Illusionarium Hardcover – Illustrated, May 19, 2015

Let me start off by saying that I liked this book. I wanted to rate it 3.5 stars, but as this isn't an option, I rounded up to a solid 4. I may have read it too fast, because I was just that dang excited about Heather Dixon releasing another novel, and I know I'll reread it again in the future!I'll be honest: Jonathan is a difficult character to root for. I've had a few days to really think about why this is, and it boils down to what makes Dixon's stories so dang charming: interaction. Her characters shine brightest when engaging with other characters; it is the relationships between her characters that anchors her stories. For a good portion of Illusionarium, Jonathan is not around those meaningful connections, and he doesn't have the desire nor the opportunity to establish new ones. His focus is on home, a place in which we readers don't spend any meaningful time, and on the task at a hand. This was especially problematic because we're given almost no time before his call to adventure; we don't know his goals, we don't know his sister, we aren't given adequate time establishing a connection with his father and mother. We have no idea what his life was like before everything got all topsy-turvy. (This is actually a trend I've seen happen in many a YA/Teen adventure book, especially featuring male leads. We just aren't given any time to establish those meaningful relationships.) One reviewer said something about feeling detached from the story, and I agree. (I actually have a theory: I bet there is a draft somewhere that has the Goudens present for a good 25+ pages more than what we get in the final version, and it was cut to quicken the pace of the story or something. Normally, I'm all for the less-is-more approach, but) I wish we had at least two chapters dedicated to a-day-with-the-Goudens, for Johnny-boy's sake. (I also wish Jonathan and Lockwood had more time dedicated to building up their friendship. What can I say? I like it when characters have besties.)Because of my issues connecting to Jonathan in the beginning, I was never really emotionally invested in his goal. Normally, that's enough to ruin a book for me, but let me tell you something about Heather Dixon. Heather has a way with words. She could write a story about a lukewarm cup of tea if she wanted, and she'd somehow convince us that the sugar cubes are worth falling for and that the silverware drawer is a place we all wish we could visit one day. Her writing is delightful that way. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, but I knew Dixon would work her magic. And she did! The settings came to life with her descriptions, and despite Jonathan's POV, the side characters were memorable, even with there being so many of them coming and going through the story.Illusionarium picked up considerably once Anna was introduced. Her relationship with Jonathan finally helped us to establish a connection with the protagonist. Her relationship to Lockwood, too, not only gave us new insight into his character -- it pushed Jonathan to establish a second meaningful connection on his adventure. (Another reviewer mentioned Lockwood seeming like two different people as the story progressed and I can see why; I believe it's because Anna joining the party introduced us to a side of Lockwood we couldn't see through Jonathan's eyes alone.)The story never had a dull moment, either. It was action and adventure all the way through! There is so much life and fun and imagery in the way she tells a story and it leaves a strong impression. As I read, I couldn't help but daydream about Studio Ghibli making an animated film for it, and I'd sometimes reread scenes and try to picture what it'd look like animated by the same folks behind Howl's Moving Castle.I could get technical. I could say what made me drop this or that star from my rating. The book could have definitely used one or two big pushes and, dang, I wish I could be on that beta reading team! (Heather, if you're reading this, think about signing me up!) But when I thought about rounding either down to 3 stars or up to 4, the major deciding factor for me was my enjoyment level. When it came to how the book made me feel, I knew it deserved a four star rating from me. For a magical few days I was with Jonathan as he discovered his inner compass. I was intrigued and delighted by Lockwood, who is totally deserving of some dedicated fanart time. (note to self.) I would stay up an extra fifteen minutes to read just-one-more chapter, then another forty-five thinking about morality and other worlds and the consequences of not facing one's truths. These things are what makes a good story good.If you liked Entwined, don't let the negative reviews scare you; the book is hard to chew at first, but I found it to be an enjoyable read. I'm already eager to read Dixon's next book, whatever it may be, wherever it may take me. Until then, I'll have to reread Entwined and Illusionarium!

Oh did I LOVE this book! I loved the opening pages. I loved how the author painted us a perfect picture of what life would be like in this world, or worlds! I loved that the main character was a young boy, it was nice to read a book from that point of view. I loved that Jonathan had a sister Hannah, who he would walk through fire for. I loved the footnotes! I thought it was a great addition to the story and they made me giggle. So this is sort of a steampunk/fantasy type story and my first like it, and it was great. There is this horrible disease that is affecting women only where it turns their veins black and at the end of 6 days, attacks their whole body and they die. That's it, and there's no cure. So when the King pays a visit to Jonathan and his father, Jonathan knows something is up. It turns out the Queen is infected and the King needs their help to find a cure. Did I mention that Jonathan's father is a scientist, and Jonathan is his apprentice? This story is full of an all-star cast of characters, some grow on you and some do not. I loved each and every second and I can't wait to see what Ms. Dixon is up to next. Highly recommended!!

What I Loved: This book takes imagination. I took LOADS of imagination to write (I wish I had half this imagination!) and it takes imagination to read – thankfully I’m good at that part! About halfway through reading Illusionarium, I stopped and read a few reviews on Goodreads, and I found a mixed response. But I think the biggest problem with the book is that it is weirdness on top of weirdness – and if you weren’t following from the beginning, you are probably going to have a problem continuing to follow…. I didn’t. I think that the setting (an AIR CITY!!), the illusions, the schism (ß you must read to understand) – everything was so interesting and perfect. If this book were a movie, it would no doubt be directed by Tim Burton. I imagine all kinds of bright colors, but also that gothic darkness that Burton is known for as well.The illusions (this isn’t really a spoiler, right – given the title?!) were another element that I was so in love with. They weren’t illusions as in, you just imagine it and there you were. You had to create them, as in, understand the science behind what you were making before it became real. It was cool that Jonathan was smart, and shy and not your typical main character at all…but because of this, he was awesome at these illusions, despite his self confidence issue.I loved the steampunk feel about the book, but also how it wasn’t driven by it’s ‘steampunkiness.’ There wasn’t the constant mention of gadget and devices, and it wasn’t overly Victorian in theme either. It was just kind of there, just another layer.Okay – I’ve talked about the world and around the theme of the book – but I also really liked the story. It was layered with twists and turns, a few of them I was able to guess as the story progressed, a couple I didn’t guess until closer to the end, and some that took me by surprise. I like that. I like being surprised just as much as I like being able to foretell a story based on the foreshadowing. I think that is one of the things that keeps me engaged while reading, trying to figure out what’s going to happen because of the hints that authors throw out there.Not So Much: Soo I LOVED the story, and the story line. And I even really liked the characters, so this little bit is nothing but a drop in the book. I really wish that the romantic aspect of the book would have been a little bit more there. I like a little bit of romance, you know? It wasn’t the purpose of the book, but I don’t think a little bit more would have taken away from it either. It was done well, but I just I don’t know…it left me wanting.The Verdict:The only reason I’m not giving this 5-Hearts is because while I really did enjoy this book quite a bit, I’ve read it. I’m done. I don’t have a pull to re-read this one immediately. I’m trying to save 5-Hearts for those books that call to me in that way. This book was clean (even from cussing) and would be great for young teens who read more mature books for sure! And, because they are simply beautiful, I plan on adding this AND Entwined to my hardback book collection. (This is not cheating..I’m not buying any NEW books in 2016!!!)

Better than expected!

Pour cette nouvelle lecture, je retourne du côté anglophone avec un petit livre en Vo paru il y a quelques années déjà et que j'ai découvert grâce à une booktubeuse.De suite, c'est la couverture qui m'a charmée, elle est esthétique et toute brillante et argentée. Ensuite, le résumé m'a beaucoup plu et je me suis donc laissé tenter. Et je n'ai pas de mot pour décrire vraiment ce que j'ai ressenti.On suit Jonathan futur étudiant en médecine. Il est l'apprenti de son père, médecin reconnu dans la ville de Fata Morgana. Une ville situé non loin d'Arthurise, ancienne Londres. un jour le roi lui-même débarque en ville. les nouvelles ne sont pas réjouissantes, la Reine est malade, elle a la Venen. une maladie qui vous tue en 6 jours et n'a pas d'antidote connu à ce jour. malheureusement, elle n'est pas la seule et la maladie se propage à la majorité des femmes de la ville.Tout d'abord ce qui m'a plu, c'est l'univers construit par l'auteure avec les vaisseaux volants que ce soit dans Fata Morgana ou Nod'ol. Ce côté steampunk m'a ravie. ensuite le côté monde parallèle avec une forme de magie basée sur les illusions, le faux qui semble vrai. Et j'ai apprécié qu'il y ait un revers à la médaille de pouvoir utiliser ce genre de magie, plus on l'utilise plus il altère le physique.Autre point positif, les personnages. Jonathan a beau être un étudiant en médecine, il se défend plutôt bien même s'il se prend parfois des coups. sa sœur est amusante, Lookwood est très agaçant mais on apprend un peu plus à le connaître au fil de l'histoire. Mon seul bémol est que l'on voit très très peu Alice, c'est dommage.Concernant l'histoire, je l'ai adoré du début à la fin. j'ai accroché à l'univers dès les premières pages. C'est rythmé, les héros ne sont pas des idiots et restent focalisé sur leur objectif, sauver la population du monde de Jonathan en rapportant l'antidote.Pour conclure, j'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre. C'est mon premier de l'auteure et je ne regrette absolument pas d'avoir tenté ma chance avec celui-ci. En plus, c'est un anglais assez commun, ça se lit tout seul.