Heir of Illusion Read Along: Week One

Welcome to Our Monthly Fantasy Romance Read Along

Welcome back to our monthly read along! Today, we’re starting Heir of Illusion by Madeline Taylor, and y’all, we are off to a rearing start.

There’s not a ton of action as far as the overall plot of the novel goes, but so much is laid out for us early on. Most of the worldbuilding is shown to us instead of simply told—and I’m very much down with that.

This read along is part of our monthly book box experience—if you’re reading with us, you can grab our current box featuring Songbird of the Sorrows by Braidee Otto here.

Ivy: The Leashed Assassin

First off, we have Ivy—also known as Iverson—the leashed assassin. The king calls her his pet, and so does his court. As a way to demean her and keep her in place, it’s an effective tactic, full of tension and ripe for conflict.

Add to that the literal collar around her neck—one that will choke the life out of her if she disobeys or angers the king.

Mmm mmm.

We’ve already seen it used. And we’ve already seen it anger the reaper, too—on behalf of Ivy.

Chemistry, Power, and Fear

Their chemistry makes me happy. A man who is intrigued by—and grows to love—a strong, violent, intelligent woman? Especially one that most others fear? I eat that up every time. And if they don’t fear her, they hate her. Nom nom nom.

Ivy is all of that. She’s got one hell of a mouth—both for spitting insults and for sweet-talking when she needs to.

Abuse, Survival, and Coping Mechanisms

I think the most striking part of this opening section is how clearly Ivy is abused. She’s actively trapped in an abusive relationship with a man who claims to love her but nearly chokes her to death for not leaving a room when instructed.

And her coping skills? We see them live, in action. That wavering detachment from reality she uses to survive the lies that keep her alive is painfully real. It was a smart move for the book, and it made me root for her even more than some other heroines we’ve met.

This abuse runs deeper than the physical.
It’s about having zero safety.
And being alone in that place.

Thorne and Fated Mates Energy

In comes Thorne—and I like the way he can see through her bullshit. See through her power, almost. That they can sense each other.

It gives me serious fated mates fantasy romance vibes, you know?

Heir of Illusion Theory

But also…I have an inkling that Ivy is the true Heir of Illusion. The rightful god. The rightful ruler of the kingdom she’s suffering in. That the king should have handed the kingdom over to her.

No wonder he collared her at ten, right? He had to have known.

I mean, come on. Duh.

And I’m loving the trajectory so far. Especially with the introduction of that god-killing sword—the one that whispers.

And now these two are looking for it.

Oh, let the fun begin.

Final Thoughts & Next Week’s Reading

There are more juicy details in there, but we’ll leave it there for now. If you know, you know.

Next week, we’ll be reading through Chapter 23 of Heir of Illusion. Until then—happy reading!