's it's okay to break away from the life you've always known and what something different, no matter what age you are. We see this both with Anna and her mother, which I really loved. It's so rare to see such realistic and well-portrayed mother-daughter relationships, so this is a definite keeper.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that the plot of Born of Illusion is a bit of after-thought. It isn't a central aspect of the novel, though it is interesting. If anything, Anna herself drives this novel forward, which I loved. Although the story line is intriguing - filled with strange happenings, kidnappings, and ransom notes, it did become slightly predictable at the end. And yet, despite that, it is thoroughly enjoyable. It is impossible to really tear away from this book or become detached from the plot because Anna's tale is simple so engrossing. At every turn I was always eager to read how Anna would react, feel her rush of feelings, and learn more about her world. Brown writes captivating seances and magic shows, truly building up the suspense and allowing us to glimpse another facet of Anna's personality. Furthermore, I adored the world Brown has created. As a historical fiction tale, Born of Illusion works well, though, I must admit, not as excellent as Libba Bray's The Diviners. I wish this novel was a touch more atmospheric, but the depth of the research done really showed.

Another thing to love about Born of Illusion? It takes the love triangle trope and makes it work. For one thing, the two "love interests" at hand - Cole and Owen - are never truly vying for Anna's attentions. I even hesitate to call them love interests because it's obvious where Anna's heart lies. Nevertheless, what I liked about the romance was that it was a bit of a slow-burn and very sweet. I don't know about you, but I'm a little - okay, VERY - tired of bad boys. I mean, please, find some new cliched phrases! I love a shy guy more than anything else, so that was a very pleasant change. Furthermore, the love triangle was revealed to be an important plot necessity and even when Anna was with the other boy, those scenes were integral to the story line and world. Considering I was never frustrated by this love story - only because I knew who Anna liked - I was able to sit back and really enjoy the way the romance played out in this.

Ultimately, Born of Illusion isn't one to pass up. If you're like me, you probably can't pass it up because you've been hypnotized by the cover, but if - somehow - you've resisted the allure of that gorgeous hardback, then you should definitely check this out if you're a fan of historical fiction, the 1920s, or just Houdini. Although the novel doesn't focus on the man himself, there are plenty of mentions, not to mention thrilling tricks, within these pages. Born of Illusion isn't a thought-provoking or ground-breaking read, but it's engaging and just so much fun. And sometimes, that's all you need on a rainy summer night: a smile on your face and pretty book to curl up with.

15 comments:

  1. Oh I nearly forgot about this book but yes I really wanted to read it once upon a time. Then I started seeing some not really good reviews and I gave up on it. It seems like it was a mistake. I haven't read a book set in past in a while. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one and hopefully I'll get to read it someday. Amazing review Keertana :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so glad that you mentioned what a character-driven novel this is. Had I not known that going into this book, I probably would have struggled a bit. Knowing it, however, I can appreciate the story for where it shines, you know? Wonderful review, as usual, Keertana :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad that you decided to give this book a go Keertana, despite the mixed reviews, because it sounds like Born of Illusion was totally a worthwhile read. I liked how you weren't annoyed by the love triangle because it was an integral part of the story and also that this book carries several important messages such as For me, this is such an integral and important message: that's it's okay to break away from the life you've always known and what something different, no matter what age you are.. Lovely review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This cover is completely gorgeous. I'm glad to hear that after it lured you in you enjoyed the story. It sounds different and engaging. Wonderful review, Keertana! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. This sounds perfect for me. I've only read one other YA that the triangle worked... so that has me curious about this one. Oh I so need to push this up the wishlist. You are right... I do like that cover too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have noted the mixed reviews of this one, but already I was leaning more towards reading it than passing it by. What the positive reviews have mentioned have resonated with me much more than what the negative reviews have said. And now, of course, your review is another one meant to persuade me to read it. :) That is a bit unfortunate about the lack of a strong plot - something that I think may bother me more than it bothered you. But strong characterization is always my foremost concern when reading, and I'm curious to see this mother-daughter relationship in action! Lovely review, Keertana!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I remember hearing about this one and seeming inriguied but then i kept seeing not so great reviews for it and then straying away from it just like you did. I am though now curouis about this book a lot after your review and it seems like maybe i was too harsh judging this book based on a few reviews because you did seem to genuinly like it. I'll have to go check it out. Geat Review ;)
    Lily @ Lilysbookblog

    ReplyDelete
  8. I remember hearing about this one and seeming inriguied but then i kept seeing not so great reviews for it and then straying away from it just like you did. I am though now curouis about this book a lot after your review and it seems like maybe i was too harsh judging this book based on a few reviews because you did seem to genuinly like it. I'll have to go check it out. Geat Review ;)
    Lily @ Lilysbookblog

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's cool that this book worked for you, Keertana! I WANTED to like it much more than I did--love that premise: magic, and illusionists and spiritualism and Harry FREAKING Houdini!! But it just didn't happen for me. Curious about what will happen in the sequel. I won't be reading it but I'll check back and see what you thought:)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Arggh, I haven't gotten around to this book yet! I've been DYING to read it though, and I'm kind of glad I waited because now that I've read your review, I know I can go into it without being disappointed. I love it when characters are double-sided; I love learning about their true self and see how it applies to their life and if they change/grow. It's awesome that her mother goes through the same process as well, and I love the message that you got from their relationship! I haven't read The Diviners, so I can't compare the 1920s atmosphere with it. Eeeep, the romance actually sounds really good! I'm not as tired of bad boys yet as you are, but I love my shy guys. I can't wait to meet these two boys. I can't wait to read this one, thanks for the gorgeous review as always, Keertana!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The mixed reviews were the reason why I decided to skip this one back in June. I think I still have a galley in my kindle though, so I might end up giving it a try now. I'm glad you liked it, Keertana! It's a relief to hear that the love triangle isn't the usual irritating trope that we normally see. You have me a lot more excited about this now. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ooh, you are definitely catching my interest with this one. I wasn't going to read it but now I really want to. The working love triangle sounds amazing, and the narration style seems like a positive instead of a negative.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I haven't found a book yet where a love triangle is used in more then just a subplot. I like hearing about a book that explores a grat mother-daughter relationship. Fabulous review!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love triangles...:/ Gahhhhh.... Up until that part of your review I thought: "Yes, this is a book for me." Why there always must me a love triangle???

    This is one of the best reviews I've read in a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is one of the few books that worked for you but not really for me. I'm so glad that you were able to connect to the story. The romance bugged me BIG time. Not that I was worried about Cole (or Owen, I can't remember which was which), but it was more Anna's characterization that I just couldn't grasp. Anyway. so happy this was a positive read for you.

    ReplyDelete

I love hearing from my readers and I read, reply, and appreciate every one of the comments I receive!(: If you're a fellow blogger, please leave a link to your blog - I'd love to drop by!

Unfortunately, this is now an award-free blog. I simply do not have the time to respond and forward on the award, but I truly appreciate the nomination regardless.