This is the story of a quiet nameless child born under the bright lights of a Big Top, unwanted by her Mother and left in the shadows. That is until a flame haired stranger gives her a name, trains and guides her, shaping her to become the greatest funambulist who ever lived. Mouse, now retired and after years of refusing interviews, finally wants to tell her story. Not for fame but in the hopes of finding a child once lost from the circus, an incident that still haunts her.

This is the most beautiful book, both inside and out.

You'll find yourself completely immersed in the weird and wonderful world of the circus, under the bright lights of a blue and white Big Top, swept away in folklore and legends. The author truly has a way with words, her writing is full of the most vivid descriptions and the imagination throughout astounds me! It mixes magic with reality, written in the style of a memoir with Mouse sharing her memories with the interviewer and reader alike, retelling the tales told to her by the flame haired woman who saved her (tales I particularly enjoyed, as each fairy tale was unique and included some sort of hidden moral) but also of her life and those that were apart of it, how the circus shaped her and how she escaped it's clutches. There's plenty more that could be said but I don't want to ruin the story for future readers, just know its magical and a book that should definitely be on your radar!

I really don't know what to make of this. I guess this is a case of it's me, not the book. I cannot say there's something wrong with this novel, or with the writing style yet I totally failed to get into it. Mouse story left me mostly cold - the only moment I felt strongly about her was after reading Marina's letter. And maybe just a tiny bit at the end when we find out about Bunny, but that left me very disappointed so I guess it doesn't matter.
The novel paints a very harrowing image of itinerant circuses. But that is exactly how I always imagined this type of circuses. In my corner of the world(back when I was a child) we where ever only visited by very poor circuses, with ragged animals and costumes full of holes...it used to make me so sad... But their skills were amazing, testimony to their determination and maybe love of what they were doing. Mouse's life was hard and then full of excess to cover her suffering and from this point of view it's very stereotypical. There are elements of magical fantasy or surrealism if you like, again to be expected in a novel covering this theme - but this was what I enjoyed most about it: the description of the different circus acts, Coney Island with all its stories, plus the time Mouse spent in Coney Island raising her profile.

As a life long admirer of writers Angela Carter and Katherine Dunn, the hook of this novel immediately caught my attention. Who, as a child, has not wanted to run away to join a circus? But if your entire life is the place that people wish to escape to, where do you go from here? If your existence is about creating illusions, how do you define reality and artifice?

From the very first page the prose, setting the scene of a small child crawling through the feet of annonymous audience members to see the main attraction of the show,you, the reader, are plunged into the big top atmosphere and creates a stunning visual from which the rest of the book stems.

It's a novel of longing, regret and dreams which are firmly intepreted by the words which Nydia uses to bring into reality her wide swathe of unique characters , whilst flinging them high into the air and making them create death defying spectaculars.

The nature of fear over death is exemplified from the start, it is not the fear of falling which makes you cautious, it is the fear of landing. It is not as such the pain, and broken bones, more taking away the ability to perform that keeps the high fliers safe.

Particularly resonant was the relationship between Marina -who performed as a mermaid-and her husband Manu, ex-onion seller turned circus lion tamer. Their love is so encompassing that the birth of a child, known as Mouse, cannot come between them. She grows as the ulitmate voyeur , both proof of their love and yet shunned because of it.

It is through her eyes that we traverse the pages of this dark fairy tale in the shadows of the circus, as she becomes the protege of funambulist,Serendipity Wilson. And as she recalls the days of her childhood and how she learnt to walk the tightrope between worlds of earth and sky, childhood and adulthood, she and the journalist, Ellie McVeigh who gives Mouse the idea to write the story of her life, bring into the sunlight things which have been claimed by shadows as their own.

It is a story of sadness, loss, regret and how family is not always those who are related to you by blood.

It's a beautiful, ethereal and beguiling novel that draws you in and doesn't let go, it is the exciting launch of a new writer who feels like she has been here simultaneously forever whilst being fresh, new and vibrant. I loved it.

My thanks to Quercus Books for granting my wish to receive an eARC via NetGalley of ‘A Girl Made of Air’ by Nydia Hetherington. I have purchased its exquisitely presented hardcover edition on publication.

I try to approach novels with few expectations but the prepublication buzz comparing this debut novel with the writings of Angela Carter and Erin Morgenstern did catch my eye and heightened my feelings of anticipation.

However, it was quickly clear that this novel was not a work of fantasy or magical realism in strict terms. Yes, there are mentions of faeries and a number of fantastical tales, based on Manx folklore, that are incorporated into the narrative. Yet these on their own don’t equate to fantasy in my view.

Rather I class this as a work of literary historical fiction with elements of folklore. It is set after WWII and chronicles the life of a woman described as The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived. I had never heard this term before and had to look it up - it’s the formal term for a tightrope walker. I have a fear of heights so even the thought of tightrope walking makes me nervous. I tried to read through my chills.

We never learn our narrator’s name, only the nickname given to her by members of the circus family that she was born into - Mouse. Her mother, Marina, was the star of the show yet she never wanted Mouse and basically ignores her existence. Mouse grows up unloved in the shadows.

Then the flamboyant, flame haired, Serendipity Wilson, a talented tightrope artist joins the circus. Serendipity Wilson becomes a mentor to Mouse and trains her to walk the high wire. Events happen, some tragic. There are horrific revelations. Later, as an adult, Mouse leaves the U.K. and relocates to the USA becoming part of the Coney Island community of boardwalk performers. Still, Mouse is haunted by the memory of the child, named Bunny, who was lost to the circus.

In the present of the novel, following her retirement from public life, she is reaching out through an interview weaving together her memories of the circus with stories of earthy magic and folklore, in the hope of finding Bunny.

This was a beautifully written, fascinating tale. As noted above, I quickly set aside my prior expectations and just settled in and enjoyed the novel for what it was.

I would have loved to learn more of Mouse’s later career as a cabaret star and her celebrity exploits that were only mentioned in passing as these were apparently well known to her audience. Not to us, Mouse!

It is a novel that is quite bleak in places though Nydia Hetherington’s lyrical prose elevated even these darker aspects. Her descriptions throughout were very vivid bringing the novel’s characters and setting to life, including the circus animals Mouse loves. I was especially fond of Solomon, the llama.

I likely will be recommending it to my reading group as a future selection.

Following this impressive debut, I certainly will be looking forward to Nydia Hetherington’s future projects.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I picked this book because the premise evoked images of Zendaya in The Greatest showman and Reese Witherspoon in Water for Elephants.

The book starts with Mouse telling us the story of her life. How she came to be born in the circus and the various characters that shaped her being. From her neglectful parents Marina and Matu, to Serendipity Wilson the flame haired artist who becomes mother sister tutor all wrapped up in one - all leading to how she becomes the greatest funambulist who ever lived.

Reading this reminded me of Atonement in lots of ways. A young girl does something awful to a loved one due to naivety and a childishly selfish outlook on life that leads to devastating fallouts. She then spends the rest of her life trying to atone for it.

The things I liked about it - the author is very clever in that I only realised in writing this review that we never actually learn her real name. Throughout she’s referred to as Daughter or mouse by the other characters. The side characters are very well defined - they all have interesting back stories or details to their daily lives that bring them to life in vibrant colors in contrast to our dull shy sneaky “mouse”. Interspersed between the tale of her life, are little stories Serendipity tells her to help build her character - stories about the little people and myths of the Isle of Man, which are truly fascinating.

On the downside, this book is slow and hard to get into, mainly because I don’t like Mouse - in as much as I feel sorry for her. In fact none of the characters are truly likeable (including Serendipity) until we get to Cubby and Aunt Beth.

Overall I’m giving this 3 stars because I can appreciate the authors cleverness and character development inspite of not liking the actual characters and the plot. It’s one of those books which I would is good but not for me.

I was drawn to this book by the title and the description. I felt that the book I read was totally different to my expectations and disappointing.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was intrigued by the blurb and really wanted to read this book. I found it a little slow to start with due to the timeline moving from present to the past. However, as I got to know the characters I became more and more intrigued as to how these ‘incidents’ were relevant to each other.

The narrator, known only as Mouse, is trying to make sense of her own past. The novel has a confessional air about it as Mouse writes her memoirs. Life has not treated her well and she had a harsh upbringing in a circus. Mouse doesn’t ask for your sympathy as a reader, and is quite matter of fact about many of the unpleasant experiences she has had. I felt huge empathy for a young girl who makes mistakes and then spends her whole life trying to understand and appreciate why she has made them. There is something self-destructive about Mouse, so even good relationships with characters like Cubby and Aunt Betty, are inexplicably abandoned.

I loved the setting of this novel, especially the parts set in Coney Island, which felt particularly authentic and a good backdrop for Mouse’s talents as a funambulist.

At one point, Mouse tells us ‘No one lives in isolation’ and this is definitely a novel about relationships and the ripple effect that the action of one person may have on many others.

A beautifully crafted story with wonderful characters that will take any reader through a range of emotions.

I saw this beautiful cover and was immediately drawn in, it was definitely giving me Night Circus and Caraval vibes (both 5 star reviews) however this did just not deliver for me. I appreciate the beautiful writing and idea behind the story but must admit I found it a little too slow.

A Girl Made of Air

I don’t know why books like this are marketed as being for fans of other great reads rather than exciting and new in themselves. Comparing this novel to The Night Circus and Wise Children is both misleading and disappointing. It has neither the magic nor the expertly crafted writing.

It’s an interesting novel in its own right. Mouse is an odd and unreliable narrator. Sadly I never warmed to her as a character, I’m not sure why, but I felt the book would have been better written in the third person. I struggled with the story as I’d lost interest in the main character.

I love folk tales within a story and I enjoyed the parts where Serendipity Wilson told her stories although it felt a little out of place, like it hadn’t been completely blended into the book.

For me it wasn’t as much of a circus novel as I expected but rather a good historical fiction with a strong character thread. I did really struggle to get through it and ended up with both the ebook and audiobook through netgalley.

The audiobook definitely helped. The narration was good and fit the story well. I just think it wasn’t the book for me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Mouse was born into circus life but neither her mother or father wanted to look after her. Serendipity Wilson takes mouse into her care and teaches her to b a funambulist. This story is based around a lost child, Bunny. She is the daughter of Serendipity.

This story is more about relationships and the hard life mouse had. By using the narrator's journals, old postcards, letters and memories we get to know the background of the girl who went on to become "The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived". You're completely immersed in the ways of circus lives. The book is descriptively written. It's also quite dark. It took me a little while to get into the book. The pace is slow.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #QuercusBook. and the author #NydiaHetherington for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of the greatest Funambulist who ever lived, told by herself 'Mouse' she gives us her life story from her young childhood, growing up in the Circus after the war, her neglected relationship with her parents and rocky relationship with her only friend.

Mouse, now an adult tells her story and how she is haunted by an incident in which her only friend's child becomes lost and how she felt responsibility for the mistake and her need to find the child.

I requested this book based on the blurb, thinking that it sounded really interesting and I thought I would love the circus aspect and the darker side of the story but I just could not get into the story at all. I really had to force myself through this entire book!

The writing is not bad at all, in fact it's well told. It was just the story for me I just found it a little dull and not for me, really not what I was expecting at all.
I expected more Circus stories and interactions of the people and more story depth in how Mouse became this great tightrope walker, I would have been interested to see more emotion from Mouse, she's been through a lot and had some really bleak moments which I think could have been told really well but it just seemed to be skipped over.

I do think there's an audience for this book, and I've read a few really great reviews but unfortunately this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one sadly just was not for me. Most of my criticism of this book really does come from personal reading tastes and has nothing, in particular, to do with the quality of the book. I'm very much a person who likes immediate action -- slow burn books (unless it's a slow-burn, tropey romance) are generally not my thing. I like fast-paced narratives, which A Girl Made of Air truly isn't.

Nydia Hetherington is an author who seems to enjoy revelling in the minute details of a narrative. She pays impeccable attention to the senses and the surroundings, so you really get a feel of who you're with and what they're experiencing. For me, though, staying in the detail bubble didn't really work. I found that I often had to re-read passages to find the basics of what she was trying to say, which was hard because I really had to sift through loads of sentences.

I also felt that the conversations between characters felt unnatural, even for magical realism. Hetherington seems to have created a movie script narrative where convoluted discourse is the standard. It really did feel, at times, like I was watching a movie and I think this concept would have worked well as one (and may yet!), but I didn't find it worked for me within a book format.

A Girl Made of Air is definitely a book for people with very specific tastes, who can immerse themselves in a narrative that is full of stylised embellishments. I'm unfortunately not one of those people, so this didn't work for me, but I'm certain there's a specific audience who will cherish this book in its magical entirety.

Thank you to Nydia Hetherington, Netgalley and Quercus for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This wasn't really for me. I couldn't connect with any with the characters, nor was I able to connect with the story. I did, however, love the short stories in between the chapters.

Thanks to Quercus Books for the DRC!

Oh. my. God.
This book.

I love stories that take place in the circus, so when I saw this cover (absolutely beautiful, by the way) I knew it would be one of my readings this year. I didn’t read the synopsis. I didn’t want to know beforehand what it was about.

At first, I thought the story would be mostly about the presentations and the artistic side of the characters. In fact, the main focus is on their personal lives, past traumas, dreams, passions and inspirations. The main character is searching for someone.

The story is told by 'Mouse' - we don't know her real name -, who grew up in the circus and was very influenced by the people she met there, mainly by Serendipity Wilson. I really liked the tales, always sending important messages. I am still reflecting on some of them.

It’s a very beautiful story. I confess that I found the first chapters a little slow, I thought I might not like it. But, from the moment I read Marta's letter, I was completely mesmerized and I didn't want to stop reading.

This is Nydia Hetherington's debut novel, and I totally became a fan! I’m definitely looking forward to future publications. :)

The book focuses on the life of Mouse whose real name we are never told. She tells her story of how she became to be a great Funambulist whilst revisiting old letters and photos to then confide all to a journalist. It is a kind of memoir of a woman’s dramatic and exceptional life. It also has the addition of folk tales placed into different parts of the story that were told by Serendipity Wilson to Mouse. This all combines together to create a beautiful and fascinating tale.

There are so many brilliant and colourful characters throughout the book who really make this story so interesting. Not all the characters are particularly nice people, and Mouse herself is very flawed but I liked that as it made the story seem very realistic.

The setting of it being a circus was enthralling to read about and the descriptions of the everyday circus life that all the characters lived through were so vivid and the author really does a splendid job of bringing it all to life in your imagination. It really is a treat to read.

It is however quite a dark book, it is not glamourous by any means. It is quite seedy and grim at times and also very sad. Mouse spent most of her childhood trying to stay hidden away as her mother didn’t care for her and everybody who surrounded her ignored her except for the flame haired Serendipity who takes her under her wing.

I have given this four out of five stars just purely for the reason that at times I found some chapters a bit slow going at the start but you soon move past that and you are drawn into the enchanting plot.

I highly recommend this book to all historical fiction fans. It will not disappoint. It is an emotional read that will leave you feeling blown away by the amazing writing and intriguing story.

𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎'𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚊 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐? 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚆𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛
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Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for approving me to read this fantastic book, and thank you to Quercus, Nydia Hetherington and Milly Reid for sending me a physical copy of the final book. I feel so lucky as I loved 𝙰 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙾𝚏 𝙰𝚒𝚛 so much.
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𝙰𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎'𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜? 𝙸 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗, 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚊𝚛𝚏𝚎𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗
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The story was truly like a fairy story, paralleled with the gruesome realities of life. It was magical, and poetic, and moving. It follows Mouse as an unwanted child, through her adoption of sorts by the ethereal Seredipity Wilson who trains her as a funambulist, and on through her life as she searches for something very dear that has been lost.
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𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚊𝚒𝚛, 𝚗𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝
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The snippets of Mouse's life are revealed through portions of interviews, extracts relayed from her diaries, and memories. It is an emotional tale intertwined with myths and lore, and is incredibly absorbing.
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𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚊 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚠, 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚜 𝙸 𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚎, 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖, 𝚋𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚞𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍
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There was so much tenderness as the hidden lives of the characters was revealed. There is always a temptation to believe in the fantastical tales people tell, and ignore or not recognise the truth for what it really is. I felt that some characters were almost absolved of our initial judgements when we learned about the things that really happened to them.
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𝚈𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙳𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜... 𝚁𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛, 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐
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I particularly liked the stories from Serendipity Wilson that Mouse relays to us. They have morals, and heroines, and feminist undertones that anyone who sees themselves in young Mouse can benefit from.
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𝙱𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚂𝚝 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚜, 𝙼𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎. 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚟𝚘𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜, 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗. 𝚄𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚝
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There is so much I could say about this book, but I don't want to spoil any of its secrets for anyone who does wish to read it. It has been my favourite read of 2020 so far and I would encourage everyone to read it. It felt so immersive and magical and precious, much like the locket that Mouse carries with her 🧡
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𝙸'𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚘𝚠, 𝚠𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔, 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚗𝚘𝚠. 𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚝. 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚝𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚙𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚎. 𝚆𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍

A beautifully written tale, it reads as more of a magical fairy tale than a novel. Very different to anything I have read before.

This is the story of ‘Mouse’ as told by herself.

Born into the circus, unloved and unwanted by her mother who is the main attraction. She is mostly brought up be Serendipity Wilson, a funambulist with bright orange hair who wants to teach Mouse how to be the greatest funambulist who ever lived.

Her story is dotted with fairy tales as told by Serendipity Wilson. I won’t forget the fairy blood cakes story in a hurry.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the story or any spoilers you will just have to read it. If you have enjoyed The Hazel Wood and Caraval this should be just your thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an ARC of this gorgeous book in return for an honest review.

I have very mixed thoughts on this. Which is why I’m sitting at 3 stars.

Firstly and foremost, the author has the most beautiful way with words. The most stunning opening chapter, that really set the tone and had me completely immersed in the world of the circus. Everything was so vividly described, I almost could have been there to see it. It was enticing and I really want to know more.

The tone changed though and then described the darker and more troublesome side of the protagonists life. Her relationships, her upbringing, her work. Again, this was well written and an interesting perspective to balance out the beauty.

However, I really could not get myself into the “memoir” style of writing. This book is beautiful but I was not the audience for it. It was reminiscent of The Night Circus for me, beautiful but I was constantly left wanting more.

It was not a bad book at all but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Quercus and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my review.

A blend of historical fiction and magical realism in a circus setting. I should have loved this, but really didn’t! I couldn’t connect to the main character despite the terrible story of her conception. We learn very little about her life as a tightrope walker even though it is what she is supposedly famed for. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

As a huge fan of Angela Carter's 'Nights at the Circus', I'm always up for a book about the glamour and grit of life in a circus and this one promised much. The story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived proved too much of a temptation for me so I had to read this ahead of publication on 3rd September.

The story follows a girl born into a circus family - her father tends the animals while her mother is a star attraction due to her act of swimming with crocodiles. Neglected by her parents, the girl (who is not given a name in the book) is taken under the wing of a flame-haired tightrope walker called Serendipity Wilson; from her, she learns the circus skills that will be central to her future and sets in motion events that will see her seeking a missing child and uncovering truths about her own past.

This book is told mainly by an older narrator who is reflecting on the events of her life while revisiting documents - letters, photos, a book page - that prompt her telling of the story. She is ostensibly telling her story to a journalist (the first chapter is a transcribed conversation) but - as the novel progresses - it becomes a written account interspersed with folk tales from the Isle of Man as told to the narrator by Serendipity Wilson.

There was lots to like in the novel, from the brushes with magic realism (as in the glow of Serendipity's hair) to the cast of characters who - while not all nice - are certainly distinctive. I particularly liked Big Gen and Cubby, although they were all vivid and interesting, from tragic Marina to larger-than-life Serendipity. I loved the settings - the duality of the circus is especially well evoked, with its grim and earthy seediness set alongside its veneer of glamour. I also really enjoyed the snippets of the folk tales which made engaging diversions from the main narrative. The inclusion of tiny bits of history from the world outside the circus also worked really well - lots of the novel felt quite timeless, but the references to the Berlin Olympic Games and the Holocaust gave the story compelling historical roots.

Personally, I found the beginning of the book a little slow compared to the second half where the story really picked up its purpose and moved on to another interesting location (no spoilers!) However, the opening sections did explain the emotional ties (or lack of) between characters which are important to the rest of the novel.

Overall, I would recommend this as an engaging story with some excellent characterisation and setting choices. It doesn't quite have the glorious grotesqueness of Angela Carter, but it does have an emotional pull that kept me reading.