Born of Deception

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