It's hard to put down this debut novel by Janella Angeles. "Where Dreams Descend" is the start of a spectacular series that everyone will be talking about.

It is the story of a group of magicians competing against each other for the headliner of a circus. The acts are dangerous, and some prove to be deadly.

With twists and turns, superb imagery, and an unstoppable heroine named Kallia, it is sure to be a hit!

3/5 stars. I think people who enjoyed Caraval will enjoy this, so that comparison in the blurb is pretty apt.
There’s a lot of showy, performance magic, which made the book really fun. I haven’t actually seen Moulin Rouge, I don’t remember a ton of the Phantom of the Opera plot off the top of my head, and I haven't read The Night Circus. Having read this book, I don’t think it quite matches its blurb, mostly with the idea of the traveling circus. It doesn’t seem like Kallia is competing to be part of the traveling circus, rather that there is a traveling circus with magicians who are in the same town at the same time, and Kallia is friends with them and performs with them sometimes.


What I liked:
-The magic was really fun! Most of the magic we see used is purely for showmanship, and it’s showy and entertaining.

-The beginning few chapters so of the book had a lot of really good build up. You could tell there was something dark lurking under the surface, and I think Kallia’s character was the best here.

-The secondary characters that are on Kallia’s side (I mean that they are not her enemies) in the story are fun. Like Kallia’s assistant, the seamstress, and members of the traveling circus. (The other secondary characters, aka her direct competitors and people who don’t believe in her and are sexist, are barely characterized in my opinion.)

-There is a lot of good descriptive writing, especially with the way greenery/plants and clothes are described. There are a few greenhouses in this book and the descriptions are so lush.


What I didn’t like:
-The thing I disliked the most about this book is that it’s just build up with no actual answers. It keeps telling us that there are things we don’t know and dangling that in front of the reader like a carrot. I know that there’s something/someone dark and mysterious lurking in the shadows. But what are their motives, who are they, and how is that affecting the characters? Some of the smaller reveals at the end were so obvious that they should have been revealed hundreds of pages earlier, and bigger things are never revealed. And I honestly couldn’t tell you the goals of any of the characters except maybe Daron Demarco. There’s an emphasis on “born magic” versus “learned magic” with “born magic" being stronger, but we don’t get a backstory on why, and we don’t get a description of how magic can be learned. I also have no idea what the limits of magic are. I want to read the second book solely out of curiosity regarding character motivations and world building, because this first one had little to none.

-This book seems like it’s trying to do enemies to lovers but doesn’t actually make the two characters real enemies. It’s more like mild tension that seems to be exacerbated because they don’t know each other well yet.

-Not every book needs a “mean girl” character. This book could have done without one, as the character doesn’t actually add anything to the story, not even petty obstacles. She is just there to make snide comments, and nothing about this book would change in the slightest if her whole character was deleted and everything else left the same. It adds an air of “I’m not like other girls” to this book that it didn’t need.

-This book also has one of my biggest pet peeves in YA: characters passing out frequently. I can’t tell you why YA uses it so much compared to other age groups, but in my opinion it’s used as a crutch a lot when transitioning between scenes. The narrative can just skip to somewhere else because the MC isn’t awake, and then it doesn't have to explain how things happened or what anyone else was doing during that time. Most of the time in this book, I think just skipping to the next scene with a line break would have been fine.

All in all, I’m the most annoyed at the lack of world building. Otherwise it was pretty typical YA fantasy for me. I think I might check out the next one just to see how things are explained, because this book really gave me all questions and no answers.

A magical story for the ages, Where Dreams Descends is a beautifully told story bursting with amazing prose and well developed characters. Kallia and Demarco’s chemistry kept me on my toes and the mystery around Jack made me lose sleep. Janella Angeles spins a strong debut that will be a favorite for years by many

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for asking me to be a part of the blog tour for Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles (and thank you to both Wednesday books and NetGalley for the free early review copy)! I first heard of this book via Roshani Chokshi's instagram stories earlier this year (I think... it could have been last year too... time is an interesting concept right now) and it sounded so interesting- a mix of Moulin Rouge and the Phantom of the Opera with magicians- so I put it on my list ASAP and kept my eyes peeled for any way to read the ARC. I'm so glad I was able to because this book was freaking amazing and is one of my favorites of the year! This book comes out August 25th, so make sure you pick it up/check it out!

Where Dreams Descend 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: 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

So besides this book reminding me of the Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge, I also got notes of Caraval and Ace of Shades, and I absolutely adored both of those! It was also super original in a lot of ways. I really loved the magic system, which was slightly confusing, but like confusing in a good way that kept you wanting to learn more (like what's the significance of the mirrors? How do they get their magic? Why is Kallia the only female magician? How do acquired magicians get their magic? Why doesn't Demarco use his magic anymore?) I loved Kallia and I even loved Jack and Demarco grew on me the more I read. The way the story progresses and the characters that come in once the magicians begin disappearing and the twists and turns that we go on until the ultimate ending took me on a journey I was so excited to be on and I couldn't put this book down! I cannot wait to read book 2!!!

For as long as she can remember, Kallia has longed for more: to learn more, do more, be more. As the star of Hellfire House’s nightly performances, Kallia’s dances are mesmerizing and filled with powerful magic. She dreams of escaping to Glorian, the mysterious ruined city beyond the woods. When she learns of a competition between magicians taking place in Glorian, Kallia is determined to compete, never mind the fact that no female magician has ever competed against men in such capacity before. But a dark force is gathering in Glorian, and magicians are quickly disappearing. As darkness and danger threaten, Kallia must choose her friends carefully and depend on her magic if she wants to escape the perilous competition alive.

Full of magic and intrigue, this book kept me reading until the early hours of the morning. While it takes a good chunk of the first half before the story really gets started, the action, mystery, and romance of the second half mostly make up for it. The characters are well-developed with realistic flaws, dreams, and struggles, and Kallia’s fight for equality is timely and well-written. Dark and magical, Janella Angeles has crafted a fantasy world with questions around every corner. However, despite some of the excellent features of the book, the plot does create more questions than answers, which makes it difficult to be completely satisfied by the end. I’m looking forward to a sequel to dive into this world once again and hopefully have some of my questions answered. Fans of darker magic and fantasy will enjoy this thrilling novel.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

4 ⭐️ This book was the book i wanted to read mostly in 2020 and i was a little let down at first because i expected more magic in it... They did have magic but i expected way more.

Hands down one of my favorite leads of a book kallia is such an ICON omg..... Literally stan worthy.


In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.

I LOVED the icy world.

I am excited for the second book after that cliff hanger 😍🥰

Thank you netgalley for granting me this book i WISHED for it because i got declined at first.

Thank you Wednesday Books for the e-arc provided in order to participate in the blog tour. I'm kind of bummed there weren't physical arcs since a ton of people did have them, but...

This is the summary of my review so far. I am posting on 8/25 and will post a blog link at that time.

Lets start with the world building: one big huge WTF. Tons of repetitive questions being asked with NO answers given. The air of mystery wasn't even mysterious really, because it was so shallow. There's no vibe in the town, no food, no jobs mentioned, literally no world building

The characters: again - wth? Kailla wants to get out of the illusion but none of her questions are answered. Why is she so angsty with Demarco? What the heck is even going on with Demarco? We read over 400 pages and literally learned nothing of substance about him. Jack was also an evasive twit

The plot had a few action points but the author dropped them pretty quickly in favor of the characters just angst-ing at each other. I won't lie that I ended up skimming, a lot, and had a similar reaction when I asked what my IG crew thought if they had read it.

I know this is a duology but I feel like book 2 needs to be a lot shorter and a huge valentine to the readers in order to redeem this book. I can't deal when authors want the readers to be psychic - if the characters *KNOW* something, maybe we should too? Jack kept saying "they" and we never know who "they" are and no one ever says what's going on. I really wanted to DNF this because I can't tell if it's lazy writing or if she's planning a huge, huge reveal in book 2

Additionally with the magic system - it's so unfocused. I just felt like this was 400+ pages of repetition with no results until the very end, and even then it was just more questions.

This was a very confusing, yet entertaining read. You give me magicians, unapologetic women who know their worth, some enemies to lovers and mystical writing and I’m 100% there. Not much was explained in terms of the mystery and again, I am still confused upon finishing the book, but with the promise of a sequel/finale, I’m not too upset and will be right in line for the next installment.

Where Dreams Descend is definitely the beginning of my new favorite series.
It was fast paced, full of magic and with an empowering feminism in action. I need to say that it definitely seems aimed to an upper YA audience, but there isn’t explicit content on it. It had the Phantom of the Opera/Moulin Rouge vibes. Lots of edgy performances, slow-burn romance, secrets and attempt to overthrow the patriarchy with grace and talent.

ilipino-American debut author Janella Angeles’ Where Dreams Descend is the tale of Kallia, a showgirl wanting to prove herself in the male-dominated world of stage magic. Joining a competition in the city of Glorian against all odds, she and her mentor, Demarco, soon are up against much more than either of them bargained for. Reminiscent of cult favourites such as The Night Circus and Caraval, Where Dreams Descend takes the reader into a world of illusion and glamour, both of the magical and the mundane kind. While this won’t be my new favourite book – it is too trope-heavy and reminiscent of mid-2010s YA for my personal taste and not gritty and philosophical enough, I see this being a summer hit and something much of YA fantasy fandom will love.

This book was decadent and delicious and I realize I risk sounding like I'm *actually* reviewing dark chocolate... but it's true. This was everything I wanted. It takes the best parts of some of my favorite stories and makes them something else entirely - really the best sort of book.

The story twists and turns with a magic competition and the question of what's real and what is illusion like Caraval. It captures the glitter of the stage and the frantic energy of Moulin Rouge, with a current of the mysterious and deadly darkness of Phantom of the Opera running underneath.

The setting is beautiful and mysterious and deadly. The haunted Dire Woods that cause madness in all who enter. The frenzy and illusion of the Hellfire Club. The pastel boringness of Glorian that masks deadly secrets.

I loved the characters. Kallia, with her brash confidence masking her loneliness and desperate desire to escape, and her determination to best the men trying to put her in her place. Demarco, running from his past and searching for his sister with equal frenzy. Aaros, with his mischievous thievery and uncomplicated loyalty. The Conquering Circus, where illusion and magic form true friendships. And, of course, dark, brooding, complicated, mysterious Jack.

As the story twists and turns, loyalties shift and the line between ally and enemy becomes less clear.

The book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, and I eagerly await the sequel. I need to find out more about just what is haunting the city of Glorian, and where Jack's loyalties actually lie.

I'm a big fan of the ghost of opera and I enjoyed this book to the fullest, wow I wanted to read a book like this and my prayers were fulfilled. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to Wednesday Book and Net Galley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book! It was intriguing from the very beginning, and I loved how strong Kallia is as a character. I'm a sucker for any books related to circuses or carnivals, and this one did not disappoint! The dark, moody setting, and the mystery of the town and the disappearances made this book a definite page turner from beginning to end. Can't wait for more!

There is a city hidden in the woods. People say the forest surrounding the city is cursed.
Kallia is a talented magician that has always dreamed of going there.
When she hears about a magical competition getting ready to be held there, she knows it's her time to shine.

This book had Phantom of the Opera vibes and I loved it. Kallia is a great MC, I loved Demarco, Aaros, and of course the ladies of the Conquering Circus. It's fast-paced and intriguing. I admit I was skeptical because most books I've read with any circus theme are usually flops for me, but this was great! There are so many unanswered questions that I cannot wait for the next one.

This book is perfect for fans of circus themed books. The author does a great job of featuring the magic of the competition without neglecting the plot. The pacing was well done. It doesn’t suffer like many books with an info dump at the beginning. When we first meet the MC she is living in what seems to be a sort of magical boarding house. When she tries to sneak away she learns her living arrangements aren’t as voluntary as she once believed. The magic system is slowly revealed throughout the competition as we also learn about the politics and complications of the outside world. I felt the romance was very well done. I was slightly worried about a love triangle but it didn’t end up as a focus in this book at least. The author paints a very compelling backstory for both the main characters. Overall I gave it 4/5 stars. Without spoiling, some parts of the mystery could have been flushed out a little better. Perhaps they will be in the second book but it seems towards the end a lot was happening all of a sudden which became a little distracting and unnecessary. I’m very interested to see how the characters back stories end up tying into the finale of the book.

First, let me admit that while I enjoy the (more than) occasional show-tune, I am not a huge circus fan... However, The Greatest Showman was amazing and I liked Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera so I was excited to start this book!

There were some really great aspects of this book... and also some aspects that really didn't do it for me. Since this is an arc and the book isn't released yet, I'm going to just give a brief explanation of what I liked and didn't quite like below.

What I liked most about this about was the writing! I was blown away by how the writer accurately portrayed such a dark and moody world in a beautiful way! I also liked the main character Kalia and I appreciated her motivation to become more than a showgirl. Finally, I appreciated the themes of gender equality and feminism.

What didn't quite work for me was the lack of world-building and even the strength of plot line. I'm not really sure what going on in the world and cities names were just kind of thrown in there and I didn't get enough information as to their culture and diversity to really dream up the world. As for the plot, if you take it for a fun ride and don't think too much, it was enjoyable and definitely ends on a cliffhanger. But personally, I wanted a bit more.

Overall, I liked it. I will probably pick up the second so I can see if some of the issues I had with the story are resolved or explained more.

Thank you so much for this early copy!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I think it might’ve been too lush of a world for me. I like things that are simple without being too overly complicated. I wish I could’ve gotten into it, since I’ve heard amazing things.

A glorious debut! I loved the spectacle, the sumptuous world building, the dark and twisting turns! It made me ache to be a stage manger again!

Oh. My. God! This book is amazing!
I kid you not when I say that EVERY bit of this story is a mystery. Every character. Every location.
I'm completely torn because I don't know who to trust or what is real, and I'm dying to know!

Where Dreams Descend is a magical masterpiece!

Where Dreams Descend was one of my most anticipated books of the year: the combination of Moulin Rouge X Phantom of the Opera, two of my absolute favourite pieces of media, was so powerful. But ultimately, as lush as this was at times, I hate to admit I was a little bored. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot for a lot of the book, instead the majority of the book are just detailed descriptions of Kallia's show. Which was amazing the first time! And the second time! But by the end, I was just a bit underwhelmed because that's all there was.

Where Dreams Descend follows Kallia, a showgirl magician who is running away from a master, Jack, the owner of the house she performs at. She runs to Glorian, an odd city who seems to hate magic and have forgotten everything about their past. But Glorian is trying to put itself back on the map and so are holding a competition to find a magician to be the star of a circus. Kallia, the only woman in the competition, enters herself and vows to win at all costs. But Jack isn't keen on letting her go...

I love a good story about theatre, performance, dance, performing magicians! As a theatre nerd in my school days, the setting of this book was so perfect. Between Kallia's time as a showgirl with Jack, and then her experiences as a magician, I really enjoyed the lush and detailed prose around these (at least the first few times….) I also liked exploring Glorian, this old dead city with an intriguing layout and lots of old dusty buildings to explore. That is completely my jam. Did I wish we had more of it? Yes. The worldbuilding was limited - it almost felt like having the city forgetting everything about their past was kind of an easy way out to avoid actually having to world build?

When we get to the characters, we have three main players:
- Kallia: a powerful magician and performer who adores the spotlight. I did really appreciate the way Angeles made Kallia so ambitious, even to the detriment of others, as I think that's a trait we still don't see much of in female characters.
- Jack: the mysterious, brooding master. We don't get much time with Jack and that made me struggle to understand his goals: I still have no idea why he was so obsessed with Kallia because we spent so little time with him.
- Demarco: Demarco felt the most fleshed out to me of these three, and he felt like a much more complex figure. He's got a secret to hide, a missing sister he's trying to find, no one knows why he no longer uses magic, so he's this tense and stressed out figure who really makes sense to me. I also love how flustered Kallia made him, it was a very cute trait!

The side characters however were my favourites. I particularly liked the grouchy old seamstriss who helps out with Kallia's costumes; Aaros, Kallia's trusty sidekick, he's just such a loyal and caring character and I felt he really shone; and Lottie, a journalist and also apparently the only person who can actually get shit done.

However, the lack of a plot or any resolution to anything is something I really struggled with. For most of the book, it's just scene after scene of Kallia in her dressing room preparing for a show, Kallia performing in said show, Kallia passing out from magic. And repeat. There needs to have a plot or something that's driving the story onward. In Where Dreams Descend, odd things are happening with magicians from the competition disappearing and more, but no one cares? Instead everyone brushes it past it very quickly and we just have another three chapters focusing on yet another Kallia performance. There was just no point to anything? And so becuase of the repetitive nature, I just found it quite boring. And I am devastated that I felt this way because I thought I would adore this. We find out nothing about what's actually happening in the city ever? It just ends? I assume there will be a second book exploring the "villain"....but I just felt that almost 500 pages of almost nothing but Kallia dancing and performing magic could easily have been edited down and condensed and we could have had more interaction and mystery that engaged with the actual villains.

So ultimately this was a disappointment to me. I was so excited for this, it's pretty much my dream pairing of Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera. And whilst I did initially enjoy the lush, unhurried nature of Kallia's magic and performance, the lack of a plot and repetitive nature of this book really impacted my enjoyment.