The Lord of Illusion

Starred review from December 12, 2011
Fans will adore the satisfying conclusion (after The Lady of the Storm) of Kennedy’s Elven Lords romantic fantasy series. In a medieval England invaded by elves, the human rebellion has gained in strength thanks to the efforts of the elf/human half-breeds, and rebels have managed to steal several of the scepters that channel the lords’ magic. Drystan Hawkes is an unexpected hero, a curator and historian of magical artifacts. The scepters send him visions of Camille Ashton, one of the elves’ human slaves, and hint that she is the key to the rebellion’s success. In love with Camille from his visions, Drystan is overjoyed when he finally finds her, but daunted by the twin challenges of uncovering Camille’s powers and teaching her about loyalty, trust, and love. The world sings with vivid imagery and fantastic magic, and all the previous characters join forces in a thrilling final fight for humankind. Agent: Book Cents Literary Agency.

February 15, 2012

For years, the Rebellion has secretly fought to free England from the cruel tyranny of the mad elven lords. Now, half-elven Lord Drystan Hawkes has found the means to evict the elves and send them back to Elfhame, but he needs the help of the white witch of Ashton House, the multicolored elven-eyed woman of his visions and dreams and a slave in the court of Roden, the malicious lord of glamour and illusion. After saving Camille's life, Drystan claims her as his "slave" and slowly wins her trust and eventually her love as they work to unlock the secret of the portal between the human and elven realms. VERDICT In an exquisitely imagined alternate 18th-century England in which startling magic and vivid illusion are the norm, well-matched protagonists and an engaging supporting cast (including a remarkable dragon) come together in an action-packed adventure that will appeal to both romance and fantasy fans and beautifully concludes Kennedy's popular trilogy. Kennedy (The Lady of the Storm) lives in Glendale, AZ.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2012
The third book in Kennedy's Elven Lords series is the story of Drystan Hawkes and Camille Ashton. Forced to give up his birthright when it looked like his magic was powerful enough to condemn him, he was raised outside Elf-ruled England. She is a slave with rainbow-colored elven eyes, but no magic, and is seemingly cursed. Drystan has always been an outcast, taking refuge in books because of convulsions and visions inflicted on him by the scepters stolen by the Rebellion. Finding a rainbow-eyed girl seen in his visions becomes his obsession. Just as his research opens up clues as to the identity of the girl, the Rebellion taps Drystan to go to the palace of Lord Roden, which is where Camille is enslaved. Kennedy's world building, featuring an eighteenth-century England ruled by cruel elven lords facing a rising rebellion of their half-human offspring, is superb. The hero and heroine are also out of the ordinary, and while this novel remains true to romance-genre mores, Kennedy infuses it with unexpected plot twists that will keep fantasy readers enthralled, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)