I’m delighted to be kicking off THE GREAT FOX ILLUSION blog tour with this post for Books For Topics.
There is a lot of magic in children’s books. The shelves are filled with protagonists with special powers, and characters who discover they are part of a hidden world filled with the supernatural. The Great Fox Illusion isn’t like that. There are no special powers in this book. No shortcuts to success. Flick is a girl with a prosthetic leg who cannot wave a wand to solve her problems. The Great Fox Illusion is about a different kind of magic.
In this story, Flick and Charlie have to enter a house that used to belong to the world-famous illusionist The Great Fox, and he’s left behind some very challenging puzzles for them to solve. They need to work out the method behind a series of magic tricks. All the answers are right in front of them, but the whole point of a magic trick is to hide the secret of how it works. It wouldn’t be much of a trick if it was obvious how it was done, would it? So, Flick and Charlie are faced with what appear to be impossible challenges. Where do you start in working out how a trick is put together? There may be many elements to the performance, each hiding a different secret. As the story progresses, we watch them break the puzzles down, isolate the details they understand and then work from what they know to try and figure out what they don’t. They do not rely on casting a spell or using their powers as the ‘chosen ones’. They learn how to solve problems for themselves. More than that, they acquire skills in overcoming difficulties that seem impossible to surmount – as problems so often do. They gain an understanding that will help them cope with all sorts of everyday challenges. That method – break it down, isolate the details you understand and then work from what you know to try and figure out what you don’t – works everywhere. I think it’s the kind of magic that we all need.
We are very pleased to announce our April Children's Book of the Month is 'The Great Fox Illusion' by @justynedwards! pic.twitter.com/jaPr4BbklH
— Blackwell's (@blackwellbooks) April 4, 2022
The Great Fox Illusion is Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Month, listed by Waterstones as one of their Best Children’s Books of the Month, and a Toppsta Best Book of the Month.
Waterstones says: “With a magnificent magical concept at its heart, Edwards’ enchanting adventure of courage and revenge pits young illusionists against each other in a reality TV show to claim the legacy of the Great Fox.”
When I think about the amazing stories that have been Blackwell’s Book of the Month, I’m so excited that The Great Fox Illusion gets to join that illustrious list. Wow. 🙂
The Great Fox Illusion is featured with a full-page extract and a Q&A in the ‘Ones to watch’ section.
Where did the idea for The Great Fox Illusion come from?
I have always loved books where the reader can solve the puzzles alongside the characters. Then it occurred to me it would be fun if the puzzles were magic tricks, especially as the method behind every trick is always so well hidden. This thought then crashed into lots of other ideas that I had lying around in my head (it can get pretty noisy up there at times), and The Great Fox Illusion was born (well, there was the small matter of sitting down and writing it, but I had a start).
How would you describe it for new readers in one sentence?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Dynamo.
Do you have a favourite scene or character that was most fun to write?
I loved writing the way the friendship develops between Flick and Charlie. They’re such different people, but they combine in such a fascinating way. I don’t want to give away too much, but I also loved writing a book that unfolds like a magic trick.
Can you do any good magic tricks yourself?
I try. If I practice a lot, I can do some pretty good ones.
How does it feel to have your debut book published?
It’s amazing. It’s a bit surreal to think that a lot of words I typed into my laptop in the early hours of the morning before going off to work are to be read by actual humans. I’m a unique combination of nervous and excited to see what they think.
What are you working on next?
I’m currently editing the second book in the series, and any day now, I’m about to start writing the third – this will involve lots of cups of coffee and a long run-up from the end of the garden.
THE GREAT FOX ILLUSION will be translated into French and published by Éditions Robert Laffont. Their books are distributed in almost all francophone countries, but particularly in France, Canada and Belgium. Founded in 1941 they are considered one of the most important French publishing houses. It’s very exciting that Flick and Charlie will get to speak French as well!
In addition to being translated into several languages, THE GREAT FOX ILLUSION will also be produced by W.F. Howes as an English audiobook. This will be available for download and on CD. I’m looking forward to finding out who will record it. 🙂
‘Yes it’s magic, but not the kind you usually find in kid’s books! A really clever idea, fascinating to read & lead characters to like & care about.’ Heath Books
‘A delightfully tricky tale of magic and misdirection. A page-turner that’s also great fun to read. ‘ M. G. Leonard
‘The Great Fox Illusion is a glittering tale of magic and mystery, trust and tricks, friendship and family. Let Justyn Edwards take you behind the scenes of a world of magic and illusion, on a mind-bending adventure to find the truth. Reading this brilliant book is like opening a magician’s box of tricks and discovering their secrets for yourself. ‘ Thomas Taylor
‘A page-turning mystery about family, friendship and magic tricks, told with real panache and pizzazz.’ Christopher Edge
‘This book did a vanishing trick on me – I didn’t reappear until I’d read the very last page! A spectacular, page-turning mystery that will have you guessing until the very end. I can’t wait to see what other stories Justyn Edwards has up his (magician’s) sleeve!’ Clare Povey
‘Featured in The Bookseller’s April 2022 Previews.’ The Bookseller
‘This is the perfect mix of magic and adventure.’ The Book Nook, Hove
‘Full of Darren Brown tricks, it’s a novel which grips the reader and like any good magic trick, will leave them scratching their head about what just happened… From that ending, I’m very hopeful for a sequel!’ Check ‘Em Out Books
‘Every school library needs a copy of this book in their libraries especially for our magic trick fans!’ Emma Suffield, Blogger
‘The Great Fox Illusion is an exciting story about inner-strength, determination, family, friendship and never giving up. It’s a book that you’ll pick up and won’t want to put down, even once you’ve finished it; it will leave you wanting more and I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s in store next.’ Bonkers About Books
The Dutch version of THE GREAT FOX ILLUSION (De grote vossenjacht) is going to be released in hardcover on 2nd May 2022!
Om haar familie terug te krijgen, moet Liz de illusie die De Grote Vos van haar vader heeft gestolen, zien terug te vinden. Maar er zijn meerdere kapers op de kust…De 11-jarige Liz heeft een plaats veroverd in het tv-programma De grote vossenjacht. De deelnemers moeten trucs doorgronden om kans te maken op de erfenis van ‘De Grote Vos’, een wereldberoemde, raadselachtige illusionist. Maar Liz heeft haar eigen doel. De Vos heeft haar familie namelijk te gronde gericht. Zijn grootste succes heeft hij te danken een illusie die hij van de vader van Liz heeft gestolen. Dit is haar kans om die misdaad recht te zetten en haar familie weer bijeen te brengen. In het huis van de Vos bevindt zich een geheim dat de wereld van magie voor altijd zal veranderen, en Liz zal er alles aan doen om het te vinden…
Advanced reading copies of The Great Fox Illusion have gone out to bloggers, journalists, bookshops, fellow authors etc. They arrive with this letter:
Dear Reader,
As a child, my parents would sometimes take me to Hamleys toy shop. It was always an incredible place to visit, filled with so many delights. But what fascinated me most, the part of the store that I would keep coming back to time and again, were the magic tricks. There was a performer demonstrating the products, and I could happily have watched them for hours. And I knew that I could spend some of my hard-earned pocket money to find out how the trick was done and recreate it myself.
I’ve never lost my love of magic tricks, and it’s that love which is at the heart of my debut novel, The Great Fox Illusion. That sense of wonder, of wanting to know how the trick is done, is what our protagonist, Flick Lions, shared with her father before he went missing. And there is one magic trick in particular that drives the story. A trick that promises to change the world of illusion for ever. Flick believes that the late, famous illusionist The Great Fox stole this trick from her father before he disappeared. So when a competition is announced that offers Flick the opportunity to try and win The Great Fox’s legacy, she’s determined to take part. This is her chance to find out what really happened to her father – and to put her family back together again.
This is a story about hope, friendship and courage. It captures that sense of being hooked, that joy in being fooled, that thrill in the mystery, that desire to know the answers that are right under your nose. I hope you get those same feelings as you open the cover, start to read and watch the trick unfold.
Yours,
Justyn Edwards
***COVER REVEAL***
— LibraryGirl&BookBoy (Jo) (@BookSuperhero2) November 3, 2021
Secrets and illusions abound as a group of young magicians competes for the prize of a lifetime in this gripping adventure, the first in an enthralling new series from debut author @justynedwards @flaviasorr
RT to be entered to win an exclusive proof copy. pic.twitter.com/gnM25RYwhB
It was a tremendous privilege to have Jo (aka #LibraryGirlAndBookBoy) reveal the cover for The Great Fox Illusion at midday on 3/11/21. Flavia Sorrentino has created a stunning piece of artwork for the cover and a seriously cool tease version for the advanced reading copies. These are being sent out at the moment. Thank you so much to Walker Books, Flavia and Jo for putting all of this together.
