Ava suffered a terrible loss as a child - her mother was murdered by a vampire when she was only a few years old. Since then, she bounced around foster homes with her brother, Parker. In the most recent one, Parker seems happy, but Ava feels out of place. She wants revenge - and when a stranger helps her discover her hidden powers, and the secret world of magic performers who hunt vampires, she joins his group with little hesitation. Soon, she realises her abilities will be first judged in a steep magical competition, with horrifying consequences for those who loose. Still, revenge is on her mind, and the target might be closer than she thought...
As we meet Ava, she is very keen to let us know she’s not like other girls. Tragic past comes with a fighting style she perfected while watching films, which, given how choreographed fight scenes always are, gave me a right chuckle. I am hoping this was the intended effect, because Ava’s illusions in regard to her capability are very quickly dispelled - and in time, she also becomes a more likeable character, albeit one that changes her mind about everything often. Nevertheless, she grows a lot, which is evident from her decision at the end of the book.
As for the other characters, I don’t have any strong feelings, positive or otherwise, towards any of them. This is rooted in the fact that crucial ones, such as Xander and Lucius, were not fleshed out enough. On the other hand, it would be a disservice to the writer’s work if I didn’t mention that she successfully created truly morally grey characters, despite the other issues with character development, which I loved.
Unfortunately, as the characters are so ill defined, the relationships between them, friendly or otherwise, do not bring any strong feelings either. Ava is an outsider in her new circle, however, most characters are rather welcoming to her, perhaps overtly so, however, I do believe this was intended. As for the romantic subplot, I hated the fact there was a love triangle involved, but its resolution was surprisingly acceptable, so I don’t feel the need to critique it further, save for the instant attraction between the characters that made me cringe a bit.
I saw this book being compared to the Night Circus, and I disagree with that - with the latter being so unique, it does a disservice to Cruel Illusions - I kind of went into reading this with an expectation for the beautiful style of writing I’ve come to associate with Erin Morgenstern, and it was not the case. The only kind of similarity I can think of here are travelling performers, but the travelling itself is restricted to an early portion of the book. This is a good time to mention the pacing wasn’t quite right - it feels very up and down - I found myself struggling with some parts of the book, and devouring others.
Lastly, my favourite thing in the world - discussing magic systems! I loved how unique it felt with the ties to how successful the performances were, but the magic itself did not feel very defined, so that could have been improved. Still, it was really entertaining to read about - honestly, I wish we got more performance scenes.
Cruel Illusions is an entertaining read, albeit not without its flaws, particularly in fleshing out the characters properly and pacing. However, the unusual magic system and engaging plot balance out these negatives enough to allow me to recommend it with clear conscience, as long as you’re into magic (and vampires!).
Rating: 6/10
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