Synopsis: How do you know if love is real or just an illusion? When Mel Snow meets the talented magician Toby Warring in a dusty roadside bar, she is instantly drawn to the brilliant performer whose hands can effortlessly pull stray saltshakers and poker chips from thin air and conjure castles out of the desert sands. Just two days later they are married, beginning their life together in the shadow of Las Vegas, where Toby hopes to make it big. Mel knows that magicians are a dime a dozen, but Toby is different—his magic is real.
As Toby’s renown grows and Mel falls more and more in love with his wonderments, she starts to realize that Toby's powers are as unstable as they are dazzling. She learns that he once made his assistant disappear completely, and couldn’t bring her back. And then, just as Mel becomes convinced that his magic is dangerous, a trick goes terribly awry.
Exiled from the stage, Mel and Toby flee the lights of Las Vegas for the streets of Amsterdam where a cabal of old-time magicians, real magicians like Toby, try to rescue him from his despair. But he’s haunted by the trick that failed, and obsessed with using his powers to right his mistakes, leaving Mel to wonder if the love they share is genuine or merely a fantasy, conjured up by a lost magician looking to save himself from being alone.
Type: Fiction
Quick Take: This book dances a fine line between magic and sorcery. Mel and Toby time travel in a unique way and Toby is obsessed with his magic abilities and Mel and her brother Max also have some magical abilities (to simplify). As the story progresses the plot thickens and Toby's decisions start to change the future as he finds a way to revisit moments from the past.
I have read comments comparing this book to The Time Traveler's Wife, I'm sorry to say I don't see the comparison. I don't read much in this genre so it's only fair to say I did struggle with some elements of the book. Don't let this sway you though - if you enjoy magical elements (ie: Harry Potter) you will probably like this novel.
I did like that Toby's obsession started taking a toll on him, and those around him. What comes out from his obsession that is a creative ending to his story.
Source: Review Copy