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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings: Graphic violence, abuse, bloodplay
Review:
This dark reverse harem had a unique and creepy circus concept I was curious about, but ultimately the execution didn’t work for me. While the female narrator delivered a great performance, the male narrator’s tone was distracting. The romance moved too fast for the timeline, and some scenes—especially one involving a hammer—were far beyond my comfort zone. It might be a hit for readers who enjoy heavy darkness and chaos in their romance, but I found it difficult to connect emotionally with the characters.
Review:
This dark reverse harem had a unique and creepy circus concept I was curious about, but ultimately the execution didn’t work for me. While the female narrator delivered a great performance, the male narrator’s tone was distracting. The romance moved too fast for the timeline, and some scenes—especially one involving a hammer—were far beyond my comfort zone. It might be a hit for readers who enjoy heavy darkness and chaos in their romance, but I found it difficult to connect emotionally with the characters.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was wild. I went in totally blind and while it is very spicy, there is also a lot of domestic violence.
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh lord, what a ride.
10/10 would read again.
The dynamics of the characters are 👌🏻, it's dark and traumatizing but i must say that those people deserve it.
im sooooo inlove with the characters especially heart 😍.
Read the TW! Because it's too detailed so yk.
10/10 would read again.
The dynamics of the characters are 👌🏻, it's dark and traumatizing but i must say that those people deserve it.
im sooooo inlove with the characters especially heart 😍.
Read the TW! Because it's too detailed so yk.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual violence
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
- Lots of over explaining and monotony. Repeated phrases..plot points..you name it. But hey, it makes for a quick read.
- Time skips were confusing and the timeline in general was a bit all over the place.
- The relationships felt rushed even with the dual perspectives, which I felt were a bit lacking and rarely added much.
- The characters themselves were interesting, but fell a bit flat. They really needed more depth and time for development, Diamond especially.
- Dialogue and writing as a whole was a bit too cringey for my taste.
I read Cirque Obscurum over a week ago and can’t stop thinking about it! I absolutely love this book. It’s a dark, why choose with a circus background theme.
Ember has been drawn to circuses and Halloween since she was a child. The book starts with Ember at the circus, when she visits the fortune teller, who tells her her fortune and hands her a Joker card for when she needs it.
Fast-forward years, and let's just say Ember has not had the best life. In time, if needed, she holds the joker card. Now enters Heart, Diamond, Spade, and Club. I can't forget the Tiger, Freedom.
Each man brings something equal to their relationship with Ember. I always end up liking one more than all; at first, it was Heart. But then Diamond stole the show. By the end, I loved them all equally.
The storytelling in this book is fantastic, and I love the unique twist of the circus. The author paints a virtual, vivid world. It’s a must read.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
So many triggers! Be aware of yours. Fast paced and definitely thought I missed some stuff but I didn’t. It’s definitely worth the read though!
dark
tense
fast-paced
I'm so bummed! My enjoyment of this steadily declined the further we got into it. The first few chapters with Ember were incredibly gripping and I was very excited to see how it would all unfold. The romance was bad. It felt significantly underdeveloped. This is my issue with two writers sometimes, it feels like we swing from one thing to the next as if no real thought was put through. The backgrounds on the men were all so short. I didn't end up feeling much for them. I think I actually ended up confusing them a couple times because they didnt' feel very distinct. I loved Spade but don't felt like we got an even distribution of time with each of them to feel like I could truly root for them. The sexual trauma that Ember would likely have runs deep and we didn't even take a moment to address it. The stuff with her ex was very obvious and I didn't find that it came with any real tension. I did appreciate that there were two "fight" sequences to deal with that but yeah it didn't actually feel all that satisfying. I also HATED the epilogue lol. This ended up being only okay. Great concept. Not the best execution.