Fiction
Doubleday Books
2011
Audiobook
387
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.
Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.
Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.
Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.
But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.
Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern's spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.
WrensReads Review:
If you are looking for a book full of magic and wonder and, frankly, mystery… HALT! and read this book.
Magic and Wonder:
There are people in this book that have learned to control and work with the magic that they are born with. The few we come in contact with always have a mentor. And sometimes those mentors decide to put their students against each other in “a game.”
This magic is beautifully describe. You’ll loose your spot a few times just imagining the pictures being sewn in front of you, but it isn’t a chore to find it again. It’s whimsical and wonderful and just a good mind-dinner for anyone who loves magic.
Even the love that is in this book is magical. It’s a slow burn and beautiful.
I can’t really describe it correctly.
The Mystery:
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IN THE WORLD THE GAME IS UNTIL CLOSER TO THE END AND WHAT THE COST OF SAID GAME IS. Literally drove me absolutely nuts; but it was worth the wait and the heartbreak of discovery.
Now, I need you all to know that this is not a fast past book. It is artistic, deep in detail and lively; but it is not fast and full of action. I listened to this book as an audio-book and if I could read this book again for the first time, I think I would have read it instead. When you don’t see the names for yourself and read the words on the page, you can get a little lost.
Again, if you don’t like slow-paced books told from more than one point of view, then this book probably isn’t for you. But I just love it so much. It was so rich in content and dreamy. I would read it again given the chance.
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