It’s 1896. As a group of illusionists prepare for a grand spectacle, one young woman, Cecily Marsden, harbours a secret. For she possesses impossible powers – powers she little understands.
Meanwhile Eadie Carleton, a pioneering early film-maker, struggles for her talent to be taken seriously, and a talented magician, George Perris, begins to see the potential in moving pictures.
But in order to achieve his dreams, George must first win over Miss Carleton.
As Cecily, George and Eadie’s worlds collide, Cec finds herself facing the fight of her life to save the grand performance from sabotage — and harness the real magic held deep within her.
The Illusions by Liz Hyder is published in paperback on 4 January, 2024.
Liz has written about the magicians and film-makers of the 1890s whose extraordinary inventions inspired her new novel.
