Ok, I really want to be nice, but to be honest I’m not sure how this thing is even being published at its current state.

It is being marked as a sort of Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge. I was genuinely excited to get an ARC of this book because I thought from the summary that it had such potential to be a great read!

The first problem with this fantasy novel is that it lacks world building. For a book that is nearly 500 pages, you’d expect the author to go into the “whys” and “how’s” of the world, but there is literally none of it. The story suffers from so much “show, don’t tell” syndrome. There is so much as the reader you have to accept to not have answers too, which is especially frustrating when you want the world your exploring to make sense.

Like:

Why is there a random speakeasy type house in the woods? Why is there a random city broken into four segments? Why should we care about a random magic competition when it isn’t clear what winning the competition gets you. Why do people want to be magicians? Why should I care?


The plot is underdeveloped, the characters are underdeveloped, the action is lackluster, and the pacing of the book leaves a lot to be desired.

**I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review**

Kallia is a showgirl/magician performing nightly but she dreams of more. To command her own stage and be the star. But how can you do that in a world where female magicians are laughed at and not taken seriously at all. Enter Spectaculore, a magic competition where Kallie fights for her to win. Where she fights to be seen.

Where Dreams Descend was a magical fantasy tale full of darkness and tension that kept me on wanting more with a slowly revealing mystery. I'll admit I was full of questions when I started and full of even more when I finished but I ended it dying for the next one!

I thought the plot was great. A girl on the run, a magic competition, a CIRCUS!! An angsty tension filled romance! The multiple points of view were a nice touch. They really allowed you to get inside the mind of each of the three main characters and see all of their shades of grey. It also featured a side character that left me smiling every scene he was in. The world needs more characters like Aaros.

I would like to see a little more robust world building in the next installment. I feel like it could have been fleshed out a little more. For purely selfish reasons, I would like to see more magic, more whimsy, a little more romance and definitely more Aaros!

Overall I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait to carry on with the series! 4/5

The Quick Cut: A group of magicians compete for a spot as the next headliner when unexpected danger comes.

A Real Review:
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you've ever been interested in magic, you know how enticing the presentation can be. The feats magicians pull off feel surreal, almost impossible. Well, what if you had a chance of a lifetime through a magical competition? This is the case for Kallia, Jack, and Demarco.

In a city covered in ice, three magicians take the opportunity to compete for the headliner spot in the Conquering Circus. Unfortunately, all goes haywire when unknown terror comes. Will they make it through or will their lives come at risk instead?

Can I just say how gorgeous that cover is?!?! The red and black is a wonderful combination, especially for highlighting the dark mystery surrounding this title. The environment is enrapturing and the world building is the best part of the novel. It is powerful and highly detailed.

That being said, the characters leave something to be desired. The story has an underlying feminism tone that although I understand it's presence, comes off as aggressive. A significant portion of this comes through the character Kallia, a powerful female magician. She is so overpowered that it takes a lot of the fun out of the writing and even worse, her behavior makes her a witch. It's a character I believe you're meant to like, but I ended up hating.

The other characters in this book failed to leave a lasting impression on me (and I really wanted them to). I wanted to connect to the story, but without characters to bond to... uphill battle. If the same attention was paid to character development as world building, this would be a different story.

A heavy paged story that delivers a strong world with vacant characters.

My rating: 3 out of 5

This book is total catnip for me - mysterious pasts, a magical competition, and a circus of badass women. Kallia runs away from the House that’s been the only home she’s known and Jack, its seductive magician master to enter a competition for magicians. As the only woman, Kallia’s unfairly scored by the judges and mocked by the other contestants. Her only possible ally is the reserved Demarco with the hidden, tragic past.

With a blend of The Night Circus, Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge, this is a lush dream of a book. Highly recommend.. One bit of caution - the book ends on a cliffhanger so hangery that I actually cursed aloud. I want the next book NOW!

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the DRC.

Where Dreams Descend is the first book in Janella Angeles’ Kingdom of Cards series. This is not a light, easy read. It is a deep and immersive story that pulls you into a secretive and frighteningly fantastical world. This is the kind of novel that leaves you with a book hangover, and you're glad for it. Long after the story ends, you find yourself thinking about Kallia and Jack, mirrors, Damon and his loss, the city and its secrets, and the patriarchy that needs to be turned on its head.

Kallia is an ambitious and fiercely independent magician who refuses to adhere to the patriarchal demands of society. She knows her talent outshines the men, and entering a competition in the mysterious town of Glorian, a place she has always felt drawn to, proves the best way to reach her goals. I love Kallia’s confidence and her feminist attitude. She flees from the constraints of living and working for a man and works to be free. Free from the constraints of society, and free from the rules of men.

“A cage…Not a home. A gilded place of false friends and stolen time. Any lingering fondness felt fabricated, syrupy-sweet taste she tried ridding from her tongue, for none of it had been real.” Kallia has to face her past and Jack, her enigmatic and controlling master/friend/more? Jack is the owner of Hellfire House where Kallia lived and headlined. Think Moulin Rouge with magic!! Total Perfection! Except, though Kallia was pampered, she could not leave. “How wonderful it must’ve been, to come into this life with the searing blaze of choice…It was only too easy to imagine how such a life might’ve changed her. To have had the power of choice over the glory of power.”

The relationship between Jack and Kallia is complex and confusing. A cross between toxic and sexy, controlling and oppressive, I couldn’t decide for the majority of the book if Jack was a sexy protector or a scary stalker, and I loved it. I’m curious to learn more about their relationship and Jack’s story in future books.

The story starts off slow, though the magical elements captivate from the start and compel you to read more. The setting is also enticing. It’s magical, mysterious, and deadly, which contrasts with the joviality and frivolity usually associated with the circus and magic competitions. Angeles’ style creates vivid and visceral descriptions of the town, the people, and the magic, which made for an exciting, immersive, and heart-pounding read.

Keep in mind, the magic depicted in the book isn’t just magic. It’s…well… magical. At’s like a fantastic and entrancing mix of music, dancing, circus-like performances, and magic. Fireballs whirling through the air, spectral images created in thin air, birds sweeping through a room only to disappear into ash – these are only a few of the fascinating yet scary magical acts that occur in the novel. The fact that the story takes place mostly in a town with a secret and dangerous past adds to the spectacular and suspenseful story.

As the competition in Glorian progresses and Kallie proves to be the strongest competitor, people begin disappearing. This is a town with secrets filled with people with even more secrets, and that makes for an intriguing story. As I read, I wanted to know more about the town and the people in it, from the sarcastic tailor to the amazingly talented women from the circus that Kallia befriends. I wanted to know why people were disappearing or injured and how it related to Glorian’s past, Kallie, and the mysterious judge, and retired magician, Daron.

Daron, attractive yet unapproachable, has secrets of his own, and as Kallia breaks through his walls, the reader learns precisely why he doesn’t practice magic. Daron is a fascinating character from old magic, and I enjoyed the slow-burning romance that developed between Kallia and Daron. They are alike in many ways, from their aversion to mirrors to their dreams of freedom.

And then there is Aaros, Kallia’s assistant and one of my favorite characters! He is a loyal and supportive friend to Kallia, and his witty banter with her and with Daron is charming. He brings a levity to the story that I love while still standing out as a strong and memorable character. Oh, and did I mention he’s a thief?

This story is an absolute delight to read. It has exceptional (and magical world-building, unique and often morally ambiguous characters, vivid imagery, a suspenseful and unique plot, and an ending that I didn't expect. The feminist themes are the cherry on top of this wickedly entertaining cake!

Thanks so much to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I really fell in love with this book. Like the romance, it was a slow burn. I struggled in the beginning as it started out a little slow. This made me a little nervous, but after 100 pages or so, I was hooked. The opening excerpt was perfect in identifying the theme of gender equality that would weave in throughout the book. I loved the magic and the mystery and of course those Phantom of the Opera vibes! I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for allowing me to read this lovely book.

Fantasy lovers, rejoice! Janella Angeles delivers a captivating tale where the blood spills red, the morality runs grey, and the magic always has a silver lining.

Where Dreams Descend is a knockout of a read and a standout for the 2020 lineup. It does the unthinkable from the get go - it takes a fairly recognizable YA trope with magical magicians spinning on its head. The execution is done REALLY WELL. This story is GROUNDED. It has roots in a world that is wholly immersive and unique enough to stand apart from the rest. Let's face it, if a story.

There is a darkness coiled up in the tone of this book that I simply adored. The author did not pull any punches when it came to depicting the world. Though glitzy and beautiful,. I appreciated the grit and the honesty of the setting and the tense atmosphere it created.

It was an addictive page turner that I nearly finished in one sitting. In addition, Where Dreams Descend showcased fantastic character development I wasn’t expecting, and let’s not forget the author's phenomenal writing style that made it easier to immerse myself on these characters journey through this spellbinding show. Needless to say just about everything about this novel was superb and I would highly recommend everyone to add this to your TBR. You'll have no regrets,, just saying.

**Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

“... I know I don’t have to prove a single thing to them. What matters most is what I prove to myself. Giving up would be an insult to everything I know I’m capable of.”

Welllllllllll I hate to say it, but I gave up on this book when I hit the 51% mark and I STILL didn’t know what was going on. The book left a lot to be desired. Most of it could have been fixed in rounds of editing, but the editing was extremely sloppy. I don’t know how the publisher allowed the book to get to the point of ARCs.

THE EDITING: Nearly everything wrong with this book comes back to the editing. The books started with a lot of promise; the prologue immediately drew me in, but it only went downhill from there. I think it could have been an amazing book if it had gone through several rounds of heavy editing to spruce it up and bring all the best parts of it to life.

THE FORMATING: The formatting of this book was the most atrocious mess I have ever seen. The book revolves around three characters, all with POVs. They crazy thing is that while you are reading one POV, the POV will switch to another character without any warning. No page break, no heading, no chapter switching. It comes out of left field, which leaves you with whiplash and a lot of confusion.

THE PLOT: At the end of the day, I’m still not sure what the actual plot of this book is. It goes beyond a magicians competition, but there was never a clear endgame or an antagonist. There’s a blurb prior to the prologue talking about female magicians disappearing, but by the time I actually finish the book I had totally forgotten about it. That little bit of information is never brought up in the narrative of the story, so that entire plot line is lost.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: For the most part, the characters were very lackluster. For a book to make an impact on me, I need to connect with at least one character. I won’t be as invested in a book if I’m not invested in the characters. The only two characters that caught my interest were two of the more minor characters of the book, and even their characterization was surface level at best.

THE WORLD BUILDING: There is a lot going on in the world building department of this book. A mysterious city in the middle of nowhere, a haunted forest, and magicians that are either born with magic or can acquire it. The scaffolding for world building is there, however none of it was built upon. There is little to no explanation for what’s up with the mysterious city, what the deal is with the haunted forest, and what the differences are between being born with magic and acquiring it. The lack of explanation for the magic is what really got me. There’s a character in the book that is a born magician that loses his magic, and my question would be why doesn’t he acquire some magic? BUT because there are no rules as to how magicians acquire magic, or the differences in the types of magic, it leaves a gaping hole in the narrative.

At the end of the day, this is not a book I would recommend to anyone. It doesn’t have any attributes that merit wading through 464 pages of shoddy storytelling.

Janella Angeles delivered the best new series starter of 2020!

Hands down, this is my favorite beginning to a series this year and I am beyond happy with the whole novel.

Where Dreams Descend is a book like no other that I have encountered. It is dark and broody, while still having light moments. There is so much going on in this enchanting story that it makes it hard to pick a spot to begin. We get magic, love (romantic and family style), mystery, death, female empowerment, male empowerment, outcasts finding a spot and more. I mean...I’m trying to wrap my mind around it.

The Star is naive, but cunning and that is an interesting combination. Her discoveries of the world outside of her cage are larger than life. The inner growth of the character is beautiful to watch. Her personality was annoying at times, but I think that almost made her a bit more relatable. We aren’t all perfect.

The Master is mysterious and I don’t really know what I think of him yet. Do I believe him? Do I think he had good intentions for The Star? Do I think he is evil or good? Angeles wrote him so perfectly that I teeter totter between loving him and hating him. This writing makes you understand why Kallia feels the way she does. The Master is dangerous and safe all rolled into one and I NEED more.

The Magician is as mysterious as The Master and yet much more opaque. Readers can’t help but feel his sorrows. I feel like we have barely scratched the surface with the information we will learn about him. There are only about 83746 more questions I have regarding everything about Demarco.

Every single step of this world building is thought out and flows well. The descriptions are good without overdoing it. You can feel the cold and despair as well as the joy and life, without it being detail overload.

I believe Janella Angeles delivered a brilliant opener and I for one can not wait to see where this goes.

I highly HIGHLY recommend this book to others.


-Stone.

Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

When I saw that Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles was pitched as “Phantom of the Opera” meets “Moulin Rouge” I knew I absolutely had to read it. The synopsis totally pulled me in and intrigued me to see what Where Dreams Descend was all about. The competition aspect actually also made me think of that one Disney Channel Original Movie, Now You See Me!

Where Dreams Descend is an atmospheric, fantasy tale that follows a female magician named Kallia as she competes in a magician competition in the icy city of Glorian. It is a high tension story of magicians, their dark pasts, and a mysterious presence wreaking havoc on the city.

Unfortunately, Where Dreams Descend fell flat for me. My overall feeling is just … meh. It was ok. I hate when I can’t be super positive about books, but I have to share my honest opinions.

I’ll start with what I liked . . .

-The vibe and atmosphere is by far the best part of Where Dreams Descend. The whole story is fantastical with a dark mood. The Dire Woods and the city of Dorian are so captivating and have this air of mystery. Honestly, this was the only thing that kept me invested in the story.
-The first chapter/prologue totally pulled me in. I was like ooooh this is going to be sexy and magical! It definitely started off strong.

Now, onto what I did not enjoy.

-First, and perhaps most important, the lack of world building and characterization. Where Dreams Descend starts off strong with an eerie and mysterious setting, but does nothing to build upon it. I feel like I know nothing about this world. We get a little bit of history with the tale of the four families of Glorian, but even that is vague and quite brief. I just felt like I was kind of thrown into this world. The same goes for the characters . . . I really don’t know that much about them. Like I barely even know what they look like. It seems like the main detail is that every character is running from their past and has a bunch of secrets. That’s it. I don’t know, I’m just not attached to any of the characters. I wanted so badly to love Kallia, but it just wasn’t there.
-Going along with characters and character development, I was not a fan of the romance. The two characters involved just like suddenly fall for each other. I mean it was obvious that they were going to be love interests from the beginning, but I would have liked to see some development and actual formation of a relationship. To me it felt like they were attracted to one another, talked twice, and then were obsessed. It just didn’t feel natural and was definitely rushed. At one point they’re together, broken up, and together again all within like three chapters. Their relationship didn’t feel authentic to me.
-I wanted more! Going into this book I was expecting exciting and extravagant magical competition scenes, but there were only a couple. And these scenes were cool, but it didn’t really translate into reading. Maybe it would have been better on screen? It just wasn’t what I expected.
-Along with the magician’s competition, I wanted more of the Conquering Circus performers. These awesome ladies had so much potential, but they felt more like a prop to be used for Kallia’s performances.
-We got no answers about the mystery. Now I know that this is a duology and the author can’t give away everything in the first book, but I would have liked at least some answers!

Wow, while writing all of this out I feel bad being so hard on a book. Especially for a debut author. It just sucks to be let down by a book that I was excited for!

I do have to mention the cover, because it is seriously gorgeous! I feel like it perfectly captures the vibe of the first chapter and the mysteriousness of the setting.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles will be released on June 2nd, 2020 by Wednesday Books.

When I read early reviews of "When Dreams Descend" being compared to Moulin Rouge, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Night Circus, I knew I had to request a copy. Obviously, I had high expectations for this novel, and yet I was not disappointed. A group of magicians compete to become the next headliner of the Conquering Circus in a world much unlike our own. There are secrets, there are intrigues, and there are romances intertwined in this story of adventure and mystery. I loved the prima donna, Kallia, and her mysterious past. She captivated me throughout this novel as the story unfolded. I flew through the book - what a wonderful YA novel to get me out of the quarantine reading slump! Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of The Phantom of the Opera, but I LOVE Moulin Rouge. I thought this would be a similar setting but also similar love story. Sadly, it was not a similar love story, but the I could see how the setting could be compared.

I really struggled to form connections with the main characters. Kallia was just… well, kind of a bitch honestly. She annoyed me. The author was shoving feminism in our face while also making Kallia a pretty bad representation of it. I wanted to see a strong woman fighting to prove herself in a male dominant world, not an arrogant woman who seems to fall to pieces over a guy. (A guy who I also couldn’t seem to make myself care about too much… what all did I really know about him anyway?).

Really wish there was more background on the side characters too because I had a hard time caring about them when anything bad happened to them. I didn’t really care at all if I’m being honest. The plot was confusing even outside of these issues, because I wasn’t sure why any of it was important. This book felt like an extremely long prologue. I didn’t actually get to the end of this book, so that could also have something to do with my feelings. I'm giving this book 3 stars, mostly because I really enjoyed the setting.

I’ll wait to publish my review on Goodreads until the book is published because I don’t want to deter anyone from reading this. I feel like this might be one of those “it’s not you, it’s me” situations, and this story seems like one that a particular audience would really enjoy. It could also be the time I happened to read this just wasn’t right. I’ll definitely revisit this review closer to publication to make sure I still feel the same way. I think being cooped up right now is making me a bit stir crazy.

I am a huge fan of St. Martin’s Press and I usually enjoy their books, but I feel like this might’ve been a “wrong time” kind of thing. I’m not in the right head-space for it. I’m going to try reading it again when it’s released.

Book: Where Dreams Descend
Author: Janella Angeles
Rating: 2 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for sending me an ARC.

I really am sorry that I didn’t enjoy this one. I really wanted to, but there was just something about it that just didn’t mesh with me. I don’t know what it was, but I just think that I wasn’t the right reader for this one. It’s beautifully done and I think it will be a hit, but it just didn’t work for me.

The characters just didn’t work for me. I really wanted to like them, but there was something about them that made it really difficult for me to connect with. We did have a rather large cast of characters, but I felt like only a few of them were actually well developed. It made me really wonder why he even had all of these characters. I know a lot of them were side characters and all, but still, it would had been nice if they had a propose. Plus, this is a diverse book, but trying to give everyone a chance to be represented just made the story get lost.

The writing really didn’t connect with me either. It felt like the author was almost trying too hard. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful and all, but it just didn’t really work for me. I would have much rather choppy writing and not lost the story then what we got.

There was also too much going on that it made it hard to decide just what the plot was. There were so many different directions and allusions that I had no idea what the point was. There was really no clear cut thing as to what the characters were trying to get done. Plus, again, we spent too much time on trying to be diverse that we lost the plot. There was a bunch of scenes that really didn’t need to be in there, but because of diversity, they were left there. I know it kind of seems like I don’t like diverse books and that’s not the case; I still want a story and characters that pull me in-that’s all.

The world building also didn’t work for me. It felt uneven. There were times that the author would give us information and other times, no. It was very vague and left me with more questions than anything. Since I spent a lot of time trying to make sense of what was going on, it made me put the book down.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. I really don’t think it’s a terrible book, but it just didn’t work for me.

This book comes out on June 2, 2020.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review this gripping, vivid and lush fantasy.
This is described as similar to The Night Circus and Caraval, which I can see how it's like Caraval and has a lot of a similar feel to that book and series and it also reminds me a lot of The Phantom of the Opera as well. It's like all the circus, magic/magician, otherworldly amazing stories that are out there right now. I think it even reminds me of some of The Starless Sea also.
I enjoyed this story a lot, it did have a little bit of a slow start, but then it went really fast and stayed intense and building up until the end where you're left hanging with the very tense cliffhanger ending and wanting to know what will happen next.
In this story, it starts out with Kallia, the star magician, who is doing her show at a place locked away and hidden deep in the woods and Jack is her master/keeper who has been training and teaching her about her magic for years.
Kallia is feeling trapped and caged and yearns to go see what other places there are to visit and hears about competition in a nearby town called Glorian so she runs off one day and goes to Glorian leaving Jack and that life behind.
When she arrives in the town, Glorian, she meets a thief and then finds her way to where the magic competition is being held and decides to enter into it so she can showcase her skills, her magic and win. She meets the Conquerors, the circus performers, and magicians, who become friends with her and help her with things with the contest and everything in general.
Then she becomes friends and gets her own assistant, Aaros and meets DeMarco, who is also a magician that has his own secrets and a secret past. DeMarco and Kallia begin to be friends and then end up working together to train and prepare for one of the shows in the contest and then DeMarco comes out with his secret past to her.
Also while she's in Glorian competing and learning about the magic system the town is built on and everything else, whenever she's by mirrors and usually when she's alone, Jack keeps appearing to her, warning her what will happen if she doesn't leave the town or come back to him.
Then other magicians in the competition begin disappearing and strange things keep happening, but they're not sure what's happening and Kallia keeps trying to keep Jack away with her magic, but he keeps showing up then when they come to the last night of the contest, everything crescendos and you're left wondering what happened, trying to figure it out and hoping everything turns out in the next book.
If you loved or enjoyed Caraval or Phantom of the Opera or any of those kinds of books then make sure to have this one on your list!

Fans of The Night Circus will be lining up for Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles. A group of powerful, flashy magicians face off against each other to determine the next headliner of their enchanted circus, but a mysterious threat lurking behind the scenes puts them all at risk, even as their proposed acts get more and more elaborate and dangerous.

It's the perfect blend between the gaudy glamour and romance of Moulin Rouge, the creepy circus vibes of The Night Circus, the subtle horror of The Phantom of the Opera, and something else all its own. The characters are archetypal and familiar yet totally creative and with new, unexpected dynamics; I particularly appreciate the deliberate gender (and personality) flip of the usual magician-and-assistant dynamic. It's the kind of book you want to read twice: once as fast as possible to find out what happens, and then again to catch all the exquisite details.

I was wary to pick up this book. I've seen a lot of comparison to Caraval, and I haven't been in a rush to read that one yet. I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this book, but I was hooked the minute I began reading it.

The book begins with a section entitled Dramatis Personae and it lists the characters who will appear in the novel by their roles. Each role is reminiscent of a tarot card, which I'm always a sucker four. The novel itself is then divided into four different acts. The main point of view throughout the novel is that of the main character, Kallia, while small interludes are written from the perspective of other characters. The way the novel was assembled is utterly brilliant. It allows the reader to know when shifts are coming while still providing plenty of twists and turns. My only formatting complaint is that occasionally scenes from The Master's point of view immediately followed those of Kallia's, and I would have appreciated a break between them.

The plot of this novel is unlike anything I've ever read. I usually know roughly what will happen within a book, but this novel kept me questioning everything. Within the first third I was wrapped up in Kallia's role in the competition. I wasn't too concerned about any of the other characters. However, the second things start slowing down, the author hits you with another plot twist. The characters are all entangled in a web of mystery and magic and I constantly questioned who could be trusted. To be honest, I'm still not sure, but I mean that in the best of way. The ending is both satisfying and maddening. Janella Angeles somehow managed to answer just enough of the question that I had that I'm satisfied with how the novel turned out, but I also desperately need to know what is going to happen next. Usually I end up continuing a series because of my love of the characters, but with this book I'm also driven by the need to know why.

The characters of this book are all wonderfully well-rounded. Kallia herself has a myriad of layers. While on stage she is dramatic and fierce, her everyday life is fueled by ambition and determination to be the best. Jack is enigmatic in an intentional way; his character is developed, even though we may not know everything we can about him. Demarco may be the token brooding character (is that a phrase? I'm making it a phrase), but the emotions and small gestures made by his character have to make him more. Canary and Aaros are my favorite side characters. They add a perfect balance of humor to the rather serious main characters.

The romance in this book is also well done. It never feels forced or unexpected, which is always a nice surprise. While there is no obvious LGBT+ representation, the romance is a clear subplot and we only know about the romantic leanings of two characters (possibly three), so there's always a chance that representation will increase in the second book.

Kallia herself is outright described as having brown skin (thank the gods there were no food comparisons) and having a powerful female poc is something I always enjoy seeing!

Overall, the novel is a mix of glitz and grit, fear and euphoria, and will leave you wishing you could return to the dream-like haze the novel casts.

Mystery in magic and illusions, perfected with a pinch of romance.

OMG.. I just died a thousand deaths at the ending. I need the next book! How could the author do this to me? I’ll be wreaked till the sequel is out next year 🙈

I must say that this book was very mesmerizing. When magic alone isn’t enough, illusions combined gives it an extra punch. And this book is all about that.

So in this story, we have Kallia, a lady magician, who is trying to prove that she is the best magician and can survive outside the small stage she has been given by Jack. Then we also have Jack, a powerful magician, who I still can’t place if he is evil or just possessive because he is constantly trying to hinder Kallia from venturing into the world with the fear that she might get hurt.

But she escapes and meets new allies, Aaros and the Conquering Circus and joins a competition that could change fate for her. Along the way, she meets Daron, one of the judges in the competition, who was a magician before with a dreadful past and they both eventually fall for each other 😍

I really enjoyed the setting, character development, plot and everything else. They were all very exciting especially with the romance and terrors but I hoped that the minor characters could develop a bit more too, especially Aaros and Canary. I hope that will happen in the next installment.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from St Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4 and a half stars (rounded up to 5 because of Goodreads’ rating system). Let me just start out by saying WOW. When I heard all the comparisons of this book (phantom of the opera, moulin rouge, the night circus) I had extremely high expectations and they were met! Although it does have its similarities, I’m happy to say Where Dreams Descend has a beautiful uniqueness. Who wouldn’t be enticed by magical contests, circuses, a heroine that wants to be more than the cards life has dealt her, and some broody, mysterious men?

I want to start by saying a lot of readers will be able to relate to Kallia, especially millennial women. I saw in her a lot of myself and I’m sure many others will too. She has the toxic millennial mindset of wanting perfection, obsessing over little mistakes and imperfections. She also suffers from being caged in and sheltered and then subsequently blamed for keeping herself in that situation (aka whoever is keeping her caged is manipulating her into thinking it’s her own fault she’s where she’s at). That’s why I loved her attitude and some may think it’s arrogant, but it’s mostly an armor.

Dare is a sweetheart with a sad past aka my cup of tea when it comes to fictional men. It takes a long while to learn what happened to him (and even now I still have questions) but overall I enjoyed his character. Poor guy just needs a drink and a hug.

Jack.... Jack Jack Jack. He’s grey for me. I think Janella purposely framed him at first to seem like the big bad guy but there she’s hiding something for us for the next installment. He’s got his manipulative qualities but in the end, we don’t exactly understand why (not yet at least!).

I gotta say that the side characters stole the show and I hope we get to see more of them (but I don’t know if we will or how it’ll work in the next book - no spoilers here). Aaros is my favorite of all the characters. My dumb little thief with a big heart. There was a scene with him and Kallia on the floor (it’s not what you think it is!) that rugged at my heart strings. I’m glad to see a wonderful female-male friendship (although I gotta say I kinda ship him and Kallia.... I always pick the wrong ships though so I’m gonna steer clear and not get my hopes up for any one camp).

The romance was also wonderful. And there’s definitely a love triangle vibe no matter how much Kallia wants to deny it. And again, I always lose when I pick a side in a love triangle SO IM NOT FALLING FOR IT!! I remain neutral as to not get my heart broken.

I dinged half a star because there are a lot of questions left unanswered surrounding a lot of the characters. However I expect the next book to address them. Also because I never could visualize the entirety of the characters physical features. Unless I missed it, there were some details explained but not all. I like to have a clearer picture in my mind what characters look like.

All in all I think it’s a great debut and I think the next book will be even stronger. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Excellent world-building and absolutely beautiful writing! While understanding the timing in the novel could be a bit muddled at times, the character development, overall mystery, and tension between the cast was so much fun to follow. I'm very interested in any future novels by Ms. Angeles.

An ARC of this novel was provided to me for free from NetGalley.

DNF 33%

I realize there are so many books out there that I might enjoy more than this one. I had a hard time from the beginning with following the story or finding any connection with any of the characters. All of the characters, besides Jack, were so flat. I can't keep reading for more Jack so I'm giving up. Kallia was pretty bratty. I felt bad when she is accused of causing problems but that isn't enough for me to really care about her. She was all diva and a bit childish as well from what I have seen. Daron Demarco has a great name but again, so flat. I didn't mind the assistant, Aaros. He was entertaining and funny. I was so hoping for something to draw me in but nothing yet. I found myself going back and re-reading pages over and over again. I would stare at words but nothing would register. Basically, this one wasn't for me. So much promise but fell so flat.