December 2017 ****

This book was a very interesting read. It is a fantasy fiction YA novel that provides a bit more on the romance side. The main character Becky is transported to a new place where she is deemed to rule. In the beginning she thinks she is dreaming. I liked the romance and the action but I wanted to know more about the unique power that Becky possesses. I also wanted to know more about the people and their unique powers. Why is she so strong and why aren’t their others like her.
The novel is well written and I would recommend it to others who like a contemporary fantasy YA novel.

November 2017 ****

This book was quite surprising in its creativity. The author gave life to a new dimension. This with their people and their wars, their peculiar speech patterns and clothing, and their views, ways, and laws.

Though sometimes the speech was a bit strange, it was entirely understandable, and it gave a bit of character to the story. All in all, it was a pleasant read once I got through all the introductions and descriptions.

November *****

Although this book can be a but confusing at time it was a great read! I do wonder if this is the end as it could have another book or more to it. May there be??

November 2017 ****

A fantastical romance in another dimension!
Illusional Reality is the first book I have read by Karina Kantas and what a wonderful book to start my journey with a new author!
Becky is pulled from our world when her life is in peril. Only to learn that she is Princess Thya of Tsania and her people are under siege by the evil warlord of the Senx.
She must come to terms with who she is in a short amount of time, learn the customs and ultimately save her people.
She falls into a forbidden love and her life will never be the same.
I really enjoyed this story. Outstanding world building. Magic and mayhem. Strange creatures, speech and dress.
And what a cliffhanger ending!!!!
I literally screamed…. “Noooooooooooo”

July  2017 ****

I enjoyed reading of this alternate reality from the beginning, however felt a let down at the end. Was this the end or just the beginning of the story?
What was this connection that overtook her? Why now? Would it return or were the 2 occurrences that lead to 2 deserved ends the end of the connection?
Would her people need her again, so that she would need to return? Or was this all a dream?
Many questions remain as the final words were read, which I hope will be answered soon.

July  2017 *****

 If you can imagine a unique fairytale for adults, then you have a pretty good idea about what’s in store for you in Illusional Reality.
Before I go any further into the review, let me assure you that the romance described in the blurb is quite clean; clean enough for a teenager to read, but the plot and dialogue are definitely not what you’d find in a YA novel.

There are some elements that really make this fantasy stand out from the rest in this genre:

First, Kantas has crafted a language for this alternate, utopian world; it’s English but it comes across as English translated from a different language because of how the dialogue is structured. Not only did I find it interesting, but I found it refreshing because I wasn’t stuck trying to figure out how to pronounce the words.

Second, Kantas balanced the magic and whimsey in the book with dark political intrigue. I thought it made her alternate world realistic and more appealing to different audiences.

Third, the society Kantas created is different than other alternate reality fantasies I’ve read before. Many of the different fantasy novels I’ve read in the past regarding utopian alternate realities generally have a well-established group of rebels who challenge the existing system. In the case of this book, the protagonist is the one who shakes things up by questioning the system; one that she, as the heir, is supposed to uphold.

Finally, how Kantas chose to write the romance is unique. I got the impression that the romance between the protagonist and her tutor was hot and heavy; however, it was only an impression because Kantas didn’t share the intimate details of the love scenes.

If you enjoy spin-offs of the Disney fairytales in which everything isn’t black and white, or good and bad, I think you’ll enjoy this book. I know I did, and I hope Kantas plans on writing a sequel for Illusional Reality because I’ll definitely read it!

July  2017 ****

The characters were pretty well developed and the plot pulled together nicely. An ordinary young modern day business woman is pulled into an alternate reality where she is no longer an ordinary citizen. This fantasy clearly delineated good and evil. With a mild mannered people to represent a good, peace-loving people in need of a strong ruler. Evil portrayed by a dictatorial monarchy intent upon world conquest. Magic plays a essential role in the battle between good and evil in this story. By the conclusion of this adventure there is an unknown evil that afflicts the heroine. But this hint of what is to come will have to wait for another story taking place in this world. I have my suspicions as to it’s source.

JULY 2017 ****

I started reading this book last November and had not finished. So began at the beginning again and it became apparent to me why I had quit reading before. The use of an odd configuration of the English language to emulate a different language structure and usage made it difficult to relate to the characters and dialogue at the beginning. However, this time I stuck it out and as I read, the story developed nicely and it became easier for me to decipher the meanings of the strange turn of speech. I got used to it.

The characters were pretty well developed and the plot pulled together nicely. An ordinary young modern day business woman is pulled into an alternate reality where she is no longer an ordinary citizen. This fantasy clearly delineated good and evil. With a mild mannered people to represent a good, peace-loving people in need of a strong ruler. Evil portrayed by a dictatorial monarchy intent upon world conquest. Magic plays a essential role in the battle between good and evil in this story. By the conclusion of this adventure there is an unknown evil that afflicts the heroine. But this hint of what is to come will have to wait for another story taking place in this world. I have my suspicions as to it’s source.

At first I was thinking of a mediocre review because I had a problem with the language though not the plot or the characters. As the plot developed and my comprehension of the language got better and I increased my regard for the story and my rating improved. The pace varied, some parts seemed a bit slow and others raced ahead. Overall, the slow parts were not extensive enough to become boring and the fast parts did not leave me behind or leave out essential details. I read it pretty much straight through (other than sleep cycles). I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more books by the author that take place in this world.  It is an interesting world with much potential for more adventures. I would recommend for for ages 16 and older as there are a couple of sex scenes, though they are not graphic and were dealt with tastefully and modestly.

Illusional Reality is a great read for fantasy lovers! The author has created an alternate reality in a world with unique magical elements.

May 2017 ****

Illusional reality is a good story which unlike many kindle books was proof read. The book caught my interest from the start and held it to the end. The story doesn’t completely end with the book and there’s no mention of a follow up book. The structure of the writing, while intentional, makes the book difficult to read until you get used to it.

 April 2017 *****

What a delightfully touching love story! Our author entwined our world with a fantasy one with action, magic and of course, love.

March 2017 *****

Love it!

February 2017 ****

From the very first paragraph I was totally into this book. We meet Becky, whose life is in danger and then she is whisked away to another world where her name is Princess Thya. We learn about a whole new world, about magical powers, Thya’s family history…oh and there is romance too. Looking forward to where the author will take us with the next book in this series.

January 2017 *****

I read during my commute, so I get 20-40 minute snatches of time, and that’s it. Having a book that is easy to read – and keep up with, is very important.

With most books, you have to back up a page or two. That is something I NEVER had to do with this one! It is well written and captures the imagination, guiding you into the new land and language with such easy grace that you hardly are aware of it.

Great read; great book!

Karina Kantas’s Illusional Reality is so much more than its initial premise. It begins in somewhat typical fantasy style with an “ordinary” young girl being transported to a mystical world where she is in reality, a princess.

But with powerful character and plot development Kantas takes us alongside our young heroine every step of the way in a story that can be read on several levels. This is achieved through evocative description, narrative which explains how this magical land of Tsinia ticks – and dialogue which is not only realistic, but skilfully used to carry the story forward.

A heady mix of dark danger, warfare and romance sees us reach the end of the story all too quickly, and we can but hope that Karina Kantas will bring our heroine back to Tsinia before long.

December 2016 *****    SPOILER

Becky is doing fine as a human in the human world. She has a nice apartment and a good job. She is satisfied with how things are going for her. When a taxi driver throws her out of his cab Becky finds herself alone at night in a neighborhood she doesn’t know. Rescued by a stranger Becky is taken to another realm, Tsinia. In Tsinia she is not Becky but Thya, the rightful heir to the throne. Thya has no time to easily adjust to her new life since she is promised to marry Kovon, the son of a warlord from a nearby land called Senx.

Kovon is a cruel man who has the blood from Thya’s parents on his hands. Thya is not willing to marry him, but does she have another choice? The people in Tsinia live in peace and only defend themselves when they have to. Some have special abilities which they will use in battle if they are attacked. Thya is trained by Alkazar. He teaches the new generation of Tsinians how to use their gifts. It turns out that Thya is incredibly powerful and has many abilities that need to be accessed and trained. While being trained she is looking for another way to ensure peace between Tsinia and Senx than marrying Kovon, a man she despises.

Alkazar is a wise and patient man who is instantly drawn to Thya. He can’t do anything with his feelings and desires since he is betrothed to Siren. Every person in Tsinia is promised to someone at a young age. They aren’t allowed to love whomever they choose, but what if their heart wants them to be with another person than the one they’re promised to? Alkazar is wonderfully charming and I liked the way he interacts with Thya. He’s also loyal and will fulfill his duty even if it breaks his own heart. Thya is a strong-minded person. She takes her duties seriously and works hard to develop her abilities. She is a quick thinker and is not afraid to go to battle by herself if that is necessary to keep Tsinia safe.

Karina Kantas has created a beautiful magical realm. Tsinia sounds like an amazing place to live. The vivid descriptions of how the town has been built and how the people interact with each other together with the language that’s being spoken fired my imagination. I could imagine Thya’s life there without any difficulties. She is a person I immediately connected with. She is a great main character and she kept surprising me. Because of all these positive features Illusional Reality drew me in and kept me hooked until the very last lines. I love it when a writer can do that. It is a story full of adventure, magic, love, betrayal and jealousy. This enchanting world mesmerized me and I really enjoyed reading this amazing story.

October 2016 ****

An interesting read that captured my attention.
Kantas’ descriptions gives the reader the ability to create a vision of her mythical world, pulling you into the story.
The main characters were suitably developed, meaning the reader was able to form a bond with them as the story progressed.
A pleasant story with all the right emotions.

August 2016 *****

I absolutely loved reading this book. It is unlike any other i have ever read and i was instantly drawn into the world of this book from the very start. The main character Becky gets stalked, injured and then finds herself in another reality and is known by the people in this new reality as a woman named Thya. She is not just any woman to these people. To them she is their queen and their savior and so Becky/Thya finds herself battling in a war using newly acquired powers that she never knew she possessed to bring this new world called Tsinia peace and harmony and so she battles against Kovon a Senx warlord. She doesn’t really want to be a part of Tsinia but finds herself making sacrifices and becomes attached to the people of this world and wants to do right by them and ultimately finds herself falling in love with Alkazar. This love is forbidden as he belongs to someone else but their love is meant to be. I absolutely loved these two characters and was rooting for them and their forbidden love from the start. I don’t want to spoil anything but the ending of the story is amazing. I would highly recommend that people read this book as its definitely a work of great masterpiece and you will not be disappointed.