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The Elven Lords #3
The Lord of Illusion
He'll do anything to save her...
Rebel Lord Drystan Hawkes dreams of fighting for England's freedom. He gets his chance when he finds a clue to opening the magic portal to Elfhame, and he must race to find the slave girl who holds the key to the mystery. But even as Drystan rescues Camille Ashton from Dreamhame Palace, it becomes unclear exactly who is saving whom.
For the fate of humankind lies with Camille...
Enslaved for years in a realm where illusion and glamour reign, Camille has learned to trust nothing and no one. But she's truly spellbound when she meets Drystan—a man different from any she's ever known, and the force of their passion may yet be strong enough to banish the Elven Lords from this world forever.
Rebel Lord Drystan Hawkes dreams of fighting for England's freedom. He gets his chance when he finds a clue to opening the magic portal to Elfhame, and he must race to find the slave girl who holds the key to the mystery. But even as Drystan rescues Camille Ashton from Dreamhame Palace, it becomes unclear exactly who is saving whom.
For the fate of humankind lies with Camille...
Enslaved for years in a realm where illusion and glamour reign, Camille has learned to trust nothing and no one. But she's truly spellbound when she meets Drystan—a man different from any she's ever known, and the force of their passion may yet be strong enough to banish the Elven Lords from this world forever.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
26 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Kathryne Kennedy
20 books215 followersAs a college grad, business owner, and writer, Kathryne has published nearly a dozen short stories in the SFF/Romance genre, receiving Honorable Mention twice in the 'Writers of the Future' contest. Being a self-proclaimed "Air Force brat," Kathryne has traveled a great deal, and over the years has lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S
She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, two sons, and the rest of her family (including two chihuahuas named Precious and Baggins (think Lord of the Rings) who she's rather fond of).
She currently resides in Arizona with her husband, two sons, and the rest of her family (including two chihuahuas named Precious and Baggins (think Lord of the Rings) who she's rather fond of).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 9, 2012
This is the third and last book in the series. The Elven rule is to come to an end, or least the rebels hope so. Many years have gone by since book 1 and in this book we meet Drystan Hawkes. The couple from book 2 has raised him in Wales and so the story continues.
Drystan is more of the bookish kind of hero, and I do love a hero who loves books. He is also in love with a woman he has been dreaming of and wants to find her. And we all know that that woman will be the mysterious slave girl. Camille who has been mistreated and does not trust men. It's not a love story that will be easy but true love will always win and their passion can conquer everything.
The book is about these two finding each other, the rebels trying to win the war and the cruelty of the Elven Lords. It's quite the race to the finish line.
One thing I was not too happy about and that was that there was a mention of two other couples that has stolen scepters and I felt cheated. I wanted to read their stories, but I can't since they are not written, and I really wish they had been written. Instead it had jumped over a few important things and come to this point so that there could be ending to it all. Still I liked the book even if I felt like I wanted to read those stories too.
Conclusion:
It's an enchanting story about love, passion and magic.
Drystan is more of the bookish kind of hero, and I do love a hero who loves books. He is also in love with a woman he has been dreaming of and wants to find her. And we all know that that woman will be the mysterious slave girl. Camille who has been mistreated and does not trust men. It's not a love story that will be easy but true love will always win and their passion can conquer everything.
The book is about these two finding each other, the rebels trying to win the war and the cruelty of the Elven Lords. It's quite the race to the finish line.
One thing I was not too happy about and that was that there was a mention of two other couples that has stolen scepters and I felt cheated. I wanted to read their stories, but I can't since they are not written, and I really wish they had been written. Instead it had jumped over a few important things and come to this point so that there could be ending to it all. Still I liked the book even if I felt like I wanted to read those stories too.
Conclusion:
It's an enchanting story about love, passion and magic.
February 15, 2012
Story Rating 4.5 stars
Character Rating 4 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Imagination 5 stars
Heat Level 2.5 stars
Overall Rating 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, it was a good addition to this series and I'm sad to see it end.
This whole series was written with really fantastic imagination. Those of you who love reading books with Dragons, Elves, magic and really cool places and things would really enjoy this series. To tell the truth I'm surprised that more of my friends at goodreads have not read this series.
Since this was the last book in the series, all the good guy's joined forces to get rid of the bad ones. The end battle was very well written and had plenty of action and imagination. This book also had plenty of romance and love. The love scenes were very well done but for me I wish there would have been a little more heat, LOL. The ending was a HEA and it tied everything up.
I look forwards to seeing what Kathryne Kennedy will write next :)
Character Rating 4 stars
Romance Rating 5 stars
Imagination 5 stars
Heat Level 2.5 stars
Overall Rating 4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, it was a good addition to this series and I'm sad to see it end.
This whole series was written with really fantastic imagination. Those of you who love reading books with Dragons, Elves, magic and really cool places and things would really enjoy this series. To tell the truth I'm surprised that more of my friends at goodreads have not read this series.
Since this was the last book in the series, all the good guy's joined forces to get rid of the bad ones. The end battle was very well written and had plenty of action and imagination. This book also had plenty of romance and love. The love scenes were very well done but for me I wish there would have been a little more heat, LOL. The ending was a HEA and it tied everything up.
I look forwards to seeing what Kathryne Kennedy will write next :)
February 28, 2016
This was definitely the weakest book in the series (the first was the best by far). The romantic plot was mildly enjoyable, but it was over quickly in favor of the Rebellion storyline, making the book feel uneven. The characters weren't unlikeable, but they were uninteresting because they were portrayed as far too perfect. Far too many new characters and their romantic partners were introduced toward the end. I didn't know these people or care about them, yet they participated in the climactic scene. Every time the author described someone's features, either "elven" or "human" was used as an adjective. Every time. Including for all those new characters.
I just found out there's a short story as Book 4 of this series. It's only $0.99, so I might read it and hope it's better than this one.
I just found out there's a short story as Book 4 of this series. It's only $0.99, so I might read it and hope it's better than this one.
February 29, 2012
Do you have those authors you love who sweep you into time to the Scottish Highlands or keep you biting your fingernails well into the night after pages of gripping suspense or make you wish you’d been born in London during the Regency era to attend glittering balls or any other number of romance scenarios when you read? I know you do. I hope you’ll add Kathryne Kennedy to that list, because she’s one of the best when it comes to magical paranormal romance. Glamor and glitter have nothing on this author’s imagination.
Her Georgian historical romances have given England a whole new look with evil Elven Lords who escaped from Elfhame to find entertainment from and power over the English people. The seven sovereignties of these lords include Dewhame, Firehame, Dreamhame, Terrahame, Verdanthame, Stonehame, and Bladehame – all boasting powers with the elements from each sovereignty. In this latest book we get a look at the wonders – and evils – of Dreamhame – illusions as real as can be dance around, become menacing, and can even kill. The Rebellion to send these lords back to Elfhame is closer to its goal, and now their success rests with Lord Drystan Hawkes, one of a number of half-breeds who pull together to triumph over magic to finally lead normal lives.
Drystan is a bookish young man, pouring over old records and texts to find the key to unlock the door to Elfhame to banish the lords. The few scepters the Rebellion has been able to steal from their respective sovereignties now talk to him on a regular basis, but at least now he knows he’s not possessed by the devil as other youngsters believed when Drystan would be overcome by the voices. He’s finally found the woman who bears the mark of the white witch who actually witnessed the lords’ arrival in England. Dreaming of her has only made him want her more, to save her, and to love her if she’ll allow. On the journey to Dreamhame, Drystan tries to harness his magic to aid in his upcoming fight, but at best he can conjure the most basic of illusions.
Having been a slave nearly her entire life, Camille Ashton has managed to rise above her station twice, to enjoy the accoutrements she’d never know otherwise, only to be slung back into the hell of whippings and rape along with forced service to those of the court. She now plans to make her escape, no matter how slim the chances of her making it. Her life is about to change in a big way, but she has no idea it’s headed in a direction that will save lives. It takes Lord Hawkes rescuing her from soldiers and his subsequent secrets to make her believe those changes will be for the better.
The romance between Drystan and Camille is absolutely beautiful. He’s known for so long she’s the woman for him and he vows to earn her love and her trust. But trust is something so very difficult for Camille to give. As she gets to know Drystan better, though, she realizes there will never be another man who she can trust more. Their love blossoms in an Elven garden alive with beauty, music, and danger and Drystan’s illusions that surround them in worlds all their own, but then they must face storms that will whirl them into crisis after crisis in their efforts to save England.
The scenes in the second half of this book when the Rebellion face the Elven Lords over the unlocking of the door to Elfhame are some of the best in the book. They’re action packed with dragons and the magic from each sovereignty being given center stage as the battle rages. Both Drystan and Camille have come into their own, finding out what they’re made of and how they fit into this desperate fight for freedom. We also get to catch up with previous characters, and my favorite, the Fire Lord, has had a rough time of it, and things only get worse before they get better. It’s nice to see him smile, though.
As usual, Ms. Kennedy delivers in a huge way with her magical world of this series. Her characters are strong but vulnerable, and watching them grow, even when they don’t seemingly need to, is a buildup that culminates in characters never imagined. No matter what this authors does in the future, I will be in line for every book I can get my hands on. I won’t miss any of Ms. Kennedy’s magic.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Her Georgian historical romances have given England a whole new look with evil Elven Lords who escaped from Elfhame to find entertainment from and power over the English people. The seven sovereignties of these lords include Dewhame, Firehame, Dreamhame, Terrahame, Verdanthame, Stonehame, and Bladehame – all boasting powers with the elements from each sovereignty. In this latest book we get a look at the wonders – and evils – of Dreamhame – illusions as real as can be dance around, become menacing, and can even kill. The Rebellion to send these lords back to Elfhame is closer to its goal, and now their success rests with Lord Drystan Hawkes, one of a number of half-breeds who pull together to triumph over magic to finally lead normal lives.
Drystan is a bookish young man, pouring over old records and texts to find the key to unlock the door to Elfhame to banish the lords. The few scepters the Rebellion has been able to steal from their respective sovereignties now talk to him on a regular basis, but at least now he knows he’s not possessed by the devil as other youngsters believed when Drystan would be overcome by the voices. He’s finally found the woman who bears the mark of the white witch who actually witnessed the lords’ arrival in England. Dreaming of her has only made him want her more, to save her, and to love her if she’ll allow. On the journey to Dreamhame, Drystan tries to harness his magic to aid in his upcoming fight, but at best he can conjure the most basic of illusions.
Having been a slave nearly her entire life, Camille Ashton has managed to rise above her station twice, to enjoy the accoutrements she’d never know otherwise, only to be slung back into the hell of whippings and rape along with forced service to those of the court. She now plans to make her escape, no matter how slim the chances of her making it. Her life is about to change in a big way, but she has no idea it’s headed in a direction that will save lives. It takes Lord Hawkes rescuing her from soldiers and his subsequent secrets to make her believe those changes will be for the better.
The romance between Drystan and Camille is absolutely beautiful. He’s known for so long she’s the woman for him and he vows to earn her love and her trust. But trust is something so very difficult for Camille to give. As she gets to know Drystan better, though, she realizes there will never be another man who she can trust more. Their love blossoms in an Elven garden alive with beauty, music, and danger and Drystan’s illusions that surround them in worlds all their own, but then they must face storms that will whirl them into crisis after crisis in their efforts to save England.
The scenes in the second half of this book when the Rebellion face the Elven Lords over the unlocking of the door to Elfhame are some of the best in the book. They’re action packed with dragons and the magic from each sovereignty being given center stage as the battle rages. Both Drystan and Camille have come into their own, finding out what they’re made of and how they fit into this desperate fight for freedom. We also get to catch up with previous characters, and my favorite, the Fire Lord, has had a rough time of it, and things only get worse before they get better. It’s nice to see him smile, though.
As usual, Ms. Kennedy delivers in a huge way with her magical world of this series. Her characters are strong but vulnerable, and watching them grow, even when they don’t seemingly need to, is a buildup that culminates in characters never imagined. No matter what this authors does in the future, I will be in line for every book I can get my hands on. I won’t miss any of Ms. Kennedy’s magic.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
January 31, 2016
I'm giving this book a four star review, but it's really pushing five.
The world of this series is a Georgian England ruled over by seven crazy Elven Lords who use their subjects as pawns in a game to control the King of England. Each Elven Lord has a scepter that allows him to concentrate his power. A rebellion has been undermining the lords and each book tells the story of a couple stealing a scepter from the lord. There are seven lords, this is the third book.
Because this book was to be the last, Kennedy had a lot of information to fit into it. Not only did she have to lead us through the events our heroes took part in, she had to fill in the important things that happened in the 40 years leading to the beginning of The Lord of Illusion.
Unfortunately, the story suffered for it. It was still a great read, but there was a lot of detail to the world and everything felt super rushed.
Definitely a recommended series - and it looks like Kennedy is thinking about some novellas in the same world to tell the untold stories. Will definitely read.
The world of this series is a Georgian England ruled over by seven crazy Elven Lords who use their subjects as pawns in a game to control the King of England. Each Elven Lord has a scepter that allows him to concentrate his power. A rebellion has been undermining the lords and each book tells the story of a couple stealing a scepter from the lord. There are seven lords, this is the third book.
Because this book was to be the last, Kennedy had a lot of information to fit into it. Not only did she have to lead us through the events our heroes took part in, she had to fill in the important things that happened in the 40 years leading to the beginning of The Lord of Illusion.
Unfortunately, the story suffered for it. It was still a great read, but there was a lot of detail to the world and everything felt super rushed.
Definitely a recommended series - and it looks like Kennedy is thinking about some novellas in the same world to tell the untold stories. Will definitely read.
January 18, 2012
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
How does one take a battered and abused woman and teach her to love? The answer is: very slowly and with as little magic as possible. Thing is, that’s hard to do when she’s stuck in a magical world as a slave and the master is a psychotic magic wielding elf with fits of paranoia. But Drystan wouldn’t be the hero he is if he didn’t try. And that is only one of the amazing journeys that a reader experiences on this final wild ride in a world where England is riddled with Fey power plays.
That’s been the overall story arc throughout this amazing series by the talented Ms. Kennedy – to free England from the elves’ maniacal rule. It’s been a long struggle with many great warriors dying for the cause and this story is no different. There are some very unexpected fatalities that occur and although they weren’t English, they were noble and honorable just the same – in their own way. But I get ahead of myself.
Even though there is a hero and heroine, Drystan Hawkes is the man who made the most impact on me. Whereas the heroine, Camille, has been in the magical part of England all her life, the hero has not. His experience is so unusual because he’s magically affected, even so far away. There’s a reason for that but I’m not saying how. Because of it and the fact that he’s in the small non-magical part of England, he ended up being a victim of prejudice and fear. It’s isolated him from society and he’s practically lived his life vicariously through books. How then can a man of limited actual experience jump into the middle of an active rebellion and expect to defeat the demented elf, save the girl and free England? Sounds complicated and it is which is why I’m so impressed with Ms. Kennedy’s writing. She kept a tight rein on all the plot threads while thoroughly entertaining me.
Give Camille her due, she’s had a horrific life. She’s truly been abused mentally, physically and socially. In a way, she reminded me of that Shirley Temple movie way back when the rich little girl was pampered and well treated but as soon as it was thought she was a pauper and orphaned, bad, nasty things happened until her daddy was found alive and she was rescued. Camille wasn’t as fortunate because her rescue will come years and years after her secure world was ripped from her. What I admired about her was her determination to rise above slave status. It took sheer guts to get knocked back as many times as she was only to get up and start over again. That kind of strength of character deserves to be rewarded and it is, with Drystan.
Drystan has an in as to what special handling Camille needs and that is where the romance begins. It’s a slow dance of trust building peppered with small gestures of respect and kindness. He shows the heroine admiration and gives her back honor and a sense of self worth. Does she trust it? No. That provides plenty of character driven conflict that kept me turning the pages.
The external conflict is varied. It bounces between secondary characters of ill intent and the main Fey lunatic, Lord Roden. There are magic battles, sword battles and lots of other kinds of action to keep a reader enthralled. There is a good support cast too which really rounded out the book.
Then there are the moments when fledgling love leads to tentative touches and soft caresses. I enjoyed that writing immensely. Again, Ms. Kennedy captured the emotions of her characters and shared it with readers with effective dialogue, descriptions and action, making the scenes come alive. When Camille finally allows herself to express her love to Drystan, it was beautiful, passionate and dare I say, quite inventive. The part with the Arabian Nights was deliciously naughty and I loved every word because it was so sexy and sensual.
The big climactic battle did not disappoint. It was hectic, frenetic and desperate. All the important characters came together from the previous books in the series to help out. There are tears, suspense and ultimately, jubilation. What happens to the elves wasn’t what I expected at all. But, the author proved once again that they just aren’t human. The comment about the scepters gave me pause and I’m filled with speculation. I am also very curious as to how England is going to look, sound and feel post-elf. I hope Ms. Kennedy has some secret plans to visit once again. Something that was said leads me to hope for the possibility.
The Lord of Illusion is sensory nirvana. I totally enjoyed Drystan’s idea of romantic ambiance and found it dreamy and delightful. I loved the descriptions and the author’s ability to capture emotions and translate into words just how much the hero loved the heroine. Some of them were truly poetic. When the action started and the swords started swinging, again, Ms. Kennedy made me feel like I was in the thick of it. The happily ever after was everything I could have hoped for and it ended the series on a solid note of hope, joy and optimism for the future. I’m going to miss this mad, magical world of England and I thank Ms. Kennedy for a wonderful reading experience.
How does one take a battered and abused woman and teach her to love? The answer is: very slowly and with as little magic as possible. Thing is, that’s hard to do when she’s stuck in a magical world as a slave and the master is a psychotic magic wielding elf with fits of paranoia. But Drystan wouldn’t be the hero he is if he didn’t try. And that is only one of the amazing journeys that a reader experiences on this final wild ride in a world where England is riddled with Fey power plays.
That’s been the overall story arc throughout this amazing series by the talented Ms. Kennedy – to free England from the elves’ maniacal rule. It’s been a long struggle with many great warriors dying for the cause and this story is no different. There are some very unexpected fatalities that occur and although they weren’t English, they were noble and honorable just the same – in their own way. But I get ahead of myself.
Even though there is a hero and heroine, Drystan Hawkes is the man who made the most impact on me. Whereas the heroine, Camille, has been in the magical part of England all her life, the hero has not. His experience is so unusual because he’s magically affected, even so far away. There’s a reason for that but I’m not saying how. Because of it and the fact that he’s in the small non-magical part of England, he ended up being a victim of prejudice and fear. It’s isolated him from society and he’s practically lived his life vicariously through books. How then can a man of limited actual experience jump into the middle of an active rebellion and expect to defeat the demented elf, save the girl and free England? Sounds complicated and it is which is why I’m so impressed with Ms. Kennedy’s writing. She kept a tight rein on all the plot threads while thoroughly entertaining me.
Give Camille her due, she’s had a horrific life. She’s truly been abused mentally, physically and socially. In a way, she reminded me of that Shirley Temple movie way back when the rich little girl was pampered and well treated but as soon as it was thought she was a pauper and orphaned, bad, nasty things happened until her daddy was found alive and she was rescued. Camille wasn’t as fortunate because her rescue will come years and years after her secure world was ripped from her. What I admired about her was her determination to rise above slave status. It took sheer guts to get knocked back as many times as she was only to get up and start over again. That kind of strength of character deserves to be rewarded and it is, with Drystan.
Drystan has an in as to what special handling Camille needs and that is where the romance begins. It’s a slow dance of trust building peppered with small gestures of respect and kindness. He shows the heroine admiration and gives her back honor and a sense of self worth. Does she trust it? No. That provides plenty of character driven conflict that kept me turning the pages.
The external conflict is varied. It bounces between secondary characters of ill intent and the main Fey lunatic, Lord Roden. There are magic battles, sword battles and lots of other kinds of action to keep a reader enthralled. There is a good support cast too which really rounded out the book.
Then there are the moments when fledgling love leads to tentative touches and soft caresses. I enjoyed that writing immensely. Again, Ms. Kennedy captured the emotions of her characters and shared it with readers with effective dialogue, descriptions and action, making the scenes come alive. When Camille finally allows herself to express her love to Drystan, it was beautiful, passionate and dare I say, quite inventive. The part with the Arabian Nights was deliciously naughty and I loved every word because it was so sexy and sensual.
The big climactic battle did not disappoint. It was hectic, frenetic and desperate. All the important characters came together from the previous books in the series to help out. There are tears, suspense and ultimately, jubilation. What happens to the elves wasn’t what I expected at all. But, the author proved once again that they just aren’t human. The comment about the scepters gave me pause and I’m filled with speculation. I am also very curious as to how England is going to look, sound and feel post-elf. I hope Ms. Kennedy has some secret plans to visit once again. Something that was said leads me to hope for the possibility.
The Lord of Illusion is sensory nirvana. I totally enjoyed Drystan’s idea of romantic ambiance and found it dreamy and delightful. I loved the descriptions and the author’s ability to capture emotions and translate into words just how much the hero loved the heroine. Some of them were truly poetic. When the action started and the swords started swinging, again, Ms. Kennedy made me feel like I was in the thick of it. The happily ever after was everything I could have hoped for and it ended the series on a solid note of hope, joy and optimism for the future. I’m going to miss this mad, magical world of England and I thank Ms. Kennedy for a wonderful reading experience.
March 9, 2012
Where do I start? The Lord of illusion has many flaws. Kennedy tries to combine a love story between Drystan and Camille with the wrap-up of a series storyline consisting of a Rebellion who wants to free England from the elven lords.
The romance storyline works well-enough, although I didn’t find it engaging. (The hero, Drystan, is unbelievably perfect. And the heroine, Camille, doesn’t appear to have any flaws either.) My biggest complaint is the way Kennedy resolved Camille’s distrust/dislike of men and her abhorrence of sex. Although little is explicitly stated, it’s clear that Camille was raped many times before the book starts and had never experienced even a passing attraction to a man. I found Camille’s sudden change of heart from I’ll-never-let-a-man-touch-me-again to enthusiastic and regular sex with Drystan unbelievable.
The wrap-up of the series is where the book truly suffers, though. The first two books in the series appear to be setting up a series with each book revolving around a hero and heroine who fall in love while fighting an elf lord in one of the realms. But in The Lord of illusion it seems like Kennedy has tired of the idea and just wants to get the series over with. Five couples are referred to in the early part of the book and then appear towards the end. Kennedy treats these characters like a reader normally sees couples from earlier books treated. (i.e. A reader starting with this book would undoubtedly assume these five couples are from the earlier books. But they're not! Only two of the couples have actually had their stories told. Maybe Kennedy wanted to keep her options open in case she wanted to write more stories in this world.) And I *hated* the way Kennedy treated those characters, especially Cassandra from The Fire Lord's lover. She was an incredibly strong character in her book and managed to keep up a charade regarding her husband/lover for 50 years. But in The Lord of illusion she hardly merits the use of her own name. She's just referred to as 'his lady'.
By the time The Fire Lord's lover opens England has been shut off from the rest of the world for more than 700 years. So there was no Hundred's Year War with France, no Henry VIII breaking from the Catholic Church, no Shakespeare, no English colonists in the New World. Yet in The Lord of illusion Drystan makes references to events outside of England which imply the world happened just the same even without England's presence. The worst example of things-that-should-have-happened-differently-but-didn't was The references threw me completely out of the story, and I never quite got back in.
And the scene which should have been the climax for not only the book but the entire series was anti-climatic at best.
Overall, I was disappointed in The Lord of illusion. Kennedy is capable of better.
The romance storyline works well-enough, although I didn’t find it engaging. (The hero, Drystan, is unbelievably perfect. And the heroine, Camille, doesn’t appear to have any flaws either.) My biggest complaint is the way Kennedy resolved Camille’s distrust/dislike of men and her abhorrence of sex. Although little is explicitly stated, it’s clear that Camille was raped many times before the book starts and had never experienced even a passing attraction to a man. I found Camille’s sudden change of heart from I’ll-never-let-a-man-touch-me-again to enthusiastic and regular sex with Drystan unbelievable.
The wrap-up of the series is where the book truly suffers, though. The first two books in the series appear to be setting up a series with each book revolving around a hero and heroine who fall in love while fighting an elf lord in one of the realms. But in The Lord of illusion it seems like Kennedy has tired of the idea and just wants to get the series over with. Five couples are referred to in the early part of the book and then appear towards the end. Kennedy treats these characters like a reader normally sees couples from earlier books treated. (i.e. A reader starting with this book would undoubtedly assume these five couples are from the earlier books. But they're not! Only two of the couples have actually had their stories told. Maybe Kennedy wanted to keep her options open in case she wanted to write more stories in this world.) And I *hated* the way Kennedy treated those characters, especially Cassandra from The Fire Lord's lover. She was an incredibly strong character in her book and managed to keep up a charade regarding her husband/lover for 50 years. But in The Lord of illusion she hardly merits the use of her own name. She's just referred to as 'his lady'.
By the time The Fire Lord's lover opens England has been shut off from the rest of the world for more than 700 years. So there was no Hundred's Year War with France, no Henry VIII breaking from the Catholic Church, no Shakespeare, no English colonists in the New World. Yet in The Lord of illusion Drystan makes references to events outside of England which imply the world happened just the same even without England's presence. The worst example of things-that-should-have-happened-differently-but-didn't was The references threw me completely out of the story, and I never quite got back in.
And the scene which should have been the climax for not only the book but the entire series was anti-climatic at best.
Overall, I was disappointed in The Lord of illusion. Kennedy is capable of better.
February 6, 2012
My Rating: 3 stars: Liked it, but I had some issues - recommend (B)
Full Review here: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/02/revi...
The Lord of Illusion takes place roughly 30 years after the conclusion of The Lady of the Storm, with that story’s heroes, Giles and Cecily Beaumont, still in Wales and caring for half-breeds hidden from the oppressive Elven Lords. Their foster son, Drystan Hawkes, has lived in Wales almost his entire life, afflicted by haunting visions and voices from the Elven Lords’ magical scepters. Drystan seeks out the mysterious woman from his visions - one that supposedly holds the key to unlocking the gateway to Elfhame and sending the Elven Lords home.
The story started very strong. I was immediately drawn into Drystan’s quest. I adored how much he loved Camille right from the start - he is a true gentleman with courage and desire. Although he needed Camille to help free England, his care for her wellbeing superseded his duties to his country. It was refreshing that they did not dwell on secrets, but rather embraced their love for one another.
I did not like that the book jumped forward so far from the 2nd book, and in doing so, “skipped” two stories in the 30 year gap between the two books. In addition, it then went on to conclude the entire story arc in the last third or so of the book. So in other words, what should have been 5 stories was condensed into this one book. I felt that this unnecessarily rushed what should have been a more dramatic conclusion to the story arc.
All-in-all, the romance between Camille and Drystan was sexy and steamy. I was a bit overwhelmed with the number of names to keep straight. But I'm a sucker for fantasy and still enjoyed the book, especially since I had read the second story in the series.
Full Review here: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/02/revi...
The Lord of Illusion takes place roughly 30 years after the conclusion of The Lady of the Storm, with that story’s heroes, Giles and Cecily Beaumont, still in Wales and caring for half-breeds hidden from the oppressive Elven Lords. Their foster son, Drystan Hawkes, has lived in Wales almost his entire life, afflicted by haunting visions and voices from the Elven Lords’ magical scepters. Drystan seeks out the mysterious woman from his visions - one that supposedly holds the key to unlocking the gateway to Elfhame and sending the Elven Lords home.
The story started very strong. I was immediately drawn into Drystan’s quest. I adored how much he loved Camille right from the start - he is a true gentleman with courage and desire. Although he needed Camille to help free England, his care for her wellbeing superseded his duties to his country. It was refreshing that they did not dwell on secrets, but rather embraced their love for one another.
I did not like that the book jumped forward so far from the 2nd book, and in doing so, “skipped” two stories in the 30 year gap between the two books. In addition, it then went on to conclude the entire story arc in the last third or so of the book. So in other words, what should have been 5 stories was condensed into this one book. I felt that this unnecessarily rushed what should have been a more dramatic conclusion to the story arc.
All-in-all, the romance between Camille and Drystan was sexy and steamy. I was a bit overwhelmed with the number of names to keep straight. But I'm a sucker for fantasy and still enjoyed the book, especially since I had read the second story in the series.
August 20, 2013
I enjoyed The Lord of Illusion, and it did an passable job of wrapping up the trilogy, but it felt rushed. The main reason why I couldn't rate this book higher was because it took place so long after the first two, and so much happened in between this book and the previous two that was never fully detailed. I feel like there could have easily been three more books in between the second and third books in the trilogy. Yes, the author did an acceptable job of explaining everything in a way that kept the story going without too much confusion, but I still feel like I could have enjoyed the world and the plot better if there had been extra books that revealed exactly what happened. Maybe the author didn't want to fall into the trap of dragging out a story far longer than it needed to be, or maybe the author was just getting bored with the world she created. Either way, I think in this case the universe and the basic plot could have easily sustained more books. I liked that this trilogy was about elves rather than the more common creatures like vampires and weres that the paranormal genre is saturated in, so I'd have thought there would be plenty of room in the book market for more elves.
Another thing was that made it hard for me to fully enjoy this book was that The Lord of Illusion introduced characters that had accomplished certain things between book two and book three in the trilogy, and I would have liked to have gotten to know them in their own books. By the end of this book, I was more curious about the characters that didn't get their own books than Drystan and Camille who were the focus of this one. I also would have liked to get a more detailed look at the four other "lands" and the powers those that inhabited those lands had. I guess I just don't feel finished with this world yet.
Another thing was that made it hard for me to fully enjoy this book was that The Lord of Illusion introduced characters that had accomplished certain things between book two and book three in the trilogy, and I would have liked to have gotten to know them in their own books. By the end of this book, I was more curious about the characters that didn't get their own books than Drystan and Camille who were the focus of this one. I also would have liked to get a more detailed look at the four other "lands" and the powers those that inhabited those lands had. I guess I just don't feel finished with this world yet.
February 3, 2012
Kennedy certainly has a knack for building romance, creating charming male leads and developing vividly-detailed magical settings.
The series' third installment focuses on the pursuits of the Rebellion, the possibility of locating the key to Elfhame, and Lord Roden, master of glamour and illusion.
Our hero, Drystan Hawkes, travels to Dreamhame Palace to locate a woman who has continuously haunted his dreams. He knows that finding her is crucial, for reasons that he doesn't fully understand, but he also believes that they are destined to fall in love.
Our heroine, Camille Ashton, dreams only of escaping her emotionally and physically abusive life of slavery and is unaware of Drystan's existence.
Upon meeting, Drystan's hopes of love-at-first-sight are crushed once he realizes her distrusting nature and emotionally damaged state.
As the story progresses, Drystan must strive to win Camille's affections, interpret the dreams that have urged them together, and aide the Rebellion in what may be their last chance at opening the door to Elfhame and banishing the tyrannical elven lords.
I enjoyed many aspects of this story, including the talents of illusion possessed by several of the characters we are introduced to. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Grimor'ee quickly became a favorite.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful addition to The Elven Lords series. My only complaint is that the story felt a little too lengthy. If it could have been condensed and some places that seemed to drag on a bit were removed, then this would have been a definite 5 star read for me.
If you enjoy paranormal romance, then I highly suggest that you read this series.
The series' third installment focuses on the pursuits of the Rebellion, the possibility of locating the key to Elfhame, and Lord Roden, master of glamour and illusion.
Our hero, Drystan Hawkes, travels to Dreamhame Palace to locate a woman who has continuously haunted his dreams. He knows that finding her is crucial, for reasons that he doesn't fully understand, but he also believes that they are destined to fall in love.
Our heroine, Camille Ashton, dreams only of escaping her emotionally and physically abusive life of slavery and is unaware of Drystan's existence.
Upon meeting, Drystan's hopes of love-at-first-sight are crushed once he realizes her distrusting nature and emotionally damaged state.
As the story progresses, Drystan must strive to win Camille's affections, interpret the dreams that have urged them together, and aide the Rebellion in what may be their last chance at opening the door to Elfhame and banishing the tyrannical elven lords.
I enjoyed many aspects of this story, including the talents of illusion possessed by several of the characters we are introduced to. I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Grimor'ee quickly became a favorite.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful addition to The Elven Lords series. My only complaint is that the story felt a little too lengthy. If it could have been condensed and some places that seemed to drag on a bit were removed, then this would have been a definite 5 star read for me.
If you enjoy paranormal romance, then I highly suggest that you read this series.
February 11, 2012
The Lord of Illusion is Kathryne Kennedy's conclusion to her best-selling Elven Lords trilogy. Kennedy uses magic, violence and romance to paint a picture of an alternative history of England. She writes of a land controlled by seven elven lords with scepters of power and great dragon steeds. Each of these lords (and ladies) rules a sovereign part of England. They have virtually enslaved the human race, and any child showing signs of becoming more powerful than their predecessors (you see, intermingling was bound to happen) are "sent to Elfhame," which is a euphemism for being put to death. Fear not, Kennedy gives readers and English citizens alike hope … for there is a rebellion brewing, and many half-breeds are starting to rise up against their great parents in hopes of winning the ultimate right: freedom.
Full review is up at HEA
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeveraf...
Full review is up at HEA
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeveraf...
December 28, 2020
I'm really sorry the series is over. While I absolutely adored the first book in the series, The Fire Lord's Lover and enjoyed The Lady of the Storm, there was a lot missing from The Lord of Illusion. I think it has to do with the time gap between the second and the third books. There's around a 30 year gap. There are so many new characters and events mentioned that happened off the page that are extremely relevant to the ending of the story. I can't help but with those stories were on the page, as a short story, novella, or even their own novels.
I was also more interested in seeing how the villains and foes of our heroes would or wouldn't be vanquished than I was in Drystan and Camille, the main couple in the book. Their romance just didn't do it for me, even though all the elements were there to make it amazing.
I was also more interested in seeing how the villains and foes of our heroes would or wouldn't be vanquished than I was in Drystan and Camille, the main couple in the book. Their romance just didn't do it for me, even though all the elements were there to make it amazing.
March 28, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book. But I was sooo frustrated by how long it took for them to figure out something. I figured it out by page 35. It took the book characters until 335 to figure it out. Other than that I really liked it.
I would also like to say that I haven't read the first two in the series, but I just might have to now. I don't feel lost, so I'd say this book works alright as a standalone.
I would also like to say that I haven't read the first two in the series, but I just might have to now. I don't feel lost, so I'd say this book works alright as a standalone.
September 19, 2017
The main character compares his life in what is basically a good orphanage to the life she spent as a slave (including being raped). I couldn't finish the book after that statement.
March 15, 2019
Reminds me of “ET phones home”. Only in this case it is the scepters want to go home which is a stretch because it is an object regardless of magic or not.
March 8, 2022
We all must have our guilty pleasures and books like this are mine. This was a little slow and meandering, but still a good read for a book one just gets to once in a while.
August 16, 2023
So boring, DNF.
December 4, 2023
Started out so promising. Ended up as a bit of a slog. Unfortunate.
November 27, 2025
A great finsh to the series. Would have loved to have the stories from other couples introduced in the book.
March 8, 2012
3 3/4 stars.
Lord of Illusion by Kathryne Kennedy is the third book of ‘The Elven Lords’ series that depicts the struggles to overthrow the elven rule which oppresses England. There are many humans and hybrids who have sacrificed much to try to free the land from the power-hungry fae and a small group of dedicated individuals have managed to liberate 3 scepters from the elven lords. Drystan Hawkes is one of the rare half-breeds that can actually communicate with the scepters, a fact that has plagued him for much of his life as their visions have traditionally caused him to experience fits and sleeplessness. The scepters communicate the importance of finding the descendant of the white witch of Ashton house who has multi-colored eyes and finally bestow a name upon Drystan, C. Ashton. He travels to England as part of a frantic effort to oppose the major assault designed to destroy resistance against the evil elven Lords.
Camille Ashton has vacillated between slave and servant over the years, suffering without any recourse as a slave and gifting those she has acted as servant to with her love and loyalty. She has refused to let the physical abuse of her body cow her spirit and her abrupt fall back into slave status is almost the final straw before Drystan comes into her life and attempts to convince her of her own importance to the Rebellion. Drystan’s erratic magic becomes much more powerful in England and with Camille at his side he searches for a way to ensure the Rebellion’s success at overthrowing the Elven Lords. Unlikely allies will prove their worth as a final effort is made to obtain all of the scepters and use them to achieve victory but their success depends on finding someone to wield each scepter and then determining how to harness their combined strength to defeat the plans of the oppressors.
An imaginative tale that provides a more detailed glimpse of the seven scepters and the beings who struggle over their possession. Drystan is an unlikely hero with his handicaps and Camille is an apparently damaged and unmagical woman but the two of them find a way to become a force to be reckoned with. Several key figures from the previous books return to provide significant contributions while major sacrifices are required and offered in an attempt to wrest freedom from the evil oppressors of England. A stirring story which has some awkward transitions and seems to resolve very abruptly but is nonetheless filled with wonderful imagery and provides an entertaining read.
Lord of Illusion by Kathryne Kennedy is the third book of ‘The Elven Lords’ series that depicts the struggles to overthrow the elven rule which oppresses England. There are many humans and hybrids who have sacrificed much to try to free the land from the power-hungry fae and a small group of dedicated individuals have managed to liberate 3 scepters from the elven lords. Drystan Hawkes is one of the rare half-breeds that can actually communicate with the scepters, a fact that has plagued him for much of his life as their visions have traditionally caused him to experience fits and sleeplessness. The scepters communicate the importance of finding the descendant of the white witch of Ashton house who has multi-colored eyes and finally bestow a name upon Drystan, C. Ashton. He travels to England as part of a frantic effort to oppose the major assault designed to destroy resistance against the evil elven Lords.
Camille Ashton has vacillated between slave and servant over the years, suffering without any recourse as a slave and gifting those she has acted as servant to with her love and loyalty. She has refused to let the physical abuse of her body cow her spirit and her abrupt fall back into slave status is almost the final straw before Drystan comes into her life and attempts to convince her of her own importance to the Rebellion. Drystan’s erratic magic becomes much more powerful in England and with Camille at his side he searches for a way to ensure the Rebellion’s success at overthrowing the Elven Lords. Unlikely allies will prove their worth as a final effort is made to obtain all of the scepters and use them to achieve victory but their success depends on finding someone to wield each scepter and then determining how to harness their combined strength to defeat the plans of the oppressors.
An imaginative tale that provides a more detailed glimpse of the seven scepters and the beings who struggle over their possession. Drystan is an unlikely hero with his handicaps and Camille is an apparently damaged and unmagical woman but the two of them find a way to become a force to be reckoned with. Several key figures from the previous books return to provide significant contributions while major sacrifices are required and offered in an attempt to wrest freedom from the evil oppressors of England. A stirring story which has some awkward transitions and seems to resolve very abruptly but is nonetheless filled with wonderful imagery and provides an entertaining read.
July 18, 2014
It's actually more like three and a half stars.
(Note: this is a spicy romance with relatively graphic, though tasteful, sex scenes. There's also mention of rape.)
This story skips over several others. It appears that two other scepters have been stolen since the events of The Lady of the Storm. This adds quite a bit of frustration to the plot since I kept wondering about those thefts and how they came about. Each of the couples would have made a wonderful story on their own, and I think both the series and this book suffer from the lack of them.
Anyway, by this time Giles and Cecily are much older, and have been in charge of the orphanage for children of mixed blood for a number of years. Drystan, the bookish, wonderful hero of our story is one of those "orphans," kept from Lord Roden of Dreamhame due to terror regarding his potential abilities.
In spite of their love, Drystan is plagued by dreams from the scepters that have been stolen. Awful dreams, that cause him to black out in such a way that the other children become afraid of him. And in those dreams is a beautiful woman that he knows he must find.
But the woman, Camille Ashton, is a slave who doesn't trust anyone. Well, except the dragon, Grimor'ee.
Drystan is a solid hero, willing to protect those he loves with everything he has. He also has a great love of books, which goes in line with his quick intelligence.
Camille is an admirable heroine, and her growth as she moves from distrustful to joyful was wonderful to see.
There were a number of twists I didn't expect, but there were also aspects of the plot that I thought took too long to resolve. The fantasy aspect is stronger in the second half of this book, but the focus on the romance in the first half actually weakened the action, making me wonder how long consequences would be delayed so that the hero and heroine could get to know each other.
Although I did enjoy the ending, there were parts that seemed a bit rushed and one final twist that, although it made sense and was rather sweet, seemed a bit trite and out of the blue. There was no foreshadowing at all for it. But the action surrounding the gateway to Elfhame, the actual opening of the gate, and the way the dragons interacted with both elves and humans, made it a good ending.
One final thing, I loved Grimor'ee and how much he cared for Camille. In the other books, the dragons are somewhat aloof from the half-elven, but Grimor'ee is a delight to watch. My heart warmed each time Camille hugged his snout.
(Note: this is a spicy romance with relatively graphic, though tasteful, sex scenes. There's also mention of rape.)
This story skips over several others. It appears that two other scepters have been stolen since the events of The Lady of the Storm. This adds quite a bit of frustration to the plot since I kept wondering about those thefts and how they came about. Each of the couples would have made a wonderful story on their own, and I think both the series and this book suffer from the lack of them.
Anyway, by this time Giles and Cecily are much older, and have been in charge of the orphanage for children of mixed blood for a number of years. Drystan, the bookish, wonderful hero of our story is one of those "orphans," kept from Lord Roden of Dreamhame due to terror regarding his potential abilities.
In spite of their love, Drystan is plagued by dreams from the scepters that have been stolen. Awful dreams, that cause him to black out in such a way that the other children become afraid of him. And in those dreams is a beautiful woman that he knows he must find.
But the woman, Camille Ashton, is a slave who doesn't trust anyone. Well, except the dragon, Grimor'ee.
Drystan is a solid hero, willing to protect those he loves with everything he has. He also has a great love of books, which goes in line with his quick intelligence.
Camille is an admirable heroine, and her growth as she moves from distrustful to joyful was wonderful to see.
There were a number of twists I didn't expect, but there were also aspects of the plot that I thought took too long to resolve. The fantasy aspect is stronger in the second half of this book, but the focus on the romance in the first half actually weakened the action, making me wonder how long consequences would be delayed so that the hero and heroine could get to know each other.
Although I did enjoy the ending, there were parts that seemed a bit rushed and one final twist that, although it made sense and was rather sweet, seemed a bit trite and out of the blue. There was no foreshadowing at all for it. But the action surrounding the gateway to Elfhame, the actual opening of the gate, and the way the dragons interacted with both elves and humans, made it a good ending.
One final thing, I loved Grimor'ee and how much he cared for Camille. In the other books, the dragons are somewhat aloof from the half-elven, but Grimor'ee is a delight to watch. My heart warmed each time Camille hugged his snout.
February 7, 2012
Tender love, furious action and a life-and-death struggle bring Kathryne Kennedy's THE LORD OF ILLUSION, the final book in her Elven Lords trilogy, to a crashing finale.
All his life, Drystan has been an outcast because of his magical visions. These dreams have led him to a lonely and frustrating job as a researcher, where he sifts through long-unread records in search of the woman in his visions. That sad, beautiful lady may hold the key to defeating the Elven lords. Her sorrow also tears at his heart. Is she as lonely as he? He yearns to find her and wipe away her sadness. When his researches at last provide a clue about her, he masquerades as a nobleman and travels to the palace of the Elven lord of illusion to find the lady of his dreams.
The slave Camille has suffered abuse from men all her life. Suddenly, a handsome aristocrat arrives who protects her. He's a kind man and she had encountered too few. But she is wary. What does he really want?
THE LORD OF ILLUSION is a story of how people can change when circumstances require, but especially when love smooths the way. Both Drystan and Camille, shunned by their compatriots, tentatively search for happiness with each other. Drystan is magnificent as the strong yet gentle man who coaxes the terrified Camille to love him. Camille is heroic as she rises above her abusive situation to help in the humans' fight for freedom from the elven lords. The magical wonders along the way are exciting, well-thought out and lovely in their fierceness, but the real beauty in this novel is the growing love and trust between Drystan and Camille.
Ms. Kennedy also gives us tantalizing glimpses of other couples who have brought us to this ending. May she someday fill in the gaps.
In THE LORD OF ILLUSION, with its awe-inspiring world full of dragons, fire fountains, water steeds and other magical marvels, Ms. Kennedy demonstrates yet again that the one true and most powerful magic is love.
ARC provided by Sourcebooks
All his life, Drystan has been an outcast because of his magical visions. These dreams have led him to a lonely and frustrating job as a researcher, where he sifts through long-unread records in search of the woman in his visions. That sad, beautiful lady may hold the key to defeating the Elven lords. Her sorrow also tears at his heart. Is she as lonely as he? He yearns to find her and wipe away her sadness. When his researches at last provide a clue about her, he masquerades as a nobleman and travels to the palace of the Elven lord of illusion to find the lady of his dreams.
The slave Camille has suffered abuse from men all her life. Suddenly, a handsome aristocrat arrives who protects her. He's a kind man and she had encountered too few. But she is wary. What does he really want?
THE LORD OF ILLUSION is a story of how people can change when circumstances require, but especially when love smooths the way. Both Drystan and Camille, shunned by their compatriots, tentatively search for happiness with each other. Drystan is magnificent as the strong yet gentle man who coaxes the terrified Camille to love him. Camille is heroic as she rises above her abusive situation to help in the humans' fight for freedom from the elven lords. The magical wonders along the way are exciting, well-thought out and lovely in their fierceness, but the real beauty in this novel is the growing love and trust between Drystan and Camille.
Ms. Kennedy also gives us tantalizing glimpses of other couples who have brought us to this ending. May she someday fill in the gaps.
In THE LORD OF ILLUSION, with its awe-inspiring world full of dragons, fire fountains, water steeds and other magical marvels, Ms. Kennedy demonstrates yet again that the one true and most powerful magic is love.
ARC provided by Sourcebooks
July 18, 2025
Drystan has been tormented by visions induced by the Elfish scepters stolen by the rebellion
and kept in secret. For years they have plagued him day and night but he dealt with the
mental exhaustion because the visions showed him the image of a woman whom he has come to love. She is the key, this mystery woman - the key to opening the portal and sending the evil Elf lords back to where they came from. However, she means far more then that to him. She is his entire world and he needs to find her and protect her.
Camille has lived her life as a slave, a nothing - a less then nothing. Her only real friend the
Elven lord's Dragon whom, despite being powerful and terrifying, is just as enslaved as she is.
When the Lord Hawkes shows up and kills the men intent on raping her, gifting her clothes and safe keeping - she is obviously mistrusting of his intent. She's never been shown kindness in any form and certainly not from a man. But he professes to love her and with every single action and word towards her, she knows him to be in earnest. He gives her more then just love- he gives her inner strength and confidence. He gives her hope that they may succeed in freeing England from the evils of the Elven Lord's.
I enjoyed this book and while I loved Camille and Drystan as characters - this book definitely
had it's main focus and conflict being the final to the series and the end of the Elves. Little to
no issues arose with the main characters love or relationship and I would have liked to have a
more in depth in that aspect. The plot line was satisfying to read about past characters all
coming together to finally banish their enemy.
I would have rated this higher however I had to take into consideration the likelihood and interest
in my reading this book again and that unfortunately isn't in the cards.
and kept in secret. For years they have plagued him day and night but he dealt with the
mental exhaustion because the visions showed him the image of a woman whom he has come to love. She is the key, this mystery woman - the key to opening the portal and sending the evil Elf lords back to where they came from. However, she means far more then that to him. She is his entire world and he needs to find her and protect her.
Camille has lived her life as a slave, a nothing - a less then nothing. Her only real friend the
Elven lord's Dragon whom, despite being powerful and terrifying, is just as enslaved as she is.
When the Lord Hawkes shows up and kills the men intent on raping her, gifting her clothes and safe keeping - she is obviously mistrusting of his intent. She's never been shown kindness in any form and certainly not from a man. But he professes to love her and with every single action and word towards her, she knows him to be in earnest. He gives her more then just love- he gives her inner strength and confidence. He gives her hope that they may succeed in freeing England from the evils of the Elven Lord's.
I enjoyed this book and while I loved Camille and Drystan as characters - this book definitely
had it's main focus and conflict being the final to the series and the end of the Elves. Little to
no issues arose with the main characters love or relationship and I would have liked to have a
more in depth in that aspect. The plot line was satisfying to read about past characters all
coming together to finally banish their enemy.
I would have rated this higher however I had to take into consideration the likelihood and interest
in my reading this book again and that unfortunately isn't in the cards.
May 10, 2012
Am still not fond of messing with history.
Problem number 1 with series in general - there are *7* stories that could have been told, our author picked 3.
Problem number 2 with series in general - the time frame involved.
The problems only show up in THIS book because stories 1 and 2 were in sequence. In the years since story 2, there've been 2 new stories (that we only get hints of), and during story 3, another takes place (but we only see the results), and story 7 is just kinda hanging there, like the lost elf-man who should star in it. Since we can only guess at the ages of various people at the time their story takes place, we know at this point that the characters in book 2 are in their 50-60's. No idea how old the H in book 1 was to start with but one assumes 70s in this book. So...40+ years. That's rather a long span there. Most authors would have written 6 books and maybe a novella or something for the poor guy left to his own devices. This kinda left me with an unsatisfied feeling, as if I'd missed half the story somewhere.
The big ending... well, fortunately for me, I have a tendency to read the ending, many times, especially if a story is giving me difficulty. You almost need that to really visualize what the author is trying to describe, and I still find it a bit murky.
At least the elf on the cover of this one didn't make me cringe.
Problem number 1 with series in general - there are *7* stories that could have been told, our author picked 3.
Problem number 2 with series in general - the time frame involved.
The problems only show up in THIS book because stories 1 and 2 were in sequence. In the years since story 2, there've been 2 new stories (that we only get hints of), and during story 3, another takes place (but we only see the results), and story 7 is just kinda hanging there, like the lost elf-man who should star in it. Since we can only guess at the ages of various people at the time their story takes place, we know at this point that the characters in book 2 are in their 50-60's. No idea how old the H in book 1 was to start with but one assumes 70s in this book. So...40+ years. That's rather a long span there. Most authors would have written 6 books and maybe a novella or something for the poor guy left to his own devices. This kinda left me with an unsatisfied feeling, as if I'd missed half the story somewhere.
The big ending... well, fortunately for me, I have a tendency to read the ending, many times, especially if a story is giving me difficulty. You almost need that to really visualize what the author is trying to describe, and I still find it a bit murky.
At least the elf on the cover of this one didn't make me cringe.
June 27, 2012
Forty years have passed since “The Fire Lord’s Lover” and twenty-some years since “The Lady of the Storm”.
The beginning, reading Drystan recounting the years since Giles and Cecily fled to Wales, outside the elves’ reach, I got the impression of missing stories. Especially with “The Lord of Illusion” marked as third in the elven trilogy.
Which saddens me because I could well imagine General Samson Cavendish and Lady Joscelyn; Alexander and warrior-lady Wilhelmina; and Dorian with Aurelia’s story would have been well anticipated; especially on having more of Kennedy’s beautiful world.
Alas I was wrong... Dominic from The Fire Lord's Lover he is an old man. His son is in the forty/fifties.
But still I could see the three sets of heroes could have had a story. Could have prolonged the series to six books instead of the three. To give readers more of this beautiful world that Kennedy created.
Drystan is not your usual hero. He's actually a romantic, a scholar. His insistance that Camile was his love was quite different for a change.
The beginning, reading Drystan recounting the years since Giles and Cecily fled to Wales, outside the elves’ reach, I got the impression of missing stories. Especially with “The Lord of Illusion” marked as third in the elven trilogy.
Which saddens me because I could well imagine General Samson Cavendish and Lady Joscelyn; Alexander and warrior-lady Wilhelmina; and Dorian with Aurelia’s story would have been well anticipated; especially on having more of Kennedy’s beautiful world.
Alas I was wrong... Dominic from The Fire Lord's Lover he is an old man. His son is in the forty/fifties.
But still I could see the three sets of heroes could have had a story. Could have prolonged the series to six books instead of the three. To give readers more of this beautiful world that Kennedy created.
Drystan is not your usual hero. He's actually a romantic, a scholar. His insistance that Camile was his love was quite different for a change.
January 5, 2012
The Lord of Illusion starts 40 years after Giles and Cecily’s story (Lady of the Storm). Drystan travels back to the court of the Elven Lord Roden to find “the key” to the scepters. This key is Camille. It’s believed she has the power to open the door back to Elfhame. Roden is evil and malicious, he adds quit a bit of angst to the story. Great secondary characters, especially Roden’s dragon Grimor’ee, he is very entertaining.
The story really moves, the romance is very sweet and moving. Drystan has dreamed about Camille since he was a young boy and Camille, who has been a slave her whole life, dreams of freedom.
This is a wonderful historical fantasy series, you follow Drystan and Camille’s path through the kingdom to reach Mor’ded’s (Dominic) court to prepare for the battle between the Lords and the Half-bloods. I enjoy Kathryne Kennedy’s writing and look forward to her future books.
The story really moves, the romance is very sweet and moving. Drystan has dreamed about Camille since he was a young boy and Camille, who has been a slave her whole life, dreams of freedom.
This is a wonderful historical fantasy series, you follow Drystan and Camille’s path through the kingdom to reach Mor’ded’s (Dominic) court to prepare for the battle between the Lords and the Half-bloods. I enjoy Kathryne Kennedy’s writing and look forward to her future books.
February 20, 2013
Drystan has dreamt of a mysterious girl for most of his life, convinced she is the key to opening the portal back to Elfhame and freeing England from the tyrannical rule of the cruel elven lords. He finds Camille just in time, as the slave is in danger, and must convince her that he loves her and that she can be the key to saving the world.
I've found this series to be fascinating, but this book was too rushed. I had to doublecheck to make sure I hadn't missed installments, because suddenly there were new couples and new scepters stolen. I also was unhappy with the pacing and the details of Camille and Drystan's relationship. Camille was sorely abused and raped by soldiers, leading her to be distrustful and scared of men. But she manages to get over it quite quickly without ever needing to talk to Drystan about her past or fears. To me, it didn't feel realistic. There is also a lot of plot crammed in the book, with an epic final battle.
I've found this series to be fascinating, but this book was too rushed. I had to doublecheck to make sure I hadn't missed installments, because suddenly there were new couples and new scepters stolen. I also was unhappy with the pacing and the details of Camille and Drystan's relationship. Camille was sorely abused and raped by soldiers, leading her to be distrustful and scared of men. But she manages to get over it quite quickly without ever needing to talk to Drystan about her past or fears. To me, it didn't feel realistic. There is also a lot of plot crammed in the book, with an epic final battle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2013
This is the end of the series and felt abrupt. At the beginning of the book you meet newest half-breed who is living outside of Elven England. And apparently a LOT has happened in between book 2 and 3. There are references made to many couples that you meet in the last third of the book but I have no connection to any of them or really to the main characters in this book because it felt thrown together. This could have been a long series like Feehan's where the author explored each elven kingdom and the powers of each realm and the history along with the romantic relationship of each couple that steals the scepters. I can understand that the basic plot would be repetitive, but depending on how she treated it and the relationship developed the books would still have been an interesting read.
June 10, 2015
After the first few chapters, it's very easy to lose yourself in Kennedy's world of magic and mythical beasts. Drystan Hawkes and Camille Ashton are wonderful characters, but dear Drystan is too perfect of a gentleman to be completely believable. If you've dreamed of a woman for so long you fell in love with her, I doubt that you won't grow a little reckless when you try to woo said woman - even one with Camille's problems. Speaking of perfect, the plot was so smooth that it became predictable. Everything went their way so quickly I wonder if there wasn't a higher power at work (of course, not taking into account the scepters and dragons). However, despite the predictability, The Lord of Illusion still becomes an exciting adventure with a touching end. I'm really glad I didn't give up this series.
March 8, 2012
This was a nice conclusion to The Elven Lords series by Kennedy. I loved the characters Camille and Drystan. They both have a spark that was intriguing to be a part of. I only gave this novel three stars because though the characters were as remarkable as always,the plot was a little dry and predictable as all get out. I also would have liked to see more depth in the story instead the elementary thought process of A to B to C. It was a sequence of lets do this and then they do it. Her other works seemed less like this and for that I am glad. Other than the plot it was a good strong story. You cannot help but love Kennedy's characters and the history rich world she builds into every story.
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