MY DEAR ILLUSION

In Ready’s fantasy series opener, a woman harboring a rare ability mingles with conjurers engaged in a potentially deadly competition.

New Yorker Mari Locke, a 22-year-old orphan, has grown up in a hidden world of conjurers who wield illusions. The greedy man who’s raised her, Jagger, has coerced her into a life of thievery. Mari has become an exceptional thief, primarily because she’s a born lockpick, which means she has the ability to break apart any illusions (“In this world, a lockpick is the best defense and the greatest weapon. If you control a lockpick, you can own the world”). Jagger’s latest plan could earn Mari not only her freedom but a chance at revenge against the man who killed her parents. It involves the upcoming Hundred Year Games, in which the four families of conjurers (the Wards, Bards, Smiths, and Clarks) compete for the crown. As she can’t take part in the games, she’ll be the “body” (akin to a page) for Finn Alterra, the Smith family head’s estranged, half-human/half-conjurer son. (Mari must first ensure the families will allow Finn to join the competition as a paladin.) Once he wins, she will, per Jagger’s orders, steal the crown and kill Finn. That’s even harder than it sounds, as Mari isn’t sure whom she can trust, including Finn, a full-fledged addict dependent on the depressant-like solange (a drug that reveals the falsity of conjurers’ illusions). Further complicating matters, Mari finds herself drawn to Finn, who seemingly reciprocates despite having a fiancée. As murder isn’t unheard of in the Hundred Year Games, there’s a chance Finn won’t make it out alive—much like Mari herself, if any of the conjurers discover her ability.

Ready’s epic-length novel takes its time establishing its magical world and extensive cast. Mari’s backstory alone is dense; as a “nine,” she returns to life after she dies—she has a limited number of resurrections (“If she’s so careless as to die right before the game, what’s to stop her from dying during them?”). She makes for a superb hero, displaying a near-perfect blend of strength and sympathy. It’s understandable that Finn catches her attention; there’s clearly much more behind his perpetual solange-enhanced daze. Supporting characters likewise shine, namely Jagger’s much kinder, on-again-off-again lover, Roumelade, and Mari’s fellow orphans Justice and Griff. With the spotlight predominantly on Mari, readers see little of the four games played (each family is in charge of one). There is, however, a novel narrative perspective courtesy of “the wind,” an enigmatic presence that sees what Mari can’t, such as occasional moments of gameplay or characters plotting against her. (“The wind was so struck by the mist rising off the black water and the droplets falling in a raindrop symphony over the moonlit night that it almost missed the trickster slipping through the front door of the Night Den.”) The story, despite its bulk, maintains tension. The frenetic, unpredictable final act makes checking out the forthcoming sequel a virtual necessity.

Extraordinary characters populate a fascinating, fully immersive world of magic and dangerous illusions.