Week 15 Review: Illusionarium

From Goodreads:
From the author of Entwined, a brilliantly conceived adventure through an alternate London. This sweeping, cinematic tale of an apprentice scientist desperate to save his family—and his world—is The Night Circus meets Pixar.

Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that is breathtaking and wholly original. 

My Review:
So this book was really fantastic! I really enjoyed it, and since the synopsis above is pretty light on the details-but utterly right-so I didn't think too much about what this book would be about, I just dove right in!

I loved this world-well, worlds, because there's Jonathan's world, the Arthurisian world, and then there's the other, the world of Nod'ol, and how they're similar, and where they diverged, which was pretty cool, while the worry about the disease spreading through his world, and his mom and sisters sick of it!

Really enjoyed these characters, from Jonathan to Lockwood, and the characters that they were, with their uniqueness, like the ASAYAW, and what that really means for Arthurisian's, And how Lockwood fell in love with Nod'ol's version of Jonathan's sister-and who is Jonathan's counterpart in Nod'ol.

The ability that they had, the illusionists, well, it was pretty cool, though there is the downside of too much use doing what it does to people. So that ending is pretty fantastic! Just everything about this book, from the voice, to the humour, just everything, was just so great to read!

Favourite lines: "Yes, that's right, Divinity. That's all boys ever think about. Every bit of me can be reduced into one word: kissing. Thank you, Divinity, good-bye." Yeah, probably 60%, 38% for food, and then 2% for sleep. "He really did drool it." Well, that's gross! "Airguardsmen scout like mad for this kind of thing. And Lockwood's the maddest of them all." Yeah, he hasn't been the nicest to Jonathan! "ASAYAW = "As Soon As You Are Willing"* *Which is the Arthurisian way of saying, "We're Dying! DYING, I SAY!" Which is pretty hilarious! "Lockwood held a dagger that he had produced from the endless supply in his boot..." Yes, endless supply! "We'd also been curious as to how he'd gotten a masked guard uniform. He grimly answered that was a 'Don't ask.'" Yeah, hostile environment, uniform of the enemy...connect the dots. "'You're going to get your head blown off!' 'And I will savor every second of it!'" OK, Lockwood isn't as bad as he'd been! "Lockwood? You're not afraid of blood, are you?" Tease him, tease him! "Lockwood discovered a ginger tea biscuit, which he promptly bestowed upon Anna. Anna promptly split the biscuit into three even pieces and gave one to each of us. Lockwood promptly make a face at his." Poor picky eater! "'London backwards? Wouldn't that be Nodnol?' 'Don't use logic; they hate that here.'" Apparently! "Lockwood was in love! What, already? My thoughts overthought. It was months before I'd even noticed Alice. I still hadn't plucked up the courage to talk to her. But Lockwood was an absolute sort of person, wasn't he? He wouldn't fall in love like tripping over a price. He was the sort to rear back, run. catapult over the side of an airship's railing, and fall, fall, fall into love before smacking into the Ocean of Delirious Wanderings. 22-Which would sever his limbs from his body on impact, causing Death by Unmitigated Joy." I love these little side note! "'We're going to splatter on the cement below!' 'The cement will never be prettier!'" Yeah, Lockwood is in love! "'Jooooh-nnnnyyyyy! I know you're hee-eeere! You've summoned the ruddy guard of the gates of somewhere not very niii-iice! JOHNNY!!' Lockwood's voice drove my feet into action. In a blaze I flew out of the room to his rescue and crashed full-on into the torn-uniformed, rifle-bearing, unmasked, flashing-eyed Lockwood." Well, that worked out well! "Well. It would catch Lockwood's attention, that was certain." Yeah, the city being changed 90 degrees, that's something! "If I were a fierce-as-blades, over-keen, rifle-bearing one-eyed soldier, where would I hide?" I love how this is how Jonathan is describing Lockwood! "You made this illusion? This complete sideways nightmare? Do you know what a ghastly piece of mind-twist it was to try walking up a vertical dock and have gravity jerk you both ways? Do you? When we get back to Arthurise, remind me to break your neck!" Guess he's noticed it! "Of course I can fly one of these things! Even these stupid, outdated pieces of rubbish I could fly ten times as drunk as I am now with one arm, my eye put out, and both my legs chopped off, what do you think, you sober two-eyed twit?" How could you fly blind? Sounds dangerous! And you're pretty unsteady how drunk you already are, and times 10, without legs? I think you're over estimating yourself, Lockwood! "'Jonathan and I, we're going to have great fun. I'm going to teach him how to properly fight. In the mess hall. Dinner with entertainment. The officers are already placing bets on if he ends up breaking his own leg.' 'Afterward, I'll cut your finger and they'll laugh even harder as you pass out.'" Fun times! "'A. Kntsen hold-position-number two-' he sounded impressed against his will. 'Well-done-'" Getting a taste of your own medicine! Hilarious! "Go attack the foe, Lockwood!" Yes, facing Hannah, this world's version of Anna, is a foe-worthy event!

Just a really great, fantastic, lovable book, and I enjoyed it so much! Though a funny little note, is that Entwined is also a week 15 review book, which is a cool little titbit for me!

Author: Heather Dixon
Read: April 6th, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Loved her first book, and it's a SAC 2015 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Greenwilow
Expected Publication: May 8th 2015

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars