The Illusions
The most captivating feminist historical fiction novel of the year
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The Illusions
Narrated by:
Anna Burnett
Buy Now for £14.43
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Narrated by:
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Anna Burnett
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By:
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Liz Hyder
Bristol, 1896. Used to scraping a living as the young assistant to an ageing con artist, Cecily Marsden's life is turned upside down when her master suddenly dies. Believing herself to blame, could young Cec somehow have powers she little understands?
Meanwhile Eadie Carleton, a pioneering early film-maker, struggles for her talent to be taken seriously in a male-dominated world, and a brilliant young magician, George Perris, begins to see the potential in moving pictures. George believes that if he can harness this new technology, it will revolutionise the world of magic forever - but in order to achieve his dreams, he must first win over Miss Carleton . . .
As a group of illusionists prepare for a grand spectacle - to mark both the retirement of legendary master The Professor and the announcement of his successor - Cec, Eadie and George's worlds collide. But Cec soon finds herself facing the fight of her life to save the performance from sabotage - and harness the element of real magic held deep within her . . .
THE ILLUSIONS is the captivating new novel from the much-lauded author of THE GIFTS. Inspired by real-life illusionists and early film pioneers, this astonishing story of women and talent, magic and power, sweeps you into a world where anything is possible and nothing is quite as it seems . . .
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Critic reviews
After her glorious first novel, The Gifts, Hyder has returned with another beautiful slice of historical fiction. The Illusions is charming and intriguing, sparkling with magic and romance.
Hyder is a wonderfully accomplished storyteller. The Illusions is a magical tale of innovation, darkness and delight. A book to disappear into - I devoured it greedily.
With clever storytelling and a magpie's eye for shine and enchantment, Hyder takes us to a world where magic, moving pictures and illusion mix - and where all are made better by human kindness.
Filled with wonders in all forms, in real life and in the theatre, this is a story that will mesmerise and cast its spell. I loved it.
Spellbinding storytelling, wonderfully drawn characters and the thrill of the theatre make this book unputdownable.
An enchanting tale of rivalry among magicians and film pioneers in a world on the cusp of change. Here, trickery, envy and deceit are no match for raw talent, love - and most of all, kindness. Hyder's talent for crafting compelling page-turners inhabited by charming, vibrant characters is a skill worthy of one of her illusionists; her passion for the magic of theatre leaps from every page. A total joy.
What a joy... It's rich, magical, pacy, immense fun, and just entirely a glorious Victorian delight. I adored it.
A magical tale told with deft skill. Delightful, entertaining, engrossing with a gorgeous finale . . . a total delight of a book.
From the astonishment of early moving pictures, to the wonder of the mysterious talents that lie within, The Illusions is every bit as magical as the magic it describes. I loved being drawn into this vividly imagined world of romance and ruination, scoundrels and showmanship; all leavened, of course, by kindness.
With a plot as intricate and deftly handled as its characters' stage shows, The Illusions is a celebration of magic, friendship and romance. Hyder's Victorian Bristol is rich with nefarious tricksters, astonishing ambition and extraordinary women, who made me believe in the impossible. One of those truly wonderful stories which, while reading, make the rest of the world disappear!
Highly recommend if looking for an escape.
5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Magical and full of kindness
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Loved it
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The characters are vividly drawn: some purely good-hearted, some thoroughly corrupt, and many others layered and complex enough to feel truly human.
The novel also beautifully captures how astounding moving images must have seemed to audiences accustomed only to still photographs.
I was captivated by the magic of the story, fascinated by the world brought to life and surprised by how attached I was to the welfare of the characters. A wonderful book.
Pure Love for this Novel
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In The Illusions, she explores the fascinating world of conjurors, mediums, tricksters, showmanship, photography and moving pictures, all brilliantly interwoven with love, friendship, kindness, sibling love, blackmail, betrayal, bluffing, double-bluffing, loyalty and forgiveness. Set in Bristol in 1896, it's a hearty, enjoyable, uplifting listen, and we are rooting for our merry band of main characters all the way to the satisfying conclusion. Hyder is a master storyteller and knows exactly how to craft a gripping story, full of twists, turns and intrigue. She's great at character and dialogue, and there's never a dull moment in any of her books.
The Illusions features genius, ingenuity and wonder, with a strong vein of feminism running through the novel (as in Hyder's other books). Like The Gifts, it also features a really nasty baddie, a Machiavellian figure motivated by unbridled ambition – and the whole way through, you can't wait for him to get his comeuppance.
The way people use star ratings nowadays, this is really a 5-star read – as in, I really enjoyed it and rate it and definitely recommend it. It's a strong, enjoyable story with brilliant characters and the plotting is perfect. The Pygmalion aspect is also satisfying. For me, 5 stars is exceptional and near perfect. Really, it's mostly minor aspects of language and authorial device that drop half a star for me, but that's being finicky. A few phrases felt hackneyed for such a talented writer, a few words reappeared repeatedly and for my taste, it would have felt tighter and trimmer with fewer adverbs. Also, one or two plotting elements felt a tiny bit contrived to me – to fit the story and for example keep having Eadie and George misunderstand/misread each other to make it more of a convenient finale. For me, a couple of these felt there to serve the story (which of course they were) than felt authentic, but clearly the story is queen and Hyder knows and respects this. She's certainly a wizard of story mechanics.
An excellent, enjoyable read with a colourful cast of characters and a real feel for Bristol at the end of the 19th century. Uplifting too, which is a joy between more depressing reads. Hyder's characters are first-rate entertainers and Hyder is, too. The whole book felt so visual and the subject matter so rich, I can see a fight for the film rights. In the hands of a great director and producer, it would make an excellent film. Bravo, Cec, Eadie, George, Valentin, Harri, Louis, Chaplin etc. And bravo, Liz Hyder.
A solid 4.5 stars – great, uplifting storytelling
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Very enjoyable listen
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