Man oh man. I loved this book. I guess I was behind because I didn’t know other people were saying it reminded them of moulin rouge until I was on a book group I’m in. I kept coming up with theories and I would dismiss them because I never knew what exactly was going to happen. I have a soft spot towards a few of the characters in this book. I just love them. I can’t wait for the next book to be released and can’t wait to hold a physical copy in my hands.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read Where Dreams Descend before the publication date. I really went into this story with all the love and hope for a fantastical themed book. I expected a little bit of Caraval mixed with Night Circus (2 books I love) and came out with a one star review. I DNF’d this book a little over 50% read. I am a lover of characters and the characters weren’t very loveable to me. I will probably finish the book through audible when it comes out, but I will not finish the arc.

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at St. Martin’s Press. Kallia has been raised off the grid by a reclusive magician, his protege and the star of the show at his club, Hellfire House, but she’s always looking toward the distant city spires of Glorian. When Kallia finally gets the nerve to break away from Jack and head for Glorian to join a competition of aspiring magicians, she has no idea what she’s getting into. The city has always been forbidden, and Kallia has to work twice as hard as any of the men to earn her place on the stage. But there’s more at work in Glorian than a competition, and Kallia might just be playing for her life. Trigger warnings: controlling/emotionally abusive relationships, captivity, severe illness, injury, blood, misogyny, stalking, threats, grief.

Ray Bradbury instilled a strong love for circus/carnival stories in me at a young age, and I had high hopes for this novel. Unfortunately, it’s very much a first novel, and it has almost nothing that I look for in books. The descriptions are vivid and lovely, but they often overwhelm the important things like plot or character development, of which there is almost none outside of the main romance. Side characters are underused or barely fleshed out, or both, and the ending fails to bring any kind of closure–plot or thematic–to the events of the story. However, I can see it working better for readers who enjoy the romance or don’t mind waiting for a second book for answers.

I really wanted to like Kallia, a poc main heroine with more power than any of the men, but who is constantly fighting for a place at the table. And I do like those things about her. I like how she pretends confidence or arrogance even when she’s doubting herself, and I like how she never steps down for anyone. I don’t like how her descriptions constantly refer to her as a “viper” or with other snakelike qualities just because she’s ambitious. The constant misogyny she faces would probably be wearying if it mattered to the plot at all, but it doesn’t. Kallia is already so far ahead of any of the male magicians in power that they can frown on her, but they can’t stop her–and that’s the other problem. There’s no development for her because she’s already at the peak of her powers. The only change in her by the end of the novel is that she’s stuck in a different cage, and she has a boyfriend now.

I wish I cared about Demarco and his sad story, but I don’t. I think we’re supposed to think he’s a lot better than the other magicians because he at least gives Kallia a shot, but he’s a little too gloomy and controlling for my tastes. I was totally prepared to love Aaros and the Conquering Circus ladies, and I probably would, except they’re little more than side characters there to propel Kallia’s story. Honestly, my favorite character is probably Jack, Kallia’s manipulative teacher/protector/captor(?), because I always love the Problem characters, and at least he knows what he is. Again, though, there’s little insight into him outside a plot reveal toward the end that, given the limited information we have, isn’t as effective as it probably could have been.

The plot, such as it is, is murky. There’s the sham of a competition that everyone knows from the auditions that Kallia will win, assuming she doesn’t die or get disqualified before then. I wanted much more out of the challenges–for example, for them to actually be challenging, or to even remember the names of one of Kallia’s competitors. The mystery around Glorian is far more compelling. It’s clear there’s a greater villain than Jack at work in the city, but the ending fails to bring any of it together. It favors shock value over logic, and it’s an obvious lead-in to the next book. I don’t like cliffhangers, but I can live with them; what I can’t tolerate is a book that completely fails to stand on its own in any capacity. Even as part of a duology, I need to leave off feeling as though I’ve made some progress, but there’s nothing at the end but a new problem to solve (without any attempts to solve the ones in this book). I’m on the fence about the sequel, so I suppose I’ll see how my feelings age before I decide whether or not to pick it up.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

"Where Dreams Descend" by Janella Angeles, not gonna lie, is a heavy fantasy book. I enjoyed the recurring theme of mirrors and the deceptive way they can be use and I thought it was very intriguing to use them in the case of a magic show. However, there were times that I felt there was too much introspection and not enough action regarding a book about magic. There were also a couple of things that I wanted answers to and by the end, the answers, if any, were very vague.

However, I did enjoy Angeles's beautiful description of the world and the characters that inhabit them. I would use passages in this book to, perhaps, teach about descriptive writing and internal monologue.

This book was somehow way too long, and yet also didn't have any character development or plot or world-building at all. How is this possible? I have no idea, but wow, was it a disappointment.

This book begins with a bang, I'll give it that. The introduction to the main character, Kallia, and the performance house she lives in with her magic teacher/warden(?) Jack, was phenomenal. Kallia's desire to leave and stretch her magical wings in the neighboring city of Glorian was admirable. Kallia's arrival in Glorian to become a contestant in a magic competition should have been where the story kicked off in earnest, but instead it ground it a halt. Between each round of the competition, absolutely nothing happened. There were tiny bursts of fun interactions between characters, but overall, it felt like between the majority of the plot happened in the first ten percent and last ten percent of this book. Most of the characters felt incredibly one-dimensional, with the author relying much too heavily on dropping hints about mysterious pasts rather than just...giving her characters personality.

I did enjoy the writing style quite a lot. It was pretty without going overboard into disgustingly flowery. This society frowns on female magicians, but the reason why isn't really explained, so while I can appreciate the author trying to throw some female empowerment in there, it felt a little clunky. The epilogue gave some hints as to what might happen in book 2, sort of a found family, Six of Crows-esque dynamic, which I think could be quite fun. Although I was disappointed in the execution of many aspects of this book, I am still intrigued by the world and I'm interested in seeing where the story goes next.

Gah! My heart.

When looking for my next read I like to ask the question: how do I want to be emotionally destroyed today? Welp, look no further! Where Dreams Descend has all the makings of a stellar series and in this first installment we are introduced to a solid cast of characters and a story that quickly jumps off the page.

Kallia is pretty badass in my opinion - the type of character that doesn't take lip from anyone. She's fierce in her decisions and dares you to prove her wrong. But she's also torn between a past that won't leave her alone and a future that refuses to let her go.

Jack and Demarco are the two guys in Kallia's life. She's constantly pulled into two different directions, struggling between her head and her heart - what she's known and what she's willing to take a chance on. I won't get into spoilery details, but I will say that I acquired a new book boyfriend hella quick! Brooding and mysterious wrapped in conflict? Uh, yes please!

I can't end this review without mentioning the ending that literally clicked with me 1.7 seconds before everything hit the fan and left me screaming into my pillow long after the dust had settled on my scattered brain.

Where Dreams Descend is a delicious, layered fantasy set in the world of magic and magicians. Part mystery, part romance that will leave you wishing you had magic if only to have the next book in your hands today. Highly (highly!) recommended!

First and foremost I would like to thank Wednesday Books and St. Martin's Press for the early access to this title in order to read and review. A more thorough review will be posted for my blog tour upon the release of this book as well as to GoodReads.

This book is a solid 5 star read for me. It has everything in a book that I look for. Magic, thrills, danger, romance... these are all things I dive in head first for. I really enjoyed the multiple view points, had an easy to understand magic system, and I felt connected to the characters. I am interested in seeing where they go in the next book. With that being said, I did feel like the book was a bit slow and dense. This wasn't a huge issue for me as I realized that this book is a set up for the next.

I loved Kallia and how brash and impulsive she was. She just has that aura of confidence that I always strive internally to be. I loved the banter within this book and the slow burn romance!

I definitely think that if you are a fan of Caraval or The Night Circus, you'll enjoy this book!

"Not all magic is good magic. Few people can use it, even fewer are born to it."

A desperate, dying city. A chance to achieve greatness. A competition of a lifetime. A showgirl who aspires for more. A magician without power. A shadowy master of illusions.

Spectaculore.

Kallia has spent her entire life at Hellfire House, and is the star of the show, descending from a golden chandelier to dazzle the audience with her magic. But she desires to be a true stage magician, and runs away to take part in a cut-throat competition to fulfill her dreams. However, nothing is as it seems and her past keeps haunting her--literally. What sinister secrets lie beneath the stage where dreams descend?

A dazzling debut from Angeles, "Where Dreams Descend" is a magical, twisting, burning, binding tale where "Caraval" meets "Moulin Rouge" to create a spellbinding work of genius.

I do love books about circuses, among my favorites are The Night Circus and the Caraval series. So when I saw this beauty, I had to request to read any early copy, especially when I saw it had Phantom of the Opera undertones!

The stage is set with Kallia, a showgirl with “born” magic who performs in a gilded cage for Jack, a mysterious and manipulative benefactor. After she realizes the extent of Jack’s control over her, she escapes to a town and auditions to be in a competition for the next headliner of the Conquering Circus. She is decidedly not welcomed, as all of the other magicians auditioning are men. Besides the ringleader, her only ally (albeit begrudgingly) seems to be one of the judges, Demarco, who is harboring secrets of his own. They are soon caught up in a world of magic, intrigue and suspicion, as contestants begin to vanish and come to harm.

I find that in books about circuses and magic, I prefer ones where the descriptions are many and lush. Kallia’s clothing is always presented as a splotch of color against the dismal backdrop of the town, and flowers and mirrors are utilized to set the scene.

I liked the characters of Kallia and Demarco, but I never felt very strongly for them. I found myself being the most emotionally involved with Jack, I think he was the most well written character (and Lottie, love her snark). Jack was so infuriating and yet also so many things were unexplained about him that I couldn’t help but wonder what his backstory is.

Now for the magic - I found the explanation of the magic system to be confusing. Some people can be born with it (though this is rare) and others can learn it. However, what confused me is that I didn’t really understand if people that “learn” magic have it legitimately, or if they’re merely trained in illusions.

There were a few other things that confused me, especially with regards to the town, but I hope they’re explained in the sequel.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, especially the last half, when the tension really began and the pace moved quicker. If you enjoy tales about magic and the circus, you should give it a try.

3.5 STARS


Where Dreams Descend is nothing short of a spectacle.


When Kallia sees the opportunity to escape her life as a showgirl and take center stage as a magician, she takes it. In her world, performing under someone else's wing is not enough, not when she has magic and power the likes of which the world has never seen. A born magician, she knows she can own any stage, captivate any audience.

And when a competition gives her the opportunity to do just that, despite all the odds, there's no stopping her. No matter the obstacle, the spotlight is going to be hers.


"The ones who dare most often disappear."


In a world where women are labor magicians, not show magicians, Kallia finds obstacles stacked against her left and right. The judges of the contest have no respect for her. Her fellow competitors are equally dismissive. The world simply refuses to make room for a female magician, even one as talented as Kallia.

Which means Kallia makes room with her own power.

This, I think, was the main draw of Where Dreams Descend, in my eyes. Kallia is not only a charming heroine, confident in her power and charisma. She's ambitious, dead certain what she wants and willing to go to any lengths to get it. As much as I love a good dose of the reluctant hero trope, it truly was refreshing to see a main character take charge of her story so willingly, with such certainty. No matter who or what stands in Kallia's way, she does her best to remain three steps ahead.

Plus, she's under no illusions that the men who look down on her will change their minds just like that. She's well aware that she has to work twice as hard as anyone else for half the recognition. But even more importantly, she's not in it for their approval. Instead, she's in it to prove to herself that she's good enough to walk the stage. Kallia aims to make of her life whatever she chooses, not what someone else dictates, and I honestly adore her for it.


Speaking of disappearing, though...where's the heart of the story?


Kallia carried most of the book on her back, and for good reason. She's the star of the show, and shouldn't be side-lined! However, a good book is more than just its main character, and this was the area I found Where Dreams Descend to be a little lacking in. Sure, we have a brilliant, vibrant main character, and she's navigating an uncanny, dazzling new setting while grappling with a past that refuses to unhook its claws from her. That alone is powerful stuff, convincing enough to keep me reading. But there needed to be more, namely in two areas: side characters, and plot.

The side character problem is far easier to explain. With a vibrant cast like the Conquerers, Aaros, and Demarco featuring so prominently, I should have felt more for them. Aaros in particular had a cheeky sort of demeanor that I adored. The problem was, though, that they were often pale beside Kallia. Less interesting, or perhaps simply less developed. And in a story where Kallia must learn that friends can be more valuable than simple allies, I wish more time had been spent really fleshing out those friends.

As for the plot, this is more of a gripe with the conclusion. A duology, of course, can't resolve everything in one book. Otherwise, it would be a standalone. But by the end of Where Dreams Descend, I felt that only one small question had been answered, while plenty of others had been opened up. It shaped the final scenes not into a startling crescendo worthy of all this showmanship, but something of a tailspin that left me frustrated. I plan to read the second book because I so desperately want the answers, but there's no escaping the way the finale left something to be desired.


Release has been pushed back to late August, so there's still time.


Time to pre-order, perhaps time for changes to be made to the book, and time in general to prepare for Kallia to take the stage! Not that you can really prepare for the wonders she's capable of, to be honest. Where Dreams Descend is now hitting shelves on August 25th, about three months from now, giving you plenty of time to place a pre-order or request it through your local library. If the dazzling flash of the stage is your thing, or you want to watch a competition take on a dangerous life of its own, I recommend you get this book on your TBR today!


CW: gambling, drinking, loss of a loved one, gore

[This review will go live on Hail & Well Read at 12pm EST on 5/28/20.]

This book was so good! If you liked Caraval or The Night Circus you will love this! It's full of magic, and mystery. I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

When I first started this book, I knew it would be a magical read. Upon finishing it, I can’t help but be so happy that I was right! This book was an absolute dream from start to finish. I felt completely transported & absolutely loved this compelling story as well as it’s amazing characters!

This book was a beautiful adventure to a mysterious city filled with magical performances. The descriptions are eloquent and stunning and sometimes downright spooky. The underlying mystery had me on my toes until the final pages.

The story follows Kallia, a young magician who wants to become something more in a world that will not let her do so, but she does it anyway (of course). She enters a magical competition in a conspicuous city and meets a judge, Demarco, who has a mysterious past. As the competition progresses the complexities of the city, and the characters, are made more and more apparent.

That all being said the story is not finished, this is NOT a standalone story. Part 1 has left me with way more questions than answers, and I am very excited to see how Part 2 plays out (maybe even a part 3? this world has the potential to fill several books, honestly).

I wish some characters had more screen time (Aaros, Canary), and I wish some of the minor characters had been more developed, but over all I had a wonderful experience in the world of Glorian.

If you liked Phantom of the Opera, Caraval, or The Night Circus, I would definitely recommend this book.

I'd pair it with a rich, dark red wine or a hot salted caramel mocha.

This was a truly magical read. Having hints of Caraval and The Night Circus, you'll feel at home before you even begin. Angeles keeps us on the edge of our seats the entire ride, raising the stakes higher and higher until she pushes us over the edge. Being left with more questions han answers at the end with the crippling cliffhanger, I cannot wait for the sequel.

Sometimes the magic of a book can fall short at the, well, magic. Writing a unique magical history and use of magic can be challenging, especially with the massive number of books being written about it. But Angeles manages to make this book invigorating and unique. Magic has it's own laws here, laws I sometimes doubt the main characters know, creating a juicy tension. The entire book I felt the magic, its pulse. I can't wait for more.

Kallia was a rich and detailed main character. She had desires and struggles, both of which were poked and prodded at at every turn. Kallia, the main character, wasn't the only character to have such depth. Every character in Where Dreams Descend has a voice, motive, and a past. I was delighted to meet each one and discover their secrets, and there is much left to learn in future books.

I was provided with an ARC of this title through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I'm not really into books about magicians (I prefer witches when it comes to my magic), but I was so drawn to the cover that I read the synopsis, and my interest was piqued. And I'm so glad it was! Character development was excellent, the plot moved quickly and kept you guessing, and there was lots of action to keep the reader engaged. The pacing of the novel was actually very-well done.
Now let's talk about world-building. It was fabulous. I could see Glorian and its streets so vividly, as well as the cast of characters. However, I couldn't quite grasp what time period we were in, if we were even actually in a particular time period at all. At times I thought, yes, definitely Victorian times, 18oos. Then at other times, due to certain descriptions of characters' clothing and such, I was like, wait a minute, are we just in a fantasy world that has no particular time period? I think I'm leaning more towards the Victorian era, which I think was the intent. But aside from the that, fantastic job at world-building.
With the way this book ended, obviously there will be a sequel, and I can't wait for it!

I really really really wanted to like this one... It sounded right up my alley - like caraval or something by Kat Howard. I expected atmosphere and magic and great world-building - what I found was a story that never really resonated with me, pacing the felt uneven, and a plot I just never fell into... This one just wasn't a good fit for me.

Where Dreams Descend was an easy read, but a bit of a mess? The writing was pretty nice and very poetic at times and the pace was steady. Angeles was obviously trying to weave a magical and whimsical narrative and they managed to make me feel like I really was in this world filled with magicians. This gave me very very strong Caraval vibes throughout so if you loved that book, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.

That was not the case for me.

I found the world-building pretty shaky. There weren’t a lot of explanations about how the magic and cities worked or how the world was divided to ground the novel. The plot was a little all over the place too. It was like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to focus on before it turned into an entirely different direction. This meant the story felt quite aimless at times and it was difficult to understand what was going on or what chapters and reveals were relevant.

And for the characters… quite a few of them weren’t that well developed. Kallia was extremely arrogant to the point of coming across as totally reckless at times. There were also quite a lot of characters introduced throughout the novel that weren’t really fleshed out aside from having names and professions. The romance and supposed friendships in this were also not as developed as they should have been to be believable. There was little effort put into them? They just Were.

The ending was also a bit confusing? But I guess that was due to the shaky world-building. It didn’t end in a cliffhanger, exactly, but there were quite a few things left up in the air—as well as secrets revealed—that set things up nicely for the sequel. I, personally, won’t continue on with this. But again, if you loved Caraval or are looking for an YA Fantasy novel with similar vibes: this one is for you!

Where Dreams Descend was an enjoyable read, but it was not everything I wanted it to be. The prologue has such a magical feel to it, but afterwords things quickly got boring. The plot elements such as a magic competition, competitors slowly disappearing/being harmed, romance that can’t work because of some terrible secret they can’t communicate to each other all felt tired and unoriginal. The intriguing elements such as Demarco’s past, who Jack is, and what is going on in Glorian were all brushed over until the last 15% of the book. There was so much potential for fantastic worldbuilding, but the author gives us little to none.

The characters do very much resemble The Phantom of the Opera characters. The parallels between Kallia/Demarco/Jack and Christine/Raoul/Phantom are undeniable.

Since the plot finally started to pick up at the end, I will likely read the next book in this series once it is released. I hope the author will use this opportunity to expand the worldbuilding and explore the more complex and interesting aspects of the plot as the series continues.

A full review will be posted to my blog within the next few weeks (madsbooks.wordpress.com)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
The plot loosely follows a magicians competition in a city full of mysteries and mishaps. The competition is constantly dogged by misfortune so it really fades into the background. The main character, Kallia, was super sheltered and the city itself is super isolated and surrounded by a haunted(?) forest so there’s little to no world-building involved in this story. She’s trying to make it as a born magician in this competition and make a name for herself despite female magicians rarely being allowed to perform, etc. She was trained by a mysterious master named Jack and runs away to this city.
Hmm. What to say about this. Let’s start with the good things.
I liked the magic of the world, I liked the magician’s and the competition, I liked Kallia and Jack and Daron and Aaros and the circus performers. I liked the romance.
But there was no world-building, really. The book could very easily be summarized in one word: mysterious. There’s mysteries upon mysteries. The deal with Jack. Where Kallia even comes from. The deal with the city. I hoped some/most would be revealed towards the end, but it left more questions than answers so it disappointed me in that aspect. I really don’t even understand what happened at the end, at all. Confusion isn’t inherently bad but it certainly doesn’t leave me more inclined to continue the series.
So three stars. It was interesting and not bad by any means but also not something I’m wild about.

I was excited for this one since it's being billed as a mix between Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera, both of which I LOVE, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The world-building is promising, but remains a little murky, I'm not sure how the magic system works exactly, and I wanted more from some characters, like Jack. I know being mysterious is part of his deal, but there was almost too much of it. Janella Angeles' writing is lovely though and I'm sure most of my questions will be answered in the sequel, which I will be picking up, especially after that cliff-hanger ending!