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

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With the focus firmly on Ren and Cas in this book, their character development was perfect. From sworn enemies to fighting feelings, they’re both on the run and running towards a new future. One where King Fernando will no longer rule. The only way forward is to find and retrieve the knife of memory, but that’s easier said than done and could come at a cost too great. Ungroup your party members and then cast a Greater Invisibility spell. On the second floor, there are four portals there but don’t interact with them. Go to the left side to find a Metal door.

In this guide, we’ll explore the Sorcerous Vault and will show you all the secrets, puzzles, and Rare Tomes Hidden in the Sorcerous Sundries Vault in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3). Praise for Zoraida Cordova ** With gorgeous writing, loads of action, and a surprising but satisfying ending, Illusionary has it all in spades. Lovers of high-fantasy series featuring fierce heroines, like those by Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, or Tomi Adeyemi, will not want to miss it Thank you Zoraida Córdova and Little, Brown and Company for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved the expanded world-building here, where we get to explore outside of Puerto Leones (a kingdom seemingly inspired by inquisition era Spain, which hunts the magic wielding Moria) and gives us a glimpse at the different cultures (and customs) that exist outside of Puerto Leones.When the main character is forced to partner with the villain of the story, you just know that tension will be brewing and dear, there’s some real tension. Illusionary gave us more snippets of Renata’s past which provided answers and confirmation to some questions formulated from reading the first book. I’ve always loved Renata, Castian and Leo but this is where I fell head over heels in love with Castian, I’ve always known there’s something more to him than just being the Matahermano. And as for Leo, we get to see more of him in Illusionary which I consider one of the best gifts Zoraida Cordova have given us. I also loved the introduction of the new characters. And, if there are characters that I loved, there are also characters that I hated. And when I say hated, I mean really hated. You know those characters who just don’t learn? They made my blood boil! Thank you so much Hachette Book Group Canada for, providing me with a physical copy of Illusionary. Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

I loved the expanded world-building here, where we get to explore outside of Puerto Leones (a kingdom seemingly inspired by inquisition era Spain, Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata has few options and fewer allies. Reluctantly, she agrees to join forces with Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. Their goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. 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. Together they go in search of the Knife of Memory, a mystical weapon they hope will be the answer to defeating Castian’s father, the tyrannical King Fernando, and bringing peace to their kingdom, which has been torn apart by the oppression of Renata’s people, the magical Moria. The more the duo traverse the world, over land and across seas, making enemies and friends along the way, the more they realize that the bonds between history and memory are intrinsically connected but hopelessly severed. As Renata’s mental clarity starts to fall apart under the weight of so many minds whose memories she has stolen, her turmoil increases: If she loses herself, can she accomplish what needs to be done to save her people? Adventure, romance, and magic entwine in this fierce sequel infused with assured writing, lovable characters, and a taut plot that merges multiple threads about accountability, surviving trauma, and building a new life as well as a new nation. A breathtakingly romantic plotline that speaks of survival, forgiveness, and friendship is the cherry on top of a story full of brown-skinned people in a world inspired by Spain. Even as there are many adventures and escapades in their fight to defeat King Fernado - the focus in this book is on self discovery and self acceptance. Both Ren and Cas are tortured by the things they’ve done in the past and struggle to forgive themselves. The slow burn of their relationship is delicious and made even more painful by the spectre of Dez and what he means to both of them.Just as a painter creates the illusion of depth on a flat canvas, our brain creates the illusion of depth based on information arriving from our essentially two-dimensional retinas. Illusions show us that depth, color, brightness, and shape are not absolute terms but are subjective, relative experiences created actively by our brain's circuits. This is true not only of visual experiences but of any and all sensory perceptions, and even of how we ponder our emotions, thoughts, and memories. Whether we are experiencing the feeling of "redness," the appearance of "square­ness," or emotions such as love and hate, these are the result of the activity of neurons in our brain. An epic and spellbinding fantasy, Incendiary is a darkly rich tapestry of twisted magic, deadly consequences, and riveting stakes In 2005, Bevil Conway and his colleagues showed that Kitaoka's illusory layout drives the responses of motion-sensitive neurons in the visual cortex, providing a neural basis for why most people (but not all) perceive motion in the image: We see the snakes rotate because our visual neurons respond as if the snakes were actually in motion.

I admit that plot wise I preferred the first book. The court intrigue of Incendiary did it for me a little more than the runaway adventure story we got in Illusionary and some aspects—especially the ending—could have been more fleshed out. But you know me, I’m a character driven reader at heart, and when the characters get me, there’s little than can be done to spare my soul. Illusionary was very much a character driven book and the development of characters and relationships overrode the plot.Renata learned a great deal more about herself and how powers here and I loved how that came about. There was so much fear and suffering in her life and to read about her finally feeling grounded and sure of her purpose and what she had to do, despite the bumps along the way, was such great story-telling.