$20.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
In Stock
$$20.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$20.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Anne Rouen
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Master of Illusion Book One Paperback – November 23, 2014

by Anne Rouen (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$20.00","priceAmount":20.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"20","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"%2FKn3pRszQvxha%2Bo0gb90xXM6nmGOeVYgs7rst7gQjCRXsth9%2FcEM6HFffNLPkOpXnRoDJRJVCeiTXEKA5seRKL9SBvxfck%2B2MJVwbXoC5%2FYQ4cVkoEtaGCwT%2BJOd%2BVOS6dSXjZwL%2FDT9IRqFIEmncQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Murder. Magic. Music. Obsession.

Master of Illusion Book One follows the lives of childhood comrades, Angel and Elise, as they run hand in hand from a history of treachery, heartache and crippling abuse. Under the mask of exceptional talent and in the name of justice, they each grapple with their own damaged version of love and loyalty, while fiercely protecting their terrible secrets.

Set in the operatic era of 19th century France, talented dancer Elise is discovered by the eminent Opéra Français and is whisked away from a simple life to fulfil her dreams of becoming prima ballerina. Her path is forever changed the day she rescues the disfigured, amnesic genius—Angel—from a life of abandonment and mistreatment. Angel's obsessions define him: his emulation of the Phantom of the Opera coupled with a latent dark side develop into a fervent passion for a young soprano. Cast under Angel's charming spell, Elise assumes the role of his protector and nurturer—only to discover that she, too, wields powers of her own: persuasion and contrivance.

In their efforts to reach the pinnacle of operatic success, Angel and Elise are faced with the challenge of defining justice, love and self-acceptance. Through abandonment, Angel knows only one form of love—obsession; and Elise, whose purity lies in ruins at the hands of evil, is raped of her capacity for romantic love.

Can they fulfil their childhood dreams without blood on their hands?

**Winner of the Silver Medal for Historical Literature Fiction (Modern) in the 2014 Global Ebook Awards**

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    Master of Illusion
  2. Print length
    468 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 23, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 1.04 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1502968452
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1502968456
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anne Rouen is an award-winning historical fiction author whose writing is inspired by the opulent operatic era of 19th century France. This passion was ignited from delving into her own French heritage, and a lifelong love of historical fiction writing. And so, inspiration for the Master of Illusion series was born. Anne Rouen is the alter ego of Lynn Newberry: a country woman from the New South Wales New England region of Australia, who breeds Brangus cattle by day and is a dedicated, passionate horsewoman. The lady behind Anne Rouen has completed a specialist teaching degree in the Rural Sciences department of the University of New England, and has spent most of her life involved in the agricultural industry-twenty of them as an educator. Throughout her career, Lynn has escaped everyday demands through the hand of Anne Rouen. In August 2014, Anne's first ever published ebook was awarded the Silver Medal for Modern Historical Literature in Dan Poynter's Global Ebook Awards and both books in the Master of Illusion series have been nominated in a gamut of industry awards. Prior to this, Lynn received a Highly Commended in the Rolf Boldrewood Literary Awards 2011 for the short story 'The Scent of a Criminal'. With a broad range of interests, Anne Rouen writes a regular blog where she chats about her firsthand experience beating breast cancer and other current issues that are close to her heart.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (November 23, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 468 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1502968452
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1502968456
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.11 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 1.04 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 12 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Anne Rouen

Anne Rouen

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Anne Rouen—the nom de plume of Lynn Newberry—is the award-winning author behind the successful historical fiction series, Master of Illusion and, more recently, a set of standalone contemporary historical fiction romance and suspense novels set in the Australian Outback.

Lynn is a retired Australian country woman, currently living in the north-west region of New South Wales. A graduate of the University of New England, she is a former teacher, dressage rider and cattle breeder. A life on the land, including eleven years in Outback Queensland, has mixed nicely with her penchant for writing romantic suspense in historical settings.

More recently, Lynn exchanged her farm for a delightful small acreage on the edge of a village, where she writes full time. As horses and writing are her greatest passions, Lynn now embraces an idyllic lifestyle, since she has time to delve into the historical research she so loves.

Writing as Anne Rouen, Lynn self-published her historical romance/mystery series Master of Illusion with great success, winning four literary awards across the entire set. Book I (Master of Illusion Bk I) and Book III (Angel of Song) achieved Silver (2014) and Bronze (2016) respectively in the Global Ebook Awards for Modern Historical Literature Fiction. Book IV (Guardian Angel), the final in the series, was awarded Silver (2018) in the same category and Bronze (2018) for the Global Ebook Awards Best Ebook Cover.

Lynn has seen continued success with the Global Ebook Awards with her Australian Outback romance novels. In 2022 Winter at Medora Downs achieved a Gold Medal for the Best Ebook Cover, Silver for Best Suspense Fiction and Bronze for Best Modern Historical Literature Fiction in a contemporary setting. Wild Kingdom scooped the pool in the 2023 Global Ebook Awards with four gold medals (Best Ebook Cover, Best Historical Literature Fiction—Contemporary, Best Romance Fiction Historical, Best Western Fiction) and the prestigious Dan Poynter Legacy Award for Best of Fiction.

Lynn also achieved a Highly Commended in the 2011 Rolf Boldrewood Literary Awards for her short story The Scent of a Criminal and a Commended in the 2018 Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Fiction for The Min Min Light.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
12 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

That Reader Girl
5.0 out of 5 stars A Phantastic Phantom of the Opera Spin-off!
Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
I'm a huge Phan of anything related to the Phantom of the Opera. Suffice it to say that I'm on a mission to read all the Phantom books out there. In doing so, I've read many great ones, but some of them tend to get lost in the shuffle. It's not that they weren't necessarily good books. It's just that they were all the same retellings over and over again. That is certainly not the case with Anne's book.

Master of Illusion stands out. I don't really think of it as a retelling of the tale because it's so fresh. I would say it was more like inspired by the Phantom of the Opera. There are definitely some parallels and connections there, but Elise and Angel's story is so vastly different from the Phantom plot we're used to, and I loved it.

The author's love for the French language and culture really shines through in this book, and I appreciated the authenticity in the way she included French turns of phrase. Her writing style is unique and puts me in mind of another era, which I totally loved too. I found it charming, and it made me want to read more.

Granted, I've only read Book 1 so far, but I cannot wait to read the others and see how this story continues to unfold. Brava a thousand times to authors like this one who bring us new stories from such a classically beloved tale. It still has that Phantom vibe, but yet it's different enough from so many other Phantom books that it kept me "on-the-edge-of-my-seat" interested the entire time.
Helpful
 Report
vintage
3.0 out of 5 stars master of illusion
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2013
Verified Purchase
Story line good, well written, plot flowed well but could have pulled it together better. Ending left me frustrated. A bit melodramatic for me, with some parts just not believable.
Helpful
 Report
Mr Richard TK Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Really good read
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
I loved this book.....I couldn't stop until the end. The characters stayed true and I could almost "smell" the era, the ballet house, the streets etc. I t really put me in the time of the book and I am really looking forward to more of the same. I thought the writer showed great imagination and skill, as a reader I always found it truly believable, not like some books where you know what is going to happen next and you are inclined to skip forward and leave bits out. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to get absorbed by a book and to feel good by the end. Great read!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Valerie Anderson
4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed the both of them
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
I have now read book 1&2 ,I enjoyed the both of them.
Helpful
 Report
mesadallas
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful new Phantom Novel
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
I love Phantom based novels and this one is a winner! I won't go into a plot explanation because I think readers can read this in the book description. I will say that If you are a Phan I think you are going to love this new telling of The Phantom of the Opera- it's one of the best ones I've read! The story is interesting, original, and well-written and considering how many Phan books and Phanfiction stories there are this isn't always an easy task to accomplish. Brava to the author and I can't wait for the release of the second book in this series!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars 12:42pm..and just finished!
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book- It is very cleverly written, has enjoyable characters and has left me waiting for Book 2. I generally read a wide variety of genres, however usually I find avoid books of a nature that I am unfamiliar with, and stick to my tried and trues: murder, crime, equine, bios, rural...but never ballet/opera: having said that, I really loved this book and I am hoping its not a long wait for the next one , because I have questions!! CONGRATULATIONS Anne... you have a new fan...
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Peppiere
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
I loved this book with its wonderfully complex characters, and the unpredictable story line.The interaction and deep friendship between the damaged,
disfigured genius Angel, and the strong ,compassionate Elise, make for an exciting read.The streets of 19th century France came alive for me, as did all the characters. Its well written and the story flows well.Can't wait for book 2 to find out what happens next.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Carol
5.0 out of 5 stars Master of Illusion by Anne Rouen
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2013
Verified Purchase
Loved this story about Angel and Elise. I sure hope Book II ends up better for these two than the original POTO story. They have so much going for them. Hoping Angel
(The Master of Illusion) is her flower giver, and they both quit playing games with each other.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report