Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Come To Me, My Demon Lover

Who doesn't like a demon lover historical romance love triangle set in a traveling carnival? We have a black clad bad boy, a sensitive stud kind of number two guy, and the tattooed snake charmer who, while conflicted and vulnerable, charms, toys with, and exercises power over, the men.

This has a solid grounding in the era, place, and carnival setting. While the overall flow of the book is as languid as the Southern weather, there are some tense and gripping scenes. Sure, some of the demony confrontation bits are a little overcooked, but who wants a bland, fainty, or restrained tale?

So, I thought this was fun; it had the right amount of darkish creepiness and slow but steady buildup to keep it all rolling along.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

First of all i played sick from work friday, monday, and today which is tuesday. I just finished reading this book 2 seconds ago. WOW!!! From the first chapter this book pulled me in and i couldn't stop. I loved story. Ruby was awesome even without being special or exra whatever you want to call it. I loved the traveling circus. It was just how i imagined it would be back then living in a traveling show. The author has a wonderful way of describing the places and people perfectly without it being too much. I could see, smell, and hear the townies, the unkown village, and the masquerade party. Yet the story just kept flowing right on. Daniel was written just great. That black suit and black eyes and how he was always put together right away gave u a sense that something wasn't right from the start but i liked how it developed over the story just how devilish he was. When Ruby tricked the trickster i was probably smiling as big as she was. Although i was excepting something a little more from their battle i would call it. But it was not needed i think it was done in true Ruby fashion. The only thing that is bothering me is not getting a little more from the end. Just a little bit more about Ruby and Hayden. Great story.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Polis Books and the author, Steph Post, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Miraculum in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought the premise of the storyline certainly sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, I struggled with this book after the first half dozen chapters. I felt the pace slowed right down and I just could not maintain interest.
Not a book for me.

A pretty cool book, but only up until a point.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this in any way: the moment the Star Light Miraculum is destroyed, the book is, as well. Or at least it was, for me.

The carnival was endlessly fascinating for me. I'm a big fan of circus/ carnival books (Geek Love, The Pilo Family Circus, The Night Circus), and also a big fan of the 20s (mostly because of the ~aesthetic~, not gonna lie), so this was a perfect combo for me. I was very, very pleased with the book all the way up until the carnival's destruction, and while I do understand why it happened, I thought the book went downhill BIG TIME from there.

Not only was it rushed (everything happened so quickly even though the last 1/3 of the book is so much shorter than the other two), but also so convenient (that rich lady that randomly befriended Hayden just so she would invite him to the super exclusive ball that David would be at, and that being the entire extent of her role in the story? Reeked of convenience, not to mention how quickly and easily Ruby and Hayden were able to find David's "true nature" in the Book of Knowns, and those are just two examples), and also so, so, so very anticlimactic (I'm not going to spoil this, let's just say I'm referring to the "big battle" of the finale). Infuriatingly anticlimactic, actually.

So the above reasons knocked two stars off the book's rating, but let me say, it fully deserves the 3 stars it got. If the last third of the book didn't exist, it could have gotten at least 4. I loved everything up until David destroyed the carnival (really, how many times do I have to say it), including that destruction scene. I felt the carnival had so much more to give, including a bit more of the other performers' lives, anyone who wasn't Ruby or Samuel or January or Hayden or David.

But even then, I loved everything. It is extremely hot in Greece right now as I'm writing this, so I was able to relate completely when ridiculous heat and humidity is mentioned in the book. I loved the sense of camaraderie but also vague cattiness between everyone working at the carnival (felt, ehm, really familiar), I loved that the narration itself tried not to romanticize it (unlike David). I actually laughed when Ruby was asked about the names of her snakes and she just replied "That one's red snake, the other's yellow snake, the one in the back is green snake with stripes"

The characters are pretty likeable, decently well-developed but nothing spectacular. David, in particular, felt weaker after the "big reveal of his true nature" (I hated the reveal, actually, "Oh. That's it?"), and especially weak at the big anticlimax.... I mean the big battle at the end.

Really, if I pretend that the last third of the book didn't exist, you know (say it with me) after the carnival's destruction, the book was almost perfect.

I received this via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it guys. This book was just what I wanted It to be. The world building was fun. The characters were very well flushed out. I loved the plot of this. I can not wait to read more by this author. I highly recommend this book.

Daniel Revont went to the Starlight Miraculum in search of entertainment and excitement, and instead found disillusionment and disappointment. Unfortunately so did I.
Carnival! 1920s! Mysterious supernatrual powers.... all the potential for a vivid and exciting page-turner! To say, as one blurb does, that this book is Water for Elephants meets Stephen King meets Carnivale is a serious over-exaggeration.
There is so little description of the costumes, exhibits and shows of the carnival, I felt a little cheated. The book tells you what shows the carnival has, and who the "freaks" are, but I wanted to feel like I had actually spent an evening wandering the Starlight Miraculum - to feel like I've seen the spectacular. After reading the whole book I don't actually even know what Ruby did in her snake-charmer show. I wanted to feel like I got a front row seat to the geek show - to see him try to instill horror in people.
I felt like more of the book was about Ruby and Hayden than about the back and forth between Ruby and Daniel. What should have been a dangerous gambit between Ruby and Daniel felt more like a game with only a few moves that ended too quickly.
I loved the plot - the idea that Ruby has this mysterious past that even she doesn't understand, that she feels like all her life she's been falling short, but then she comes up against Daniel Revont. He is bored and looking for some entertainment and instead he finds Ruby, and gets more than he bargained for in something he has never seen and cannot understand. His pursuit of "entertainment" quickly pushes the story to the boiling point as Daniel makes more trouble than can go unnoticed for long. Ruby's past is interspersed throughout the story, and although it seems like a tall tale that has amounted to nothing, her past is the key to Daniel's mystery.
I did enjoy the story, it just did not live up to my expectations. It seemed like there was room for so much more. For anyone who has read The Night Circus and is looking for that kind of world again, this isn't it. If you love historical fiction with a supernatural twist, give it a read. If you're looking for a quick read with a unique twist you'll enjoy it.

Miraculous is set in the year 1922. However, before I continue with my review I want to warn you it contains several topics that may be troublesome to grasp such as, abusive parents, abandonment, suite, animal cruelty, and rape.

That being said this is a magical book centered around a carnival on the borders between Texas and Louisiana.

A mysterious man, Daniel shows up one day and changes the dynamics of the carnival. Ruby the snake charmer becomes instantly attracted to Daniel. He is charming and mysterious. Things are not totally right so she takes it upon herself the find out who is this man and what are his real motives for showing up unexpectedly at the carnival.

It is one of those books that you are either going to like it or not. I for one enjoyed it as it reminded me of the t.v. Series “Carnivale” and this book does not disappoint. It grabs you from the beginning and does not let go until the end.

​For me there were parts that were a little difficult to digest, but overall it is a well-written mystery book.

​I was provided this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

I RECOMMEND this book for anyone who loves a good mystery. 📕👍🏼

I GIVE IT A 4 STAR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

One of my all-time favorite shows was Carnivale on HBO, and the time frame and setting of this book seemed to have much in common with it. And the essential mystery or theme of good vs evil of Carnivale has more points of commonality as well. It's the 1920s and set in a traveling carnival when a immaculately suited geek, Daniel, joins the show and mysterious deaths start to occur. Ruby, a tattooed snake charmer, is the daughter of the owner.and Daniel engage in a mesmerizing dance for dominance.

I struggled with this one... It was an excellent concept, as there are so many opportunities for magic and mystery associated with a carnival... And I liked the time frame and drama of the family tension and mysterious deaths, but somehow this one just never grabbed me. The characters were a little standoffish, and I never quite connected with them or their motivations in a way that made the story reel me in. The pacing was uneven, alternating between really engaging scene-setting and slow - burning plot development/revelations; it made for an uneven read in a way that kept pulling me out of the story. I'm coming off of a spate of action / thrillers though, so this may just have been the wrong book at the wrong time for me...

I honestly couldn’t read past a few pages. It just didn’t pull me in and thrill me like I was hoping it would. Maybe I’ll give it a second chance and edit my review. Someday!

Pushcart Prize nominee Steph Post, for good reason, has a sterling reputation in the crime fiction community. With Miraculum, she’s taken a turn from her contemporary Florida-set Judah Cannon series into the world of carnies, roustabouts and the like in the early 20s South. This story focuses on tattooed snake charmer Ruby Chole, whose father runs Pontilliar’s Spectacular Star Light Miraculum, the Star Light for short. Ruby isn’t exactly happy at the Star Light, but her appearance limits her career choices, and the carnival is her family, despite her fraught relationship with her father. She’s also nursing a broken heart since Hayden, who used to paint the beautiful murals adorning the circus trailers, left a while back. When their resident geek (his act involves biting off the heads of chickens) hangs himself, Ruby is baffled, and uneasy.

Then Daniel, the new geek, arrives as if by design:

Pontilliar huffed and eyed him suspiciously while Daniel waited patiently for the man to take him in. His immaculate black suit, sharp, perfectly creased and tailored, was more expensive than anything Pontilliar had or would ever own. He watched Pontilliar’s eyes as they traveled up his body, from his gleaming crocodile skin shoes to his diamond cufflinks to his black silk tie and pocket hankerchief, still crisp even in the unbelievable heat. His jet black hair was swept back with pomade and though his suit called for a homburg, Daniel refused to wear hats. He noticed Pontilliar avoided his eyes. They always did. Daniel waited a moment more and then flashed his dazzling smile to display perfect, white, even teeth.

His arrival will change the fate of the Star Light, but another arrival rocks Ruby’s world. Hayden is back, and he’ll do anything to make things up to Ruby, which won’t be easy. In this world, however, there are much more serious things to consider, such as the falling death of Tom, the boyfriend of one of Ruby’s best friends, who dances in the hootch tent. Accidents aren’t exactly unusual, but Tom’s broken body at the foot of the Ferris wheel is a shocking site, and Hayden has a bad feeling. Could a killer be in their midst? If so, why would he want to hurt Tom?

The answer to Tom’s fate is…rather mundane. I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. In fact, Post makes it clear early on that Daniel is decidedly not of the human variety. It’s something that Ruby senses right away:

Ruby’s eyes were open, but she could not see. Or rather, what she saw could not be there. A thousand glistering constellations all on fire, swirled around her. Or they were her. Or she was they, moving in and out of the ether, hurtling towards an empyrean supernova that was somehow inside her chest. Ruby could feel herself draw a breath, but as she did, her chest was pierced with an incalescent arrow and the fever that blossomed from the wound shrouded her in the warmth of wings and she knew herself going backwards into millennia.

Daniel is prone to acts that are beyond the pale, and the reason? A creature such as himself gets, well, bored. Moving people around like chess pieces is just another way to amuse himself, which is what makes him so scary. He killed Tom because he was bored. But he feels an undeniable pull toward Ruby and seeks to find its meaning. And his rage knows no bounds.

As Ruby tentatively rebuilds her relationship with Hayden, the Star Light rolls on, and Post takes a deep dive into Ruby’s past, from her mother’s tragic death when Ruby was only a teen, to Ruby coming down from her Appalachia mountain home, a playbill clutched in her hand, in search of her father and his traveling circus. She also details how Ruby got her tattoos, which plays a very, very important part in the story.

Ruby knows that something isn’t quite right about Daniel, and a shocking act of murderous destruction will force her to act.

Post takes time to build her characters and her world, and what a world! If you’re fascinated with the traveling carnivals of the past, this is absolutely the book for you. She perfectly captures the lingo and the hustle and bustle of the business and of the midway. You can practically smell the popcorn and the cotton candy.

Their faces were shining with gluttony and the expectation of more. They had played a few games of chance, knocked over a few milk bottles, maybe already won a chalkware prize. They had stuffed themselves with popcorn, with roasted peanuts and cotton candy, and were buoyant, spending their hard-earned pennies and nickels on whatever delights floated into their view. If anything, they were astonished by the colored lights, by the height of the Ferris Wheel and the speed of the Whip, by the crush of people, moving in all different directions, a disorganized herd scattering toward wonders and then realigning and bunching back into crows. These were faces flushed with excitement, but not yet transformed. That would come later in the night.

Post takes readers from a bayou village steeped in voodoo to the stifling heat of the southern road that the Star Light travels, populating her story with delightfully strange and eccentric characters. This wonderfully odd supernatural tale, full of myth, dark magic, and more than a hint of Southern gothic will entrance readers, and a few comparisons will certainly be made to Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Come for the dark carnival of wonders, stay for Post’s exquisite storytelling.

Less a miraculum than a slightly over-stuffed novel in which not much happens. Ruby, tattooed by a stereotypical and offensive "vodoo" woman and covered in symbols that protect her from supernatural evil, works as the snake charmer in a carnival owned by her father, who is incompetent are barely shows up in the book, and another stereotype, the noble savage, an African man whose knowledge of everything is unsurpassed. Ruby has a friend, January, who dances in the "cootch show," and an on-again off-again boyfriend who is pretty useless and doesn't play much of a role. When Daniel, an ancient immortal evil, joins the carnival to entertain himself by causing evil chaos, Ruby is the only one immune to his powers of suggestion. When he causes multiple deaths and the carnival burns down, taking Ruby's father and January with it, Ruby decides her destiny is to fight Daniel. Accompanied by the useless boyfriend, Ruby and Daniel have a stare-down that is the most boring climax of any book I have ever read. Daniel is defeated. Ruby lives. The boyfriend remains useless.

The author hints at things she never develops, or drops altogether. In the first few chapters, there are references to Ruby seeing things others don't. This apparently turns out to be that she can tell when people are untrustworthy. Not so much seeing in a supernatural way. We read about Ruby's long-dead mother, but she ends up not being terribly important. We read about arcane books, one of which turns out to be kind of useful but not very interesting. the trappings of the carnival are present, but there are no interesting characters and none of those who survive develop at all. I'd have liked it better if Ruby and January had teamed up to stop the immortal evil. Or if she had become apprenticed to the owner of the arcane books and they had worked together. But nope, Ruby is special and capable only because of a mixed-race woman who gave her magic tattoos (and who is killed off in a gruesome fashion by the immortal evil). Ultimately, this is a story in which white folks triumph, the black folks mostly get killed, and women are reduced to being skin.

Who knew that a carnival can be a place of creepiness and despair! All the fun and games disappear when a death of a "geek" (someone who bites of chicken heads) disrupts the way of life of Ruby and her friends, a man returns to their lives, and a mysterious figure who takes the place of the former geek. It all becomes a battle of suspiciousness and trust, and ultimately of good and evil in a setting that should bring us joy and laughter. Author Steph Post has excellently played out each major character and created a chilling setting with accurate historical details. Prepare to be amazed beyond the usual carnival acts. This is one book you won't be able to put down.

With an intriguing cover, "Miraculum" doesn't really lead you to any conclusions about itself from the cover alone. However, it does say in the first few pages, that this is a book where no one wins. I would say that's absolutely true. Set in 1922, this isn't usually a book I would read, not being a huge fan of historical fiction, but this was a game changer for me. I've read a few books about a carnival in the last few years, and I really enjoyed them all, so when I saw this book, that meant I was immediately interested, and I'm glad I got to check it out.

In a third person viewpoint, it tells the story of Ruby, a tattooed snake charmer, Daniel, someone who just happens to show up with seemingly perfect timing, seeing as the job he gets at the carnival is one that's just came up because of a suicide, and also it follows a man named Hayden who draws caricatures, who hasn't had the easiest few years for a multitude of reasons. Out of nowhere people begin killing themselves, and there has to be a darker reason for it. This book is an all over mystery, and although I couldn't completely get into the story, I did enjoy it.

My favourite character would probably have to be Ruby, as she's easily the most interesting. With a shadowed past, we slowly uncover the reasons as to why she is the way she is, and how she ended up in a carnival for that matter. I also liked Hayden, but felt bad for him more than anything. Daniel was someone I wasn't sure about for the whole book.

Overall, I wouldn't say that this is my new favourite book, but it was definitely interesting. I don't regret reading it at all, but I probably wouldn't buy it for my shelf. I do think, however, that this is a book that a lot of people would enjoy. You should give it a chance, if it's something you think you'd like.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

For fans of Geek Love and Night Circus....except those books were much better. An array of circus geeks and freaks to enjoy along with a supernatural element stemming from ancient folklore and mythological gods. Plus a strong, tattooed, female protagonist. Sound great, right? And it would have been but the story moved slow and honestly, the writing seemed a little lazy at times. With so much to work with it could have been a lot more creative with the plot. That said, my favorite parts were Daniel's stream-of-consciousness chapters. Those were well done.

Miraculum is a carnival with a big top, a midway, and freak show in 1922. It is also the setting for a battle of good against evil.

After the suicide of the carnival’s chicken biting geek, a mysterious well-dressed man applies for the job. Despite a lack of experience, he is hired for the job. Ruby, the daughter of the owner of the Miraculum, is a heavily tattooed snake charmer. As soon as she sees the new geek, Daniel, she feels something is off about him. As more tragedy befalls the troupe, Ruby tries to discover if Daniel is behind them.

Miraculum is a great gothic tale of good fighting evil in the picturesque 1920s carnival setting. There is a substantial paranormal aspect to the tale and it isn’t really a mystery or thriller. However, I enjoy magical realism so I relished it. It appears to be a beginning of a series so I am looking forward to another installment of Ruby and Daniel’s story.

This book is an excellent choice for fans of Neil Gaiman. 4 stars!

Thanks to Polis Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting book! The plot was really original, and I loved that. It had great imagery, and the character development and world building were on point! I had a love/hate relationship with some of the characters, which made it easy to relate to some of them. It felt a bit choppy in places, though, and that kind of took me out of the flow of the book a bit at times. Despite that, the book was on pace for a solid four star review right up until the end, and then it kind of robbed me of the satisfying ending that I was hoping for. It's definitely worth the read, though, and was a lot of fun! 3.5 stars

Ruby is a snake charmer in carnival full of strange characters. Another “strange” character has been hired to join the tour. His name is Daniel and he bites heads off chickens…yes…that really is his job. Weird accidents start occurring after Daniel’s arrival. Ruby will not be stopped until she finds out exactly what is going on.

My heart went out to Ruby throughout this read. She had to leave the only home she has ever known to find a father who could care less about her. As a matter of fact, he ships her off to be tattooed. This is actually where the story took and odd turn, as if a man who bites heads off chickens isn’t odd enough.

This is a very unique read. However, as I was reading, I was unsure what genre it actually fell into. It started out as a little romance/murder mystery type story. Then it changed to a little voodoo/mystical tale. So, it is a weird type of novel but it is so very captivating. I loved the 1920’s carnival setting. The characters, and I do mean characters, really capture your imagination and your heart.

This may be an uncommon story but is a fascinating read not soon forgotten.