When I was a young adult

For one night only I was a magician’s assistant

My Dad’s friend was an illusionist

And he was doing a show for a function

And I was the lady that he put into a box

Stuck knives through

And cut in half

I had to swear I would never reveal the process of the trick

It felt very secretive and exciting to be a very small part of The Magic Circle

Magic has always fascinated me

My husband and children love to plan and rehearse little tricks and shows

With magic kits and sets of tricks

Magic is something that intrigues us all

It is the awe and wonder

The mystery

The never answered questions

The tricks and illusions

The hints

The performance

The stories

The misdirection

The magic!

The Great Fox Illusion

Is the first in a new series of books by debut author Justyn Edwards

It is an incredibly readable book with strong lovable characters and some truly evil villains

In this story we meet Flick Lions as she prepares to enter a televised competition to become the successor of a famous magician who had no heir.

World Famous illusionist the Great Fox has died and he has left all his tricks and trade secrets hidden within a series of fiendishly difficult puzzles in a mysterious house. Four children including Flick have been chosen to compete to unlock the Fox’s Den and discover all its extraordinary secrets.

But Flick isn’t interested in uncovering tired old tricks; she’s after something much more important. The Great Fox destroyed her family. Now is Flick’s chance to find the greatest trick of all time – and bring her father home. The problem is that she is not the only one trying to find the Bell System. Flick is going to have to fight to be the first to find it and to hold on to it.

Flick is an awesome character. I liked her instantly. A strong independent girl. She is determined and resilient. She has a talent for magic herself and loves working out how different tricks are done. Flick has a prosthetic limb and through the story she talks about losing her leg and the discomfort caused by her prosthetic leg.I love that this character smashes stereotypes around gender and disability. She is definitely a character you are invested in from the start. I also love Charlie and the friendship that builds between the two children as they work together to win the competition and save their families.

The Great Fox Illusion is a hard book to review without giving too much away. As a reader you are addressed by the author at the start and drawn swiftly into the heart of the story. You feel very much like you are part of the adventure. The quest. This is a mystery story where all the elements are interweaved with puzzles, riddles and tricks for the reader to solve along with the children in the story.

Set in a house with different levels, moving walls, hidden doors, secret passages, a butler who will serve you anything you ask for and an awesome talking lift. This clever story is fast paced with lots of twists and turns to keep readers intrigued, perplexed and wanting more.

Above all the magic and mystery this is a wonderful story of hope, friendship, family and courage.

One thing I learned about magic

All those many years ago

Is that nothing is ever quite what it seems

That is very very much the case with this story

I cannot wait for Book 2!!

“Magic is about dreaming what is impossible and making it possible. It’s the innocent young mind in all of us that loves it. We want to be filled with wonder; we want to believe. I want the winner of this competition and the recipient of my legacy to dare to dream big. So, let The Great Fox Hunt begin.”

The Great Fox Illusion is written by Justyn Edwards with illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino and published by Walker Books