In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next. The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide Where Dreams Descend is the book of the season! Magical and show-stopping, it promises not to be the next Caraval or The Night Circus, but instead a lush original fantasy all of its own. Once I started reading and getting to know Kallia, Jack, and Demarco, I was hooked. Unfortunately, the ending was a let-down for me and I am more confused than ever. I have such mixed feelings about this book, so I’m sorry that this review will be all over the place! Admittedly I did struggle with the first few chapters, before I understood how magic works, and Kallia’s role as a female show magician, but after that the pages flew by! Fast-paced and exciting, Where Dreams Descend will surely delight readers. Part of the allure is the magic, but there’s also a mystery plot surrounding the missing magicians that I would have loved to focus on more. We’re given teases of a greater danger that Kallia might face, and how it ties into Demarco’s backstory, but never enough information to put the whole puzzle together. I LOVED learning about Kallia and her relationship with her power, especially because she faces challenges at every turn as a female show magician. I wish we’d gotten more of her incredible magic and performance in the story. The competition scenes were some of my favorites, as well as the ones she and Demarco shared, and I think that added emphasis could have helped heighten the magical atmosphere. Angeles is clearly a talented writer. The plot, on the other hand… oof. I can’t mention too much without adding spoilers, but I have to say I’m very disappointed by the entire thing. The ending especially was so out of the blue, and I am so confused as to what happened. I would love if someone would explain to me how exactly we got here—quite frankly I was expecting a LOT more resolution to the Spectaculore competition given that it was a large focus of the rest of the novel. The reason I’m only giving 3/5 stars is while I loved the descriptions and the magic, I feel like the story is holding back. Pacing could have been better, more character development and understanding of their histories is needed, and the plot needs to pick a direction before I could really sink in and enjoy the book. I’m hoping I can try the sequel next year and find out what happens, as sometimes that added context helps me enjoy a first book better.
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The BaronessHey, I'm Shreya! I love to read, write, travel, and drink tea. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a small commission if you click the above link and make a purchase.
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