Born of Deception

by Teri Brown

Overview

Perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Anna Godbersen, this thrilling historical suspense novel—and sequel to Born of Illusion—tells the story of a teen illusionist who must harness her special powers and navigate the underworld of magic before her murderous enemies catch up with her.

After scoring a spot on a European vaudeville tour, Anna Van Housen is moving to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. But when Anna arrives, she finds the group in turmoil—one of its members has been kidnapped, and members of the society are starting to turn on one another. Her life in danger and her relationship with her boyfriend, Cole, fizzling, can Anna track down the kidnapper before he makes her his next victim—or will she be forced to pay the ultimate price for her powers?

Lovers of historical fiction and stories filled with romance and intrigue will fall for Born of Deception and its world of magic set in Jazz Age London.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062187598
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/10/2014
Series:	Born of Illusion , #2
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	527 KB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Teri Brown is most proud of her children, but coming in a close second is the fact that she jumped out of an airplane and beat the original Legend of Zelda video game. She is a word scribbler, head banger, math hater, book reader, food fixer, kitty keeper, and city slicker. She is also the author of the Born of Illusion novels. Teri lives with her husband and way too many pets in Portland, Oregon.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2014
Gr 8 Up—Anna Van Housen, the heroine from Born of Illusion (HarperCollins, 2013) returns in this sequel. The book opens with Anna's arrival in England where she will rehearse her solo magic act before her upcoming European vaudeville tour. She is met by the enigmatic Cole, her former neighbor, fellow Sensitive, and boyfriend. While in London, the teen hopes to learn more about herself and other Sensitives—those gifted with paranormal abilities—by joining the Society for Psychical Research. Upon her arrival, Anna's hopes are dashed. Cole seems distant, and the Society seems more interested in controlling its members rather than helping them control their powers. When one of the organization's Sensitives is ritualistically murdered and the protagonist is targeted with a curse, the race is on to find the killer before it is too late. Anna and Cole's romance is plagued by the pair's reticence and new complications. His family resides in England and they don't approve of her background or career. Met with her beau's increasingly reserved and inattentive manner, Anna turns to handsome fellow vaudevillian, Bronco Billy, for friendship. Although she has temporarily relocated to London, is surrounded by a host of new characters, and embroiled in a new life, the lead's tale in this volume feels the same as in the first. Readers will be able to check off the boxes of romance, magic, mystery, and intrigue in this competent work, but it will most likely be popular with fans of the previous installment.—Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

School Library Journal

A riveting mix of mystery, romance and history” — Kirkus Reviews

“Those who became intrigued by Anna and her predicaments, powers, and feelings…will want to see what Brown has in store for this next trick.” — Booklist

Praise for BORN OF ILLUSION: “Characterization is a strength in this first-person narrative, in which the setting, New York City in the 1920s, is so richly drawn as to become a character in itself …. Will appeal to fans of Libba Bray.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for BORN OF ILLUSION: “Anna’s strong personality and her complex relationship with her mother (who mixes love with professional jealousy), as well as a slightly supernatural romance, provide lots of teen appeal. ” — The Horn Book

Praise for BORN OF ILLUSION: “Teri Brown deftly creates magic and romance on every intense page. Readers won’t forget the grace and gumption of Anna Van Housen.” — Carrie Jones, internationally bestselling author of the Need series

From the Publisher

Praise for BORN OF ILLUSION: “Teri Brown deftly creates magic and romance on every intense page. Readers won’t forget the grace and gumption of Anna Van Housen.

Carrie Jones

Praise for BORN OF ILLUSION: “Anna’s strong personality and her complex relationship with her mother (who mixes love with professional jealousy), as well as a slightly supernatural romance, provide lots of teen appeal.

The Horn Book

Those who became intrigued by Anna and her predicaments, powers, and feelings…will want to see what Brown has in store for this next trick.

Booklist

Those who became intrigued by Anna and her predicaments, powers, and feelings…will want to see what Brown has in store for this next trick.

Booklist

2014-04-16
American Anna Van Housen, gifted teenage empath and illusionist, finds herself newly expatriated in Europe, but the dangers (and romantic tension) are just as great across the pond.In this stark departure from its predecessor, Born of Illusion (2013), and its glittering Jazz Age backdrop of séances and speak-easies, Anna finds herself in dreary London alongside her beau, Cole, performing at the top of the bill with a new troupe. In England, her affiliation with the Society for Psychical Research deepens as she familiarizes herself with many of its members. As she puzzles out which members she deems trustworthy, others start disappearing or, even worse, are found murdered. In a new country and with no certainties anywhere, Anna must use her powers—both psychic and physical—to find the perpetrator before it's too late. To make her footing even less steady, she meets another handsome performer who makes her question her longstanding feelings for the aloof Cole. Brown's sophomore tale offers a riveting mix of mystery, romance and history, paced with enough chapter-ending cliffhangers to ensure that its readers cannot—and will not—put this down; expect readers to clamor for more of Anna's adventures.A must-read for fans of historical fantasy. (Historical fantasy. 13-16)

Kirkus Reviews