Sarah Ready is an auto-read for me, and with My Dear Illusion, she delivers a richly imagined fantasy that had me hooked from page one all the way through to the final, heart-stopping twist. I didn't even glance at the page count before diving in (900 pages!), but honestly, it didn't matter.

Set in a world where illusions shape reality and trust is a dangerous gamble, this story drops you headfirst into a deadly power struggle among conjurers' families who can warp the senses and rewrite reality itself. At the centre is Mari Locke, a young woman with a rare gift: she can unravel illusions. Raised in the shadows and haunted by her past, Mari is thrust into the brutal Hundred Year Games with a single mission: to get Finn Alterra to the winner's podium, steal his crown, and kill him. Simple. Except nothing is what it seems in this world, and no one, not even Mari, is exactly who they appear to be.

One of the things I loved most was how deeply layered this world is. The conjurer families, the Smiths, Wards, Clarks, and Bards, each bring their own flavour of magic, ambition, and danger. And as the Games unfold, the betrayals, shifting alliances, and reveals keep coming. Some moments genuinely caught me off guard—in the best way.

Yes, the book is long. It's a commitment. But not once did I feel like I was slogging through filler. The book kept me entertained. There was twisted politics, the magic system was interesting, and the complex emotional lives of the characters. Speaking of characters: Mari is fierce but fragile, and her inner battles are just as gripping as the external ones. And then there is Finn's arc, which is equally compelling, especially as addiction, vulnerability, and trust all come into play. But my personal standout? The Wind. I won't spoil anything, but what a character indeed.

I can't wait for the second instalment in 2026.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Crown | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and W.W Crown for the ARC of this incredible book!
Wow! This was my first Sarah Ready and I was not disappointed. Each character managed to hold their own and the mysteries and betrayals were riveting. There are two perspectives in this book. Mari is sent into the 100 year games to be a body for Finn, a null Smith. Confused?
4 Families, a series of 4 Games every 100 years to determine who wears the crown and rules (humanity?) for the next century. But twists and turns make the reader start wondering who to trust as she navigates these games, families, and the deal she made Jagger (lets call him her boss for now).
The second perspective, and arguably the most interesting, is that of the wind. Mari can’t travel into the games, so having the perspective of the wind that can travel everywhere was a really creative way to tell those stories. My favourite game was the third, not just for the game itself but also the scenery. I want that castle.
The romance in this was definitely a slow burn, and I really appreciated it. It didn’t take away from the overarching plot and was just there as a sprinkle.
While the book was incredibly long, I felt that pretty much everything was necessary. The story was well written, everything got explained, and I had a great time.

Overall this is a great urban fantasy with a romantic subplot (emphasis on the sub). The elements of games and trials wasn’t unique, but the story and delivery made it a very unique book that I haven’t seen before. I can not wait for book 2!
4.5⭐️

I really wanted to like this book. I DNF'd it at 20%. I was having a really hard getting into the world building.

My Dear Illusion by Sarah Ready is a dark romantasy packed with magic, illusions, high-stakes games, and unforgettable characters. At nearly 900 pages, it’s an immersive ride with intricate worldbuilding and a unique dual POV including Mari and even the Wind’s perspective.

The slow-burn romance between Mari and Finn is full of tension and growth, and the supporting characters adds so much depth. While the beginning takes some patience, the payoff is incredible. This has mind-blowing twists, emotional highs, and a finale that leaves you desperate for book two.

A bold and brilliant series starter, perfect for readers who love their romantasy dark, emotional, and epic.

I am a huge fantasy/romantasy reader and I love epic fantasy, all the worldbuilding, and character development that comes with it. I fully went into this book expecting to love it but I was immediately bogged down with so much descriptive prose that it made it very difficult for me to connect with the world and the characters. The premise is very appealing with a contest called the Hundred Year Games to decide the next conjurer to rule the world and I love the setting of an alternate New York City, but the pacing was kind of hit or miss for me, which led to me ultimately DNF'ing this book at almost 20%.

If you are a fan of games, paranormal fantasy, and complex characters, then I think you would really enjoy this!

Thank you to Netgalley and W.W. Crown for the eARC for review consideration - all thoughts and opinions are my own!

This book. Wow. Where do I begin? First of all, the way the author writes and tells a story is unlike anything I’ve read before. I really enjoyed it. The main character speaks to you, the reader, as if you’re in the story. The other perspective you get throughout is from the wind who is a character in this book. There are a lot of twists and turns - some you see coming and some you don’t. You spend most of the book waiting for the reveals but I warn you, you’re not prepared for all of them. Really blown away by this book.

Not much spice, I’d say low-medium.
Dangerous competition to rule.
Orphaned heroine.
Secret identities.
Illusions galore.

Read it, now!

4.25⭐️

I loved the concept of this book and the story that was underlying the excessive amount of pages. It was hard to get through some parts of the book as the pacing ebbed and flowed due to long stretches of imagery and description. The author is great at giving detailed descriptions and providing wonderful imagery but I felt like it was just too much and took away from the plot of the book. There were also some loose ends here and there that didn't seem to be explained.

That said, I really did enjoy the story but it just felt disjointed between chunks of descriptions before we got back to the story. If you love descriptive writing and poetic imagery then this book is definitely for you! That type of writing is generally not what I lean towards, which might be why it was a little harder for me to get through those parts. However, I am so glad that I did! The world was so intriguing with the magic and illusions. The characters really shine in this book and make you come to care for them. I loved Mari so much and yes the romance isn't as obvious as you would expect in a "Romantasy" book but I felt that it was more subtle but still with a tension between the main characters.

I will definitely be continuing with the second book but I do hope that it is slightly shorter. I love the descriptiveness but it does need to be slightly trimmed down.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Crown for the advanced digital copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This book is an ode to the question of what is truth and what is illusion and what can you trust as a result. Of course there is a touch of romance to spice up that question. The world is massive and this book is an undertaking (you can tell this is her first fantasy) but oh it is worth it in the end. A solid and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Crown for providing the ARC.

I have been a huge fan of Sarah Ready's romance books for a while, so I was excited to see her take on romantasy. And this book did not disappoint!

Although it is a bit of a behemoth, the story is rich and lyrical, with Ready's signature prose at the forefront. She immediately thrusts you into a world that is dark and deceptive but will also draw you in like nothing else. The magic system is interesting and the characters are deep and dynamic, so much that you find yourself rooting for them in one scene and cursing them out in the next.

In want amounts to a Hunger Games-esque situation between the four ruling magical families, the main character Mari finds herself trying to navigate the darkest and most dangerous task yet - help her ward win the games and steal the crown from under their noses. But she doesn't account for Finn Alterra, and all the ways he manages to burrow underneath her skin.

This book is full of intrigue and mystery, plot twists, and more as you navigate through this world of the conjurers. It is a romantasy book for the ages, with Sarah Ready masterfully steering the ship.

the more I think about this book, the more I fall in love with it 🥹

Thank you W.W. Crown for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

✦ tropes & stuff:
🖤 dark romantasy
💫 magic & illusions
🖤 powerful families
💫 high-stakes games
🖤 soulmates
💫 plot twists
🖤 multiple POVs

•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•

ebook | ⭐️: 5

When I saw Sarah Ready, one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, was writing romantasy, I HAD to read it!

I quickly grabbed it the second I saw it on NetGalley, then noticed it was 900ish pages 😳 AND DARK romantasy 🙃

I can’t say this is something I read often (or barely ever?, but I trust Sarah even though I was a little scared 😅

WELL LET ME TELL YOU THIS WAS ALL WELL WORTH IT!

I was IMMEDIATELY hooked on this story/these characters, though it did take me a little while to wrap my head around all the world building & adjust to the writing style.
I’ve definitely never read anything like this 🤯

This story is told from two POVs - Mari, retelling *someone* the whole story, and the Wind’s perspective
LIKE HOW DID I FALL IN LOVE WITH WIND?! 🥹

I LOVED all the characters, the main and SO MANY of the side characters as well 😍
Mari, Finn, Luvic, Darin, Jacob, even Celia… I just wanted to keep reading about all of them!

This is the kind of book you have to hang in there to “get” it - and then your mind will be blown and you’ll want to read it all over again🙃

Just going over my highlights had me sobbing, knowing what I know now, and I’m very much hoping this releases on audio before book 2 for a reread!

I received a copy of this from Netgalley which I’m so thankful for and all the following thoughts are my own!
This book is massive. It’s a huge undertaking, and I liked it, but I didn’t love it. This whole book is a question of what is the truth and what is an illusion, and that was fascinating to uncover more layers to the story and the magic system as we moved through the story.
Where this struggled for me was how confusing it was to try to understand everything at the beginning of the story. And there were parts that dragged and I felt like it could have been even just a little bit shorter.
I really loved Mari as our female main character, I liked her story, her abilities, and her attitude. She is a fascinating character to follow. And I am interested in seeing where the story goes from here because the ending of this book was DRAMATIC. And i’m very intrigued to see where the next book takes us.

My Dear Illusion by Sarah Ready is a novel about illusions. The main character Mari leads the reader through a magical world of conjurers, where you can’t believe everything you see. This is a different type of story for Sarah as she writes her first romantic fantasy book. Be prepared because this is a very long story with lots of characters and a complex plot. An immersive experience and epic story. She has put a lot of effort into building a fantasy world which at times can be complicated and confusing. It is an unique concept and fascinating but there is a lot to keep track of and understand. Who is a hero and who is a villain? What happens when reality and illusion collide?

The imagery and atmosphere she creates helps the story along and the poetic writing makes it very mysterious. She has put so much detail into her characters and even the side characters bring an extra element and interest. There is a huge variety of magical and fantastical creatures, all very inventive, imaginative and original to bring the most to the story. You do need to concentrate to remember who and what everyone is. It does take awhile to get into the story due to so much information at the start as the author prepares you for what’s to come.

Mari Locke lives in Hell Gate and is the main narrator but you don’t know who she is telling the story to. She was told to tell the reader the truth and tell is the best she could. As a baby she was taken in by Jagger after her parents were murdered. He is a powerful leggerock, smart but wicked. He realises she is a lockpick, a rare person who can untie and break illusions so made her into his greatest weapon.

Her story begins the night of her seventh death and events suggest she has been betrayed by someone because she doesn’t succeed in her latest quest for Jagger. We find out what she has endured as Jagger trained her to be the best lockpick. She also tells us about the four main families: The Smiths, The Clarks, The Wards and The Bards. The families are all so different with intriguing histories and rivalries. We slowly learn about their magical abilities and the dynamics within each family. These four conjurer families compete in the Hundred Year Games for the crown of illusion which decides who rules the magical world for the next century. It’s due to start soon and Jagger has come up with a plan to win the game and needs her for his plot to work. She has to partner up with Finn to win and if successful, the rewards are great for her but not for him.

I did find the world building overtakes the romance, which is a slow burn. After her run in with the Clarks we get the first inkling there is something between her and Finn. The chemistry between them is subtle to begin with but grows as they work together. They both have secrets which leads to their relationship being emotional at times.

Betrayal is a big theme throughout as you don’t know who or what you can trust, especially when alliances are made and broken. Then you have all the illusions to try and work out - what’s real and what’s not. The wind plays a big part and gives the reader extra information over what is happening. I loved how it reveals secrets and gossip which enhances the story. The twists and turns are a mixture of surprising, shocking and unexpected. The tension builds which makes for an exciting ending with revelations that will astound you, however, it ends in a cliffhanger!! I have so many questions that need answering, I can’t wait for the next book.

Sort of a Hunger Games for conjurers.

Its a paranormal Hunger Games for conjurers. Mari is tasked with getting Finn to the podium,
There is magical stuff, conjurers and a contest with one being the next conjurer.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.W. Crown for an ARC of this. First off, this was way longer than it needed to be! This could have been two books or just cut this book down. I feel like some parts were dragged out unnecessarily. It took me a while to get into the book because it felt like a slow introduction, especially because this book is long. Outside of that, I did enjoy the story and the characters we meet. It’s a fantasy with romance and magic, as well as trials.

My Dear Illusion by Sarah Ready is a book that throws you in at the deep end, submerging you in a world filled with characters and chaos where nothing makes sense and there's no one you can trust, and while over time the chaos abates (a little) and the characters become more clear, knowing who to trust will never be easy and choosing incorrectly will probably break your heart.
Set in a city that somewhat resembles modern day New York, but with four ruling magical families who compete every hundred years for the power not just to rule the city but to reshape the world in any way they choose through their powers of illusion, the book follows Mari, a young woman who grew up in the bowels of the city. Hell Gate, the place she calls home since she was abandoned there as a baby, is controlled by Jagger, more monster than man and determined to use Mari for his own ends. Her secret ability to destroy illusion makes her the ultimate weapon in the Hundred Year Games and Jagger has a plan, one that will see her working with Finn Alterra, the half human illegitimate son of one of the ruling families, an addict with no magic of his own. If she can help Finn to win the games then kill him she will save herself from Jagger and finally be free while Jagger will get what he wants most of all, the end of magic in the city.
This is a vast story, layered and complicated with twists and turns that had my head spinning and kept me guessing. The author deliberately throws you into the story with little to no set up, and I was quite confused but decided to go with the flow, and I am so very glad that I did.
I loved Mari as a character, she was determined and tough but with a soft heart when it came to those she cared about. Finn is set up to be the charming rogue, but as the book progresses we learn that he is so much more than he first appears. Every character, and there are quite a few , with even the Wind being a character in its own right, adds another layer to the story, some are charming, several are terrifying and like Mari and Finn for most of the book you do know know for sure which are which, ally or enemy ? The trials that comprise the Hundred Year Games are clever and horrifying and made for compelling reading, I don't know how many times I told myself just one more chapter as I found myself completely sucked into this world. Did I guess some of the twists ? Yes I did, but there were many more I never saw coming, as you might expect in a book where truth and illusion collide ,and don't get me started on the ending, it was beautiful, it broke my heart and it made me desperate to get my hands on the second book in this duology. If you do not like unreliable narrators this might not be the book for you, but if you like complex morally ambiguous characters, lyrical writing with a strong voice and stories designed to keep you guessing this is a book I recommend picking up.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I'm beyond annoyed that this is only book one of a series. I will not be continuing the series. This book isn't worth the 900 pages of the time and effort it takes to get through it, only for there to be another book that hasn't come out yet.
I do think that it is a compelling story with fantastic characters, but cutting through the superfluous writing to get to it is frustrating.

The story is all about the trials and games to win a crown. There are four games, technically two POVs, and the ending is foreshadowed heavily. If the book wasn't over 900 pgs I probably wouldn't have guessed the ending, but it's over 900 pages. So I did guess it.
This book tries to be epic and philosophical and magnificent in scope while being riddled with typos. The imagery is lovely, but goes a bit overboard, for pages at a time. The Philosophical questioning of Truth and Illusion are also interesting and make you stop to think, but it also takes you out of the story and breaks the building tension.

There is a lot I liked about this book, and a lot I didn't. If it had been properly edited and the writing tightened up I would have loved it, it has the potential to be an emotionally devastating book.

Thank you to NetGalley, W.W. Crown, IBPA, and Sarah Ready for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: infinite ⭐. The limit does not exist.

What you can expect:
- Magical Realism / Fantasy
- Deadly competition
- Trust no one
- Unreliable narrators
- Illusions vs Reality

My thoughts:

That Sarah is one of my favourite authors comes as no surprise. However, I must admit even I had my doubts when confronted with 900 pages. I did fear.
But I should've known better. I shouldn't have strayed. Because of course she created magic. Of course she did it again.

My Dear Illusion reads like a classic. Despite the fantasy and the magic, it has that arcane feeling of those dusty, chunky tomes sitting on the oldest of libraries, waiting for unsuspecting souls to give them a chance. Sarah's writing is so romantic, so lyrical, it's almost poetic how even a deadly and tragic battle can move someone so deeply to the point of goosebumps.

I was hooked from the very first word and didn't catch my breath until the last page was turned. I screamed. I gasped. I laughed maniacally when the dominos started to fall. I so wanted to believe in the ideal that had been painted, I longed to trust so much, I forgot to heed the warning issued time and time again: trust no one. And look where that took me: pain, agony and heartbreak.

But boy, was it worth it.
Go read this book. Thank me later.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the early copy.

It's hard to talk about this story without spoilers. It is very intense, and I never knew what was coming next. The writing is excellent, and the creativity is astounding. The characters are dark, and the struggle between good and evil is happening in each one. Overall, this is an immersive story.

Unexpected and utterly amazing,

I really don’t know where to start after reading Sarah Ready’s, My Dear Illusion, I can’t remember reading anything like it before and was captivated from the very first page to the last, it’s definitely one of my favourite books this year and I think probably just took a place in my top 10 books of all time,

The story follows Mari, who is a lockpick, a creature, a nine and in service to the rather unpleasant Jagger, in a world of illusion Mari has spent her entire life hiding from the conjurers when she is thrust in to their Hundred Year Games, a tournament that determines which conjuring family will rule the world for the next hundred years, whilst that little summary doesn’t explain the plot at all I really wouldn’t want to say much more in case I spoil anything but there is so much going on in this book!

I was drawn in because of the synopsis and I’d seen it tagged as a Romantasy, for me it isn’t like other books I’ve read that fall in that genre and it felt more like an urban, high fantasy, romance where the world building and plot come first with the romance being an undercurrent throughout but still a big part of the story.

This is a big book, crammed full of story, a lot of world building and lyrical, poetic descriptions and whilst some books that are heavy on the world building can bore me senseless, the combination of writing style, the plot, world, characters and the balance between everything was spot on for me, every time I picked it up I felt like I was pulled through a portal in to this magical world, and although it’s about conjurers and illusion it does feel like a magical world rather than being a world about magicians, there are also a lot of characters in this book and likeable or not I loved them all because of how well each one is written (and the wind ….❤️)

I think I spent most of this book with my brows drawn together in concentration purely trying to figure out what was going on, if you’re a fan of puzzling things out you’ll love this, I did manage to piece some of it together, many things I did not see coming or turning out the way they did, this is a book you need to pay attention to in case you miss something, it is unique and intriguing throughout beautiful and an emotional roller coaster at times. I can not wait for the next book.

Thank you to Sarah Ready, NetGalley and W.W Crown for an ARC in exchange for an honest review,

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sarah Ready has completely blown me away with My Dear Illusion. Darkly magical, razor-sharp, and utterly addictive, this book drops you headfirst into a world where nothing—and no one—can be trusted. Illusions twist reality at every turn, loyalties shift in a heartbeat, and the only rule is survival.

Mari Locke is one of the most compelling heroines I’ve read in a long time. Raised in Hell Gate and burdened with the rare power to unravel illusions, she’s tough, stubborn, and layered with vulnerability. Her seventh death launches her into the Hundred Year Games, a brutal, high-stakes competition where winning doesn’t just mean power—it means reshaping the world itself. The worldbuilding is breathtaking—shadowy conjurers, twisted illusions, and a Games arena that feels both mythic and terrifying.

And then there’s Finn. Half-human, half-conjurer, supposedly the weakest link in the Games—and yet he quickly proves to be so much more. The dynamic between Mari and Finn is riveting: enemies by design, allies by necessity, and drawn together by something neither of them fully understands. Their connection is slow-burning, tense, and heartbreakingly fragile because Mari’s mission is to betray him. That knife-edge balance of trust and deception had me flipping pages late into the night.

The writing itself is gorgeous—lyrical but sharp, with twists that truly shocked me. Just when I thought I knew what was real, another illusion shattered and left me questioning everything alongside the characters. This book doesn’t just play with fantasy—it plays with perception, morality, and the blurry line between truth and lies.

If you love The Hunger Games, Caraval, or stories where enemies-to-lovers tension simmers against a backdrop of danger and betrayal, My Dear Illusion is a must-read. Sarah Ready has created a masterpiece of fantasy romance that kept me spellbound from the very first line: “Life, my dear friend, is illusion.”

Unforgettable, haunting, and achingly romantic—easily one of my top reads of the year.