I honestly have no earthly idea how to rate this book. It's somewhere in the 3-star range, but I have no idea how to pinpoint it. There were parts that I liked and parts that I didn't. I think the writing was nice and descriptive and there were some plot aspects I liked. The last 100 pages were my favorite part and I liked the aspects of the mirrors. The characters in this book felt a little bit juvenile for a YA book that seemed at a cursory glance to be a darker, grimmer story. They felt very young to me which just isn't really my vibe. The plot was okay. I liked aspects of it, but other things I just felt ambivalent about. The world was interesting enough to keep my attention. Overall, this was fun, I guess, but still, I don't know how to quantify or articulate my opinions, so I'm sorry this review was all over the place.

Edit: Okay, I think I've settled on a 3.75. I'll probably read the sequel too but I still have no idea lol.

This was a little bit heavier of a fantasy read than I was expecting. There are things I liked and things I disliked, although the things I disliked outweigh the more positive things. However, I don’t think that will stop me from reading the sequel, so here is why.

I enjoyed the side characters, especially Aaros and Canary. They were Kallia’s found family, and she couldn’t have asked for better. The tension between her and Demarco was well done throughout, and the slow reveal of Jack as maybe not THE villain to fear.

But this book is too long. There are a lot of unnecessary descriptions that just added pages, and in the end, the payoff wasn’t there. The tension had been building and building, but there wasn’t a satisfactory outlet for it. Even in a series, one book should still be a complete story, and point us in the direction of where the next book is going. But this book did not feel like a complete story; it not only left us hanging, but also didn’t answer hardly ANY questions it had posed. That really frustrated me, because we should’ve gotten some answers instead of being forced to wait who knows how long for the next book. It wasn’t just a cliffhanger; it just wasn’t a complete story by itself. If you’re relying completely on a sequel to tie things up, then you haven’t told enough of a story in the first one. Which goes back to the time spent on unnecessary details and not on what really mattered.

I like the characters enough to read the next one, but I wish I felt like I knew what was going on.

Where Dreams Descend sounded so promising and the book cover is so beautiful! It ended up not being something that I enjoyed like I hoped I would. I am so sad about that, because I wanted to love it so much. I was immediately drawn in by the book description. It was a very slow start to the story and it took so long for things to actually happen that were exciting and would hold my attention. It wasn’t really until toward the end of the book that I was interested in what was happening. Because of the slow start and the lack of grabbing my attention, I wasn’t really invested in the characters. There were some things I really liked, like the magic. It just wasn’t enough for me to really fall in love with it. I thought the book was just okay. I can see why there have been a lot of people that really enjoyed this story though. Sadly, I wasn’t one of those people that did. I would still recommend checking it out. This was just one of those cases where it wasn’t for me

This book was a bit too slow paced for me and had to DNF. Won't be posting the review for that reason.

3.5 stars!

At the beginning, I honestly had zero idea what direction this story was taking or what type of a world it was set in. And at the end, I was still pretty much in the dark, although Angeles does drop some very intriguing clues throughout the book. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading Where Dreams Descend! The magic, the circus, the mystery all combined into a story that completely hooked me. This world was so intriguing and I loved how its history is slowly revealed throughout the book. You never get the fully picture but the bits and pieces come together to form some very intriguing questions, which will likely get explored more in the next book. I also really enjoyed how the romance developed, although I’m going to be anxiously awaiting the sequel because I need answers.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for an entertaining, YA fantasy that will keep you guessing. I’m definitely planning to pick up the sequel because I need answers to all of my questions!

*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A lush debut novel, full of fascinating characters and an entrancing setting. I was pulled in from the first page, to wonder at the prose.

I was a bit surprised by the direction that the book went in, and didn't always find that it was what I was expecting. But definitely still an interesting read and something I know fans of Phantom and Moulin Rouge will enjoy!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

All I can say about this book is WOW! the plot was absolutely amazing. I loved the characters and the pacing.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

*Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy for my honest review*

This book definitely didn’t live up to it’s hype for me. Once I heard it was “a combination of Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera” I was highly intrigued by this book. But it took me until about the last third of the book to even get into it. I feel like this book could have been a lot shorter than it was and not been as dragged out. There wasn’t many “performances” thrown in which kind of confused me since I thought that was supposed to be a big part of the book and the book as a whole felt too shrouded in mystery, I’m still kind of confused by what I read to be honest.

I will probably still read the next book in the series just because this book left off on such a cliffhanger. I’m hopeful the next book packs more of a punch and doesn’t drag on like this one.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, and I tried so hard to get into it. Something about the writing or world building just didn't work for me. It was a little difficult to follow what was happening and to be engaged or want to learn more. The characters didn't jump off the page, and the plot did not capture or hold my attention, unfortunately. The premise is so promising, but the atmosphere and plot and characters still felt flat at the beginning of the book.

It could be that I was not in the right mood to read it, especially with the pandemic, so I think I'll likely pick it up to try again at a later point.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at 37%. Right from the start, I found myself extremely confused about the magic system. I don't find it clear what the purpose of these abilities are. The main character is shallow and not very interesting. I was totally captured by this premise and wanted to love it, but found myself completely disenchanted the further along I read. I do think the writing was fine, however, the start was too disjointed for me to continue on without comprehension. I am giving this a 1 star but only because the submission requires it. I will not be rating it on other websites.

The Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge! Oohh, I adored this book! It had so much tension and I couldn’t put it down. The atmosphere the author creates is palpable and moody. Also the characters are so wonderful, especially Aaros.

Coming into this story, I really thought this was a standalone for some reason, so upon finishing this, I was shocked and confused to realize that wasn't the case and I had reframe my entire read which wasn't a bad thing as it made me realize that I enjoyed it more than I would have if it was a standalone.

<b>Where Dreams Descend</b> is written beautifully. It’s magical and flows smoothly. The atmospheric writing allows one to truly get immersed into the magic of the story.

Kallia, is a female magician breaking into the man’s world of magic. The strength and grace she has while doing this is wonderful. She is not afraid to challenge the status quo on bit and frequently had such quick retorts for comments or actions that were meant to bring her down. No matter how many times the men tried to knock her down, her confidence never wavered. She knew what she could do and was determined to show everyone up and really let them know what she was capable of. Kallia is a stunning character.

The romance in this novel is slow-burn which was perfect. I love slow-burn romances and this one had me gripped. It was perfect as this whole novel in general had a slow-burn pace to it and I feel like anything else easily could have ruined the atmospheric vibe it had.

The mystery in this book had me questioning so much. I really had no idea what was going on, in fact, I still don’t. Left on a cliffhanger, I’m eagerly awaiting the next release to see what happens and how the rest of the story unfolds.

I have always been a fan of the circus, not the animals which were sad, but the magic, the artistry and the family that seemed to exist. This books examines all of those aspects as the characters vie for the top spot, even if it costs them their lives. The story is as dynamic as the circus and the high flying action keeps the reader on the edge of their seat!

I really enjoyed this book. The amount of magic that was in the book was unbelievable. This book really made me feel like I was on the side lines through every hurtle they went through.

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A richly compelling tale of magic and desire which pushes the boundaries of what women in this world can truly do.

WHERE DREAMS DESCEND is one of those books that will stay with you long after you close the cover and anxiously await the sequel. The layers built into the story by the author make it downright addictive.

What I loved the most about this book is how woven into this elaborate narrative of magic, competitions, and mysterious happenings, Kallia is grounded in her need to prove herself. She will be a female magician and wow them all, even if the cost could be greater than she even knows. There is a strong feminist message hidden between the lines of the entertaining events. In addition, there is such a wonderful balance of grandiose moments with personal ones. The author truly thinks of the whole of the story while she allows her characters to grow and become who they are meant to be.

Angeles gifts her readers with eloquent prose, thrilling theatrical performances, and an ending that made this reader gasp. I truly cannot wait for the next book to come out. I have not had this desire since I finished CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber.

Where Dreams Descend gave me echoes of Shadowland by Peter Straub. The magicians competition as a central theme was excellent. As the characters act out their parts in the competition, we will see how their competitors fail, then just disappear. The MC has strength and talent but can she defeat the magic behind the contest to become the best of the best? This is a duology so I will have to wait to find how this journey will end.

When I had heard this book being compared to Caraval I immediately needed to read it. While it’s not exactly what I was looking for it was exactly what I needed. This is a must read for sure.

Disclaimer: I’m only 25% through this magnificent book and really liking whatever is happening right now and looking forward to some jaw dropping moments that I sense are coming 😉. I'd put up this on my blog too because of a blog tour.

From the first page, the author captivates you and draws you into her dark and glitzy world of magic and illusions. The writing is reminiscent of The Night Circus and The Gilded Wolves with the world building being absolutely lush and beautiful.

It has multiple point of views- our ambitious, badass, butt kicking protagonist Kallia, who wants to showcase her magical prowess to the world; our rakish illusionist with too many secrets up his sleeves who wants to protect Kallia from the world outside, Jack and finally Demarco, the brooding judge with his dripping sass, who I can’t wait to know more about. *sigh*

As the initial pages draw you in, at a very languid pace like the caress of a lovers finger gently trailing up your arms, with some electrifying sexual tension, Angeles flips the dynamic and the scene becomes absolutely fast paced and chaotic and she maintains this throughout (till where I’ve read).

The story is brimming with intrigue and there are all these elements of gender inequality and heavy sexism, comparable with present times, but we see Kallia handling it all with dignity and her endless resilience.

There’s some confusion for me at the moment, which is expected 🙈, and the writing comes of as quite embellished at times, but I can’t wait to finish this fab fantasy!

“You’re too ambitious for your own good Kallia.”

“And what’s so terrible about that? What do I have to be ambitious about here.”

Giving star rating according to the point I'd reached for now. Longer review to come.

I ended up DNFing this book.
It was so slow and I just couldn't get into it. I tried a few times, but I just couldn't get more than 16% into it.

I wanted to enjoy this book and the premise was interesting enough. However, the pacing was quite slow and the characters just ended up lacking for me. I found myself putting it down often and having trouble picking it back up.