Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova (review)

Since being left for dead and betrayed by her fellow rebels at the end of Incendiary (BCCB 4/20), Renata has found a reluctant partner in Castian, the prince of Puerto Leones, who is on the run both from Renata’s former comrades and his own father. In order to oust King Fernando before he can weaponize the magically gifted Moria against the populace, the pair must find the Knife of Memory, a rumored artifact that might be one of Fernando’s few weaknesses. The hunt proves to be riddled with dangers and betrayals, not to mention the challenges of the romantic tension between Ren and Cas and of Ren’s erratic control of her ability to take people’s memories. In this conclusion to the Hollow Crown duology, Córdova again effortlessly balances rich characterization, breathless action, and expansive world building, anchoring various story threads in Renata and her search to save both herself and her kingdom from a traumatic past that threatens to doom their future. The push and pull relationship between Ren and Cas is developed beyond a romance trope into a true connection as each deals with understandable trust issues, and it’s as steamy as it is sighworthy. The story behind the Knife of Memory is a bit murky, but readers who’ve already bought into the book’s mythology will likely not require detailed specifics. The ending is happy but certainly leaves room for further developments in Puerto Leones; this is a must read for fans of Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy or Legrand’s Empirium Trilogy.