Illusionary: The unforgettable second installment of historical fantasy series, Hollow Crown

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She’ll have to control her magics, her mind, and her heart to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all. Illusionary is the epic conclusion to the fast paced Hollow Crown duology, the story continues to unfold with plenty of surprises and action to keep the reader on the edge of their seat! It also means readers can enjoy familiar areas while being introduced to new ones, and Córdova balances this really well.

We just didn’t get enough time with some of the characters to understand their motivations, as well as Ren’s reactions to them. When the main character is forced to partner with the villain of the story, you just know that tension will be brewing and dear, there’s some real tension. I know that I reread Renata and Castian’s first in-person interaction from Incendiary after I finished this one and I would definitely recommend doing that.They're united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Sweet, epic, and hawt to the point that I wished this was a New Adult/Adult book so we could have more! As a proud Latina and avid reader, the way she's created the world of Memoria and Puerto Leones and its characters is amazing.

Thank you to Hodderscape for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for participation in the blog tour and an honest review. These two met my every expectation and their banter and deepening relationship was worth all the wait and anticipation from the first book! 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. 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. Illusionary is full of fanfic tropes: fake marriage, bed sharing, enemies to friends to lovers, childhood friends, iconic besties, and pirates.

The epilogue perhaps edged a little too far into the soppy, but this is a tale you feel in your heart, and it’s easy to forgive the extra dash of emotion when the story has already given you everything you wanted. If Incendiary was a slow burn then Illusionary strapped a rocket on it’s back and zoomed off, because the pacing of this book was significantly faster than book one. While these are not detailed construction blueprints, each illusion has been built and performed by many magicians all over the world. Magic plays a quiet role in this story, and readers may for a time forget there is anything supernatural going on. We venture into Louzou, sailing across the Castinian sea, encountering pirates, and learning new aspects of the kingdom’s magic.

With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. Regardless, I was very attached to the characters by the time I got halfway through this installment and by the end I was all in. The intrigues at court just put a different atmosphere to the story opposed to the long journey we witness in this one. Release 2022 Read 2022 Review Book Review Death of a Character Death of a Parent Duology Emotional Abuse Goodreads Giveaway Hispanic Heritage Month Hollow Crown Series Illusionary Incendiary Journey Novel Latin American/Spanish Inspired LGBTQ+ Side Characters MacGuffin Novel Murder Y. There was so much fear and suffering in her life and to read about her finally feeling grounded and sure of her purpose and what she had to do, despite the bumps along the way, was such great story-telling.I was sent a copy of this novel by the publishers to review, however this has no bearing on my rating or review. Renata was socialised into thinking her powers made her either a weapon, a monster, or a burden, but in this story we see her begin to love herself and heal from past traumas. But also, Ren found a place where she fit, a place where she could use her powers without others fearing her, and I loved seeing her come to the realisation that there are others out there like her, and that she might just not be alone in the world. I’m hopeful that the epilogue served not only as a closure to the duology, but also as a hopeful door to a possible spin off series.