Review: Illusion (Chronicles of Nick,#5)

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Chronicles of Nick, #5
Published: April 3rd 2014
Publisher: ATOM
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: The Book Deporitory

Be careful what you wish for ... You just might get it.

Nick Gautier is tired of his destiny. He doesn't want to be the son of a demon who's fated to end the world. Nor does he want to see another demon or other preternatural creature who wants to kill or enslave him. He just wants to be normal and have normal problems like everyone else.

But normality isn't all it's cracked up to be. When he gets sucked into an alternate reality where his mother has married his mentor and his Atlantean god best friend has become a human geek, he begins to understand that no life is free of pain, and that every person has a specific place in the universe... Even the son of a hated demon.

Most of all, he sees that his powers aren't the curse he thought they were, and that the world needs a champion, especially one its enemies can't imagine rising up to defend the ones he should destroy.

Old enemies and new friends square off for a major battle that will either restore Nick to his real world, or end him forever.

I suspect I’m one of the very few people who are enjoying this YA spin-off, but aren’t at all familiar with the original adult paranormal romance series. In all honesty, Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series doesn’t appeal to me in the least. It’s not the type of thing I normally read, having developed allergies to PNR a long time ago, but her Chronicles of Nick, now at their fifth installment no less, are a whole different thing.

Even though it’s often more Middle Grade than Young Adult, I’ve been a fan of this series from the start. Sherrilyn Kenyon has a fabulous sense of humor and her series is often laugh-out-loud funny. Nick’s self-deprecating voice, his modesty and kindness, his protectiveness toward his tiny but fierce mother are all such endearing traits. He is an easy boy to love.

Illusion picks up exactly where Inferno left off, with Nick unwillingly thrown into a different dimension. Everything is different here: Caleb is human and a geek, Nick’s mother is married to Bubba (who just happens to be a shrewd businessman), and Nick himself, as Bubba’s son and not the Malakai, is significantly shorter, whinier, and entirely powerless. Kody is gone, the history is different, and Nick is, once again, in constant danger.

Kenyon expanded the world significantly in this installment, adding a never-ending number of enemies for Nick, and I must admit if all became a bit confusing. I kept forgetting the names and all the different species, I couldn’t keep track of all Nick’s friends and enemies even though I was trying very hard to keep track.

But the end result was still the same. I was entertained by Nick’s sarcastic remarks, warmed by his love for his family and friends, I cheered quite loudly when he faced his enemies and teared up when it all became too much for him. Not bad for a mostly Middle Grade series, huh? Not bad at all.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinion expressed in this review.