Magic, circus-vibes, vampires, the book I discovered in my Fairyloot December Young Adult book box has got it all! Meet Cruel Illusions by Margie Fuston.

Cruel Illusions

Cruel Illusions tells the tale of Ava, a young woman who has only one dream left: to become a vampire hunter and avenge her mother’s death. Ava is not ordinary, however. Raised by magicians, she is well aware that not everything is as it seems. When she encounters a young man with bright green hair and a talent for card tricks, she is invited to join his troupe of magical vampire hunters. However: life is never easy. To officially join them, Ava will have to best all the other recruits in a dangerous competition.

An interesting concept

From the get-go, I was fascinated by the concept of this story. Vampire hunting magicians? Super cool idea! I loved the ending of the first chapter, when the vampires are introduced. I didn’t see it coming (I hadn’t read the blurb recently) and it was an early twist that pleasantly surprised me.

I also quite liked the magic system, although it did confuse me at some points. And the setting, of course, was magical 😉 and I was really fascinated by some of the characters. Unfortunately, there were also a couple of points that tripped me up. For instance, I wasn’t convinced by the characterization of the main character. Something felt off about her, and she never truly started to feel right to me. I did love the Wednesday/Enid vibes that she and her best friend created, though.

There was also something a bit strange about the pace of the book. On the one hand, it felt slow, with very long chapters; on the other hand, some parts felt rushed (including the romance). This made me quite conflicted about the book, as I felt contradictory things at the same time: was it difficult to continue reading? Or was it difficult to stop reading? Very strange experience…

As I mentioned, the romance was also a bit rushed and the love triangle was a bit…juvenile. Nevertheless, I was quite invested in the second MMC’s background story, so I still liked the romance sufficiently.

Last but not least, the book had also several beautiful quotations that touched me very deeply. For example:

When someone says they need you, it makes you want to toss yourself into that need, expand yourself to fill it, or cut yourself in half like a magician’s assistant if that’s what they require, because helping them will make you feel whole for a moment. Until they don’t want you anymore, and you’re left contorted and gangly, and you can’t quite remember your original shape.

In conclusion, a solid read but not exceptional: three gemstones!

Age Category: Young adult

Representation: LGBTQ+ supporting characters

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Warnings for parental death and abandonment.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.

Amazon.nl: Hardcover edition

Amazon.nl: Paperback Edition

Amazon.nl: eBook Edition

As mentioned, I own the Fairyloot edition. This edition has an exclusive, redesigned cover, digitally sprayed edges (a gorgeous design with roses), artwork on the endpapers, foil on the hardcover, and is signed by the author. It also comes with an author letter. It’s available on the second hand market for a remarkably low price, in my opinion. You should be able to get an edition for € 25 – 30.

Similar to this

If you liked Cruel Illusions, you might also want to check out Vampires, Hearts, & Other Dead Things by the same author. This YA fantasy novel tells the story of a teenage girl who travels to New Orleans to try and find a vampire who could save her dying father. Interesting concept, isn’t it? I’ve gone ahead and put it on my TBR list.

If you are into circus vibes, I should of course recommend the classics of the genre: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Caraval by Stephanie Garber, both of which are VERY HIGH on my TBR list too.

I am currently reading Where Dreams Descend, by Janella Angeles. This is a Phantom of the Opera retelling, but it is giving me quite similar vibes. I’ll keep you posted on my thoughts on this one!

Last but not least, the element of “vampires going public” reminded me a lot of The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, the book series on which the TV show True Blood was based. Although it has been years since I last read these, I remember them fondly and would recommend them to any vampire-lover out there.