The Illusionist’s Apprentice is the second book in Kristy Cambron’s Jazz Age Entertainers series, coming after The Ringmaster’s Wife. I really, really enjoyed The Ringmaster’s Wife, so I have been looking forward to reading this sequel for quite some time, though you wouldn’t know it considering how long it sat on my shelf before I finally got around to reading it. I’ve been behind on my reading for quite some time now, and on my reviewing as well considering the fact that I read this book almost 2 months ago. And honestly, I would’ve thought I would’ve been raving about this story much, much earlier, because I cannot BEGIN to tell you how much I loved it. This book blew me away. It really did. Kristy is a master of weaving together captivating stories with a perfect combination of mystery and heart-wrenching emotion, and she will forever be one of my all-time favorite authors.
Wren Lockhart is such a perfectly developed character. From the beginning, she is a mystery, hiding her true self and her life—and her secrets—behind the vaudeville persona she has created. But as that life—and those secrets—begin to crash down around her, there are so many choices she must make about who she is and who she wants to be. Her newfound partnership with the FBI challenges her privacy, and her heart, as they race against time to solve a mystery far more complicated and far reaching than they ever imagined, a mystery that will only serve to further tear Wren’s life apart.
Let me begin by telling you that Kristy did a perfect job with this mystery. I had no idea who was behind it all. Until the very last second, I was just as confused as the rest of them, but as the threads started to come undone, I was completely blown away by what I found. I don’t think I’ve read a better written deception, with a more believable motive or a more perfectly hidden culprit. I don’t want to give away anything, because I want you to be able to experience the same surprise that I did, but I just want to praise Kristy’s skills for a minute. If you like any type of mystery or suspense, read this book. Seriously. It’ll knock your socks off. And coming from someone who also LOVES to find raw emotion and heartbreak and REAL characters in the books she reads, this book is also perfect for lovers of touching stories of pain and redemption featuring things like those.
All in all, I don’t feel as if I’ve even come halfway close to adequately describing to you all of the reasons to read this novel, or all of the praise Kristy deserves for the masterpiece she has written. There was never a moment when I wasn’t completely captivated by the story, pulled in by the mystery and the characters and the glamour of it all, never a moment when I felt that a scene or dialogue was lacking. There is absolutely nothing negative I could say about this story, not that I was trying. I don’t make it a habit to say negative things about writers and the books they’ve worked so hard on, so I really love it when there isn’t anything to be said. Because as a reviewer I have to be honest, but as a writer I hate to criticize, because I know how hard it is to create a book out of something like another world that only exists in your head.
Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, The Illusionist’s Apprentice easily earns all five bookshelves, and a place on my all-time favorites list, and I would even venture to say that it makes it into the very top of my favorites. (I know that last part doesn’t make sense, but I can’t say the top “25” or whatever of my favorites, because I don’t actually have a number since there are so many books I absolutely love. That’s why I just have my all-time favorites list and leave it at that. But this novel easily makes it closer to the top of that list). I highly recommend this novel, and the rest of the series and any other book Kristy has written or will ever write, because she is phenomenal. Read it. Read it again. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
(This review is from my blog, spreadinghisgrace.blogspot.com)
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From the brand
Vintage-Inspired Storyteller
Kristy Cambron is an award-winning and bestselling author of historical fiction novels rooted in true history.
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For the Love of Bookstores
Inspired by real accounts of the Forgotten Blitz bombings during WWII—and the stories that bind us in the fight for what matters most.
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From the Publisher
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| The Italian Ballerina | The Butterfly and the Violin | A Sparrow in Terezin | The Ringmaster's Wife | The Lost Castle | The Illusionist's Apprentice | |
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| Price | $9.99 | $10.99 | $12.49 | $11.99 | $11.49 | $11.99 |
| Description | At the height of the Nazi occupation of Rome, an unlikely band of heroes comes together to save innocent lives in this breathtaking World War II novel based on real historical events. | Based on the real orchestra comprised of prisoners at Auschwitz, The Butterfly and the Violin shows how beauty and hope can penetrate even the darkest corners. | The Nazi regime claimed Terezin was a model camp, but when one London reporter lands behind its walls, she uncovers the horrors of this concentration camp that often served as a stop on the road to Auschwitz. | An ounce of courage. A split-second leap of faith. Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimaginedfrom what they might have become. | Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty, Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever. | Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel of illusion, suspense, and forgotten pasts is perfect for fans of The Magician’s Lie. |
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Reviews with images
Very interesting!
**This is a Books for Christian Girls content review for girls ages 9-19. The Spiritual, Negative, & Sexual Content from this book are honestly listed below. Keep in mind, when reading a BFCG review, ignore the things that don't bother you, but take notice of the things that do.**About this book:“Not all illusions happen on the stage.Wren Lockhart, apprentice to master illusionist Harry Houdini, uses life on a vaudeville stage to escape the pain of her past. She continues her career of illusion after her mentor’s death, intent on burying her true identity.But when a rival performer’s act goes tragically wrong, the newly formed FBI calls on Wren to speak the truth—and reveal her real name to the world. She transfers her skills for misdirection from the stage to the back halls of vaudeville, as she finds herself the unlikely partner in the FBI’s investigation. All the while Houdini’s words echo in her mind: Whatever occurs, the crowd must believe it’s what you meant to happen. She knows that if anyone digs too deep, secrets long kept hidden may find their way to the surface—and shatter her carefully controlled world.Set during one of the richest, most vibrant eras in American history, this Jazz Age novel of illusion, suspense, and forgotten pasts is perfect for fans of The Magician’s Lie, challenging all to find the underpinnings of faith on their own life’s stage.”Series: As of now, no.Spiritual Content- 1 Corinthians 15:55 at the beginning; Prayers; A mini-talk about a gift Wren has received (salvation); A couple ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & His light; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of faiths & religion; A few mentions of thanking God, the Almighty & Providence; A few mentions of miracles;*Note: Nearly all about mentions of mediums, séances, spells, talking to/summing spirits, & bringing a dead person back to life; Many mentions of spiritualists, spiritualism & defrauding them; Mentions of magic & mysticism; A mention of bad press being damning.Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘blasted’s, two ‘darn’s, and two ‘stupid’s; A bit of eye rolling; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Pain, blood, passing out, being shot at, injuries, guns aimed, gunfire, almost drowning & kidnappings (up to semi-detailed); An explosion & smoke (semi-detailed); Punching someone (up to semi-detailed); *Spoiler* [Wren’s mother died protecting Wren & her sister (she was pushed down the stairs by her abusive husband indirectly, both girls saw it and we see flashbacks of that day, up to semi-detailed) (hide spoiler)]*End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of wars, deaths, graves, bodies/corpses, killing, murders & bringing a dead person to life again; Mentions of hit men, gunfire, being shot, blood & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of hangings; Mentions of physical abuse & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a drug & someone poisoned; Mentions of threats; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of gamblers, debts, loan sharks & cons; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, bootleggers, spiked drinks, the Prohibition & a mean drunk; Mentions of pubs, pints & drunks; Mentions of cigarettes & smoking; Mentions of lies, liars & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of thieves; A few mentions of jail & prison; A few mentions of blackmail; A few mentions of punching someone; A few mentions of a stuffed big-game cat (up to semi-detailed); A couple mentions of a hostage situation & murder; A couple mentions of crime scenes; A couple mentions of knifes; A couple mentions of a hangover.Sexual Content- a cheek kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and two semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Nearness & Embraces (up to semi-detailed); Noticing; *Spoiler* [Wren was conceived out of wedlock (hide spoiler)]*End of Spoiler*; Mentions of flirts & flirting; Mentions of slang for different women & their occupations; A few mentions of kisses & touches; A few mentions of blushes; A couple mentions of men’s appreciating women’s looks; Love, falling in love & the emotions;*Note: A couple mentions of a woman’s only talent being to shimmy around on a stage.-Wren Lockhart, age 26-Elliot MatthewsP.O.V. switches between them & her mother (twice)Set in 1926-1927 {Flashbacks to 1907, 1910, 1916 & 1924}351 pages~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Pre Teens- One StarNew Teens- One StarEarly High School Teens- Two StarsOlder High School Teens- Three StarsMy personal Rating- Three StarsWhat an interesting book. This was my first book by this author and it had an almost a poetic style of writing. I'm not quite sure where to start on these final thoughts, so let's just jump in.Wren. At first, I was thinking she might be a little over-the-top or very much like a suffrage woman of that time period, but she was very different. And I liked that about her. She didn't wear a men's suits to shock people, she did it to keep up her act. She was dedicated to what she was doing. She had that mysterious, independent, intriguing vibe about her. She has to be one of the more unique heroines I've read about in Christian fiction—especially as one that wasn’t set one way or another on the suffrage movement. Her personal story was quite sad though. (And mentions of the abuse brought down the ratings.) She kept her wit about her though and it was quite entertaining. I actually wasn't aware this would be a romance story, so Elliot came out of left field for me. He was interesting as well, but I would have liked to learn a bit more about him.There wasn't an over whelming amount of faith content in this novel, but what was there came more towards the end and it was nicely done. :)Some might take sensitivity towards all the mentions of magic, mediums, and bringing someone back to life from the dead—as those were all topics talked about and mentioned often.Overall, in my opinion, it was a very intriguing and interesting plot. I'm curious to read some of the author's other books.*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.
Top reviews from other countries
Karen Vandyken
Bravo for The Illusionist's Apprentice!!
Reviewed in Canada on March 23, 2017
