by Heather Dixon
Release date: May 19th, 2015
Published by Greenwillow Books (HarperTeen)
Genre: Young Adult Steampunk Fantasy
Format: Hardcover, eBook (368 pages)
Format read: ARC from the publisher
SUMMARY
What if the world holds more dangers — and more wonders — than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world?
From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.
Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then — as every good adventure begins — the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations — or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path.
Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then — as every good adventure begins — the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations — or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path.
Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.
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BOOK TRAILER
MY REVIEW
Original, clever, page-turning... imaginative! Parallel worlds, realistic illusions, quick action, intriguing one-of-a-kind characters and adventure!
The ILLUSIONARIUM is a plot-driven story about a teen trying to save his mother, sister, and all the women in his city from a deadly plague.
Jonathan is an apprentice to his father who the King has sought out to create an anticdote as quickly as possible to save the Queen and stop the plague from spreading and killing more women. Jonathan is quick to turn to any means possible to make this happen and disappoints his father by going behind his back to try to learn more about a hallucinogenic gas that can distort reality. His father quickly dismisses the idea in toying with something so unknown and dangerous. But Jonathan is hopeful and determined to prove him wrong and chases after the one chance of hope that can change everything.
But what will Jonathan have to do in order to get the antidote before it's too late???
Jonathan was such a fun character to read about; his sense of humor and snarkiness really kept the story moving along. Even though he seemed a bit immature and naive at times, he still held his own quite well and dealt with the matters that were thrown at him in the best ways that he could. Sometimes you have to literally be in that character's shoes in order to realize that what he did was the right decision at the time. He's sweet on one red-headed girl; but this story barely touches upon it. There is no love story on display here. Although, Jonathan does get briefly distracted a few times, it just made him more realistic to me.
The world building is truly imaginable, magical and movie-worthy!
There are aerial cities, airships and human creatures. I was able to picture everything and smell every smell, the good and the bad, with every word on the pages. Just like in ENTWINED, I was able to cling onto every word and understand everything that was happening in every way.
Jonathan is an apprentice to his father who the King has sought out to create an anticdote as quickly as possible to save the Queen and stop the plague from spreading and killing more women. Jonathan is quick to turn to any means possible to make this happen and disappoints his father by going behind his back to try to learn more about a hallucinogenic gas that can distort reality. His father quickly dismisses the idea in toying with something so unknown and dangerous. But Jonathan is hopeful and determined to prove him wrong and chases after the one chance of hope that can change everything.
But what will Jonathan have to do in order to get the antidote before it's too late???
Jonathan was such a fun character to read about; his sense of humor and snarkiness really kept the story moving along. Even though he seemed a bit immature and naive at times, he still held his own quite well and dealt with the matters that were thrown at him in the best ways that he could. Sometimes you have to literally be in that character's shoes in order to realize that what he did was the right decision at the time. He's sweet on one red-headed girl; but this story barely touches upon it. There is no love story on display here. Although, Jonathan does get briefly distracted a few times, it just made him more realistic to me.
The world building is truly imaginable, magical and movie-worthy!
There are aerial cities, airships and human creatures. I was able to picture everything and smell every smell, the good and the bad, with every word on the pages. Just like in ENTWINED, I was able to cling onto every word and understand everything that was happening in every way.
For those who love steampunk fantasy with a hint of historical fiction, plot-driven stories with magical elements! There's something here for everyone!!!
*An ARC was sent to me from the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
GIVEAWAY
- 1 winner will receive a finished copy
of ILLUSIONARIUM
- PLUS an ARC of THE UNQUIET by Mikaela Everett.
- US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Heather Dixon
Heather Dixon grew
up in a large family with four brothers and six sisters. She is a storyboard
artist as well as a writer, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Viennese
waltz is her dance of choice.
She is the author of the novel Entwined.
She is the author of the novel Entwined.
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
Week One:
5/11/2015- Chapter
by Chapter- Interview
5/12/2015- Bumbles
and Fairy-Tales- Review
5/13/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post
5/14/2015- A
Dream Within A Dream- Review
5/15/2015- Supernatural
Snark- Interview
Week Two:
5/18/2015- Mundie Moms- Guest Post
5/19/2015- Falling For YA- Review
5/20/2015- Fire and Ice- Interview
5/21/2015- Reading with ABC- Review
5/22/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
I'm so excited for this book! I've never read a book by Heather Dixon before, but this one just sounds so amazing. Thanks for the giveaway and awesome review! I'm glad to see you liked it. :) I've yet to read a steampunk novel, which gets me even more excited for this one.
ReplyDeleteI loved the summary, the title and that awesome cover. I put this book on my wish list the moment I saw that wonderful cover and read the description. :D
ReplyDeleteThe devices sound tried-and-true but the world sounds wholly original, which makes this one intriguing. Plus, the cover piques my interest. ;)
ReplyDeleteI received an e-galley from edelweiss and i loved it. This is the first book I read of Dixon and i will say only this - Imaginative, Original and truly awesome. Really the synopsis compares it to The Night Circus, I found nothing parallel here ...... just its own originality because really Morgenstern's book in its own place is a work of art and Dixon's its own imaginative curiosity.
ReplyDeleteGreat review:)
Aparajita @Le' Grande Codex
(Alisha Sienkiel in rafflecopter)
ReplyDeleteI loved the summary. I really enjoy steampunk fantasy and am super excited about this book!!! Thanks for the chance to win!
I'm so excited for this book!
ReplyDelete