I've never hated a cliffhanger more than I do right now. I have so many questions!
When I heard that Where Dreams Descend was being pitched as The Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge, I knew I needed to read it. I'm so glad that I did, I was captivated from start to finish.
There is so much that I loved about this book - the mysterious atmosphere, the magic but most importantly, the characters.
Kallia is a force to be reckoned with and may be one of my new favorite heroines. She is incredibly fierce and refuses to let anyone get in her way of success. In a world where women aren't supposed to perform stage magic, I admired her ambition and confidence. Despite the treatment she receives, Kallia refuses to back down. Not because she needs to prove herself to the judges or other contestants but because she knows what she is capable of.
My second favorite character would have to be her assistant Aaros. They may meet right before the competition but he is fiercely protective and I love the friendship that develops between them.

The book is told through the POV's of Kallia, Demarco and Jack.
The love interest is Daron Demarco - a former magician turned judge with a dark past - and while I enjoyed the slow-build of his relationship with Kallia, I can't quite tell if this is leading into a love triangle or not.
I liked reading from Jack's perspective because of the mystery surrounding his character. It's never clear just what he wants or who he really is and after that ending I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in book two!

From the gorgeous cover to the lush writing, this book does not disappoint. Where Dreams Descend is a spectacular blend of magic, intrigue, romance and glamour that I had a hard time putting down!

Highly atmospheric and entertaining. It really hooked me from the beginning although I am not the target audience for this book.

This was an incredibly solid debut! I adored the atmosphere the author created almost instantly, it was dark and mysterious and sucked me in straight away. The plot was very slow to unravel, but in the best way, tactically keeping secrets from the reader which only added to its allure. The only place this fell a little flat for me was the characters. Although I did enjoy Kallia's sass and confidence, all the characters felt a bit underdeveloped, leaving me not feeling very attached to them and their story arch. Overall, I enjoyed it very much and will definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel!

When magic is kept within castle walls, mysterious things happen and secrets are kept secret. This dark and magical fantasy will pull you in from the first page right through till the very end. A dangerous and daring games of magical feats only to have unseen forces around them. Will their love survive with the every twist and turn around every corner. The characters came alive, jumping off the page making me want more with every word I read. I can’t wait to see what the next book holds for the continuing story. I highly recommend this book

This is the type of book with tons of twists and turns. It has magic, actual competition and of course some romance. The characters had back stories and felt real and I really enjoyed following them and gasping along with them. I really had no idea a lot of it was going to happen which is wonderful! I enjoyed the writing and the plot concepts. Overall it was a magical read that any lover of fantasy should add to their TBR.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is about Kallia, a magician who escapes from her master to participate in a magic contest in the mysterious city of Glorian. I've seen this novel compared to Caraval, Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge and the Prestige. And I can definitely see some points of comparison with all of those.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I found it to be entertaining and fun to read about this magical, mysterious world. The characters were engaging. I liked Kallia as the heroine, Aaros as the loyal assistant, Demarcus as the love interest and the mysterious Jack as the villain who may or may not be the real villain. The setting was pretty good and intriguing, with the dangerous woods, a somber, silent

However, I think it is difficult to write stories about magic. Magic has to have some limitations, otherwise anything is possible and that is boring. As a reader, I often find myself wanting to know more in these types of stories about the boundaries/rules of the magic and how it works. Otherwise, it just feels like the magic is used randomly when it is convenient to the plot and not in a way that is authentic to the world building. I didn't quite get a full grasp on how all the magic worked in this story, so that did leave me a bit frustrated.

Perhaps this book was just a bit too long at 464 pages. My interest and attention waned a bit through the last third of the book, and it felt like things were just being dragged out without a lot of action happening. I also felt like the author had more information that could have been shared with us about the world and characters and what was going on. Perhaps she is saving it for the sequel??

I would rate this one 3.5 stars. It's enjoyable and has lots of potential. I will most definitely be reading the sequel to find out what happens next because this one definitely ends with a cliffhanger!!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Had potential, but ultimately a disappointing drag

I would like to thank Meghan Harrington for inviting me to join the blog tour, and also Janella Angeles, Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every time I tried to read this, I either spaced off or fell asleep. I wasted so much time over the last couple of weeks trying to read this book—and I still only made it to 44%. It felt longer than anything Sarah Maas could write. I was trying to cram it today so I get my review up for the blog tour, but I kept nodding off! After an hour of reading a paragraph—falling asleep—startling awake and reading the same paragraph—falling asleep—I finally woke up and said, “Fuck it! It’ll have to be a DNF! I’m so sick of this boring-ass book that feels like it’s going nowhere fast.”

And what really frustrates me—aside from the time lost—is that there was so much potential, both in the story and the writing. I wanted to like this book with its intrigue and magic . . . wanted to like the characters—mysterious Jack, reckless Kallia, traumatized Daron, loyal Aaros—but the problem with them was the same as the biggest issue I had with the story: I felt like I was running in place. I was chasing the prize of fascinating lore and endearing, multidimensional characters, but while I could see them in the distance, waiting for me with arms outstretched, the road only got longer as I ran, extended by excessive exposition and repetitive inner monologue. Mystery needs to build, yes, but you’ve got to keep a steady if not fast pace and give the reader some answers if you expect them to stay interested. No one likes a tease.

The book also did a poor job of explaining itself; for example, it took me a long time to figure out that not all magicians are showmen and not all showmen are magicians. At the very start, we were introduced to Jack and Kallia as they performed magic to entertain the patrons of the nightclub. Or Kallia did, at least. That implanted the idea that showmanship and magic go hand-in-hand, and so I thought they were more or less hiring another magician for the circus, except the circus was apparently all women and only Canary was a magician, plus none of the judges had anything to do with the circus, so—Christ, I don’t know. I can hardly explain it when I never understood it. Whatever, moving on. (Can you feel the fucks I give dwindling?)

As I said, the writing also had potential, but this read—not like a first draft, it wasn’t that messy, but it read like the third or fourth draft that had only been seen by the author, maybe some beta readers, and had yet to be worked on by an editor. It needed line editing badly; I was distracted from time to time by comparisons that didn’t make sense or weird wording or something illogical. Granted, this was an ARC, so perhaps those things were corrected for the final.

And that’s all the more time I’m giving this disappointment. Overall, the story was a giant amorphous blob of potential that never took shape. Or at least didn’t take shape quickly enough for my taste.

P. S. - I'm reading a lot of reviews that match my sentiments almost exactly, even by reviewers who read the whole book. Apparently I didn’t miss anything by cutting out early.

Where Dreams Descend is the first book in the magical Kingdom of Cards series by Janella Angeles. A captivating fantasy with a hint of Moulin Rouge meets the Phantom of the Opera. Angeles sweeps you away in this promising, exhilarating, volatile, mysterious, and dazzling story that sweeps you away to another world. I can't wait to read the nest book in the Kingdom of Cards series.

I loved this book! I wanted to read this as I’m a sucker for anything portrayed as circus. This was a spot on mash up between Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge. If you enjoyed either of those then pick this up because you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Where Dreams Descend constantly stole my breath away with the lush and beautiful prose, exquisite world building, and deeply woven character building. It's a story that has glitter in every corner and magic breathing from the pages. A plot rooted in darkness and power, with characters that are bound to steal your heart. This was a book I could not put down.

Kallia will quite literally steal the show (she is the main character, after all), as she enters a dark and brutal magical world. She's brewing with confidence and bravery; she's a character that, in my opinion, is not easily despised. There were times where she happily surprised me and it made me love this story even more. And her relationships with some characters (Jack, Daron, Aaros) made me love her even more. I loved how each character had a secret, something that made them fascinating to read about.

And the romance. Oh my, it is the definition of swoon worthy. Trust me, this is a romantic book through and through (of course, with magic and adventure and dark deceit). This book is overflowing with tension and I loved every bit of it. I was there for every scene, every conversation; I was, without a doubt, enchanted.

The author's writing is beautiful and I can see how much heart went into this story. Angeles has created a world that is not easily forgettable. It's a world filled with mystery and dangerous (and sometimes deadly) interactions. And her characters are wonderfully flawed, yet crafted in a way that made them feel so real. I enjoyed her elegant prose and how she created a world with vivid imagery. I felt like I was transported to this world, standing next to each character. It was a magical reading experience.

Where Dreams Descend is a magically, deliciously captivating story you will not want to miss. Brimming with love, deception, and dazzling writing, it's a story that will captivate you at every turn. And I know this will be a story I will continuously recommend.

My Phantom of the Opera loving heart is full!!! Wow! I LOVED this book so much! So many small Phantom quotes and inspiration throughout that were the perfect amount of subtleness while still having Angeles write a perfect original story. The sexual tension between the main characters that made the hairs on my skin stand up! I felt those intimate connections as I read. There was also little funny moments with the side characters that made this plot lighthearted while still full of drama. I cannot say enough about this book. Even if you know nothing about Phantom of the Opera, this book is enough of an original idea, that you’ll still love it! I think this will be one of the top new books of the year!

Good debut book that is a mash up of Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge. I really loved the premise and while I'm not a big fan of love triangles, I'm still intrigued about the relationship dynamic that the characters have. I loved the book but it felt like the book was leading up to "hey, if you want to know what happens, find it in the next book." instead of giving me more in this book. But that ending was definitely one where I was grabby hands and needing the next book and I can't wait to read.

So for a lot of the comps for this book I saw mention of “Moulin Rouge,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and for fans of The Night Circus. Okay, I don’t really remember the first, and I can definitely see the influence of the second, but as a huge fan of Erin Morgenstern’s books, this particular book falls short on that comparison, in my opinion anyway. There was a certain level of magical ethereal beauty and whimsy, and lyrical writing for The Night Circus, but this one didn’t rise to the occasion.

But, I will say that this was an impressive book, and I did overall enjoy my reading experience. Also, it didn’t take me all that long to read this book, which is also good.

I wanted more of the magical competition in this story, but most of it seemed to take place in between the performance days, which was a little disappointing. I also felt like certain secrets from the characters were kept secret in a prolonged manner just to try and heighten the tension and drama, so it just felt a bit forced after a bit.

I think I enjoyed Kallia’s time with the Conqueror’s Circus more than I did the Spectaculore competition. The Circus did make me think a tiny bit about The Night Circus, but not a whole lot.

There was some intriguing romance, though again the secrecy of Demarco just made his relationship with Kallia feel a bit too forced for me. I actually liked Kallia’s assistant Aaros more, and I definitely find the mystery of Jack more intriguing as well. Then again, if we are making a Phantom reference, I also am more intrigued by the Phantom than I am of Raoul, so there’s that.

The ending of this book was filled with action and revelations, and makes me pretty excited for the sequel/conclusion of this duology. Overall, this was a good debut, and I look forward to seeing how Janelle Angeles wraps things up on this story.

Y’all, it has been a hot minute since a YA book has gripped me. This one was actually really hard to put down! It has danger, slow-burn romance, love triangle (it’s actually done well! Trust me!), mysteries, and plenty of magic! Plus a it is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera mixed with a magic competition!!

I really enjoyed the characters. Everything including the characters is so mysterious! Kallia, our main MC, is feisty and speaks her mind. And listen, I don’t like ANY MCs that are jerks when they are written like that. Male or Female. But Kallia somehow isn’t! I really enjoyed her fierce personality. I think because she was still generous and wants to help people, like her assistant Aaros!

Let’s talk loooooove. Jack. This is the Phantom and the Opera part. Jack is the phantom. He is very dark and mysterious. And he is fiercely protective over Kallia. But he definitely smothers her. But Demarco has his own dangerous secrets too. He is just a bit of the gentler sort. A few times he got angry and I was just like, yeeeess Demarco, let it out.

I LOVED the world. Fantastic world building. Glorian is really the only place we see, so I would love to get more of the outside world! And the magic! It was so amazing to read about the unique and creative magic that Kallia could do! I could almost experience the 5 senses just from Angeles’s writing! She really wrote a magical book!

THAT ENDING. WHERE IS BOOK 2?! MUST HAVE IT!

My Review: I was really intrigued by the synopsis of this one and was excited to read it. Admittedly, while I did enjoy Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge movies, I am not one who has watched them repeatedly. While I think it is a pretty accurate description of this book, it is definitely its own thing. I really enjoyed the dark and mysterious atmosphere and vibe of the book. With that said though, the world building lacked a bit for me, things were left a little to mysterious for my liking. A lot of the questions I had about just the world itself were still left unanswered at the end of the book. This is the first book in a duology and I am hoping that things will become a bit more clear in the second book. It is also a very slow paced book, while there is a bit of action, most of it is over in a flash. I got the impression that while this book has a story arc, it still have the feel of simply setting the stage for the second book. With all the smoke and mirrors throughout the book, I was also very disconnected with the characters. I don't feel like I ever really got to know any of them, nor was I really routing for them. It was a solid debut book, but I am really hoping for a bit more development and growth in the second book.


My Rating: I am thinking that maybe I am missing something with this book. It was slow and tedious to get through but it feels like there is something more to it than what I read. I was left with so many questions but I don't think all of it was intended. I am really in the middle on this one and give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

One of the best books of 2020 and it's written by a debut author. A very rare feat. She paints with words instead of paint. The imagery is so vivid it leaps off the pages. Big as life this book will dazzle you with it's mastery. Don't pass go. Don't collect the money but absolutely pick up this gem of a book and prepare to be dazzled. Well done. Happy reading!

On the surface, Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles has it all - magic, mystery, a fierce heroine, one shadowy hero, one potential antihero, a decrepit town, a dangerous forest, and so many questions. Based on those qualities, it should be a novel I not only devoured but one that would turn me into a superfan. Folks, I wanted to be just that. I really did. Unfortunately, once again, the story fails to excite my superfan juices and left me more confused than energized.

Where Dreams Descend fails in two areas. One of these areas is in world-building. Ms Angeles does include a map to her world, which helps understand the geography, but she fails to properly establish the rules of magic in her world. We never get a clear understanding of why some people are born with their magic while others can develop magic, nor do we get an idea of how one goes about developing magic. We don't know the differences between the two either. There are hints of course, but in my opinion, the hints are not enough. One can't understand the stakes or the differences between Kallia's magic and everyone else's if one doesn't understand all aspects of the magic in this world.

The other area where Ms. Angeles fails is in establishing her characters. We never learn Kallia's origin story even as she waffles between being a sophisticated temptress to naive and desperate orphan. Jack remains as much of a mystery at the end as he does in the beginning. The Dire Woods is an unknown barrier that seems to have some importance outside of being mysterious and dangerous. Daron is the most well-defined character as we actually learn about the mystery haunting his past, and that's just sad.

Where Dreams Descend is a frustrating experience because I want more. I want more answers, more character development, more world-building. We need a greater understanding of the magic and the society which reveres magical entertainers but ignores domestic magic. I want to love Kallia but need to know more about her to fulling embrace her.

This doesn't mean I didn't rip through the book. Nor does it mean I won't be reading the sequel. The ending practically forces you to do so, if only to make sense of it. Personally, I hope the sequel provides the answers I crave and the development the story needs.

“She craved to know more. Something. Anything. For whatever waited in the unknown, it called to her. As though it wouldn’t stop until she called back.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Very happy to have finished this book, it took me longer than expected. But it’s a very “hurry up and wait” situation as this book has a major case of cliffhanger! I am very excited to read the sequel though and finally get some answers!

This book is about a very talented magician named Kallia. Her whole life, she has been sheltered and kept away from most of the world, apart from when she performs on stage at Hellfire House for her show, but she still dreams of more. When she discovers that there will be a competition in a nearby city infamous for its mystery, she throws herself whole-heartedly toward her dream, throwing herself into danger at the same time.

There was a lot to like about this book. The thing I most appreciated was the characters. All the characters definitely felt like they played a part and had purpose. Kallia was easy to like, though I think there could have been more to her. I had no trouble following her though, always curious of what she’d do next.

Other characters were harder to like, for example Demarco, I had little love for. He has his part to play which is fine, I think he’s fleshed out well enough, but yeah, not my fav. I didn’t like the romance between him and Kallia, I thought they were very dull together. I didn’t feel a lot of chemistry during the scenes between them. I also thought Demarco was just a tad bit too whiny.

Jack, on the other hand, is definitely my favorite character. He just seemed the most interesting of the bunch. Everything he does and says feels like it’s written with an agonizingly mysterious purpose, I was very into it. I just felt like the scenes between him and Kallia were more charged. They felt like they had way more chemistry. I don’t mean this in an exclusively romantic way because of the nature of their relationship. But their scenes together were my favorite part of the book.

The world itself could have used more development though. It felt like the world operated on aesthetic and societal misogyny. Which- fair enough, I guess. The whole book basically takes place in one city that is so shrouded in mystery and rumor that I really couldn’t grasp any real facts about the place, beside that it’s cold for some reason. But it didn’t feel like a world I could fall into or really understood. I would be immensely happy to see elaboration on the magic system and maybe other locations in the sequel.

I also really enjoyed the story. The competition and descriptions of magic were easy to lose myself in and I really loved that feeling of the spectacle that comes with books like this. Where everything is for show, so you never know what’s coming next. I will say however, that the story kind of feels like it’s all setup for the sequel. The book asks a lot of questions, but answers almost none of them. Only giving hints to potential answers to be found in the next book. I don’t really mind book series that operate this way, but it does make for a less satisfying ending. Regardless, I will definitely be getting sequel as soon as possible because I am rather invested in how it will all turn out.

TL;DR: This book is filled with all the magic you could hope for with some really great characters to love. The world could use some work and the cliffhanger ending really bites, but it certain entertained me.

ARC provided by Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based off an uncorrected proof.

Where Dreams Descend is the first in a duology and a first from new author Janella Angeles as well. When I read the synopsis, it was giving me Caraval vibes so I jumped to give it a go. The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber is one of my favorite YA fantasy series because of how unpredictable and magical it is. I was hoping for some of that same dazzle in this duo.

This is a hard one to rate; in fact I've been debating myself over it and can't seem to come up with a fair answer. Here's my big issue: it took me a long time to get through the book. A really long time. Yes, the book is over 450 pages, but I've read long books that I fly through in 24 hours without breaking a sweat because the story has me so hooked. This one didn't feel that way, I felt as if I was dragging my feet through quicksand and inching forward as I tried to save myself from sinking. To be fair, it's entirely possible that it was just my mood preventing me from getting invested completely. But I do think that the scenes dragged out with too little action to push things forward as they should have. There wasn't a wordbuilding info dump which is more common with a first book, and yet I still struggled to become fully engrossed for at least the first half.

Kallia is a showgirl at the House. She descends from a glittering chandelier, and puts on a magic show the likes of which no one in the audience has ever experienced before. She uses her raw, natural magic to create awe inspiring illusions for the "master" of the house, Jack. He inherited the mysterious place beyond the cursed woods and taught Kallia everything she knows about manipulating magic. He can steal memories and manipulate your perception of reality. He seems to have a soft spot for her, but you know right away he is much more than what he appears. Far from a simple mentor or guardian, he has an agenda that remains unclear. Kallia has come to realize that she's a bit like a bird trapped in a golden cage. Never allowed to leave the property or have news from the outside world filter in. While she's been well cared for, she isn't content to be confined. She wants to spread her wings and show the world what she has to offer.

Her presence there is yet to be explained. We don't know how she go there, or why she is deceived in the fashion that she was. I'm really curious about who her parents were, and why she was taken there. I would also really like to know WHY Jack is called master and his father was called sire. We are given some idea as to what they are, but nothing concrete. And all along, I was questioning whether he was a true villain or if he fell somewhere in a grey area. I even wondered at points if this would be a love triangle situation developing, but I think it's pretty clear which side of the fence Kallia stands on. I'll just leave it at that.

Our heroine Kallia is a girl who grasps life in an iron grip with both hands. She doesn't sit idly by and let others rule her fortune, she pursues the future that she dreams of achieving. Her dreams have always centered around stardom. The spotlight, the fame, and the fortune, all of which she is capable of reaching if only women were given equal opportunity. In her world, women are barred from being the star of magic shows, relegated to the background. She's determined to make it happen anyway, and her plan is to force her way through the barred door by winning the Conquering Circus' magic competition in Glorian.

This is another mysterious place that is filled with secrets, lies, and malice. It keeps you questioning who or what is insidiously watching from the darkness. Waiting to strike and pick people off one by one. Kallia's competitors start disappearing, causing the judges to place blame on her simply because they want her to fail. She's met with scorn and unfair treatment since day one, but that only spurs her to work harder. That's one thing you have to love about this character, she knows her worth and fights for her place in the world. She's also a very lonely and distrustful person who doesn't allow anyone to truly know her. Even her new friend and assistant Aaros struggles to gain her trust during the escalating danger. She's been forced to fend for herself for so long that she doesn't really know how to share her burdens with others. For me, there was a hardness to her and prickliness that took a little while to warm up to but I did understand it.

Demarco is one of the judges at the competition and he's one of the few males in the story who isn't misogynistic. He defends Kallia's right to compete, and treats her fairly every step of the way. He has secrets of his own-from the judges, his family, and the heroine. He purposely insinuated himself into Glorian and the judges' table in order to solve a tragic personal mystery that he can't let go. Once a magic performer himself, he gave up the stage after the horrible night that changed his life forever. He's haunted by things he can never take back, and determined to find the missing answers he seeks. Though Kallia is a distraction that he can't afford, from day one he fights his fascination with her. She captivates him against his will, only no matter how hard he struggles against the pull, he's only drawn in closer. She gives him absolutely no encouragement, in fact, she rebuffs him at every turn. He sees right through her sharpness to the vulnerable girl underneath and eventually she believes he is someone she can put her fragile faith in.

I liked the characters in the circus and I'm looking forward to seeing them play a stronger role in the next book. There are dozens of unanswered questions left dangling pretty much from every angle and every character's perspective, so obviously this reader needs to know how this is all going to tie together in the end. The action leading up the the cliffhanger at the end was one big heart-pounding rush. You know something bad is about to happen, and you're reading half in dread, the other half relief. After waiting and watching for the danger lurking around the corner you just want that corner to be turned so you finally know. Will Kallia escape the darkness that's waiting to consume her? This is a question that won't be answered until book two, so prepare thyselves to hang on that cliff until sometime next year.

Okay where would I start YET again?!! Another good and amazing book. I just can’t help not to smile whenever I remember the story in my brain cells. Like it was stuck to it and just felt the magic beneath my hands. This book is pretty powerful, let me tell you why..The world building is absolutely incredible. I always love circus/magic places like this because it’ll take a lot of time to think on how to get a unique setup of the world. Glorian is one of the most unique and magical worlds that I’ve ever been and perhaps, I really want to stay there - even though it’s dangerous. I salute the author for making this world unforgettable and I just remember how cruel but magical this world is. .I love how the story goes in this book because it’s full of mystery and I'm getting curious each time there is some trouble. The more I dig into the book, the more mysteries going on and I love that heat in the book. It makes me want to keep on reading until I never know that I’m at the end and keeps me hungry for this kind of story. This is why I love the circus so much, they have these hidden secrets that cannot be revealed and if they do, it’ll shock you and it’ll strike your heart very bad. I love how the book starts with a mystery life of this magician and portraits how strong she is in that world. That opening seriously kept me going to this book and it never disappoints me.