You know that feeling you get when you see an old friend that has been so special to you in the past, and you havent seen them in ages, but you just fall right back into conversation with them as if no time has passed at all, instant re-bonding. That is my feeling when I picked up Illusion by Frank Peretti. I thought- Ah, hes back! ; and the book is great, filled with all the adventure, intrigue, and suspense of a great Peretti book, take those components and combine them with a story filled with relationship, spiritual allegory, a bit of time travel/sci-fi, and literary and literal magic and you get the gift that is the book Illusion. Forgive the wordiness here, but I found this book to be a very special one.
Two magicians- Mandy and husband Dane have lived a life together filled with relational magic as well as stage magic and seem to find their life together at an end when the book opens with Mandy suffering fatal wounds from a horrific car accident and you the reader surmises that Mandy is gone from Dane forever. But is she? Because it is rather unexplainable when a young 19 year old suddenly surfaces in Idaho ,where Dane has relocated to start a new life, that looks remarkably like his own wife Mandy when she was younger, and guess what? She happens to be an up and coming magician. How can this possibly be happening, and why are their paths crossing as Dane is 60 years old? As this story unravels and shows a fascinating plot outlining a love that will never let go , one of sacrifice, intrigue , and of course plenty of great magic, I was enthralled with it from beginning to end.
I have come to expect a great story from Peretti as I have greatly enjoyed his writing over the years and his amazing attention to detail and imagination have always left me in awe. His praise for being a master storyteller I never find to be an exaggeration. I would say the added element to this story is heart- tenderness, relationship, longing for connection and with that there will always be an element of sacrifice and intense love which shows the strong allegory of Gods love for us, a love that will not let go as you see throughout the thematic elements in Illusion.
I highly recommend this book to those tried and true fans of Peretti as well as to those that have never cracked open one of his books. I think that you cant help but be moved by this powerful story and you will love the magic that is the book Illusion.
5 stars
I was graciously provided a review e-copy of this book from the publisher through via the Netgalley program. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Two magicians- Mandy and husband Dane have lived a life together filled with relational magic as well as stage magic and seem to find their life together at an end when the book opens with Mandy suffering fatal wounds from a horrific car accident and you the reader surmises that Mandy is gone from Dane forever. But is she? Because it is rather unexplainable when a young 19 year old suddenly surfaces in Idaho ,where Dane has relocated to start a new life, that looks remarkably like his own wife Mandy when she was younger, and guess what? She happens to be an up and coming magician. How can this possibly be happening, and why are their paths crossing as Dane is 60 years old? As this story unravels and shows a fascinating plot outlining a love that will never let go , one of sacrifice, intrigue , and of course plenty of great magic, I was enthralled with it from beginning to end.
I have come to expect a great story from Peretti as I have greatly enjoyed his writing over the years and his amazing attention to detail and imagination have always left me in awe. His praise for being a master storyteller I never find to be an exaggeration. I would say the added element to this story is heart- tenderness, relationship, longing for connection and with that there will always be an element of sacrifice and intense love which shows the strong allegory of Gods love for us, a love that will not let go as you see throughout the thematic elements in Illusion.
I highly recommend this book to those tried and true fans of Peretti as well as to those that have never cracked open one of his books. I think that you cant help but be moved by this powerful story and you will love the magic that is the book Illusion.
5 stars
I was graciously provided a review e-copy of this book from the publisher through via the Netgalley program. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
Dane and Mandy have been together over forty years, not only as a couple but also as partners in a magic show. When tragedy strikes and Mandy is killed in an automobile accident, Dane is lost. He decides to go forth with his and Mandy's plan of buying a place in Idaho, Mandy's homestate, and go from there.
One moment Mandy is resting under a tree at a local carnival, and the next she is waking up in a hospital bed. Only a teenager, she is totally losing her mind. She wants to go home and she wants to find her dad, but everyone looks at her like she is crazy. She knows who the president is and she knows what year it is, even though they have fancy gadgets and things she has never seen.
Those that want to help her, put her in a psychiatric ward. But Mandy learns how to escape, passing through time and space. She works on the streets, using her magic ability to enhance her craft. It is here that Dane finds her, trying to help her with her magic tricks. Somehow, even though there is a huge gap in their ages, Dane and Mandy are drawn to one another. She looks just like his Mandy did when she was young, which helps Dane with his grief. But there are others that are watching secretly from the shadows at Mandy's special gifts and the bond created between Mandy and Dane.
This is by far one of the best novels I have read this year so far. With engaging and compelling characters, a love that transcends time with magical writing that weaves the story together, Illusion is about as good as it gets. I was intrigued from page one and found myself immersed in Mandy and Dane's story, trying to figure out how it would work out. Five Stars!!
One moment Mandy is resting under a tree at a local carnival, and the next she is waking up in a hospital bed. Only a teenager, she is totally losing her mind. She wants to go home and she wants to find her dad, but everyone looks at her like she is crazy. She knows who the president is and she knows what year it is, even though they have fancy gadgets and things she has never seen.
Those that want to help her, put her in a psychiatric ward. But Mandy learns how to escape, passing through time and space. She works on the streets, using her magic ability to enhance her craft. It is here that Dane finds her, trying to help her with her magic tricks. Somehow, even though there is a huge gap in their ages, Dane and Mandy are drawn to one another. She looks just like his Mandy did when she was young, which helps Dane with his grief. But there are others that are watching secretly from the shadows at Mandy's special gifts and the bond created between Mandy and Dane.
This is by far one of the best novels I have read this year so far. With engaging and compelling characters, a love that transcends time with magical writing that weaves the story together, Illusion is about as good as it gets. I was intrigued from page one and found myself immersed in Mandy and Dane's story, trying to figure out how it would work out. Five Stars!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
