A review by slimikin
Illusion by Paula Volsky

5.0

Illusion is one of my favorite fantasy novels: I read it for the first time when I was fourteen, and I've read it countless times since then. Paula Volsky brings together elements from the American, Russian, and French revolutions, mixes it with a touch of magic, and lets it loose on her heroine, Eliste vo Derrivale. Eliste, a spoiled and naive member of the wealthy upper class, is forced to come to terms with the realities of her nation, its people, and the strengths and desires of her own heart. Poignant, romantic, and suspenseful, Illusion is that rare breed of stand-alone fantasy novel capable of spinning an epic story.