I am very conflicted about my feelings on this book. It took me awhile to get into it, but once I did I was hooked with the descriptions of the magic and the Spectaculore. Kallia was easy to love, she was strong, blunt, and never doubted herself, even when things began to go wrong around her. She was really the only well fleshed out character in the whole book though, everyone else just felt flat and one sided to me. The ending was, for me, very disappointing. Obviously things have been left very open for a second book, but I just hate books that build and build and build to just be suddenly cut short. Hopefully the next book will answer some of the many questions I have.

I did like the premise of this story. I can see where some would think it would be similar to Night Circus. It just wasn't drawing me in like I was hoping, which is important to me when reading a book.

The characters just didn't feel relatable, I couldn't understand what was happening half the time, and I felt bored. Maybe I expected too much from it, But overall, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. I just don't think this book was for me, but I really appreciated the opportunity to read and review it!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book for an honest opinion.

I did like the premise. But I felt like the whole story was just setting up for a sequel and that was kind of boring. It just seemed like one missed opportunity after another

Maybe I expected too much from it, But overall, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. And that's usually what I want from a book.

Where Dreams Descend is a spellbinding new fantasy novel that features a magician competition, a magical circus, and a mystery. Our main character Kallia is a born magician who has lived her entire life in an entertainment club hidden in the woods. The master of the house Jack taught her how to wield magic and turned her into a star performer at the club. But Kallia wants more. When rumors of a magician competition being held in a nearby city reach her, she resolves to run away and enter the competition.

This book has many elements that I like:

an unequivocally strong female lead – I loved Kallia's confidence and the way she owned the stage and never cowered before men in power
magicians competing for the right to be called the best and to launch their performing career
a mystery and a lurking evil power that haunts the city and attacks performers
a captivating love story
a powerful anti-hero

All of these elements combined kept me enthralled with the story. Moreover, the story itself reads a lot like a thriller, you constantly wait for the other shoe to drop, which makes you keep turning the pages. The one thing I found a bit disappointing is that nothing is really explained in the end. We know that there is some ancient secret. There are also hints at non-humans, another world beyond the mirror, rumors of magicians disappearing, etc. But nothing is explicitly revealed.

I guess this makes a perfect set up for book 2, especially with that ending, but I did hope that we would get at least something explained. Who is Jack? What happened with the four founding families of the town? Where do magicians disappear? Who are the shadows in the mirror? Getting at least one question answered would be a bit more satisfying. I gave this novel 4 out of 5 stars docking a star for this absence of answers. I will definitely be reading book 2.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

By now it should be easier to explain how much I loved a story. I mean, after writing so many reviews, putting down my thoughts on paper should be a piece of cake. Nevertheless, every time a book steals my heart as Where Dreams Descent did, I find myself wordless. No word is perfect enough to put together a sentence that describes how much a book messed up my emotions.

Storytelling: From the first moment I saw Where Dreams Descent, I had a feeling that I would fall in love with it. With a sprinkle of The Phantom of the Opera and a drizzle of Moulin Rouge, Where Dreams Descent is a bewitchingly nightmarish tale. Janelle Angeles crafted a marvelous and captivating story, with beautiful passages, and divided into acts -- one more mysterious, spellbinding, and enigmatic than the previous one.

The plot of Where Dreams Descent starts slow, with all these questions arising and no answers. Then, the story picks up (this does not mean there are no more secrets to be unveiled) and an alluring and intricate world unfolds before the reader's eyes. Janelle Angeles's writing is simply enticing and it will trap you in Glorian, a city covered in ice, ruin, and danger and filled with pulsing dark magic. Where Dreams Descent ends with a cliffhanger that will make you wish the second book would be out already!

Characters: My sweet and powerful Kallia. So daring and fearless. ❤️ I adored how Kallia challenged the patriarchal norms and made her way into the competition -- not only as the only female magician but also as the most powerful magician. She was the better contestant by far and she knew it! Kallia was not afraid of showing it. No matter what the men responsible for the competition did to push her out of it, Kallia would resist and put on a bewitching show. Sometimes you must wonder how fragile the male ego can be to not allow women to join a magician competition. However, behind all the fearlessness and tenacity, there were cracks in Kallia. Living a life o lies left marks on her. I liked how confident Kallia was of herself and her magic, but also had this fragile side that made me want to tell her that it is okay to break down -- everyone breaks down and that does not make them damaged or unworthy.

Demarco had his own demons too (and there was something about the ENDING that needs to be better explained in the sequel). He was shattered by loss and willing to do what he could to protect Kallia -- even if that meant being manipulative. I enjoyed how naturally the relationship between Kallia and Demarco developed -- at the beginning, they were not very fond of each other. Dusted with magic and heartbreak, this relationship was beautifully written.

World Building: Glorian is a city of secrets. It is haunted by a cryptic past and surrounded by a cursed forest. After a long period of isolation, Glorian opens its doors to the Conquering Circus and a magician competition. Of course, when there is so much darkness hidden in a decaying city nothing is bound to end well -- especially for the magicians involved in the competition. What I loved the most about the world building was that Glorian was not just a setting. The city felt alive! This city almost felt like a character, with its wishes and magic. The magic system is quite interesting: some are born with magic while others can learn how to use it (I must confess I did not understand how those without magic learn how to wield it). The magic is used to create illusions -- even if some illusions are more "illusionary" than others.

I was so excited that I got approved to read this book as I knew it had something to do with performing and I loved Caravel. Kallia is why to headstrong and so proud of her magic. I really want her to meet someone that best her because she really needs to be taken down a peg or two. Also, her dismissing Jack from her life just because he lied to keep her safe is crazy. She is so ungrateful and her hooking up with Demarco is just wrong. She and Jack need to get together.

There is a lot more going on in this book other than the contest and I can't wait to see how all of that is going to work out in the next book. There is something sinister going on in Glorian and I really want to know what it is. Plus, that ending. I want to know which magician it was looking at Demarco in the mirror.

"Here, with you," she said, showing a small hint of teeth. "Sounds like applause."
...
Wow wow wow. I knew I'd enjoy this one but it still surprised me. I heard this book compared to Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, The Night Circus, and some of those vibes I definitely did pick up. But Where Dreams Descend is it's own magical story.
The beginning was a little slow for me, although still interesting. It took me a while to get into, but that honestly doesn't change how I feel about it. The last third of it blew me away!
The writing style was simple, but also had some beautiful moments. What really intrigued me were the characters, the plot, and the romance. Kallia was an amazing, confident, complex main character. Jack was super mysterious and interesting. And I grew to love Demarco so much! I also thoroughly enjoyed the side characters. The romance had a great slow burn. Each characters are so troubled and lovely and you just root for them so much!!
And THAT. ENDING. A BIT frustrating, but mostly wonderful. Especially that last line. Ugh.
I would definitely recommend Where Dreams Descend and I'll definitely be reading whatever Ms. Angeles puts out next!

Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kallia has lived in Hellfire House, a private club, for most of her life, perfecting her performing magic under the master of the House, Jack. But she yearns to see the world outside the House, particularly the city that lies beyond the Dire Woods that surround it – Glorian. Jack has always been staunchly against it, stating that Glorian is no place for magicians until one day, Kallia discovers a flyer announcing a magician’s competition in that very city. Uncovering some shocking secrets Jack has been keeping from her, Kallia escapes, determined to prove herself capable as she faces off against nine other magicians displaying their feats of magic in a city whose past is mired in mystery to win and become the headliner of the famous Conquering Circus. But she soon finds out that there might have been some weight to Jack’s words after all, as competitors start to go missing and danger seems to lurk in the shadows.

I had really high hopes for this book, because something about it reminded me of a mashup of two series I’m a huge fan of – Caraval and The Shadow Game. The world-building was minimal, but interesting and this was certainly a unique kind of magical realm that the author has built. The world beyond Hellfire House and Glorian is not described except through Demarco’s POV when he talks about his aunt and sister, which is something I’m quite eager to learn more about, because I’m especially curious as to why Kallia’s only aim was Glorian and not any other place out there, regardless of the competition. I’d love to see a map of Soltair where all these places are located, which is apparently an island? As for the narration, it was pretty standard, although there were POV changes mid-chapter, which is generally rather tricky. The characters’ voices were luckily distinct enough for this to not be a huge issue though.

I really liked Kallia as a character, with her confidence and determination to prove herself on a stage where women aren’t traditionally welcome, but there are times that she comes off as just a little too reckless and even immature. It also somewhat confused me how quickly a rapport formed between her and her new assistant Aaros when, after all, he was a street thief who tried to steal from her. I did like how his character turned out, but it seems to me a rather flimsy base for their relationship considering how quickly their partnership becomes such a strong one. Jack remains a mysterious figure for pretty much the entire book except for that little reveal at the end, and he had a very Phantom of the Opera vibe to him. Demarco was another character I really enjoyed though it would have been nice if we had more background on him earlier in the story because I found it hard to understand why he was important to the story initially.

Conceptually, this book was amazing, but the execution left something to be desired. I felt that the synopsis was misleading, since a competition between magicians should have been more interesting that what it was portrayed as, and I was expecting a tournament rather than a series of stage performances. I think the real issue though, is that the author seems to be holding back with this book. It had the potential to be something so much more grand and well, magical. It is understandable since this is a debut after all, but I hope this changes in the sequel. The other point is that the story revolves around three characters – Kallia, Jack and Demarco, but even as it focuses only on these three, it was severely lacking in character building since most of their past is a mystery, something that tends to give a much better perspective of a character. I also thought that the pacing could use some work, as this turned out, for me, one of those books, that despite having a continued aura of mystery and danger, still seemed to drag.

Shocking endings seem to be the trend this year, and this was no exception! I’m really excited to see what happens next and Where Dreams descend was a great start to a promising new series despite some issues. The ending does bring together several loose ends while still managing to leave things up in the air which assures an entertaining sequel! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!

Wow. Just... wow. I went into this with high expectations - when one teases several of my favorites as comparisons for a title (Night Circus, The Phantom of the Opera), it better deliver - and yet I was still delighted and astounded. This book is campy fun and very enjoyable, with a perfectly imperfect protagonist and so much more to give in the next books, which I will be pre-ordering as soon as possible.

Kallia is the star of the daily show at Hellfire House, a mystifying club where memories are shared and stolen. She lives a secluded life while training her inherent talent as a magician by her keeper, Jack. However, when she discovers that much of her life has been a lie, she runs away from Hellfire House to pursue her dreams in Glorian, a city with a dark past where magic is all but forbidden and people can't seem to keep track of their own histories.

All of this is a fascinating premise, and Kallia is indeed an imperfect character which almost makes up for the fact that she is unbelievably powerful. The book writes this off as the impact of her excellent training and difference in magic talent, but it is still distracting at times how she is able to rise to the challenges that come even having all but no direct experience.

More concerning than that, though, is how Kallia seems to bounce back from learning that much of her world is a lie without ongoing trauma response. She is strong and brave, which is highly endearing, but moments of her needing to face the impact of her discoveries would have made the book more believable and Kallia more relatable as a character. Perhaps this will find its way into future books in the series, and I'll look forward to it when it comes.

The only other quibble I had with the book as I sped through it was the magic system itself. It seemed almost as if there were no rules, or at least they were not explained to us. Kallia and her mentor, Jack, engaged in memory magic, illusions, telekinesis, fire magic, music generation, mirror manipulation, and more over the course of the book. There was no explanation of the impact of magic other than tiring Kallia out if she overextended herself. Quite honestly, I have no idea what rules under which they are supposed to operate. It certainly didn't pull me too far out of the book, but I definitely wondered as each new magical challenge was surmounted with ease where the limits might be.

This is an excellent YA fantasy, very enjoyable and an easy read. Ms. Angeles writes in beautiful prose that is a pleasure to read. I'd recommend this to any YA fantasy fan, and am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an eARC of this title.

I only made it about halfway through this book before I stopped reading. It just wasn't drawing me in, which is important to me when reading a book.
The characters just didn't feel relatable, I couldn't understand what was happening half the time, and I felt bored. I just don't think this book was for me, but I really appreciated the opportunity to read and review it!

This book is being marketed as "Moulin Rouge" meets "Phantom of the Opera" meets "Night Circus", and it really does feel like the author intentionally set out to write a book to that brief, rather than writing a full and cohesive story and then fitting comp titles to it. If the aesthetic is what most draws you to a book, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It's absolutely dripping in that fin de siecle -esque vibe.

There's some intriguing magical theory at play -- or, at least, I think there is. Much of the explication of how magic works feels like it's been hidden for the sequel. Wanting to know more about the thamuaturgical mystery was what kept me reading.

The plot and characters, however, are hodgepodge at best. I was most irritated by Jack, "the Master", because his chapters were so consciously, deliberately coy that I wanted to scream. I love dramatic irony, when the reader knows things the characters don't and knows what secrets they're keeping from each other. I detest a POV that keeps secrets from the reader, all the while dropping heavy-handed hints, so that we know how very mysterious/tortured/dark-and-broody they are. Further, Jack is straight-up an abuser. He gaslights the female protag, Kallia, for years, quite literally and through his magic. Then he spends the rest of the book telling her that she should trust him and that she's being a fool for making the choices she's making, but even setting aside the abuse, he also never explains a gd thing to her. Ever. Just gets angry when she doesn't accept his word on faith. I loathe "you must obey me because Reasons" plotlines, and ultimately I was just rolling my eyes every time I hit one of his POV segments. Yes, yes, we get it, you're very mysterious and broody and secretive. Tra la.

Daron's POV is not quite as aggravating, but shares some of the pointed coyness. His secrets, at least, seem to have some psychological grounding, and it's easier to see the general shape of them from the start, even without the details. Kallia is an easier POV to grasp, but her character vacillates. Is she secretly soft? or ice to the core? does she want fellowship? or does she disdain everyone? Her supposed romance with Daron is also frustrating, as they spend most of the book refusing to communicate with each other. It's wearying. They have almost the same conversation about how they don't want to talk to each other at least three times.

The sense I got from the plot was that it couldn't quite decide what it wanted to be. We're introduced to the conceit of a magical competition -- and then we see almost none of it. We're told that the other contestants pale next to Kallia's ridiculous talent, but we never see them perform, nor do we really learn anything about them. As a result, when they start disappearing or getting felled by mysterious injuries, there's absolutely no reason to care. There's also no tension surrounding the competition at all. Kallia is the clear favorite to win, and even though the other judges and performers hate her on the sheer basis of misogyny, it's made abundantly clear that the audience votes would hand her victory. So the stakes just don't matter at all. The mystery of the disappearances is only glanced at, mostly because neither Kallia nor Daron seem to care that much about them, and the challenge ultimately only serves as a platform for whatever strange game Jack is playing with Kallia -- which he never explains, either to her or to the reader.

The book ultimately feels like it's only the prologue to a completely different story. I would've enjoyed it so much more if literally anything had been explained. We're given little hints of so many potentially fascinating elements: The sheer oddity of the city this all takes place in, the potential for a murder mystery vibe, the interesting side characters of Aaros and Canary and the rest of the circus folk, the history of the four families who left their mark on the world, whatever the hell is going on with the Patrons, the other cities that are mentioned but never discussed in depth... There are a lot of good seeds here! But none of them so much as sprouted within the course of this book, and I'm not sure that does enough to make me want to see how they might, maybe, grow in a sequel. For the, the pastiche aesthetic did not coalesce into a satisfying narrative.

This was an interesting and mostly entertaining read. The story moved along at a fairly decent pace, though I did wish once or twice that some of the supporting characters had a little more depth, especially Kallia's fellow competitors. We don't really get to know much more about them than their names, which makes it hard to get involved with the excitement of the competition. There isn't much suspense knowing that Kallia will not really have any competition and will win. The rest of the world building was okay. Hopefully some of my questions will be answered in book two. I also hope the second book will round out Jack's character a little more. All in all, this was an enjoyable read. It wasn't perfect, but I liked it enough to read book two.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is a lush YA fantasy with a hint of Moulin Rouge and a dash of Phantom of the Opera. and would be right up the alley for fans of The Night Circus or Caraval. The setting is a ruined city where a group of magicians has gathered in order to compete for a spot as headliner of the Conquering Circus. Among their number is Kallia, the only female magician in the competition, who is determined to prove she is more than just a showgirl, and that she is stronger than her former boss Jack ever imagined. We also meet Demarco, a young master magician who has given up performing but reluctantly agrees to become a judge for the competition. From that set up , it will come as no surprise that there is a love triangle component to the story, and for me that was actually one of the weaker parts of the book, mostly because the triangle was so unbalanced , with a lot of chemistry between Kallia and Demarco, much more than she had with Jack.
When competitors start to disappear at an alarming rate it soon becomes clear that the competition is more dangerous than any of them anticipated, and darker forces than they ever imagined may be involved. I thought the inclusion of this mystery element added a nice extra dimension to the book.
I liked the character of Kallia, even if she was a little bratty at times, her determination to succeed had me rooting for her all the way, and I really liked her relationship with her assistant Aaros, it was a nice inversion of the ususal Magician- Assistant dynamic, and they had some funny moments. There are some other female characters, but none of them are as well developed as Kallia, and the world the book is set in had a very male dominated feel, which made Kallia stand out even more. I do wish there had been a little more explanation of how the magic worked, the author does introduce some ideas about some people being born with magic while others have learned it as a skill , but it is never really expanded upon. I think readers who like a fast pace may find the book a little frustrating, especially in the first half , but I didn't mind. I enjoyed the very descriptive prose and loved how well the author was able to capture the exhilaration of being on stage and performing.
The ending of the book left me intrigued about where the story goes next, and I look forward to finding out.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I'm having a hard time with this review. I was really intrigued by some things, but it just didn't come together for me. At some points I was honestly confused. It's definitely well done for a debut novel, but it was missing something.

I really liked this book! It's a fast plot, a main character easy to root for, and a love interest with a painful past. There were a couple of issues though. I wish the magic system was described more. There was no education on why some people are born with it, how others obtain it, and what the limitations are. The love story did go too fast for me. They went from being adversaries to loving each other way too fast. The ending was super rushed and didn't even make sense, and it feels like absolutely nothing was resolved. I am excited for the sequel and will be picking it up when it comes out.

I wanted to really love this book. I read so much hype about it on Goodreads and Instagram, but I found myself waiting and waiting for me to really get into the book. It felt like the first 70% of the book was just setting it up for it to be some big thing and it wasn't. The writing was well done and the last thirty percent of the book I enjoyed. It left me with a cliffhanger that I'll probably pick up the sequel just to see what happens. I did find at times that I was overwhelmed and didn't know what was going on. To be honest, I'm not sure I understood the book fully.

Kallia runs away from her childhood home in the midst of a dark forest to compete in a magical competition after learning that she's been lied to her entire life by her guardian, Jack. Magical competition? Count me in!

This was a fun novel, but it definitely was on the slow side and I left it with more questions than I had answers.

It was opulent, glittering, and dark. There is a love triangle, which takes up a lot of the story, adds angst, etc. (also beware, insta-love after insta-hate).

Kallia isn't always likeable, and comes across as selfish, when I think she was just meant to be a strong female lead. The other women who come into the story don't get to be as successful as her, or as strong, and that was disappointing. Surely she's not the only one who's fighting back against the clearly patriarchal society in the city?

Jack is an interesting, flawed character. His story is the most compelling to me, and we don't get much of it in this first book. I'm hoping for more in the sequel.

The writing was flowery and beautiful, but I would have liked more...something. I don't know. I wish there had been more development of the magic system, which I didn't quite understand. I think this first book will make more sense when the second book comes out. It would have been better with more answers and fewer questions for the sequel, in my opinion.

This started off with the promise of darkness and glitter but failed to enrapture. This will definitely not appeal to everyone. If you like The Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge than you’ll enjoy this. But as always with these things take it with a grain of salt.

The book starts off with Kallia descending from a chandelier. She is a performer at a place called Hellfire House and its run by a mysterious powerful magician named Jack.

Kallia discovers a deadly secret and runs away to Glorian. She’s always wanted to go but couldn’t. There also just so happens to be a magical competition being held there. Kallia has been warned that women magicians are not welcomed like their counterparts but she decides to buck that tradition.

I liked Kallia’s character a lot she doesn’t listen to the naysayers and goes to the beat of her own drum. I would have loved more strong willed ladies in this. It is a very male dominated world but it would have been great to have more dynamic female friends.

The mysterious magician Jack is like the phantom he comes and goes is he real or just an illusion and what are his true intentions. We learn very little of this character. He honestly reminds me of the Darkling.

That was something that was missing from all of the characters was that spark that makes them take shape off the page. There would be scenes or moments where someone would shine for a bright second and then peter out. There wasn’t enough carved out of any of them to give them dimension.

The beginning and the ending were the best parts the middle sagged and drew on too long.

When it comes to magic systems I don’t often care if I don’t know all the rules. I’ll only care if what we already know gets tossed out the window for convenience. There isn’t a whole lot of world building in this story which is a bummer. This really sets up book 2 to go into more on the world and magic of it all.

I do think this is worth trying if you are at all sitting on the fence on it.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for sending me a review copy

Oh wow, totally into this. A great first book for a series! Definitely did remind me of bits and pieces of The Night Circus (which I loved). All good things!

I think what I wanted was more romance and I think we’ll get more in book 2!

I had to DNF this one at about 35%. I just couldn't get in to it. Thank you for the opportunity though.