Book Review - The Illusionists
SET in London in 1885, the story begins with the charismatic showman and illusionist Devil Wix recruiting dwarf performer Carlo Boldoni as part of his magic show.
Thanks to some Victorian era special effects provided by mechanical genius Heinrich Bayer, they soon became the headliners of Palmyra Theatre.
One day after a skirmish, they meet Eliza, an unconventional and free-spirited woman who doesn’t want to be stifled in the humdrum life of a wife like her sister. Instead, she prefers posing nude for artists.
When she meets the charismatic Devil, she accepts his offer to join his troupe, setting off a chain reaction that will affect the entire world.
Things get naturally complicated when romance (Eliza has more than one suitor chasing after her), some elements of danger, and devious scheming gets thrown into the mix.
The story starts off well but, unfortunately, loses its pace towards the end.
Still, as a whole, it is a pretty good effort, even though some parts of the plot are pretty unbelievable.