I wish I were in a theatre in a standing ovation shouting Bravo! Encore! And stamping my feet for more. A well deserved honour for a wonderfully spun tale of magic, family, friendship and girl power!
Within the first chapter I was captivated by Luciana and the sad passing of her beloved Grandfather, the Magnificent Marko!
It doesn’t take long to delve in and find a mystery to be solved. Why did her grandfather stop performing? What is the mystery surrounding The Golden Butterfly and what happened to Adeline, his talented assistant?
Thirteen year old Luciana is talented, in magic tricks, solving puzzles and finding trouble! She becomes embroiled in the plot used to discredit her grandfather and learns some hard truths surrounding her family and her nightmarish fear of fire. Is it a memory or simply a recurring nightmare?
Luciana and her best friend Charley travel to London in search of answers. They find more than they bargained for and have to learn who can be trusted and who is a spy for the dastardly Thursby, the Master of the Grand Society of Magicians. Rumours abound that he doesn’t always play by the rules and accidents happen to great magicians who threaten his own abilities!
The plot continues to thicken with great theatrical aplomb and I loved seeing just how far Luciana would go to save the reputation of her Grandfather and his greatest illusion, The Golden Butterfly!
A wonderful story full of colourful characters, magic and women proving men wrong about how clever, talented and wondrous they truly are!
Publishing 2 May by Stripes
My Shelves Are Full 