Mundie Moms

Monday, October 10, 2016

ILLUSION by Martina Boone / Blog Tour: Book Review / Giveaway




Hello and welcome to the next stop on the ILLUSION blog tour! I am so thrilled to share my review for the final book in Martina Boone's Heirs of Watson Island. This is one series I've loved reading, and featuring on Mundie Moms. Along with my review, today's feature also includes a giveaway! Be sure to check it out at the end of this post. First, about the book:

ABOUT THE BOOK 



By: Martina Boone
Published by: Simon Pulse
Released on: October 25th, 2016
Series: Heirs of Watson Island #3
Purchase fromAmazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - I Loved It!
I received an arc to review from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review

Barrie must rescue her beloved and her family from evil spirits in the masterful conclusion to the Heirs of Watson Island trilogy.


Caged by secrets all around her and haunted by mistakes that have estranged her from Eight Beaufort, Barrie Watson is desperate to break the curse that puts her family in danger—without breaking the beautiful magic that protects Watson’s Landing. To do that, she must heal the rifts that have split the families of the island apart for three hundred years, unravel the mystery of the Fire Carrier and the spirits he guards, and take control of forces so deadly and awe-inspiring they threaten to overwhelm her.

With the spirits that cursed Watson Island centuries ago awake and more dangerous than ever, she finds an unlikely ally in the haunting and enigmatic Obadiah, whose motivations and power she still can’t read—or trust. His help comes at a price, however, plunging Barrie into a deadly maze of magic and wonder, mystery and intrigue that leads through history to places she never imagined she could go.


Compulsion hooked me, Persuasion swept me off my feet, and Illusion reminded me of why I fell in love with this captivating series. Reading the Heirs of Watson Island series is like reading a story that has been passed down for generations. It hooks you with it's Southern Gothic charm, and intoxicating romance. Enchants you with it's magic, history, legend and mystery. Makes you fall in love with it's characters, and Boone's beautiful writing. Most importantly it will make you ponder over the history, and the magic, and the real possibility of it all. The past and present collide perfectly to give readers a beautiful ending to a fanatic series!


Picking up right were Persuasion left off, Illusion thrust readers right back into the thick of things. Nothing is as easy as it once seemed. Relationships have been tested, trust broken, and love questioned. Truth is questioned, hearts are tested, and in the end some hard choices have to be made. Nothing is at it once was, and now the balance is about to be tested. 

The truth has a funny way of revealing itself. In her quest for answers, Barrie has to decide what's worth the risk, her heart, those she loves, or her duty. Barrie is not the girl she once was. She's grown and learned a lot over the course of this series. I love the character she's grown into. Really all the characters have grown a lot, including Barrie's love interest, Eight. I have loved getting to know these characters, and watching their relationships take shape, and grow. 


Aside from Barrie and Eight, I absolutely adore Aunt Pru. I love the relationship she and Barrie have, especially in this book. It's been wonderful watching these two grow closer and closer together as the series has gone on, and learn to really trust each other, and in each other.

Eight and Barrie are of course my two favorites. Their romance is so well written. It's slow burning, full of Southern charm, and intoxicating. Barrie and Eight have something special, and I love the way Boone brings their relationship to life. I'll admit, I was really worried about what was going to happen with these two after the ending Persuasion. I love how things are admitted, talked about, and worked out. 


Once again, the history in this book is spellbinding! Yep, I used that word for a reason... Spellbinding aside, I LOVE the way history is infused into this story. It's rich, vividly detailed, and beautifully crafted. I love the way Boone brought history to life in this series. I felt like I actually learned some history while I read this series. I loved it! It's evident that Boone did a lot of thorough research before writing this series. 


Martina Boone has a magical way with words. I loved the way she not only brought her vivid world to life, the way she told and wrapped up her character's stories, and the way she brought history to life. This series is so epic in the way it's written and told. Boone also shows no fear in when it comes to including tough issues that not only plague us today, but ones that are found through out history. Issues like prejudices, slavery, sexism, rape, free will, etc. There is so much that is included in this series, that after I finished it, I felt like I not only was told a fanatic story, I walked away feeling like I learned something. I would only hope that this series is one that's in high school classrooms, and libraries. There is a lot that can be learned from this series, not only with the craft of storytelling, but with writing, research, and creativity. 


I have loved every moment I have spent reading this series. Martina Boone is a fanatic writer. I easily fell in love with her characters, the history, the setting, and her writing style. Normally it's bitter sweet when a series ends, but this ending left me feeling like these characters and their journeys came full circle. There was nothing else to say. This ending was perfect for these characters and this series. While it's always hard to say good bye to a series you've fallen in love with, I can not wait to read Martina's next book! I highly recommend picking this one up! 


If you've not yet picked up the Heirs of Watson Island series, now is a great time to do so, because you read the series all together. Check out my reviews for Compulsion and Persuasion



ABOUT MARTINA BOONE



Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. Her first teacher in the U.S. made fun of her for not pronouncing the "wh" sound right, so she set out to master "all the words”—she's still working on that! In the meantime she’s writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she'd love to visit. 

If you like romance steeped in mystery, mayhem, Spanish moss, and a bit of magic, she hopes you'll look forward to meeting Barrie, Eight, Cassie, Pru, Seven and the other characters of Watson Island.

Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest


ENTER TO WIN


2 Complete Sets of the Heirs of Watson Island series (US Only)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


FOLLOW THE TOUR


Week 1:

Week 2:
10/14: The Irish Banana Review – Q&A

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