ILLUSION OF STARS

An apprentice physician becomes a de facto spy to protect her sovereign nation in Page’s fantasy debut.

In a fantastical realm, 18-year-old Isabel Moller, apprentice to Karlsborn Castle’s royal physician, tends to the ailing monarchs. The queen’s ailments are physical, while the king suffers a “madness” that the physicians haven’t yet found a cure for. When Isabel’s close friend’s murdered body washes ashore on the Sanok Isles where she lives, the young apprentice is determined to unmask the killer. That means stepping out of her element and agreeing to act as a “guide” for soldiers from the neighboring country of Volgaard; they’re in the Sanokes on a scouting trip that they don’t fully explain. (Isabel’s true agenda is hunting down Volgaard’s reputed “terrible and deadly” weapon, whatever it is.) She cozies up to the soldiers, who include the general’s handsome son Erik, to get any particulars on this weapon. If she passes along the valuable information that Volgaard plans to attack, Isabel can ensure that the Sanokes don’t lose their independence—or something even more precious. Page’s leisurely tale comes with a generous serving of subtle humor, often in the form of contemporary-feeling dialogue and narrative details; characters offer middle-finger responses and indulge in sitcom sarcasm (“If you don’t like it, you can always, I don’t know, leave?”). The sympathetic Isabel gives the novel an emotional resonance as she displays courage while struggling with her self-worth, an insecurity that stems from her father abandoning the family years ago. While much of the story involves Isabel ingratiating herself with the soldiers, it also includes numerous instances of understated romance as well as signs of magic—one such instance gives Isabel (and readers) the opportunity to see the forested Volgaard despite the action unfolding in the treeless Sanokes. The author rounds out this epic tale with a menacing villain who gradually comes to light alongside some shocking deaths and unexpected bonds.

A delightful story of faraway lands with an admirable protagonist at the helm.