A twisted fairy tale. A curse awoken.Winter has come to the remote mountain village, embroiling Valentina in tragedy.A dark energy has arisen, threatening to destroy the peace between dwarves and humans in a rash of violent chaos.In her battle to survive, Valentina finds sanctuary in the most unlikely of places. Even so, she soon discovers she can’t outrun the secrets buried within her.Despite … the secrets buried within her.
Despite being a seasoned crusader, Nisse has never encountered anything as malicious as the dark magic that ravages his canton. Driven by a desire to protect Valentina, he rushes to the chateau to warn her—only to find the estate in disrepair, and no signs of life.
Fearing for the woman he loves, Nisse seeks out the rightful Lord Winslow, who fled the canton years ago.
Will they find a way to recover the peace between dwarves and humans? Can Valentina ever claim happiness when she learns the harsh truth about what surges through her veins?
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House of Illusions
By Pippa J. Frost
5 out of 5 stars
I loved reading the book House of Illusions by Pippa J. Frost. It is a fantasy story that pulled me in and didn’t let me go until the final page. I found myself lost in the pages and not wanting to put the book down. I loved reading about the characters of Valentina and Nisse. I grew to care about what happens to them with each chapter that I read. Other additional characters are also enjoyable to read about and some who are only out for themselves with their evil agenda. The author does a wonderful job in world-building and I felt like I was right there with the characters. This is a story that includes danger, a bit of romance, and a curse. The words and characters come alive from the pages and I found myself turning pages to find out what happens next. I just had to know how it all turns out. Don’t miss out on an intriguing and entertaining book that should be added to the top of your TBR list of stories. I highly recommend it.
Her parents disappeared years ago, now her brother wants to sell(?)her to the highest bidder. Valentina well not have it, so she sneaks away to take a job at the estate of Lord Winslow. Nisse left home for years, but he’s back and he wants to protect Valentina from an evil that is threatening not only her, but the small mountain village they call home.
Fascinating, well written, and compelling characters embroiled in a battle against an enemy bent on destroying the uneasy peace between dwarves and humans. An interested plot with some interesting surprises, magic, a battle between good and evil, and a happily ever after.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
House of Illusions by Pippa J. Frost was a well written fantasy read. I loved the small details and descriptions. I felt like the world was built in front of me. I love the magic elements. Valentina was a strong character, I loved her determination to have a better life.
This fantasy hooked me in with in the first page and I couldn’t stop reading it. The story has wonderful characters, it is is well written, and I liked that it clearly shows the points of view of the different characters. Valentina works hard to survive but realizes she needs to find employment somewhere other than at home after her parent’s disappearance. She finds herself working for a lord taking care of his twin daughters in a house that is protected by magic. This book is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Frost and I cannot wait to read more of her books.
I have to say, , House of Illusions by Pippa J. Frost, had me. And when I say it had me, I had no clue what was going on till very near the end. I did have my suspicions after the ice scenario, but if you are one of those folks who like to figure it out before the picture is drawn, (I am), that’s way too late. An excellent dark fantasy romance that I enjoyed immensely. Danger and tension in all the right places, love and longing, its all wrapped up in this book in a package you will enjoy. I did have a little anxiety going on because Nisse and Sixtus were both great characters and I was really worried about who Valentina would choose. I think she chose well.
I loved every bit of this fantasy read. This was not only beautifully written but the action itself kept your interest long past chapter one. I even loved the heroine of these characters. Page-turner for sure as it grips your interest. This is very unpredictable and indescribable to read let alone write a review for. You won’t regret picking up this one as it takes you to another world.
I loved this book. This was my first by the author, and hopefully there will be more! I loved the characters and it was awesome to see the grown in their roles. An easy book to fall into and read mostly in one sit!
5 Be-Still-My-Fantasy-Loving-Heart stars
“Overhead the master of the night, a luminous globe of light, stood proudly with an army of knights adorned in twinkling armor stretching across the dark velvet sky. I’d count on their radiance to guide me.”
Wow. What an enchanting world Pippa J. Frost has created with House of Illusions. She’s not only got a way with words that made my prose loving heart happy, but she created such a beautiful world that I just wasn’t ready to leave when the end came.
The prologue had me hooked and by the time I was a few chapters in, I couldn’t stop devouring this adventure. There are so many enchanted creatures in this book, and Frost made it entirely believable that humans live alongside them. I so wish this had been a series instead of a stand-alone just to see more of the characters and magic. This is getting added to my re-read list so I can explore all the “Illusions” with eyes wide open.
P.S. I’ll gladly spearhead Team Lord Winslow forever and ever.
House of Illusions
By Pippa J Frost
5 stars
I absolutely LOVED this book!!! I almost passed it by when looking for a new book to read but I fell in love with the cover (something I rarely look at) and I am so glad that I picked it up! I was hooked from beginning to end. The authors writing was fantastic and a wonderful introduction to her as a new to me author! I cannot wait for read more from her. The descriptive language and writing the author uses is one of the best I have ever read, I could imagine every little detail she was talking about. I loved Valentina, she was such a great character to read about and following her on her journey was great. There were so many wonderful twists and turns in the story it really was exciting to read and I couldn’t put it down at all. It was great to read something so different and although I love romance I’m not a huge fantasy fan but this book was just amazing!
I 100% recommend this book to other readers and I cannot wait to read more from Ms Frost in the future!
A well written story, which has elements of dark fantasy and romance. Valentina is a fighter, who works hard for her living. After the disappearance of her parents, her brother’s drinking habits gets her family into trouble. The man she has given her heart to, leaves her behind to travel the world.
One night, unable to bear her brother’s tantrums, she escapes the house and seeks asylum in a wealthy man’s house. Everything seems to be going well for her there, little does she know that there is magic around the house.
And when a darker force rises in the town, she ventures to stop it.
Nisse, the other protagonist has a soft corner on Valentina and when he finds her missing in the mansion, he sets off in a quest to find her.
In the backdrop, there is a war raging between dwarves and the humans. Will Valentina and Nisse be able to bring back peace between them? This forms the crux of the story.
It is a breezy read with elements of fantasy, magic, suspense and romance. The narration happens in the point of view from multiple characters, which makes the book more interesting.
I really enjoyed this book!
Pippa Frost is an amazing author that writes about dwarves and humans. Her descriptive writing paints a vivid picture in my mind’s eye. The plotline is what kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. The characters are intriguing as well. I felt as if the characters were alive and were in my world. I felt the need to keep turning the pages to see what is coming next. This story is about Valentina and Nisse. They need to get the dwarves and humans together and bring peace across the land. How will they do that? Will they be able to complete what they started? I highly recommend this story. You will want to see how Valentina and Nisse accomplish what they started.
House of Illusions: A Dark Fantasy Romance
by Pippa J. Frost
This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept me entertained throughout. I found that the author did an awesome job making me feel like I was right in the story with her descriptive scenery and wonderful characters. This story is full of magic, twists and turns, danger, fantasy, and some romance. I had no idea who to trust or not until I reached the end of the story. This book will take you on a magical adventure, to find out what happens this is a must read. I highly recommend this book.
House of Illusions is an enchanting fantasy novel by Pippa J. Frost. It is set in the Swiss Alps, and draws on local folklore to create an immersive magical world.
The narrative passes between the perspectives of many characters, always clearly indicated at the start of the chapter. This lets the reader see the story unfolding across multiple settings, as we begin to piece together the puzzle. There are plenty of twists and turns and, as the title suggests, you can’t always trust what you see.
For me, the best thing about this book was the setting. It reminded me of childhood visits to the alps and the stories I was told about dwarves and dragons. The descriptions of the landscape and details such as plants really enhanced the vivid picture Frost paints.
I found it hard to warm to the characters as we are always aware that not all of them can be trusted. But by the end, once I knew who was really on Valentina’s side, I definitely had some favourites! And Valentina herself is an admirable protagonist, with a strong sense of duty and self-preservation.
For me, this is a five-star book. I would definitely recommend it to fantasy fans! This book will transport you and draw you into a fantastic story. I’m looking forward to reading more by Frost in the future!
WOW! What a great read. This is not my usual style book but I couldn’t pull myself away! The author does a great job with Character build-up as well as having a good flow throughout the book. I really couldn’t put this one down, there’s some ups downs, and sideways feelings in this book. I look forward to reading more from this author!
I loved how Frost started this story. It was a beginning that immediately pulled me in and caused me to understand more about our heroine and her world. This fantasy felt tangible and epic. I really appreciated the world building and the class distinction that was outlined. I thought the characters were well developed and a great amount of thought was used to develop this world and all of its inhabitants. Frost has put together a beautiful world in my estimation and one that I hope I am able to visit again. This is a book I am adding to my “read again” list – I cannot wait to enjoy these characters again!
I knew I had to find out what this book was all about the moment that I set my eyes on the cover! It is gorgeous and pulls the reader in without even needing a word read. I was so excited to find that the adventure inside was more than enough to live up to the enticing cover. This is a dark fantasy read that keeps the reader engrossed in the characters from the very first page until the very last word. We delve into a world of fairytale with creatures that hold magic. We see dwarves and humans clashing and Valentina and Nisse will have to work together to bring them peace that both sides desire. I really loved the adventures these two found themselves in and how I was transported to this magical world so much so that I felt as if I was walking right next to them as they made their way. I couldn’t get enough of this book and found myself reading well past my bedtime to find out how it would all come to an end and now I anxiously await more from Pippa J. Frost!
When her parents go missing and are presumed dead, Valentina and her brother Orell are left with the family farm. Valentina tries hard to keep their home from falling into shambles, food in their bellies, and what little farm animals they have alive, but her brother squanders away any money that comes into their household. When he promises to marry her off to his rich friend in order to have some coin, she has had enough of his mistreatment and takes off in the middle of the night. She left for a job at Chateau Winslow as she had come across a job opening from a piece of paper. Soon she is the caretaker of Lord Winslow’s young twin daughters and life seems to be going good for her. She does not know it, but she is being looked after by not only a man that she fancies, but magical dwarfs as well. Strange things start to happen and she hears of the beast that the townsfolk have been speaking about. She has seen it, but she didn’t want to believe her eyes. Being someone that wants to protect those that she loves, she sets off back to town to find Nisse and let him know just who is behind all the abductions. Will she be able to find a way to stop the beast?
Nisse has always held a soft spot for Valentina, ever since he was friends with her brother as a young boy. He feels the need to protect her. When his father turns up missing, then is found dead by the hands of the beast he vows to find and kill it in revenge. But before he goes he wants to make sure that Valentina is safe. He makes his way to the Chateau Winslow only to find that is a rundown home that hasn’t been lived in for years. How could that be though as he had only seen Valentina recently and she said she was working there? Things are not adding up in his mind so he heads back to interrogate some towns people that workers of this estate are sure to have had contact with. Only, he comes up empty. To discover the truth he must head off to England and hunt down the real Lord Winslow. Will he find what or who he is looking for?
House of Illusions by Pippa J. Frost is definitely worth the 5-stars and then some. A little bit of love and a little bit of magic made this book great. Personally for me I have not come across any great type of fantasy book since I read the Harry Potter series. Though the plot, writing and story line was fascinating I could never picture myself there in that moment. House of Illusions gave me that and I am more that glad that I took a chance on this book.
House of illusions. By Pippa J Frost.
Wow that was one captivating read, I absolutely fell in love with this book. You are pulled into the story from page one, it feels like you’re right there amongst all of the fascinating characters. This is a Dark fantasy romance, my favourite genres mixed together. You will not be disappointed with this book if you’re a fantasy lover at heart. Pippa J Frost is such a talented author, she very cleverly knows how to grab the readers attention and keep it from beginning to end. A great read I would highly recommend.
This was a captivating read which has aspects of everything I love, fantasy, romance and danger.
The characters are so well written that even the fantasy characters you can imagine being real along with the worlds they live in. This story is filled with danger, secrets, magic and romance that keeps you gripped from start to end.
Valentina is a young human or so she thinks? She is dealing with a lot in her life with the disappearance of her mother and father and her brother drinking and running up debts its left to her to try and keep her family business afloat. She works hard and tirelessly until she finds a husband worthy of her. However the man who has captured her heart goes to travel the world leaving her behind and not knowing if he really feels the same way for her as she does for him.
Nisse leaves their village to travel the world but thoughts of a young woman haunt his mind so he returns. When he find out how ill treated she is by her brother it angers him. Could this young woman care for him the same way has he does her?
House of Illusions: A Dark Fantasy Romance by Pippa J Frost is an enticing dark romance fantasy story that keeps the pages turning. Pippa has given us all the elements to take us on an adventure with fascinating characters that are well written and likable. With elements that will delight the most avid reader, from danger and suspense, drama and evil, magic and romance and let’s not forget the Dwarves. The plot is well done and well developed as are the characters. With all kinds of twists and turns and secrets and lies you won’t want to put this book down.