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

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And to see Ren and Cas find each other, love and understand the sacrifice needed despite what they want was brutal and wonderful. Similarly at the start of this book, Castian and Ren work together to find Dez, Castian asks questions about his brother (because in the most obvious twist of all, Castian and Dez are brothers), he wants to know about this brother he thought he lost, he longs for his brother and Ren loves Dez too much to talk about him, neither stop and either consider Dez or how them getting together would effect any future relationship with Dez.

Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him. We find out more about the history of Memoria and how Renata is connected to it, as well as Castian and King Fernando’s past.Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. This series is friends-enemies-lovers and this is definitely a trope I have not read a lot of, but consider myself to be in agreement with. Overall, Illusionary is a fast-paced, thrilling sequel with a punchy finale that cements the brilliance of this duology.

It was a little too clean and neat for me and I felt like part of the fifty pages were just added on to extend the ending rather than providing anything truly interesting for the reader and the story. I’m sorry that sounds so bitter, it just didn’t do it for me and I could see such potential which is why I’m annoyed. Her bravery in confronting her trauma, her willingness to fight for others, her determination to make things better for the people of Puerto Leones … all of this makes her a character that we root for in every moment. With few options and even fewer allies, they have both united to achieve their lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill they tyrant king, and then bring peace to the nation.As much as I am a lover of smut (not in YA novels of course, I am an adult), sometimes it is the soft, quiet romances that really steal my heart. She kind of jumped ship when he literally jumped ship and I thought there was more unresolved between them. While this book is told entirely from Ren’s pov, we do get introduced to a whole host of side characters that you can’t help but love.

Continuing the story of Renata Convida, she has been forced to escape along his once most ardent enemy, prince Castian, trying to live incognito while they find a way to retrieve the long-lost magical item, the Knife of Memory, which should end the unjust rule of King Fernando.

I also adored seeing more of Castian, who is a character I was already in love with from Incendiary despite we don’t see much of him. GEE IM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED FOR THIS SEQUEL AND IM SO READY TO EXPLORE CASTIANS AND RENS RELATIONSHIP AND EVERYTHING THATS COMING UP COULD 2021 COME ANY SOONER PLEASE?

Also I have read too many books now where the plot is all about the protagonist having to make a sacrifice and it’s discussed for chapters, there’s an end goal which will save the world but the cost is her life, she hides it from him as he talks of their future etc. You come to understand him, his journey, and the accomplishments and mistakes he made along the way. Renata has memory magic, but learns new things about how her magic actually works and what she is capable of. On one hand she know’s working with Castian is the best way to get to the Knife of Memory and kill his father, but she’s also not sure she can trust him after all the crimes he has committed against the Moria. 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.The intrigues at court just put a different atmosphere to the story opposed to the long journey we witness in this one. Overall, while this conclusion wasn’t for me, I think that readers who really enjoyed the first one will probably be equally satisfied with this installment. I say this all the time, but Zoraida Córdova is the only author who managed to make me fall in love with a character and a ship by only getting glimpses of him and by throwing clues at his real motives. A dark, twisted history lies behind the elusive weapon, and the fate of the kingdom is held in the balance. In the aftermath of a devastating betrayal by the rebellious Whispers, Renata Convida—a magic wielder with the power to steal memories—chooses to leave everything behind to travel alongside the infamous Prince Castian, her oldest friend and her greatest enemy.