cassian and ren had hidden feelings for each other since the first chapter, and i've read enough enemies-to-lovers to know that this trope was badly used here.

And as for Leo, we get to see more of him in Illusionary which I consider one of the best gifts Zoraida Cordova have given us. After everything they went through in book one, seeing them having rare moments of fun and safety in each other’s company made me so happy. Zoraida Córdova is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen novels and short stories, including the Brooklyn Brujas series, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: A Crash of Fate, and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. The structure was much more effectively utilised in this book; quieter, more personal sections were interspersed with high-action thrills, rather than acting as a long, slow build to an explosive finale.They’ll love where the characters all end up and how neatly everything was tied together with a little bow, but I personally didn’t really enjoy it.

I also wasn’t particularly satisfied by the ending, but I suspect other readers will really love it. I’m not against journey books, but things still have to happen along the way in terms of both character development and plot to keep me invested. In addition to writing novels, she serves on the Board of We Need Diverse Books, and is the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Vampires Never Get Old, as well as the cohost of the writing podcast, Deadline City. I just feel like it’s worth mentioning in case there are any like-minded individuals who relate to my sentiment.Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. The ending just didn’t give me any of the things that I wanted for the characters or myself, but this is an instance where I definitely know this is just me. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. As the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata was once a tool for the crown used to carry out the King’s Wrath, a siege that killed thousands of her fellow Moria.

With gorgeous writing, loads of action, and a surprising but satisfying ending, Illusionary has it all in spades. There is a Moria legend that says our Lady of Whispers watched over all of us from her floating temple in the sky. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him. She know’s injustice in more than one form, and yet she never lets it stop her from fighting for what is right, even if that means going against people she classed as friends.They both have been through a lot, and shared a bond from the beginning that made it hard not to believe they will find their way back to each other. I’m a book blogger and my favourite genres are fantasy, romance, literary fiction, graphic novels, and manga. Many of the illusions can be built inexpensively and are suitable even for beginners looking to get started in the field of grand illusions. A dark, twisted history lies behind the elusive weapon, and the fate of the kingdom is held in the balance. I was sent a copy of this novel by the publishers to review, however this has no bearing on my rating or review.

If you’ve been brought up in a toxic environment, like Ren has, it can take a lot of time to unlearn negative thoughts and conceptions about yourself. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). If you’re up for a fantasy duology that will consume your thoughts, an arrogant prince, his mean childhood bestie, a chaotic gay ( Leo obvio! Additionally, since everyone becomes fast friends, it becomes obvious that Ren and Castian have feelings for each other, and Leo and Ley love to remind them of it.The court intrigue, the rebells, the magic system, the worldbuilding, the characters - I loved it all. Their continued persecution as a marginalised group feels very reflective of our world, and as we see them begin to instigate change, fighting for a fairer world, we can’t help but want to fight too.