Illusionarium

Starred review from March 23, 2015
Dixon (Entwined) returns with a steampunk take on a holodeck—or possibly on LSD, depending on how one views the experience of fantillium, a mysterious compound that allows illusionists to imagine a reality that others can share. Jonathan Gouden, son and apprentice to the second-best medical scientist in the empire, discovers that he is just such an illusionist when the king himself demands Dr. Gouden’s services in researching a cure for the Venen plague, which the queen has contracted. The catch? Fantillium causes acedia, the withering of conscience, a process already far advanced in the only other researcher working on the Venen cure. When the amoral researcher, Lady Florel, flees into the alternate reality, it falls to Jonathan to follow in her footsteps as those he loves become ill. Dixon casts Jonathan not as a pinup daredevil but as an ordinary, decent person who does some extraordinary (and morally questionable) things along the way. Her steampunk world is vibrantly imagined, and the page-turning quality of Jonathan’s wry narration (complete with footnotes and sub-footnotes) will have readers fully invested in his story. Ages 13–up. Agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

February 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Jonathan is a teenager apprenticed to his father, whose life is turned upside down when the King docks his airship at their port in Fata Morgana and insists that they work with the famed scientist Lady Florel to find the cure to a deadly new illness. The mysterious sickness, which kills women exactly six days after contraction, has attacked the Queen and threatens to spread through their whole civilization. A new drug, "fantillium," which allows certain individuals to create group hallucinations, may hold the key to their survival-or it could be Jonathan's ultimate downfall. As he uses his ability to create illusions to try to find the cure, Jonathan also finds a way to enter alternate realities and discovers that Lady Florel is not who she claims to be. Forced to fight in an lllusionarium battle (reminiscent of "The Hunger Games"), the protagonist makes unlikely allies and ultimately comes out victorious. This steampunk fantasy set in a futuristic London features so many fantasy elements, plot twists, and dramatic crescendos that it is easy to lose the thread of the story. Still, the lovable characters and the story's originality will appeal to some readers. VERDICT Recommended as an additional purchase for places looking to expand their steampunk offerings.-Sunnie Lovelace, Wallingford Public Library, CT

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