This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I really wanted to love this book. There were great aspects - I loved Khalia's character  and the world building. The magic system was interesting and easy to pick up on, though I do wish there had been more rules that were explained for it. I think the biggest flaw with this book is its length and pacing. I felt like the middle of the book really dragged on and I found a hard time pushing myself through it; alternatively, the last 20-30 pages had so much happening and I wish more time had been spent delving into it. I also really didn't care for the insta-lovey romance in this story and never really felt any sort of connection for Khalia and Demarco personally.

[Reviewing an ARC granted by Netgalley & publishers!]

I am.. utterly conflicted, here. I gave this four stars, though it might be more like 3.5 if I was being entirely fair. Overall, I enjoyed this book. There are several little darlings in my classes that I know will enjoy it, too, and I can't wait to get it into their hands to read. I *would* recommend this book, but I would do it with some caution.

The good stuff:
* Kallia is a gem. I was living for her snark and her 'giving zero' about the attitudes of the men she was surrounded with. And she was *surrounded.* I felt her fire and thoroughly enjoyed reading a book where the heroine wasn't just a damsel in distress being rescued by the brooding male in her life.

* The brooding male; Demarco was entertaining, even if he was a bit of a lump for a while: tragedy will do that to you, I suppose. I felt like he was raw, real and believable, and frankly it was just lovely to see a man get flustered by a woman on the page and have to walk away from her...because he didn't know what to do! He didn't have to fluff his feathers and strut; he let her have those moments. The slow burn between them is entertaining, and neither is throwing themselves at the other...which is so typical of YA.

* Aaros. Just. Aaros. Read it. You'll understand.

* The book definitely gave us the full scope of glitz, glam, magic and fantasy; I did find myself enjoying the magic shows despite only having Kallia's perspective of them - and only seeing HER acts. The magic felt believable - down to the users' need to rest, sometimes, if it was over-used. Nobody felt invincible.

* There were nods to Phantom and Moulin Rouge, but nothing was a blatant rip-off; I struggle when books are pitched this way because too often the tropes are taken and it just feels like rinse and repeat. This was not the case. Kallia was a lovely blend of Christine (the not-so-annoying parts, frankly) and Satine.


The not-so-good:
* The constantly switching view-points without any warning made me want to scream. I don't know if it's just a formatting issue, or editing in the pre-released version, but it was a struggle. I don't want to have to stop and go back to figure out what I'm reading, and who's talking.

* Several of the plot points are a touch convoluted; Jack's magic, for example, and his 'illusions' from the very beginning took me a hot minute to figure out. Jack, in general, is an enigma: he got a lot of play at the start to just sort of be... a 'thing' throughout. Was I supposed to be worried about him? Was he supposed to feel like a REAL threat to Kallia? I'm still wondering that.

* There were SO many characters and SO little development to the rest of them. I understand Kallia, Demarco, and Aaros best... but there were many others I would've loved to learn about and they were just abandoned for the sake of having bodies to fill space, or to be convenient to solve a problem.

* The plot dragged in the middle. I was hooked at the start, and then bored - and then hooked in the bitter end.

*
Knowing this is a duology, I'm hoping a lot of what I struggled to figure out is solved in the next book - which, despite my issues, I will ABSOLUTELY read. And, honestly, as a debut? This is an awesome start.

I can’t decide how I feel about this book; the world building is beautiful, but also, the heroine is super annoying and the heroes are either dumb or too closed off. Such a hard time getting though this book, but also such a need to keep learning more about this world!

Where Dreams Descend is a magical tail that leads the reader on an exciting adventure, much like Caraval and The Night Circus. A magical competition pulls together magicians and a mystical city where no one talks about the past in an intriguing tale. Kallia has set out and left her confined life with her mentor Jack to forge her path in a world that looks down on female magicians and is wary of magic. Demarco is a magician that no longer performs after an accident in his last show with his assistant. He has been drawn into this competition as a judge in search of answers about himself and the past. The end of this book caught me, and now I need to know what happens next and how this story will play out. It didn’t grab hold of me the way that other magical stories like this have before, but there is still that need to know how it ends.

Kallia is such a strong main character, one that I have wanted to see in so many books! She is a girl who knows what she wants, and once she sets her eyes on it, nothing can stop her. This girl puts her mind on what he wants and goes for it full force. She can hang with the many plot-turns that the story tosses at her.

Once I figured him out more, and he wasn’t just a big mope, Demarco grew on me and formed into a pretty good character who I wanted to cheer for and see him succeed. He and Kallia play off one another well, and I enjoyed their banter throughout the story. I overall enjoyed him and his perspectives when they popped up, and we got to go inside his head.

This story has so much world-building and characters that jump out and have so much possibility. This world is pretty darn cool but hard to understand at some points. At some point, we switch to multiple perspectives, which I liked when I figured out that there was a switch, and I unconfused myself. Actually, I’m still confused about some things, and that is the only downside to this book. This book had such a story to tell, and there was so much to build. I feel like it could have been broken down into a trilogy and not the planned duology with plots stretched out to give more detail. There was so much explained that I either missed it or it was jumped over. At times I was confused and had to reread or slow down. I wish there had been a little more clarity.



Obligatory disclosure: I received a free copy of this on Netgalley to read and review. That doesn’t impact my review in any way, shape or form.

Ooh, there were so many things to love about this original fantasy. The writing was gorgeous, as was the construction of the story into acts as well as chapters. All of the main characters were dynamic and mysterious. The main plot structure was solid, although it prevented me from giving a full 5 stars. The ENDING...can’t wait for book 2!

The downsides? The other competitors were not fleshed out at all, there wasn’t enough time spent with Jack at the club in the beginning, and the mystery plot line was underdeveloped. I still highly recommend it!

Although I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked, I am a little impressed that it's a debut. Some of the passages and chapters were incredible. Others...not so much. But I think there is talent there. I loved the world and the ideas behind this story, although I'm not sure they were conveyed as clearly as they could have been. To be honest, a lot of elements of the plot just don't make a lot of sense. Not sure if that will be handled in the sequel? But this book was long enough to straighten some of it out ta least.

I loved Kallia...until she got involved in the magic competition. For some reason that whole middle section slowed way down and I started to lose interest. I wasn't a huge fan of Kallia's behavior during that part of the book although I had really enjoyed her to begin with. Daron was just boring. Nothing about him interested me and I didn't think they had any chemistry together. All I wanted was more Jack and his club and his creepy house where he changes everyone's memories. I wanted to know more about Kallia's history at the house and why Jack was manipulating her. I even wanted to know more about the creepy woods. But instead half the book was centered on a magic contest and Kallia trying to prove "girls can do magic too", and it ended up not even mattering that much overall. That was frustrating. There were a lot of loose ends. I loved the Conquering Circus girls, but I also don't understand what purpose they really served, which can be said for many plot elements and characters. I am not sure if I'll pick up the second book or not. It seems like it may have more of what I'm looking for, so we'll see.

I saw great things for Where Dreams Descend but perhaps the higher the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
Jack and Kallia’s world rotated around Hellfire House, a venue where the magic is elaborate, the card games go long into the night, and memories are commodities to be smoked or gambler away. Unsatisfied with her bubble, Kallia runs away to Glorian, eager to become the showiest and most impressive show magician of all. Of course, murder and mayhem follow, as Glorian isn’t the idyllic city Kallia wants it to be, and there are more powerful schemes at work under the guise of a magic competition.

The beginning was admittedly compelling - Hellfire House drew in my attention immediately, as did Jack’s mysterious persona, Kallia’s powers, and the magic that swept throughout the house. That said, it veered south as soon as Kallia landed in Glorian. Vague world building, confusing syntax, and sadly, one dimensional characters. Kallia never was anything more than arrogant or ambitious, Jack’s mystery turned annoyingly vague, Demarco was the expected love interest and a bit of a snooze, and the ending - meh.

I saw the heavy influence of Phantom of the Opera, The Night Circus, and even Caraval, and since it didn’t elevate the inspirations, all Where Dreams Descends did was make itself feel like a lesser copycat. However, the story overall is compelling enough to see if the sequel acknowledges these weaknesses and improves upon the story.

The description of this book seemed right up my ally, but the more I read the less it kept me interested. I loved the idea and the premise of this book. Throughout the book the characters were lacking and the story really seemed to drag. The ending was some better than the rest of the book, but by that time I was just ready for the book to be over. I wish I felt drawn in and wanted to be invested in the characters, yet they didn't grow throughout the book and it was just slow paced. Overall, it was just an ok read, wouldn't highly recommend, but a decent read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I really love this book so much more than I thought I would. The world building is done very well and the way the magic is described memorizing.

I liked something about each character. I love how fierce Kallia is, and her drive to find her own place in male dominated world. And Aaros! He was a show stealer, and I wish we was more involved with the book.

The love interests are both amazing in their own way. Both surrounded my mystery and intrigue. I felt Jack's story was a bit vague and it never really told you what relationship with Kallia was.

Overall I found this to be a very enjoyable book!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers for the book below!

I finished reading this book an hour or so ago, and I'm still undecided on how I feel about it and what this review should say. On one hand, this book definitely hits all the Phantom of the Opera tropes (as well as some from Moulin Rouge) and is clearly a re-imagining of those beloved books/musicals. On the other hand, it never quite delivers on the sparkle it should have. At times, there were moments in the book when I knew I should be immersed in all the glitz and glamour, but instead, I felt like I was looking at a wall that was shoddily plastered and then haphazardly painted.

The characters do shine in the book; it's sad that there's not much to support them. Kallis is our Christine, and she's a likable protagonist that you find yourself rooting for (especially in the male dominated society she lives in). My personal favorite quickly became Aaros, who simply wasn't in the book enough. He was fantastic as a Kallis' new bff and bless the fact that he is turned into an overprotective big brother figure and not a love interest. Demarco and Jack, Kallis' actual love interests and Mysterious Dark Figures of the book were interesting, even if nothing really stood out about them.

I think my biggest issue with this book is that the characters don't talk to each other. There are a lot of issues and secrets and most of the problems in the book could have been solved had the characters simply talked to one another. The plot of the book, which may be the weakest part of my entire reading journey, could have been strengthened and made so much more interesting if the characters had had the needed conversations and then focused on solving the actual problems.

The setting is bland and boring, which I think was mostly intentional on the author's part to try and make the magic sparkle more. It... mostly works? I'm still not 100% sure of what was going on with the different suits of cards thing and other parts of the settings, but that may be more of a me issue than a book issue. Then again, if the author had probably described the setting, then I wouldn't be having this confusion.

Honestly, while it was a good read, it wasn't memorable or anything. As this is a duology, the author clearly was trying to leave some things unexplained so that they could be explained and expanded upon in the sequel. However, for me, too much was left unexplained in this book. I honestly was never hooked into this book. If you think this one you want to read, maybe try the library instead of buying it.

I was so excited for this one. The cover and synopsis gave me some Caraval vibes and I have been wanting another book that will give me all the feelings like that one had. Overall, I had a good experience with this book. I did like a lot of it but I did have some issues.

We are first introduced to Jack and my oh my! Clearly I have a thing for guys like him (Jacks, Prince of Heart anyone? 😍). The above quote is how he sauntered into my life. I questioned a lot of his motives and what his true intentions were. I'm honestly still confused and have a lot of unanswered questions about him. It didn't stop me from being overly infatuated though. I got giddy every time he graced the pages.

Kallia is a very strong female character. She is out to take her life back and become who she wants to be despite her past and societies standards. I did like her character but a lot of the time she felt overly powerful. A lot of the other magicians had more training than her and here she is showing them up. I'm just not a fan of characters like this. I could at least look past it and enjoy the rest of her.

Kallia meets a guy on the streets named Aaros and he so lovable! I love his character and how much he respects her and how she respects him. They are an unlikely pair but I love their friendship.

The last character that is around for a lot of the book is Demarco. He doesn't have much going for him besides being a judge for the competition. We don't learn a whole lot about him but he does have an eye for Kallia. I think he is a decent character but I'm going to be #TeamJack all the way through.

There is a slow burning relationship and I guess a love triangle? Honestly, I'm not really sure what type of relationship Jack and Kallia had. Nothing was ever specified. Again, lot of questions but no answers. 🤷‍♀️

The plot is interesting but at times it did feel to drag on. I found myself becoming uninterested here and there. It's easy to spot some of the plot twists but it didn't bother me too much. I feel like the twists in the sequel will be even bigger *fingers crossed*. The world building was a bit meh. I needed more from the setting and the only magic we really see is not from the contestants, besides Kallie.  I did enjoy what magic we did read about because it was fantastic to read about. I am always in awe with magic and the scenes didn't disappoint. Some of the characters had no real depth and were just there to keep the plot rolling.

Even with my issues I still think it is a book worth reading. I am hoping that the sequel will be even better. Plus, I need to know what happens after that cliffhanger!

THE MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF 2020 DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!!

~~~

Picture this:

It’s a Sunday morning; there’s no rain in Northern Ireland (which is a first), and it’s Iona’s first day off in weeks. She has a pile of dirty laundry that could overtake any man, her fridge is bone bare, and the universe has blessed her with a rainless day so that she may leave the house and get all of these necessary chores done.

She decides to do a light reading with her morning coffee before going about her day. And then--BOOM. Like the bell clock tower ringing for the first time in decades in the ghost-town Glorian, she is shook to the floor as she opens this book.

BOOM

Five hours later, she has accomplished absolutely nothing. But she has finished one of the best books she has read in years. Tears are stinging her eyes, she stares off out the window in her kitchen, where her coffee lay cold in front her (much like Dermaco’s many cups of cold coffee), and wonders how she will put herself back together after such a read.

~~~

Not to be dramatic, but I would DIE for Kallia.


Janella Angeles, I don’t know how you did it, I don’t know how you’ve written such a perfect novel. You’ve earned yourself a life-long fan of your work. After months of reading bleak books, or almost-hit-the-mark books; reading Where Dreams Descend did not just hit the mark, it blew up the whole damn target.

Every. Single. Character. In. This. Novel. Was. Fantastic.

It’s a rare jewel to see an author create a firework of a main character, and still manage to juggle the secondary characters so that the spotlight rains on them equally.

Kallia is gritty, stubborn, and fiery. She is unlike any character I have ever read, striking a perfect balance of flaws and perfection, of fear and courage, of fire and grit, of love and hate. At the beginning of the novel, her brashness and refusal to listen to others might put you off a bit, but the more you read the novel and dissect her personality, the more her charm hits you like a candelabra over the head.

”Giving up would be an insult to everything I know I’m capable of.”
YES, GIRL, YES!!

Even the romance embodied everything that I want romances to be. There is no other way to describe Daron & Kallia than to say they were fire and damp wood. They were a slow building fire that you can’t help to root for the more and more they argued. They weren’t perfect or lovey-dovey songbirds (*puke*), they were heat and determination and chemistry. They weren’t insta-love, they were thorns that gripped onto each other and would not let go. I have not rooted for a couple so much in years. As a book-lover, you tend to think you’ve seen it all when it comes to romance; but their love was twisty, and dark, and turny, and you never felt like you knew what the next step was going to be.

But don’t be impressed just yet, because characters aren’t the only that Angeles nailed. Listen, I don’t know how she did this, I don’t know if she is come kind of writing-witch, or what magic she used to tell this story the way she did, but I truly feel in the hands of any other author, Where Dreams Descend would never have been what it is. This author leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire damn way. From start to finish, even the simplest scenes or interactions, she laces tension and suspense expertly.

Scenes that would otherwise be boring, some things as simple as a card game with no stakes, I read every sentence tooth and nail. The simplest gestures, an eyebrow raised or a chandelier descending, Angeles makes your heart beat fast.

There is no description of it, really. I can’t explain to you how she did what she did. But I could not tear my eyes away, not even to sip my coffee. I needed to know what was happening in Glorian, the mysterious walled city. I needed to know how the show was going to end, who was going to win.

"Four of Flesh.
Three of Mind.
Two of Sight.
One of Soul."


Shivers. Shivers from start to finish.


This book is your admission ticket. All I can say is: prepare yourself for a damn good show.

The world of Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is a world I would gladly fall into forever—a world of magic, illusions, romance, and danger. A world that is so elegantly-crafted and fantastical, but so real. I admit that my interest in this title was piqued because I am a shameless "Phanatic," a devourer of all things Phantom of the Opera-inspired. From musical versions, to movies, to every book imaginable... I was so excited to add another title to the collection! And there are little nods here, little "in" references that made my heart sing. But this story is so much more than an homage. Angeles has created characters that are fresh and exciting.

Kallia, a showgirl whose magical talents have kept her hidden, a valuable asset to a club owner named Jack (swoon-worthy & complicated... my favorite), becomes a contestant in a magic competition in the forgotten city of Glorian. But there is no place on stage for a woman, according to the other competitors, and Kallia is met with opposition every step of the way. She does, however, capture the attention of Daron DeMarco, a washed-up magician who's a judge in the competition. As the stakes get higher and magicians and friends go missing, Kallia must work to unravel the mysteries of Glorian while fighting off demons of her own. If magic has taught Kallia anything, it's that people may not be what they seem, and illusions are not to be trusted. Kallia is a character I'd happily follow through any number of books. Her strength, her humor, and her determination make her a captivating heroine. I am so excited for everyone to read Where Dreams Descend when it's released in June 2020! Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for review. I'll be lining up to buy my copy this June.

From the Macmillan site:
"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."

Where Dreams Descend is a wonderful, dark and incredibly rich fantasy novel, so well built and fast paced that I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, the characters, etc.

This novel submerges the reader in a landscape so imaginative and detailed that the information of the world building, as complex as it is, never feels forced, and is never difficult to understand or picture in one's mind.

1/3 into the novel but OMG PHANTOM OF THE OPERA vibes are real !!!! I am a theatre nut so I’m totally excited for this!! I will update when this when I finish with my long review that will go on my blog but so far I’m in love 😍

Update.... if you know anything about phantom you’ll know how the romance shall go. I am deducting 2 stars from my review as the perspectives jumped to different characters but it was not clear on who’s perspective it was as it was not marked, this caused difficulties reading! I hope this is resolved by the time the novel comes out !!

<b>Updated review:</b>

<i><b>Thank you so much St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for sharing this book in exchange for an honest review. And of course, thank you Janella Angeles for making such a beautiful book! </b></i>

Ahhhhhh, the downside of reading a book (in a series) before it comes out is having to wait <b>waaaaaaaayyyy longer </b>for the the second book to come out😭. Especially with the cliffhanger to this book...........

I knew from the moment I looked upon this cover, I was going to fall in love with this book⁠—and I definitely did!😍
<img src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-asXG4ADrhDo/V1XHloWacBI/AAAAAAAAJAU/xwwKegMPLiMhb7eca77qysBreeFSX7Y0QCLcB/s1600/hearteyesgif.gif"/>
Honestly, this was just too good. I think there should be a law making it an illegal to have a book this amazing. The world, characters, plot, suspense—literally everything was <i><b>magical</b></i>!!!

Also, I'm loathe to admit that I've never heard of <b>The Phantom of the Opera</b> until I came across <b>Where Dreams Descend</b>. I'll put that on my to-do list.😉

The main character, Kallia, reminded me so much of Jude (from The Folk of the Air) and just that made me love Kallia on the spot!
Kallia isn't like those 'damsels in distress' MCs. She fights to do what she wants and doesn't cower under any man. Especially where in this world, women with magic are not supposed to perform as magicians. Her strong resolve and confidence makes you root for her throughout the book, especially when she teaches certain people a lesson😈.

🔥🔥🔥Oh! And did I mention that she has crazy cool fire magic!!!🔥🔥🔥

Jack, on the other hand, is quite a mystery. I honestly can't tell what he's trying to do—AHHHH. Nope, nope. Not going to say anything else.

Demarco was also an interesting character. And after that ending...... I'm a little confused on what his role is in the grand scheme of things or if he even knows what he's doing.

<b><u>UPDATE:</u></b>
I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT TO MENTION SOMEONE! SHAME ON ME!🤦‍♀️
I forgot him—the one <i>AND</i> only.......AAROS!!!
You see, I was washing the dishes, when my mind drifted to <b>Where Dreams Descend.</b> Then, I thought about Aaros and realized that I forgot to mention him in my review. (Idk how the dishes and this book correlated to each other.🤷‍♀️ But I've never been so grateful to wash the dishes😂)

Anyways, who is Aaros? Well my friends, he is..... a thief—and by far my favourite character. Aaros is hilarious and such a loyal friend to Kallia (never thought a thief could be trustworthy). He was always there for her even when she shunned everyone away. His stubbornness to not abandon his friend when she was in dire need of consolement was so heartwarming. I think everyone needs an Aaros in their life....🥰

Even after finishing this book, I'm left more confused than ever. I seriously don't even know who the antagonist is. All these characters do one thing to make you suspicious, and then they do something else to shift your opinion on them.😵
<img src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/9a80a938b392b478ebba8a15a8e95a4b/tenor.gif?itemid=5090098"/>

I tried so hard to take my sweet, sweet time reading this, but we all know that you can only prolong the ending for so long, until you finish a book. That time came sooner than I wanted it to.

Now I really, really need the second book <b>ASAP.</b> I just <b>NEED</b> to know what happens next. The suspense is killing me!

Don't be surprised when you see me lying in my gravestone..........
<img src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/stM793x0ORB96/giphy.gif"/>

<b>P.S. It really should be illegal for a book to be that good.😂</b>

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with this free advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review.

You know, I love me some YA fantasy, but this one was a mixed bag... and mostly of the disappointing sort. The blurb sounded promising, and the book started off cool, but floundered between 20% and the last 5% (and that’s the bulk of it).

Let me just get this out of the way: I typically write my reviews while I’m still reading. Every so often, I jot down notes and add or redact things from what will become my final review. As I write this, I’m only just starting Chapter 4, but I had to stop reading and come back here to remove a bit of a rant I made about writing and context and vague world-building. After initially lambasting the first three chapters, I must confess that I was wrong for those criticisms, because that little twist made up for it all. I was so caught up in my annoyed confusion, that I didn’t even notice... well, you’ll see.

Still, though, as much as I applaud something that surprised me (which, sadly, doesn’t happen often enough these days), the way it’s structured is a bit faulty. Three chapters to develop that, but I’m still less aware of how this world operates. But yeah, major kudos for making me eat my words. Truth be told, the books doesn’t really get much better beyond that.

On our main characters:
Kallia- Our MC: an orphaned showgirl with lots of power and visions of grander stages. Admittedly, I thought she was great at the beginning while with Jack, but then her character became annoying for the stage competition. She became cocky (which is never really a bad thing, but she came off rude), arrogant, dismissive, and so distracted by a MAN!
Jack- “The Master”. Honestly, we get little-to-nothing about him. He just flits in and out, broody and secretive. The story remained too obtuse around his character, and I think it did a disservice to the plot.
Daron- I could not get behind him as a character. I don’t even have anything to say beyond that.

As for the rest...

There was a severe lack of characterization of the other magicians in the competition. We only get a few names and one surface-level description, but nothing of substance in regards to the nine men Kallia must face up against. By the time they start (for lack of a better phrase) dropping like flies, I felt nothing. I was like, “Okay? Who cares?” It was not very interesting. Having some background on these side characters was sorely needed; It would have raised the stakes (emotionally and narratively). A greater sense of foreboding and tension would’ve benefitted this story immensely. This should not be the case: “The magician now performing—Daron forgot his name, the men already blurring together in his mind—...”. Aside from the others in the competition, the side characters are: Kallia’s assistant, the leader of the circus, a reporter (Lottie— funnily enough, one of the only characters I liked), the mayor and his daughter, all the judges (Daron among them), a snappy elderly seamstress, and a horde of young women that belong to the traveling circus. We’re introduced to two of the circus performers who I would consider second/third billing in this book, and then a dozen others. It was dizzying. I was trying to gauge the reasoning behind giving us all these goddamn characters, but developing (poorly, I might add) only a handful. Herein lies another problem this book had: too many characters and ideas made it seem discombobulated, resulting in severe pacing issues. We don’t even get a clear idea of what many of the characters look like (Daron and Aaros included!), but we are greeted with detailed descriptions of everything anyone is wearing. Speaking of Aaros, Kallia’s assistant is such a prop of a character— his only purpose is to subvert the gender roles and provide moments of banter, but he is so undervalued and underutilized. There is nothing of importance that comes from having him around, which is disappointing.

There were moments in which the POV switched from Kallia to Jack to Daron with no clear transition or warning—no break in the page to indicate anything had changed—and I had to go back and make sure who’s POV I was reading from. I’m guessing this is simply because this is an advanced, unfinished copy? Or maybe an eBook/Kindle issue?

Come the conclusion, I still had no idea what the main plot was. Usually with novels such as this, there is a clear endgame/antagonist, but all I got out of it was characters running from their pasts amidst a magician’s competition, and something to do with mirrors. That’s it. There was nothing to say in the grander scheme of things, and I should’ve been okay with that, but it just felt, well, lacking. And this is a fairly long book (overlong, actually, by at least 100 pages)!

At times, the feminism theme was extremely heavy-handed. I’m all for it, and you have my attention, just don’t drown me in it. I get it. We’re dealing with fragile masculinity, mansplaining, et al, and yet we have what is undoubtedly what I couldn’t help feeling like The Taming of the Millennial Shrew disguised as YA feminist fantasy lit. Kallia frequently rebuffs Daron, but also moons after him and Jack (“leaning in” to their hands and “warm touches”), which is pretty disappointing. This book would’ve been so much more effective without a romance aspect. It’s more of a slow-burn, sure, but sooooo much angst and repetitive back-and-forth/hot-and-cold between the love interests. Certainly, there’s an ‘enemies-to-lovers’ trope at play, which may appeal to most readers, but I found it frustrating. I’ll be honest, towards the end I hard skimmed dozens of pages of kissing and touching and flirting and dancing. It was so unnecessary; You sacrificed plot progression for saccharine swing.

In terms of the whole “magician competition”... Kallia was just waaaay too overpowered. There lacked any real surprise there, when it was clear from the start she could out-perform all the others. And really, the whole “competition” was so lame. We don’t get any of the other performances (because the other magicians are throwaway characters—fodder for a plot that ultimately went nowhere); We only get Kallia’s. Her acts are showy and kind of intriguing, but lacked much substance beyond grandstanding and theatrics.

I could not get over the inconsistent world-building. I was pretty damn confused about what was going on for most of the book (and even still after it concluded). The author went ham over detailing inconsequential (for me) scenes, and then at times throwing all this random info in our faces without much explanation. I craved more context and less vagaries. We spend so much time with the Conquering Circus girls, but like, what other purpose do they serve? We spend all this time with Kallia prepping for her performances, her annoying back-and-forth with Daron, a few pages for each show day... and that’s pretty much it. I know more will probably be explained and is being saved for book two (this is a duology), but for a 400+ page book, I expected more substance and less filler.

4 out of 5 Stars

*** ARC received from Wednesday Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all my own, thank you for the opportunity to read and review!!!

So, a little Phantom of the Opera, mix in a little Moulin Rouge, swirl with magic and you have a pretty solid debut novel.

Kallia escapes from her current life in hopes of finding something more in the city of Glorian and more she finds in a competition. In a world where female magicians are looked down upon when they try to step outside their place she wants to be more than anything. Glorian as a place is rather bland, there is nothing really about the city that drew me in as a reader. Its just there, unlike Hellfire House which seems to be bursting with something bigger. It was a shame that we couldn't spend more time there but it is the characters that carry this book.

The book is told from three different perspectives, Kallia, Jack and Demarco. I liked Kallia, she is powerful, confident and prideful but she never steps over that line into arrogance She never becomes cruel and while very confident there is a fear in her of being seen as weak. While she grows over the book she never really lets go of that spark of wanting to be the best, especially in the face of so much male aggression. Despite being another perspective Demarco did nothing for me as a character, he's flat and uninteresting for the majority of the book. It doesn't help that this book has a lot of other strong character, sweet and funny Aaros, over the top Erasmus, confident but caring Canary, dark and not nearly in the book enough Jack. Then there is Demarco, haunted by his past that takes far to long to get to that by the time we got there, I just did not care. There were just far more interesting characters to invest my attention in.

Speaking of, can I just say I adored Jack and I loved the dynamics between Kallia and Jack. Jack is not a horrible person but he is certainly not a good person either. He shows up now and then to drop bits of plot on us to keep the story moving and try to warn Kallia that she is in way over her head. Kallia is headstrong though and you can't blame her for not listening and Jack very clearly has another agenda at play.

Which is the one downside of this book, there is a lot going on but it never feels like the plot fully develops. Its almost like this book is a prequel to a much bigger series, setting but the world and the magic system. I don't feel like we ever got to know the main antagonist or what their whole game was, everything is just hints dropped along the way for the next book. The romance also did not work at all for me, this book didn't need a romance and I felt would have been a much stronger book without it. I know the inspirations but it just does not work.

The writing is nice, even if at times I felt a little lost with the way things were worded. The last half of the book is the strongest and sometimes it drags itself along to get to that point. It also doesn't help that we don't get hardly any information until the end. Yet, it was still a good book and I cannot wait to see how it concludes.

I enjoyed the premise of this book, but it was too long and repetitive. I kept waiting for the conflict to resolve, but it never did.

When I got a copy of this book early, I said I might never get over the excitement. This is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and I had been dying to get my hands on it. Now that I’ve finished, I know I will never get over it. Ever.

I want to start with the negative. Just get it out of the way since there is only one thing I disliked about this book: the beginning truly does this book a disservice. I realize I read an ARC (thank you Wednesday Books!) and it may very well be changed come publishing day, but it was absolutely the wrong way to set-up such a phenomenal book. It was sparse and rushed with very little useful and clear detail. I was very confused about what was being laid out and where this story was supposed to be going. It is the big introduction of Kallia and Jack and the magic of this world and it was poorly done in my opinion. Once Kallia enters the mysterious city of Glorian, the meat and potatoes if you will, I got precisely what I wanted. AKA romantic and magical perfection.

This is marketed as Moulin Rouge crossed with Phantom of the Opera. I can’t say how close it came to either, but I can make my guesses. What is important is I adored the dark and sultry showmanship vibe it brought together. The writing is so good with surprising little lines that paint such a big beautiful picture with so few words. For a debut writer, you may colour me impressed by Angeles' prose. The magic system is a patriarchal one, but wholly interesting and well thought out. It felt very magician-like, if that makes sense. However, it is not the sole focus of this book, and technically neither is Spectaculore, even though they’re both a central part of the plot’s motion. No, most of the mystery comes from the secret city hidden in the woods called Glorian. There is a deep history to this city that we barely scratch the surface of. From one of the reveals at the end, it’s clear we will dive head first into it in the next book, and I honestly can’t wait. Apart from the history, there is the mystery. Why is it hiding? What is it hiding? And more importantly, what is waking up in it?

The cast of characters deserves its own round of applause, particularly for standouts like the thief-turned-assistant Aaros and the biting fire-eater Canary, but I’ll keep my love to the three mains.

Kallia – The star of the show, literally. She is a firecracker of a young woman, brimming with confidence and power that she can’t help but show-off. Kallia has a unique history that we don’t see nearly enough of, but I loved what we did get. She has spent her whole life trapped in the Hellfire House, and she finally escapes with the chance to be the star of her own show in Spectaculore. She is admirable in her facing down of the patriarchal society and those who blame her for every little thing gone wrong. And yet, beneath that strength and confidence is a girl who is scared of her past and those in it.

Daron Demarco – The other main POV character, Daron is one with one hell of a backstory that is unveiled layer by layer in a delicious slow-burn. He is a young and powerful magician who retired a few years before when his last act went wrong. He is now in Glorian as a judge for Spectaculore for appearance sake, but is really trying to find where his sister, Eva, has disappeared to.

Jack “the Master” – We get very little of Jack in this book, but he is forever a presence that is on Kallia’s mind. This was a fault of that lacking beginning I mentioned, but we aren’t entirely clear on why he was keeping Kallia in the Hellfire House and strongly discouraging her from leaving. However, what mysterious glimpses we get have me comparing this character to Leigh Bardugo’s the Darkling and Stephanie Garber’s Legend, which is a big heck yes from me.

As one would expect from a book with comp titles like those mentioned earlier, there is absolutely an element of romance. Now, I won’t spoil it, but I ship it. Oh, yes indeed do I ship it. I think they are well suited for each other and the banter and chemistry is exactly what I adore. It’s sassy, sultry and swoony all at once. For a while I feared there might be a love triangle, but as time went on and we began to see more of the story as a whole, it took a turn that I absolutely support. The relationship dynamics involved are very much my cup of tea and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

The ending still has me reeling. This book does a great job of building and building the tension that leads to the explosive events that end it. And boy, did that ending snap. Twist after twist after twist with a bombshell in between, making you question everything you thought you knew. In case you haven’t figured it out, yes, it absolutely ends in a cliffhanger, but I promise you won’t be disappointed. Now I enter that awful phase of needing the second book, which I will have to wait longer for than most people. Hold me, people!