Trying to learn more about herself and her powers, Anna runs into multiple people in the city who try and give her advice about what she should do, but she doesn’t know who she can trust or who is just trying to take advantage of her. But while Anna’s mother is merely a gifted actress, Anna was born with something a little more special, although she isn’t quite sure what it is or how to use it. The blinding spotlight looks like a sun rising on the horizon, and though I can’t see the people in the audience, the scent of perfume and expensive cigar smoke assures me of their presence, as does the excessively polite, well-bred clapping.Īs a huge fan of magic, I was very excited to be thrown into the world of Anna and her mother, who have traveled the country in hopes of making the “big time” with their combination magician-mentalist show. As the red curtain rises, my mother releases my hand and steps forward…Because of the stage lights, my mother’s silhouette is all I see as the velvet curtain makes its silent ascent into the darkness. While I think that I liked Bray’s writing slightly more, I was very impressed by Brown’s lyrical prose and captivating descriptions of New York City in its prime.įor a long, breathless moment we wait, time spinning into an eternity, while the excitement in my chest bursts. After reading The Diviners by Libba Bray earlier this month, I wasn’t sure that anybody else’s writing of this magical time in history would be able to compare. I was hesitant to start another series, but decided to jump in anyway, because it had come pretty highly recommended, and I was more than a little transfixed by its beautiful cover and the idea of illusionists in the 1920s. Born of Illusion was a pleasant surprise.

Born of illusion by teri brown