Where Dreams Descend is gorgeous and evocative storytelling at its best! The descriptions were lush and te tension kept me on the edge of my seat. Readers will love stepping into this seductive new world.

*eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I'll be honest, I was on the fence about this one at first. I learned of it through 2019's YallFest, and then I grabbed it when Wednesday Books made it freely available on NetGalley. I am so glad I gave it a chance!

This book was somewhat hard to dive headfirst into. It was definitely a slow read, like wading through syrup. And unfortunately, I didn't get what I wanted from this book- ANSWERS! I probably say this in every review, but I need answers to at least some of my questions and then more questions for book two. Honestly, I feel like I got zero answers from this book. Even questions posed in the very first chapters, I got the scent of an answer before the book ended.

The magic-users in this book are called magicians, but they aren't doing parlor tricks. This is really magic, on stage. Ten magicians have gathered in Glorian for a chance to become the next headliner for the Conquering Circus. Of them, Kallia is the only female. Female magicians aren't really a thing in this world, because they tend to go missing under mysterious circumstances. Kallia certainly has to overcome a lot of sexism during this competition.

It starts out in the Hellfire House, where Kallia is a performer and magician (like less sexual Moulan Rouge). She feels the pull to go to the city of Glorian, which is close by but surrounded by a hallucination-inducing woods. Her lover?friend?master? Jack is completely against her leaving the Hellfire House, but she sees something in a mirror that disturbs her so much she runs away to Glorian anyway.

Kallia meets Aaros when she first comes to Glorian and he becomes her assistant (and we get absolutely zero backstory about him. He basically stands there and supports Kallia [not 100% a bad thing though]).

Kallia also meets Demarco, one of the judges of the competition, who is a young magician like herself but has completely sworn off using magic.

The competition is where the book is the weakest, since none of the acts actually seem to go right. Kallia's performances are the only ones that the book focuses on, and something bad happens in all of them. In between shows, she's practicing and carrying along as normal.

But Glorian holds something dark in its heart. It's not really explained, but something evil lurks in mirrors- that both Kallia and Demarco have reasons to fear. And the city itself seems to have lost all memory of its past. And why are female magicians so rare? And why does Jack fear so much for Kallia? And, most disturbingly, who keeps harming the people connected to the competition? All good questions, none of which we receive answers for.

Still, it is an enjoyable world. Kallia is brash and headstrong, and willing to trample over any man who gets in her way. Secrets abound and magic flourishes. From the review I just wrote, it honestly feels like I shouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did, but I've already pre-ordered my copy!

Final rating: 4.25 stars and an eye out for book two!

If you loved Caraval or Ace of Shades or NIght Circus or Six of Crows then this book is something you will want to check out. Magicians and dangers and love. I do not want to give too much away with this one because it is pure joy to read. I highly recommend for any YA fans that want to know where ones dreams can take them.

This book had a lot of potential, but just fell flat with me. It was somehow the opposite of a book you can’t put down - more like the book you find yourself easily distracted from. The problem was there were so many complex elements to the world building but I never felt like I knew where it was going. I knew I was supposed to be intrigued and spooked by aspects (such as the notes left when people disappeared) but there weren’t any supporting elements to pull those details into the story in a meaningful way. I think the author had too many ideas and wasn’t quite able to narrow them down into a cohesive plot line.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I am really sad that this book didn't work for me. I really enjoyed the prologue and the show scenes. I had to imagine these characters as in their 20s because there's absolutely no way these were teenagers. I wish that this book would have been adult so it could have gone harder than it did. The characters were fine. I didn't really latch onto any of them, unfortunately. I'm not sure what it was, but I ended up kind of bored throughout this book. I felt like I was just waiting for something BIG to happen, and when it did, it just fell a little flat?

I will say that this definitely gives off Phantom of the Opera vibes. So if you like that story, you may enjoy this one. It was well written. It's probably just a me thing that it ended up not working for me. I think overall this story would be like a 2.5, but I will be rounding that up to three stars as it did do something a little different than the usual and was well written. Not sure that I will continue in this series when the next book comes out.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. Third was a fantasy type YA novel and I find myself setting it to the side for now to finish latee. The characters were very intriguing and the premise of magic is sure to attract lots of fans.

Wow, this was definitely a great book for me to read to take a break from my normal genre, but yet still had that dark feeling I love! The author did an amazing job of creating this new world for the reader to enter! I think it was well written, developed, and an exciting read because of it! I don’t read fantasy as my main genre, but do love some that are intriguing and well written, which I feel this book is! My only downfall about this book, is waiting for the next book! Highly, highly recommend to those who love fantasy books that hint to the darker side of fantasy. I think it will give fantasy lovers exactly what they look for when they are reading fantasy!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms! Will use my low amazon reviewer number on Amazon on release date!

I liked the characters and the magic system was very interesting. A new take on the genre. It didn't completely capture me the whole way through but I can identify certain patrons who would enjoy this. Overall very entertaining.

**I'm super excited! I received this book from Netgalley! I never get the good stuff, so I'm super happy to have been approved for this book!**

Now on to the good stuff.
3.5 stars

The pacing in this book was terribly slow! Nothing truly happened until the very last 10%. One of the main characters weren't even in the story line for the majority of the time. The author did a really good job of setting up the mysterious ambiance on the book! She made me (as the reader) ask questions. Unfortunately, she never answered those questions. That's where some of the deductions of stars came from. There were several questions posed and only one had a hint of an answer. I know that she was building up the cliffhanger to set up the rest of the series, but some answers would have been nice. The world building was severely lacking. As in there was absolutely none. Even if she's only going to focus on the one city it wasn't built up in a way that I could imagine it. It's not a bad story, but I'm not sure if I will keep up with the series.

Read this book from Netgalley. It was a very interesting story about a runaway magician trying to make a name for herself by entering a competition. She finds love during the competition but Jack from her past keeps trying to get her to return home. I’m so confused about what happened in the end so I’m thinking there must be a sequel coming. i need to know if there will be a happy ending for the two of them and if the others will ever recover.

If you love Circus and/or magic themed stories, dark romance, and magical duels this is the book for you.

I was enchanted by Janella Angeles' story, I loved the mysterious Jack and his star, Kallia. The whole story has such a great vibe to it, you just enjoy the show like being really there.

So, if you are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, Caraval, The Night Circus or movies like The Prestige, you're going to love this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Where Dreams Descend was an interesting and mostly entertaining read. I enjoyed the premise and the story moved along at a good pace. 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. The fact we are told Kallia will easily win also takes away from the suspense. The rest of the world building was okay. I did have many remaining questions when I turned the last page, but there will be a second book to conclude the story, so hopefully they will be answered then. I hope the second book will round out Jack's character a little more too. All up, this was an enjoyable read. It wasn't perfect, but it held my interest and I would like to see how things conclude in book two.

Where Dreams Descend is a breath-taking, magical extravaganza that weaves it's wonderful spell on you from the first page. A captivating read that sweeps you away, a perfect escape.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I had a tough time getting through the beginning of the book. I didn't like how you're yanked out of a place and thrown to another without finishing the interesting background part. I felt like I didn't have enough of Kallia's life with Jack. We have no idea who he is or really any background on Kallia and the illusions Jack placed on her while Kallia lived in Jack's father's mansion.

I really hope the second books gives us more information because I got super into the end of the book.

If you’re a fan of Phantom of the Opera or Caraval- check out Where Dreams Descend in August! I really loved the fierce strength of Kallia, she is definitely a new favorite heroine. I felt like I was watching a stage curtain being slowly drawn back to reveal the dark mystery at the heart of the story. It is a bright, imaginative, and action-packed adventure. Where Dreams Descend includes magicians competing, inexplicable accidents, and a heart-pounding conclusion. I loved all of the little nods to Phantom hidden throughout! I enjoyed the positive friendships, the timely reflections on sexism, and the ending will definitely leave you wondering what happens next. I’m already excited about the sequel! Where Dreams Descend releases on August 25th, 2020. Thank you to Janella Angeles, Wednesday Books, & Netgalley for giving me a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Could there be a story more thrilling than this? I loved reading through this book. It had a wonderful Magical vibe that reminded me a lot of Caraval by Stephanie Garber. The Mystery and suspense kept me on my toes and the characters were wonderful. I fell in love with them right from the beginning.

The only reason I couldn't give this book a four star is the world building. I wanted more. I wanted to know what the world was like around the characters and how the people reacted to them.

Other than that, I couldn't put this book down and have already recommended it to my close reading buddy (My mom.)

My review will be live on the blog Book Confessions on 8-18-20

A very interesting and exciting premise! A nice mix of magic and danger in a very interesting setting. The romance in the story is well done and the characters are interesting. Quite an enjoyable story all together. I like the way she described the magic and illusions, it was very well done. Even the cover on this book is intriguing. Look forward to seeing what else this author writes! Great for fans of Caraval.

You get a bit of Caraval and The Night Circus vibes in this slow build dark fantasy threaded mystery. The story revolves around a magical contest and a world where women are not allowed to be showmen, Kallia aims to change the game...and everyone is trying to hide their past.

This book was one of my most anticipated new releases of the year, but it did fall a bit short for me. It was a very slow start where you are left with all kinds of mystery and not a lot of answers, so I struggled to continue reading at times. While I thoroughly enjoyed the MC Kallia overall, I was not a huge fan of the other characters POVs and the sudden shifts in POV without any page/chapter break were difficult to adjust to.

The book started to take off around the final quarter and while it ended in a lot of excitement and was not totally predictable, I still found myself needing more answers to be sufficiently involved in the world and attached to the characters. The story does leave you with a cliffhanger ending and I while the first book was not right on the mark for me, I look forward to seeing how to second book in the series delivers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a copy of Where Dreams Descend in exchange for my honest review.

"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."

I had SUCH high hopes for this book! Magicians and a strong female protagonist? Count me in.
Where Dreams Descend was set as “Moulin Rouge meets The Phantom of the Opera”..and that's a bold statement to make for a book! Unfortunately it didn't deliver that for me.

The world-building, characters, plot or main goal for the protagonist were all a bit murky for me throughout. I was never 100% sure where it was going.

It had such promise! So I was bummed that it didn't meet my expectations. I gave this 3/5 stars.

This is one of those times in which a book is just not my taste. It's well-written, and the characters are interesting. The main character is really strong, and she carries the book. I was willing to go through a lot that didn't interest me just because she was so fascinating and engaging.
The side characters were well-developed, and I honestly often preferred watching everyone interact rather than the fast-paced plot.
The world that is set up is intriguing, especially the parts about how female magicians function inside the world. However, my biggest pet peeve with this book is that nothing is concretely established. This huge mystery that involves the past of the two main characters and the city is never solved. Nothing is resolved. I understand a cliffhanger, but there was all this build up to something that was supposed to connect every confusing detail, and nothing happened. The magic system also isn't established concretely enough for the magic show angle to work, because we're told what the main character is doing is hard, but it certainly doesn't seem it.

I have never read another book like this one, and if you're interested in a dark fantasy mystery, pick it up! No matter how I feel about the style of the book, Kallia is one of the best fantasy protagonists I've read, and I enjoyed hitching a ride alongside her journey.