This was a zingy romantasy with sass and great characters.
Heir of Illusion by Madeline Taylor is now available to buy, click below!
Iverson Pomeroy (Ivy) is the king’s “pet” with a literal collar that he uses to control her, but she keeps a secret from him – while he knows she’s an illusionist, he doesn’t know the extent of her power, nor that she works for others as well as him. When she meets a dark stranger, a reaper who can see straight through her illusions, she realises she has a chance to escape: Thorne is hunting for the same weapon as her, a dangerous one which is slowly taking control of the city, but can free her from the collar.
This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of early 2026 due to early reviews rating it very highly and a list of tropes that fit my current obsessions like a glove – enemies to lovers, touch her and die, shadow daddies, assassins…the list goes on. And fortunately, it did fit the bill very well. Heir of Illusion had me totally hooked and constantly second guessing everything that was happening.
Others have compared this to Fourth Wing combined with Throne of Glass. I get the parallels, especially with Throne of Glass, but I’m also getting Rhysand vibes from ACOTAR from Thorne. In places, the story had other similarities like a found family with bantery vibes, but the story was original enough that it stood on its own feet.
This is a book full of secrets and lies. While we follow the narrator, she doesn’t always know what’s going on which means we’re subject to a few narrative curveballs and mic drop moments along with her, which is always fun. I did somewhat anticipate the big twist (and cliffhanger moment!) at the end, but I think that’s because I watched a reel from the author which hinted at the premise for it, so I was looking for clues throughout. I’m excited for more of these secrets to be revealed in future books – you can feel a whole lot more brewing beneath the surface and I’m constantly suspicious of everyone!
Read more:
- We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark – Romantasy Book Review
- The Book of Blood and Roses by Annie Summerlee – Romantasy Book Review
- Godstorm by Solitaire Townsend – Fantasy Book Review
- Wicked Onyx by Debbie Cassidy – Romantasy Book Review
I wouldn’t call this a 6 star read for me, but it was a very very strong 5 star read. I’m hoping it’s the same as ACOTAR where the first book was brilliant, but it was the second that really knocked me off my feet! I really loved it and can’t wait for the next one – who thought that cliffhanger was a good idea when this book isn’t even out yet?!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.
