WHERE DREAMS DESCEND is an intriguing YA fantasy. Kallia lives with Jack, a man that she has always known and yet who has so many secrets. Jack deals in memories and runs the gambling club where Kallia performs. Kallia loves to perform, using her fire magic to awe. Kallia wishes to escape, but the way to do so is through a cursed forest and the nearest town, Glorian, has some swirling rumors.

When Kallia learns of a magical contest in Glorian, she decides to go for it. She knows that she is the best. When she arrives though, the contest will become something even more dangerous, and the secrets that are hidden in Glorian and the people she meets will reach for the surface.

What I loved: The setting was really intriguing, especially with magic, its use, and the sexism around it. There are some politics of magic in the background, about whether it should be used for domestic tasks vs. "wasted" in performance, along the lines of whether a painter should be used for painting houses and buildings vs. creating artistic paintings. I found these background themes really intriguing.

What left me wanting more: The beginning of the book really pulled me in with this strange house, unusual person (Jack), and unusual skills. However, we leave it really quickly for Glorian, where things become more typical and move a little too fast. Kallia is somehow the best at pretty much everything (including detecting thieves and lies), and I felt like I needed more background for this. It felt like the plot knew where it wanted to go and took shortcuts to get there. I wanted more of the house/Jack and Kallia's training. I also wanted more context/background on the thief and Kallia (it was like he tried to steal from her and then they became BFFs). There was a lot of telling vs. showing. I didn't get the background on relationships or how people connected. The shows themselves were fully described, but not the other stuff that I wanted to know more about.

There are also a lot of secrets, and many of them were teased enough that they were easy to figure out before the big reveals. I would have liked to be more surprised. I think this book would be good for readers who like a fast-pace without as much inner monologue or build.

Final verdict: Fast-paced with intriguing secondary themes, WHERE DREAMS DESCEND has CARAVAL and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA vibes. This would work for readers who like a fantasy read that moves quickly without internal monologue or deep dives into character history and motivations.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
A solid debut! I enjoyed the twists and turns, as well as the unique characters. I am excited to read the sequel after that rollercoaster of a cliffhanger.

Where Dreams Descend follows a magician named Kallia, on her quest to win a magic contest. Of course, there is danger lurking in every corner and she does not know who to trust. The novel is rich with themes of feminism, power and friendship. I had a fun time!

I enjoyed the book but I had expected a bit more in terms of the plot. The magic contest was a great premise but it was slightly underwhelming because the main focal point wasn’t really the contest, but rather Kallia’s journey to escape her past.
The pacing was a bit slow and the book could have easily been condensed into something shorter, but this didn't put me off. The writing style was also great. It was beautiful and lyrical, yet easy enough to understand. You don’t get too bogged down by the words and descriptions.

The characters, especially Kallia, were great. Kallia was such a great protagonist and I loved her willpower and confidence. The chemistry between Demarco and Kallia was off the charts and I loved their witty retorts towards each other. However, I did hope we get to learn more about Aaros and Jack. Both are such interesting characters and I’m curious about their pasts and motivations.

In terms of the world-building, I liked it. The book was set in the mysterious fictional town of Glorian with many of its residents hiding secrets. Not much could be said about this town, but I do hope it would be explored further in the sequel.

Overall, this was a fun-filled book with a mysterious town and even more mysterious characters. I am excited for the sequel.

I received an advanced copy of Where Dreams Descend from Wednesday Books!

The Conquering Circus has come to town, searching for its next headlining act. Magicians from across the land have gathered to audition, displaying their magic for the chance to compete for a coveted career in performance. Kallia has powerful magic, but no woman has been allowed to perform as a magician before, stacking the odds against her. She will do whatever it takes to earn the star spot in the competition. But, when magicians start to disappear, Kallia begins to wonder if she will be next?

Where Dreams Descend is coming out on August 25th!

I was actually rather disappointed by this book. I couldn’t get into the author’s writing style, which felt jarring and fragmented. I also didn’t find myself interested in any of the characters, so I lacked investment in the story. Where Dreams Descend was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, but I was really let down by the execution.

My Recommendation-
To be honest, I would recommend skipping this book. If you aren’t bothered by issues in writing style, you might want to give the story a chance, but if you’re bothered by anything I mentioned earlier, this book probably shouldn’t stay on your tbr.

It felt like Phantom of the Opera with Magicians. The chemistry with Jack was hot and made me think of The Phantom. Demarco made me think of Raul. It ended on a cliff hanger so I am interested to see where we go next.

This is a dnf for me, I am at 48% and cannot bring myself to pick it back up, I hate to give a star rating not finishing a book, but that's what I have to do here. The story did not engage me, and the characters have fallen flat for me, I am disappointed.

*4.5 stars*

ARC provided by Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Kallia lives her life as a showgirl at the Hellfire house, beholden to the master, Jack. He trains her in the ways of magic, but in exchange she is stuck in the isolated house, performing as a masked showgirl night after night. Kallia longs to go to the mysterious ice-covered city of Glorian, where she can compete in a game of magical feats. When Jack forbids her from leaving Hellfire house, Kallia takes matters in to her own hands. But danger lurks in the deadly competition to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus.

Review

This book was sparkling and magical in every aspect! I could really feel the magic in the air and the emotions of characters through the storytelling of Angeles, and this book was truly a treat to read.

There is a magic woven in to the city of Glorian and Hellfire House itself, and enhances the descriptions of the settings. As you read the book and discover more about each place, there are underlying mysteries at play that keep you intrigued. The writing was whimsical and atmospheric and really transported me to the iced covered streets even though I was sitting outside in the summer heat while I read.

One of the coolest aspects of this book was the feminist commentary woven throughout the magical system. Only men are show magicians, while women are pushed to the sidelines to do household magic. And when women decide to go in to show business? They mysteriously disappear. Kallia is a direct challenge to this system, and will do whatever it takes to prove that she can be the top magician. She is brash, bold, and smart and I absolutely adore her for that.

There is such an interesting relationship dynamic that exists in this book. Jack and Kallia have some sort of toxic attraction to each other, but its very clear that there is a power imbalance and Jack keeps Kallia in his grasp. Once she is free of him and meets Demarco, she begins to see what a relationship between equals is like. Their slow burn is truly delightful and the way their romance unfurls is captivating. However, Jack is always lurking in the background, unwilling to let Kallia go completely. I was so interested to see more of the dynamic between Jack and Kallia because it is a clearly toxic relationship, but he is holding the secrets of Glorian and in some twisted way trying to protect Kallia. I'm interested to see what will play out between these three characters in the sequel!

Maybe it makes sense that in a book full of symbolism based around cards the worldbuilding is about as solid as a house of them, and maybe it makes sense that in a book about stage magicians all the side characters feel like props to make the main ones shine, but it was about as interesting to read as it sounds.

The thing about Where Dreams Descend is that if it can sacrifice something to increase its own mysterious, dazzling atmosphere, it will. The result is a book that is all smoke and no substance, which again, it's somewhat appropriate given the subject matter, but unsatisfying to read. It keeps adding mystery after mystery, raising questions and never answering them, and no storyline is ever given closure. I'm not the kind of reader who needs to understand things on the first try, and I can mostly get over how everything seemed so unsubstantial once you got through the layer of fondant, because was it some really beautiful fondant, but it also felt so contrived. Mystery for the sake of it, followed by meaningless reveals that don't actually give answers, or explain anything apart from how much the publisher hopes you'll buy the sequel.

In the end, Where Dreams Descend felt so much like that instagram cake meme that was everywhere in July - all concerned with appearances and tricking you, but when the "reveal" comes the book is like “you would have never guessed it was cake!” and you're like “sure, never” because you're too exhausted to even complain about how repetitive everything feels.
If you're the kind of person who values atmosphere even more than I do, you're probably have at least fun with this. I hope, however, that you don't mind cliffhangers.

Now that I've complained enough, let's get to the good parts: the writing fits the book perfectly. It's ornate and descriptive without ever giving too much detail, making everything feel kind of haunted and or ghost-like beneath the glitter. I really appreciated how it managed to convey the atmosphere of Glorian, the underlying feeling of wrongness, and how it felt for Kallia - bright, always shining, burning - to be there. There would be a lot to say even about the use of color as symbolism in here, which was way more successful that anything this book was trying to do with the suits of cards and long-lost families, if this review weren't already too long.
I also found the ways it talked about memory magic to be really interesting. It may sound over-specific, but this isn't the first time I've found the concept of trading memories of fire in a frozen city, and I will always find that idea fascinating. Was anything ever explained? No, and I'm going to thank the book for that because the last thing this needed were infodumps that wouldn't have made it make sense anyway without a stronger background.

It's also a book with a main character whose entire role isn't reacting to things that happen to her, who has has deep down a desire to connect with people, but mostly unashamedly wants the spotlight. That's not something we often see, especially in YA, and I wouldn't be surprised if Kallia were received as "unrelatable" or "unlikable" (because she wears "revealing" clothing and wants to be admired). I just wish the book would have understood that making a stronger cast of side characters wouldn't have stolen the spotlight from her; I don't think it's possible to do that.

I mostly found the two male characters Kallia is somewhat involved with to be boring, because the way they were described and even the way they acted felt like a YA love interest template. (As if the book were checking things off a list titled here are the attributes that are considered to be appropriate to praise in a straight man!) And did they even have a personality apart from hiding things? Because I'm not sure it came across.

If I had read this book a few years ago, I know I would have liked it more, just like I enjoyed Caraval back then despite being equally flimsy and to be honest not as well-written or interesting, so I'm giving what's in the end a positive rating; I mostly recommend it to those who liked Caraval and Ace of Shades but want something that feels even more mysterious and sets the atmosphere even better.

I think I loved the idea of this book more than the actual book. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with it, however, I found that it didn't hold my attention very well as I was reading.

I was very excited about the premise of this book, especially since it was linked to Moulin Rouge. I did REALLY appreciate the strong female lead. Especially since she is a talented magician among many male magicians who have prejudices against her.

This very well could've been an issue of timing. Had I been in the mood for a story like this, I may have enjoyed it more.

I'd like to throw a huge thank you out to not only Netgalley but also Wednesday Books for allowing me the chance to read an early copy of this book. I absolutely loved Caraval and this book made me feel like I was reading that one all over again with just a little bit darker tone. Not once did I feel like I was reading something I had already read before. The whole thing felt fresh and new, from the characters, to the setting, to the plot, I wasn't bored once. 

For this to be a debut novel  from this author I was very pleasantly surprised. I felt like her writing style and ideas all flowed very naturally without too many of the usual YA tropes. While you knew there was going to be a love interest it didn't feel like it was forced too heavily on the readers for example. I loved that characters felt like they weren't necessarily good/bad, other than the mayor who was just a jerk for the sake of being a sexist jerk. You got to really kind of see why they acted the way that they did and while that left you with more questions than answers I felt it wasn't a waste of my time. I realize this is going to turn into potentially a series or at least a trilogy and I am more than willing to allow my many questions to be answered in the forthcoming books!

Once again I would like to say a huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review. If you want a dark, magical, and spectacular story that will keep you up at night just so you can finish then I highly recommend you give this debut novel a shot. I'm glad I did!

Where dreams descend is a YA book by Janella Angeles which has been touted as a cross between Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera, and for fans of A night circus.

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.

The premise sounded really interesting and not only loving books about magic and circuses and YA, I thought this would be a book right up my alley. I was a bit disappointed, as I found it somewhat slow and confusing. The writing is beautiful, but could have been edited. While I am sure there will be fans of this book I was not. I think any teenagers who enjoyed the series Cirque du freak may want to check this book out. 21/2 star rounded up to 3







Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I just was not able to get into this book. I have been trying to read this book for a few months now and I just cannot get into it. I made it to the 60% mark and it was clear that this just isn't the book for me. This book is VERY well-written, but it is SLOW. I am more of a fast-paced, plot-driven reader and this book just couldn't keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book.

I went into this book really excited - I’m in a book group that’s reading this and majority are loving this book and the characters. But for me it just isn’t working. Early on in the book, I just found myself skimming pages. .. that’s generally a sign to me that the book probably needed a bit more editing.

But don’t listen to me - this book has a lot of fans - so do give it a try and make up your own mind !

Confused.

That’s how I felt for the most of Where Dreams Descend, and definitely after I finished. Only the ending resulted in a more of a “WTF just happened!” confusion versus the “I don’t know what’s happening” confusion I experienced while I was reading. I’m not mad that I was perplexed – it definitely makes me more interested to read the sequel, but I am slightly annoyed that only a few of the sources of my confusion were resolved by the end of the story. This is honestly probably my biggest problem with Where Dreams Descend. If there are any mysteries in a novel, I need some sort of payoff or resolution to them by the end of the book.

Another source of confusion is my reading habits while reading this book. I’m naturally more of a one sitting reader, but I found myself willingly taking breaks while reading Where Dreams Descend. I don’t know, I just couldn’t read a lot of it at once, which is unusual for me. The story was wonderfully written and intricately woven, but it just didn’t pull me in until past the halfway mark after most of the world building is established and the plot picks up.

But that might be because of the writing. As beautiful as it is, it can get a bit redundant and flowery at times. It kind of reminds me of Jay Kristoff’s writing in Nevernight.

I also felt like some of the characters were underdeveloped and didn’t experience any significant development throughout the story. I get that they’re all supposed to have mysterious pasts, but again, it’s just too much mystery and not enough answers.

As for the romance, let’s just say this one I blame on the synopsis. It was not what I was expecting. The characters had great chemistry, but I still felt like the romance was a bit forced. I think it might have just needed some more time for it to feel more genuine.

Despite my complaints, I really did enjoy reading Where Dreams Descend. Where it shines is with its star, Kallia. She is just so fierce and confident! There are times where she does toe the line between confidence and arrogance, but I can hardly blame her. Even though the story takes place in a fictional world, I loved how it alluded to many modern-day struggles and issues, such as the fact that women, and especially women of color, have to work harder to be taken seriously. Kallia is an excellent representation of that. I feel like she often wears her confidence like a suit of armor against those that want to belittle her accomplishments and potential.

In conclusion, Where Dreams Descend is an intriguing read full of mysteries, almost too many. I loved Kallia and her fierceness and how magic was woven into the plot but it wasn’t as spectacular as I’d like. I can’t believe I have to wait until 2021 to read the next book.

What a luscious dream of a book! I knew I would enjoy it based on the comps alone, but I was delighted to see that it lived up to expectations. Angeles's imagery facilitated between dark, rich, and whimsical as the book careened on a predictable but still enjoyable plot. Kallia was a vivacious, brilliant heroine you can't help but to root for. I do wish it had been a bit longer, as the ending seemed a rushed with a few too many questions left unanswered for my taste. Luckily, the sizzling romance and quick pacing held my interest and have me looking forward to reading the sequel!

A hauntingly atmospheric series opener, perfect for fans of Caraval and the Shadow Game series. Kallia is a compelling and chaotic main character, and her complicated relationships with Jack and Demarco will surely only get more complicated as the story goes on. Lots of threads left hanging and mysteries left unsolved, but the world building is excellent and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Where Dreams Descend

4 stars

Filled with magic and suspense, mysterious intrigue, spectaculore (see what I did there) productions and chilling visuals, Where Dreams Descend is perfect for fans who wanted more of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera and couldn’t get enough of the dazzling performances of Moulin Rouge.

What stood out to me the most in Where Dreams Descend, is the author’s writing. I find it very hard to believe this is a debut novel. The author’s visual descriptions were so profound and exemplary that I find the vivid mental images of many of the scenes still playing in my head long after I’ve finished the novel. Although I still have many questions about the world and magic system, I found the author did an amazing job of explaining and visualizing for the reader in a way that added more intrigue and had me wholly immersed awaiting what would happen. This is a world unlike any other I’ve seen in YA and one I am more than excited to continue exploring.

I adored our main female lead who faced not only obstacles dark, ominous, and unknown, but also the very known sentiment of building a name for herself in a world that solely favors male magicians. I loved her will to not back down and in fact stand out all the more. I also really loved the slow burn romance and found it to be sweet and wholesome. But most of all I really loved the side characters. They were all so unique and interesting and I hope to see a lot more of them in the sequel which I will be eagerly awaiting.

The novel also ended in a major cliffhanger that still has me reeling so I will definitely be waiting with frayed nerves!

I highly recommend Where Dreams Descend to fans of Caraval, The Crown’s Game, and even for fans of The Raven Cycle. I think fans who enjoyed the element of foreshadowing gloom and suspenseful mystery in TRC will really love this one!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Where Dreams Descend

Author: Janella Angeles

Book Series: Kingdom of Cards Book 1

Rating: 1/5

Diversity: POC characters (Kallia specifically is described as having brown skin)

Recommended For...: ya fantasy, magic, kinda like The Night Circus.

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF-ed

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 464

Synopsis: 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

Review: Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 43%. I think the book has a lot of promise and I’m really intrigued by the story, but it needs more editing. The book is very confusing. The formatting is horrible and the POV switches are so confusing. The book kind of jumps into the story and it was pretty far into the book before I figured out who Kallia really was personality wise. The plot is intriguing in the synopsis but at 43% it still wasn't the focal point of the book. Character development is all over the place and the mind games hurt my brain. The world building is the best part but it doesn't help save this plot. It's also very long winded and overtly talkative in a lot of spots. I did have an arc so I'm hoping the final version was cleaned up but it's definitely not for me I don't think.

Verdict: It’s promising, but not for me at the moment.

I Adored this book. It had me hooked from page one. Drawing me in and making me feel as if i was there living it myself. It is one of my top reads for this year by far

I truly loved this book. From the beginning, the premise hooked me. I mean, how can a person NOT be excited about Phantom meets Moulin Rouge with a dash of The Night Circus?!

These characters have found their way into my heart and I want to keep them all there even though I don’t know which ones I can trust. This story is so full of mystery and magic and the entire cast leaps off the page in a colorful blaze. Speaking of mystery, Janella did such a brilliant job of unfolding this mystery, giving us little tidbits when we need them but never too much that we can guess (or at least that I could guess).

I thought the pacing felt w little off in places, which is why I can’t give it a full five stars, but this lived up to my expectations in so many ways and I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds in the next book.

eArc provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I LOVED this book. I really enjoy carnival/circus settings in books, and yet I don't seem to find many that I actually enjoy. This one was amazing and I'm so glad it lived up to the hype. I enjoyed every minute of it. A must read for those who enjoyed The Night Circus or Caraval or Moulin Rouge.