i picked up this book because i heard it was a Phantom of the Opera retelling, or something like it. it was incredibly imaginative and i found myself immediately sucked in. i can’t wait to read the next one ( )

I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This book hands down has such strong world building that captured me from page 1. I thought the world so compelling and as theater major and lovers of musicals this world screamed Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera. I loved the setting of this book and also the focused on a magic competition. I also liked the various POV that this book was broken down into and how these POV were so different but def. helped expand that world in various ways. I really loved the magic system and world building was the stand out. I think the pacing of this book could have been a bit tighter at points and I felt like the ending was rushed and the middle was not as tight. But I have become super invested in the characters and the world and am so excited for book 2!. If you like books like the night circus or Evermore.. This book might be right up your alley! ( )

I got this book for review from the publisher for my honest thoughts*

This book hands down has such strong world building that captured me from page 1. I thought the world so compelling and as theater major and lovers of musicals this world screamed Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera. I loved the setting of this book and also the focused on a magic competition. I also liked the various POV that this book was broken down into and how these POV were so different but def. helped expand that world in various ways. I really loved the magic system and world building was the stand out. I think the pacing of this book could have been a bit tighter at points and I felt like the ending was rushed and the middle was not as tight. But I have become super invested in the characters and the world and am so excited for book 2!. If you like books like the night circus or Evermore.. This book might be right up your alley! ( )

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review this gripping, vivid and lush fantasy.
This is described as similar to The Night Circus and Caraval, which I can see how it's like Caraval and has a lot of a similar feel to that book and series and it also reminds me a lot of The Phantom of the Opera as well. It's like all the circus, magic/magician, otherworldly amazing stories that are out there right now. I think it even reminds me of some of The Starless Sea also.
I enjoyed this story a lot, it did have a little bit of a slow start, but then it went really fast and stayed intense and building up until the end where you're left hanging with the very tense cliffhanger ending and wanting to know what will happen next.
In this story, it starts out with Kallia, the star magician, who is doing her show at a place locked away and hidden deep in the woods and Jack is her master/keeper who has been training and teaching her about her magic for years.
Kallia is feeling trapped and caged and yearns to go see what other places there are to visit and hears about competition in a nearby town called Glorian so she runs off one day and goes to Glorian leaving Jack and that life behind.
When she arrives in the town, Glorian, she meets a thief and then finds her way to where the magic competition is being held and decides to enter into it so she can showcase her skills, her magic and win. She meets the Conquerors, the circus performers, and magicians, who become friends with her and help her with things with the contest and everything in general.
Then she becomes friends and gets her own assistant, Aaros and meets DeMarco, who is also a magician that has his own secrets and a secret past. DeMarco and Kallia begin to be friends and then end up working together to train and prepare for one of the shows in the contest and then DeMarco comes out with his secret past to her.
Also while she's in Glorian competing and learning about the magic system the town is built on and everything else, whenever she's by mirrors and usually when she's alone, Jack keeps appearing to her, warning her what will happen if she doesn't leave the town or come back to him.
Then other magicians in the competition begin disappearing and strange things keep happening, but they're not sure what's happening and Kallia keeps trying to keep Jack away with her magic, but he keeps showing up then when they come to the last night of the contest, everything crescendos and you're left wondering what happened, trying to figure it out and hoping everything turns out in the next book.
If you loved or enjoyed Caraval or Phantom of the Opera or any of those kinds of books then make sure to have this one on your list! ( )

Brilliant and exciting first few chapters.

Lots of chapters with some lovely writing and some really interesting characters doing sweet fudge all.

Brilliant and creepy last few chapters.

Not much more to add to that sorry. Just not for me. ( )