Fantasy Books About Illusionists and Stage Magicians for Fans of The Prestige

What if you could turn into the animal of your desires any time you wanted? For Traders, this ability grants them incredible access to the upper echelons of power among New York City's gilded age. But Thalia is not a Trader. She is a Solitaire, one of the majority who has no animal power. 

Fortunately, she's not without her own abilities. As a rising stage magician, she can dazzle audiences with her trickery. When, one night, a trick goes horribly wrong, Thalia makes a discovery that changes her entire world.

Stage magician Quinn Bradley has dreamed of headlining his own Las Vegas show for years. After talent scouts single him out at his latest performance, he thinks he's hit the big time. What he doesn't expect is to be told that magic is real, and to be whisked away for a mysterious quest. 

That's how he finds himself in Alissia, a world connected to ours by a secret portal owned by a powerful corporation. He’s after an employee who has gone rogue, which is easier said than done when you're up against real magicians and your old card tricks won't stand up to the average teenager. He has to find the culprit and keep his own human identity secret. In Alissia, the penalty for impersonating a magician is death.

Charles Carter is an illusionist of once-in-a-generation abilities. Known as Carter the Great, he is a master performer whose skills have easily surpassed those of the legendary Harry Houdini. For his most famous trick, he brought onto the stage President Warren G. Harding, who tells him a secret so catastrophic that it could change the fate of the entire country. 

And then the President dies. Soon the Secret Service is following Carter, believing he murdered the leader of the free world, and Carter is forced to use all his wiles to uncover a dastardly plot that includes Houdini, the Secret Service, the Illuminati, and a lion.

Kim has lived her life on the streets of London, disguised as a boy and stealing to survive. She doesn't hesitate when a stranger offers her a small fortune to break into the wagon of a travelling magician and steal a silver bowl. But this job is no ordinary theft. This magician is no huckster, like the ones Kim is so used to scamming. When he catches her in the act, Kim thinks she's done for. What she doesn't expect is for the magician known as Mairelon to ask her to be his apprentice. And his tricks aren't fake. His magic is real.

Jane Ellsworth is a woman ahead of her time. Amid society life in an alternate Regency England where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady in search of a good husband, she wants to achieve more with her abilities than attain a solid marriage. While her sister, Melody, is a sought-after bachelorette, Jane is heading into old maid territory at the ripe age of 28. So, why not use that freedom to push her skills to the limit? It will prove to be crucial after her family's honor is threatened and it falls upon her to put things right.

The night circus is a truly magical place. It arrives in town without warning or notice, and is only open at night. The black-and-white striped canvas tent opens its doors to reveal Le Cirque des Rêves, a phantasmagoria of illusions. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway between two young magicians. 

Celia and Marco have been trained since childhood to battle one another for magical supremacy, and only one can stand tall as the victor. But in spite of it all, Celia and Marco fall in love, putting at risk both their lives and the fate of the circus itself.

Ashes lives in Burroughside, the poorest and most crime-ridden district in the city of Teranis. He grew up around fellow orphans, crooks, and monsters who made Burroughside a dangerous place to be after dark. Eager to escape, Ashes picks pockets and cheats at cards to save the funds to get out of towon. When he draws the wrath of Mr. Ragged, Burroughside’s brutal governor, he is forced to flee for his life, only to be rescued by an enigmatic man named Candlestick Jack. 

As the leader of a group of Artificers, professional magicians who can manipulate light, Jack wields incredible power. Studying under his tutelage could change Ashes' life for the better. But all is not as it seems: Jack and his company lead a double life as thieves, and they want Ashes to join their next heist.

Cayden Silversun is part Elven, part Fae, part human Wizard. His mother wants him to follow in his aristocratic family's footsteps and, like his father, join the Royal Court. But Cade has no time for propriety. He wants to carve out a life on the stage, performing illusions that wow audiences and plays that leave them breathless. With his troupe, Cade is ready to take over, but the power battles of the magical community won't leave him be for too long.