Author: Erin Morgenstern
Series: Stand alone
Age: Adult
Genres: Fantasy
Publication Date: September 11, 2013
Publisher: Anchor
Source: eBook
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Play Store | Kobo | iBooks
Synopsis:
In this mesmerizing debut, a competition between two magicians becomes a star-crossed love story.
The circus arrives at night, without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within nocturnal black and white striped tents awaits a unique experience, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stand awestruck as a tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and gaze in wonderment at an illusionist performing impossible feats of magic.
Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves. Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is underway--a contest between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in "a game," in which each must use their powers of illusion to best the other. Unbeknownst to them, this game is a duel to the death, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
I did enjoy this book, but something just wouldn't allow me to give a full blown 4 star rating. This was definitely a different read for me. I loved the magic aspects, but it wasn't the kind of magic I was expecting. The whole third/second person perspective made it very ominous while reading.
I enjoyed the characters immensely. They all played their parts very well from Chandresh to Hector to Alexander, the twins, Bailey and the Burgess sisters. Of course I fell head over heels for both Marco and Celia. Just phenomenal.
At the mere age of six years old Celia is bound to a game between magicians thanks to her father. Marco doesn't get bound until he is about ten years old after being taken from an orphanage by Alexander. The game itself is absolutely stupid to me. Using the circus as the game area was dangerous and foolish. I do love how Celia and Marco made the best of it and created such beautiful places.
Isobel is a character that I'm not sure if I care for. I always thought something was strange about her. Hector was a horrible father. Alexander was too creepy in a non-horror way. I loved the kids Poppet, Widge and Bailey. They may have been young, but that ending with them was beautiful!
The romance was beautiful for me. I love how Celia and Marco fell in love with each other and how they overcame the game even though it costs them greatly. The way Marco stood up to Alexander and kissed Celia was beautiful. The way Celia didn't care about her father's words and gave herself to Marco because of love was beautiful. Great romance.
This is definitely an adult novel in the way it reads, but I think even a mature teen (mature in a sense of mentally) could read this book. It was a great read from start to finish, but definitely slow paced.
Have you read this book?