Born of Deception

May 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Anna Van Housen, the heroine from Born of Illusion (HarperCollins, 2013) returns in this sequel. The book opens with Anna's arrival in England where she will rehearse her solo magic act before her upcoming European vaudeville tour. She is met by the enigmatic Cole, her former neighbor, fellow Sensitive, and boyfriend. While in London, the teen hopes to learn more about herself and other Sensitives-those gifted with paranormal abilities-by joining the Society for Psychical Research. Upon her arrival, Anna's hopes are dashed. Cole seems distant, and the Society seems more interested in controlling its members rather than helping them control their powers. When one of the organization's Sensitives is ritualistically murdered and the protagonist is targeted with a curse, the race is on to find the killer before it is too late. Anna and Cole's romance is plagued by the pair's reticence and new complications. His family resides in England and they don't approve of her background or career. Met with her beau's increasingly reserved and inattentive manner, Anna turns to handsome fellow vaudevillian, Bronco Billy, for friendship. Although she has temporarily relocated to London, is surrounded by a host of new characters, and embroiled in a new life, the lead's tale in this volume feels the same as in the first. Readers will be able to check off the boxes of romance, magic, mystery, and intrigue in this competent work, but it will most likely be popular with fans of the previous installment.-Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2014
American Anna Van Housen, gifted teenage empath and illusionist, finds herself newly expatriated in Europe, but the dangers (and romantic tension) are just as great across the pond.In this stark departure from its predecessor, Born of Illusion (2013), and its glittering Jazz Age backdrop of seances and speak-easies, Anna finds herself in dreary London alongside her beau, Cole, performing at the top of the bill with a new troupe. In England, her affiliation with the Society for Psychical Research deepens as she familiarizes herself with many of its members. As she puzzles out which members she deems trustworthy, others start disappearing or, even worse, are found murdered. In a new country and with no certainties anywhere, Anna must use her powers-both psychic and physical-to find the perpetrator before it's too late. To make her footing even less steady, she meets another handsome performer who makes her question her longstanding feelings for the aloof Cole. Brown's sophomore tale offers a riveting mix of mystery, romance and history, paced with enough chapter-ending cliffhangers to ensure that its readers cannot-and will not-put this down; expect readers to clamor for more of Anna's adventures.A must-read for fans of historical fantasy. (Historical fantasy. 13-16)

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June 1, 2014
Grades 8-12 Jazz Age London is the setting for this sequel to Born of Illusion (2013), as Anna Van Housen leaves her mother behind in New York to join both vaudeville and the Society for Psychical Research. The former is to perform as a magician, and the latter on account of her talents as a Sensitive, who is able to see and feel what others can't. Soon she must put those psychic powers to the test to solve the mystery of an acquaintance supposedly killed for his blood. As in Illusion, there's more predictability than suspense, and both the romance and the language is a bit dull ( my pulse speeds up. He's just that beautiful ). But those who became intrigued by Anna and her predicaments, powers, and feelings for Cole in the first bookand those who wonder if Harry Houdini is really her fatherwill want to see what Brown has in store for this next trick.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
This sequel to Born of Illusion finds American illusionist Anna Van Housen, a psychically talented Sensitive, among England's Society for Psychical Research, but infighting and suspicion among its members leave her unsure of whom to trust. The new setting makes this a viable entry point into the series. The story's romantic subplot and lavish descriptions of Jazz-Age London are diverting.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)