Well worth the wait: My review of "Illusion" by Frank Peretti @Frankenbarb @Howard_Books

Publisher: Howard Books (March 6, 2012)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life—or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protégée, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy’s powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.

MY REVIEW

7 years is a long time to wait for a new book from an author. But in the case of Frank Peretti, I'll wait as long as necessary to be able to read what he writes!


Illusion is a masterpiece, a carefully crafted novel that grabbed me from the first page and held me spell-bound to the dramatic conclusion. I can confidently say that this is my favourite Frank Peretti book to date, a book that I not only found entertaining, but one that will long stay with me as I ponder the symbolism embedded in its pages. The characters simply breathe with life and mystery, Dane as he wonders how to go on living without the love of his life of 40 years by his side, and young Mandy as she tries to reconcile the fact that one moment she was in the 1970’s, and the next she is in the present day dressed in a hospital gown, wondering if she’s going crazy. I loved that both Dane and Mandy are magicians, and Peretti brilliantly combines their love of magic with the mysterious powers that Mandy discovers she has, power to manipulate objects to her whim. The plot unfolds layer by layer, revealing a unique premise that the book is built upon, plot concepts that I won’t fully explore here for fear of revealing too much, but that I can state are well-executed and will have you speeding through the pages. While the book may seem light on spiritual aspects on the surface, as you ponder the book you will realize that the book is a profound exploration of our souls and the reality that the person God created us to be exists outside of time and the external trappings of who we seem to be. The profound love shared between Dane and Mandy is a perfect picture of the love God has for us, a love that survives trials and tragedies, a love that surpasses our understanding and is so much more than we could imagine.

Be prepared to be entertained and held captive by Peretti’s latest work, which is sure to please fans of old and will no doubt capture a new generation of fans who will be eagerly awaiting Peretti’s next book. I know I will.

I award this book 5 out of 5 stars and my highest recommendation.

Book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Howard Books, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frank E. Peretti is one of American Christianity's best-known authors. His novels have sold over 10 million copies, and he is widely credited with reinventing Christian fiction. He and his wife, Barbara, live in the Pacific Northwest. www.frankperetti.com.

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