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martakdestler's review against another edition
5.0
That Not So Short Review — @thatshortwriter on IG
| Recensione in italiano dopo quella in inglese
When I started reading Where Dreams Descend, now 5 months ago, I never thought that I would find myself here, today, still daydreaming about those characters and that world. A duology that has given me back what I was missing from the days of The Night Circus (and in some respects it’s even better) and Caraval. The pitch describes it as a mix of The Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge!, both musicals I absolutely love, especially the former—and you know how demanding I am when it comes to retellings of my "poor and unhappy Erik", don't you? This one doesn’t disappoint. And discovering that the author loves musicals and theater as much as I do, makes me understand why I loved this book so much.
Kallia is a woman who grew up surrounded by people—her dance partners, the large audience at her shows, the man who forged her into who she is—but in reality she has always been alone, with her dreams hidden on a rooftop and never spoken aloud. She has never needed anyone to prove to the world who she is, but her life is tight and she longs to see life beyond the golden cage that keeps her a prisoner, beyond the forest that no one dares to cross; until the day she decides to do exactly that, driven by the desire to participate in a magic contest (for men only) in Glorian. Here she will not only demonstrate the beauty of her power, but above all she will find a real family. I loved her growth, the fears that become her strength, her secrets and the way she doesn't need to be defended—but even more the relationships she builds with the most unlikely people, starting with Aaros, of whom I want to know more!
Daron Demarco is one of the contest judges. He is quiet, keeping his secrets and dramas for himself, and hasn't used magic since his last show ended in tragedy. He arrives in Glorian for a very specific reason, which I will not reveal to you, but the meeting with Kallia turns him upside down to the point that he almost forgets it. Daron is the equivalent of Raul in The Phantom of the Opera, a character I have never really appreciated: well, Daron is ADORABLE. I want one too. Can I have one too?
And then there's Jack, the mysterious magician who loves illusions and who taught Kallia everything, but who is much more than the owner of a club in the middle of a forest. It is he who has all the answers to the young woman's questions, but he has no intention of giving them to her. My Phantom, who appears in mirrors and manipulates everything and everyone. Oh Jack, you damned and wonderful creature! I would gladly read a book (or more than one) about him. Just sayin '.
The secondary characters are not deeply explored, which is a bit sad because they are so very interesting; I loved the bond of familiarity and comradeship that grows between this group of people so different from one another. I especially liked that Kallia has a (male) friend who has no romantic interest in her (and it's mutual); did I mention that I need more of Aaros? Additionally, the magic contest participants stay in the background a lot and we never see them perform—it's obvious that Kallia is unmatched, but it would have been interesting to see how other wizards deal with the challenges.
The book also addresses major issues like sexism, which Kallia suffers from the other contestants and the judges—but she's too cool to care. Gods, how I adore her. Christine Daaé who? Pffff! Long live Satine!
You must read this book if you enjoyed The Night Circus—but also if you hated it. And if you like those two musicals mentioned. The atmosphere is magical and mysterious, there are circus performances and a magic contest: but unlike Morgerstern's book, this one is not confusing; the characters are well rounded and the romance is very slow burn and with solid foundations; there are no time jumps and the three POVs alternate with logic. Although I love TNC, I’m aware of its weaknesses. This one, for me, has very few.
Don’t read it if you are afraid of mirrors. You never know who is looking on the other side.
| ITALIANO
Quando ho iniziato a leggere Where Dreams Descend, ormai 5 mesi fa, non avrei mai pensato che mi sarei trovata qui, oggi, a fantasticare ancora su quei personaggi e quel mondo. Una dilogia che mi ha restituito quello che mi mancava dai tempi de Il Circo della Notte (e per certi aspetti è anche meglio) e Caraval. Il pitch lo descrive come un misto tra Il Fantasma dell'Opera e Moulin Rouge!, entrambi musical che amo alla follia, soprattutto il primo—e lo sapete quanto io sia esigente quando si tratta di retelling del mio "poor and unhappy Erik", no? Di solito rimango delusissima... ma non è questo il caso. E scoprire che l'autrice adora musical e teatro come me, mi fa capire perché ho amato questo libro così tanto.
Kallia è una donna che è cresciuta circondata da persone—le compagne di ballo, il numeroso pubblico durante i suoi spettacoli, l’uomo che l’ha forgiata in quello che è—ma in realtà è sempre stata sola, con i suoi desideri e sogni, nascosti su un tetto e mai pronunciati ad alta voce. Non ha mai avuto bisogno di nessuno per dimostrare al mondo chi sia, ma la sua vita le va stretta e desidera di vedere la vita oltre la gabbia dorata che la ferma, oltre la foresta che nessuno osa attraversare; fino al giorno in cui decide di fare esattamente questo, spinta dalla voglia di partecipare a un concorso di magia (per soli uomini) a Glorian. Qui non solo dimostrerà la bellezza del suo potere, ma soprattutto troverà una vera e propria famiglia. Ho amato la sua crescita, le paure che diventano la sua forza, i suoi segreti e il modo in cui non ha bisogno di essere difesa—ma ancora di più le relazioni che stringe con le persone più improbabili, a partire da Aaros, di cui voglio sapere di più!
Daron Demarco è uno dei giudici del contest. È quieto, con i suoi segreti e i suoi drammi, e non usa la magia da quando il suo ultimo spettacolo è finito in tragedia. Si trova a Glorian per un motivo ben preciso, che non vi svelerò, ma l'incontro con Kallia lo scombussola a tal punto da farglielo quasi dimenticare. Daron è l’equivalente di Raul ne Il Fantasma dell’Opera, che non ho mai apprezzato davvero: ebbene, Daron è ADORABILE. Ne voglio uno anche io. Posso averne uno anche io?
E poi c'è Jack, il misterioso mago che adora le illusioni e che ha insegnato tutto a Kallia, ma che è molto più del padrone di un club in mezzo alla foresta. È lui che ha tutte le risposte alle domande della giovane donna, ma non ha nessuna intenzione di dargliele. Il mio Fantasma, che compare negli specchi e manipola a destra e a sinistra. Oh Jack, maledetta e meravigliosa creatura! Leggerei volentieri un libro (o più di uno) su di lui. Just sayin’.
I personaggi secondari non sono molto approfonditi, il ché un po’ mi dispiace perché sono un più interessante dell’altro; ho adorato il legame di familiarità e di camerata che si crea tra questo gruppo di persone così diverse tra loro. Mi è piaciuto soprattutto che Kallia abbia un amico che non ha nessun interesse romantico nei suoi confronti (e la cosa è reciproca); ho già detto che ho bisogno di più di Aaros? I partecipanti al concorso di magia, inoltre, rimangono molto nello sfondo e non li vediamo mai performare—è ovvio che Kallia non abbia eguali, ma sarebbe stato interessante vedere il modo in cui gli altri maghi affrontano le sfide.
Il libro esamina anche temi importanti come il sessismo, che Kallia subisce da parte degli altri partecipanti e dei giudici—ma lei è troppo strafiga per curarsene. Dèi, quanto l’adoro. Christine Daaé chi? Pffff! Viva Satine!
Dovete leggerlo se vi è piaciuto Il Circo della Notte—ma anche se lo avete odiato. E se vi piacciono quei due musical citati. L'atmosfera è magica e misteriosa, ci sono spettacoli circensi e un contest di magia: ma a differenza del libro di Morgerstern, questo non è confusionario; i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e il romance molto slow burn e con delle basi solide; non ci sono salti temporali e i tre POV presenti si alternano con logica. Anche se amo ICDN, mi rendo conto delle sue debolezze. Questo, per me, ne ha ben poche.
Non leggetelo se avete paura degli specchi, ecco. Non si sa mai chi stia guardando dall’altra parte.
| Recensione in italiano dopo quella in inglese
When I started reading Where Dreams Descend, now 5 months ago, I never thought that I would find myself here, today, still daydreaming about those characters and that world. A duology that has given me back what I was missing from the days of The Night Circus (and in some respects it’s even better) and Caraval. The pitch describes it as a mix of The Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge!, both musicals I absolutely love, especially the former—and you know how demanding I am when it comes to retellings of my "poor and unhappy Erik", don't you? This one doesn’t disappoint. And discovering that the author loves musicals and theater as much as I do, makes me understand why I loved this book so much.
Kallia is a woman who grew up surrounded by people—her dance partners, the large audience at her shows, the man who forged her into who she is—but in reality she has always been alone, with her dreams hidden on a rooftop and never spoken aloud. She has never needed anyone to prove to the world who she is, but her life is tight and she longs to see life beyond the golden cage that keeps her a prisoner, beyond the forest that no one dares to cross; until the day she decides to do exactly that, driven by the desire to participate in a magic contest (for men only) in Glorian. Here she will not only demonstrate the beauty of her power, but above all she will find a real family. I loved her growth, the fears that become her strength, her secrets and the way she doesn't need to be defended—but even more the relationships she builds with the most unlikely people, starting with Aaros, of whom I want to know more!
Daron Demarco is one of the contest judges. He is quiet, keeping his secrets and dramas for himself, and hasn't used magic since his last show ended in tragedy. He arrives in Glorian for a very specific reason, which I will not reveal to you, but the meeting with Kallia turns him upside down to the point that he almost forgets it. Daron is the equivalent of Raul in The Phantom of the Opera, a character I have never really appreciated: well, Daron is ADORABLE. I want one too. Can I have one too?
And then there's Jack, the mysterious magician who loves illusions and who taught Kallia everything, but who is much more than the owner of a club in the middle of a forest. It is he who has all the answers to the young woman's questions, but he has no intention of giving them to her. My Phantom, who appears in mirrors and manipulates everything and everyone. Oh Jack, you damned and wonderful creature! I would gladly read a book (or more than one) about him. Just sayin '.
The secondary characters are not deeply explored, which is a bit sad because they are so very interesting; I loved the bond of familiarity and comradeship that grows between this group of people so different from one another. I especially liked that Kallia has a (male) friend who has no romantic interest in her (and it's mutual); did I mention that I need more of Aaros? Additionally, the magic contest participants stay in the background a lot and we never see them perform—it's obvious that Kallia is unmatched, but it would have been interesting to see how other wizards deal with the challenges.
The book also addresses major issues like sexism, which Kallia suffers from the other contestants and the judges—but she's too cool to care. Gods, how I adore her. Christine Daaé who? Pffff! Long live Satine!
You must read this book if you enjoyed The Night Circus—but also if you hated it. And if you like those two musicals mentioned. The atmosphere is magical and mysterious, there are circus performances and a magic contest: but unlike Morgerstern's book, this one is not confusing; the characters are well rounded and the romance is very slow burn and with solid foundations; there are no time jumps and the three POVs alternate with logic. Although I love TNC, I’m aware of its weaknesses. This one, for me, has very few.
Don’t read it if you are afraid of mirrors. You never know who is looking on the other side.
| ITALIANO
Quando ho iniziato a leggere Where Dreams Descend, ormai 5 mesi fa, non avrei mai pensato che mi sarei trovata qui, oggi, a fantasticare ancora su quei personaggi e quel mondo. Una dilogia che mi ha restituito quello che mi mancava dai tempi de Il Circo della Notte (e per certi aspetti è anche meglio) e Caraval. Il pitch lo descrive come un misto tra Il Fantasma dell'Opera e Moulin Rouge!, entrambi musical che amo alla follia, soprattutto il primo—e lo sapete quanto io sia esigente quando si tratta di retelling del mio "poor and unhappy Erik", no? Di solito rimango delusissima... ma non è questo il caso. E scoprire che l'autrice adora musical e teatro come me, mi fa capire perché ho amato questo libro così tanto.
Kallia è una donna che è cresciuta circondata da persone—le compagne di ballo, il numeroso pubblico durante i suoi spettacoli, l’uomo che l’ha forgiata in quello che è—ma in realtà è sempre stata sola, con i suoi desideri e sogni, nascosti su un tetto e mai pronunciati ad alta voce. Non ha mai avuto bisogno di nessuno per dimostrare al mondo chi sia, ma la sua vita le va stretta e desidera di vedere la vita oltre la gabbia dorata che la ferma, oltre la foresta che nessuno osa attraversare; fino al giorno in cui decide di fare esattamente questo, spinta dalla voglia di partecipare a un concorso di magia (per soli uomini) a Glorian. Qui non solo dimostrerà la bellezza del suo potere, ma soprattutto troverà una vera e propria famiglia. Ho amato la sua crescita, le paure che diventano la sua forza, i suoi segreti e il modo in cui non ha bisogno di essere difesa—ma ancora di più le relazioni che stringe con le persone più improbabili, a partire da Aaros, di cui voglio sapere di più!
Daron Demarco è uno dei giudici del contest. È quieto, con i suoi segreti e i suoi drammi, e non usa la magia da quando il suo ultimo spettacolo è finito in tragedia. Si trova a Glorian per un motivo ben preciso, che non vi svelerò, ma l'incontro con Kallia lo scombussola a tal punto da farglielo quasi dimenticare. Daron è l’equivalente di Raul ne Il Fantasma dell’Opera, che non ho mai apprezzato davvero: ebbene, Daron è ADORABILE. Ne voglio uno anche io. Posso averne uno anche io?
E poi c'è Jack, il misterioso mago che adora le illusioni e che ha insegnato tutto a Kallia, ma che è molto più del padrone di un club in mezzo alla foresta. È lui che ha tutte le risposte alle domande della giovane donna, ma non ha nessuna intenzione di dargliele. Il mio Fantasma, che compare negli specchi e manipola a destra e a sinistra. Oh Jack, maledetta e meravigliosa creatura! Leggerei volentieri un libro (o più di uno) su di lui. Just sayin’.
I personaggi secondari non sono molto approfonditi, il ché un po’ mi dispiace perché sono un più interessante dell’altro; ho adorato il legame di familiarità e di camerata che si crea tra questo gruppo di persone così diverse tra loro. Mi è piaciuto soprattutto che Kallia abbia un amico che non ha nessun interesse romantico nei suoi confronti (e la cosa è reciproca); ho già detto che ho bisogno di più di Aaros? I partecipanti al concorso di magia, inoltre, rimangono molto nello sfondo e non li vediamo mai performare—è ovvio che Kallia non abbia eguali, ma sarebbe stato interessante vedere il modo in cui gli altri maghi affrontano le sfide.
Il libro esamina anche temi importanti come il sessismo, che Kallia subisce da parte degli altri partecipanti e dei giudici—ma lei è troppo strafiga per curarsene. Dèi, quanto l’adoro. Christine Daaé chi? Pffff! Viva Satine!
Dovete leggerlo se vi è piaciuto Il Circo della Notte—ma anche se lo avete odiato. E se vi piacciono quei due musical citati. L'atmosfera è magica e misteriosa, ci sono spettacoli circensi e un contest di magia: ma a differenza del libro di Morgerstern, questo non è confusionario; i personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e il romance molto slow burn e con delle basi solide; non ci sono salti temporali e i tre POV presenti si alternano con logica. Anche se amo ICDN, mi rendo conto delle sue debolezze. Questo, per me, ne ha ben poche.
Non leggetelo se avete paura degli specchi, ecco. Non si sa mai chi stia guardando dall’altra parte.
crosswarrior7's review against another edition
3.0
Second book I’m saying this for, but this book is complicated for me. Well, complicated may not be the right word. More like… Weird?
I liked this book more than I expected. Probably another lower end of the 3, though.
It is a fascinating book. Kallia has been trapped in the Hellfire House, which is run by Jack. It’s this fancy house for things like gambling and experiencing memories and, later in the night, watching Kallia descend from a chandelier and perform an enchanting dance.
Kallia wants more to life. Jack wants her to stay right there. Kallia obviously gets her way because we have a book, and she goes to a nearby town that is said to be lost in the cursed woods that Hellfire House also resides in. There, she joins a magician competition to be the next big stage magician, and along the way meets Daron Demarco, a judge with many secrets of his, and as I’m sure you can guess, sparks fly, but aforementioned secrets create barriers.
It was a fun October read. It isn’t creepy, so not in that sense, but it just has such a magical atmosphere to it. Magic seems to encompass everything about the book. The town, the characters, the very air, the text. I could imagine settling in a chair in the fall with hot chocolate and just reading this.
I liked the characters. Kallia people have said is too arrogant and cocky, but the text makes it clear that is the only way she knows to be strong, and it adds an interesting layer to the “strong female protagonist.” She has her weaknesses, but the only way she knows to cover them up is exuding strength, and whether it is obvious or not, she learns she is allowed to be weak and let others help her.
Aaros is best character. Simple as that. I do wish there was more of him in the later chapters than just making “mom and dad are fighting” jokes.
Daron had a lot of mystery around him, and it was really fun getting to see it unfold. He is also such a gentlemen, and I like how he is okay admitting when he was wrong.
Jack… Jack was interesting. I got such mixed vibes from him, and I loved when he was on “screen”, even if I wanted to punch him in the face as well.
A journalist character comes in later, and she is a bit snakey, but I liked how she was a strong character there who was strong with her wit and words, even if she was more morally grey. She was like what I would have loved seeing out of a Slytherin xD A good character who is definitely driven by ambition.
There are other characters, who I also enjoy, but not as much as these five.
The magic is very pretty, and it was always fun seeing it occur.
But… I have praised this book. And now why this book is marked lower, despite the parts I really liked.
The middle wasn’t well written. Not, like, the author’s writing ability floundered. More like this book’s middle was far longer and far more drawn out than it needed to be.
Here is what happened. Performance. Kallia and Daron get closer. Secrets tear them apart. Performance. Kallia and Daron get closer. Secrets tear them apart. Vague Jack PoV. Kallia and Daron get way closer. Secrets tear them apart. Performance. Repeat.
Secrets causing friction in plot is one thing. Secrets being the only reason the plot even happens though? I just… I dunno. It drove me nuts. Especially since keeping those secrets seemed to be the main thing happening in the middle of the book.
You know what else happened in the middle of the book? People went missing. People fell into random comas. People lost their eyes.
Instead of having an intriguing plot where the characters actually try to solve what is going on, the focus stays purely on the next performance and the back-and-forth between Kallia and Daron. And both characters had a lot of reason to actually explore the cause. Kallia maybe a little less so because she thought she knew the cause, but Daron was literally there to explore the oddities of the city and he just… Didn’t investigate.
At the very least, Daron could have investigated, and Kallia stuck around thinking she could protect him.
Another predominant aspect of the middle was men constantly belittling Kallia for her to come around and show them how awesome she could be. I don’t think I would have minded this aspect -- not with how it was handled, at least, feeling like a part of the story and not a political statement, which I applaud the author for -- if Kallia wasn’t so OP everyone else was nothing compared to her. I cared less about Kallia proving herself when the men were 2D sexists who we never got to see as more. They were painted as insects in the way rather than legitimate competitors and it honestly just dampened the entire affect.
Maybe it is just me, but I felt like it would have meant so much more if we saw these people as actual people with a flaw of being sexist rather than just “the sexist competitors who are also weaklings.” Talented people still can be sexist, and I think this would have been a great place to point that out. Or at least have more than just Daron not be sexist by the end. Maybe show a competitor learning the error of their ways. Something to make the part of the plot feel more impactful than a lacking hurdle Kallia had to roll her eyes at.
Magic also really felt like it could have been explored. There was no real system, but I know there are people who prefer that more mythical approach to the usage of magic, which is fine. But I felt it could be explored at least a little more, even while sticking to that exploration of it.
Honestly, at the end of the day, it really felt like a lot of this book was just filler so that we would have a sequel. I am excited for the sequel because of what the first book set up, but the first book should have been more than that. There should have been more substance in the middle. There should have been more than just a book filled with people wanting to keep their secrets.
It was a fun read, I will likely read the sequel, but if someone DNF-ed this book, I would 100% understand.
Fun fact, I started this review giving the book a 3.5. Talked myself into lowering it to a 3. I guess because I enjoyed it more than Goddess In The Machine I thought I should bump it up xD
I liked this book more than I expected. Probably another lower end of the 3, though.
It is a fascinating book. Kallia has been trapped in the Hellfire House, which is run by Jack. It’s this fancy house for things like gambling and experiencing memories and, later in the night, watching Kallia descend from a chandelier and perform an enchanting dance.
Kallia wants more to life. Jack wants her to stay right there. Kallia obviously gets her way because we have a book, and she goes to a nearby town that is said to be lost in the cursed woods that Hellfire House also resides in. There, she joins a magician competition to be the next big stage magician, and along the way meets Daron Demarco, a judge with many secrets of his, and as I’m sure you can guess, sparks fly, but aforementioned secrets create barriers.
It was a fun October read. It isn’t creepy, so not in that sense, but it just has such a magical atmosphere to it. Magic seems to encompass everything about the book. The town, the characters, the very air, the text. I could imagine settling in a chair in the fall with hot chocolate and just reading this.
I liked the characters. Kallia people have said is too arrogant and cocky, but the text makes it clear that is the only way she knows to be strong, and it adds an interesting layer to the “strong female protagonist.” She has her weaknesses, but the only way she knows to cover them up is exuding strength, and whether it is obvious or not, she learns she is allowed to be weak and let others help her.
Aaros is best character. Simple as that. I do wish there was more of him in the later chapters than just making “mom and dad are fighting” jokes.
Daron had a lot of mystery around him, and it was really fun getting to see it unfold. He is also such a gentlemen, and I like how he is okay admitting when he was wrong.
Jack… Jack was interesting. I got such mixed vibes from him, and I loved when he was on “screen”, even if I wanted to punch him in the face as well.
A journalist character comes in later, and she is a bit snakey, but I liked how she was a strong character there who was strong with her wit and words, even if she was more morally grey. She was like what I would have loved seeing out of a Slytherin xD A good character who is definitely driven by ambition.
There are other characters, who I also enjoy, but not as much as these five.
The magic is very pretty, and it was always fun seeing it occur.
But… I have praised this book. And now why this book is marked lower, despite the parts I really liked.
The middle wasn’t well written. Not, like, the author’s writing ability floundered. More like this book’s middle was far longer and far more drawn out than it needed to be.
Here is what happened. Performance. Kallia and Daron get closer. Secrets tear them apart. Performance. Kallia and Daron get closer. Secrets tear them apart. Vague Jack PoV. Kallia and Daron get way closer. Secrets tear them apart. Performance. Repeat.
Secrets causing friction in plot is one thing. Secrets being the only reason the plot even happens though? I just… I dunno. It drove me nuts. Especially since keeping those secrets seemed to be the main thing happening in the middle of the book.
You know what else happened in the middle of the book? People went missing. People fell into random comas. People lost their eyes.
Instead of having an intriguing plot where the characters actually try to solve what is going on, the focus stays purely on the next performance and the back-and-forth between Kallia and Daron. And both characters had a lot of reason to actually explore the cause. Kallia maybe a little less so because she thought she knew the cause, but Daron was literally there to explore the oddities of the city and he just… Didn’t investigate.
At the very least, Daron could have investigated, and Kallia stuck around thinking she could protect him.
Another predominant aspect of the middle was men constantly belittling Kallia for her to come around and show them how awesome she could be. I don’t think I would have minded this aspect -- not with how it was handled, at least, feeling like a part of the story and not a political statement, which I applaud the author for -- if Kallia wasn’t so OP everyone else was nothing compared to her. I cared less about Kallia proving herself when the men were 2D sexists who we never got to see as more. They were painted as insects in the way rather than legitimate competitors and it honestly just dampened the entire affect.
Maybe it is just me, but I felt like it would have meant so much more if we saw these people as actual people with a flaw of being sexist rather than just “the sexist competitors who are also weaklings.” Talented people still can be sexist, and I think this would have been a great place to point that out. Or at least have more than just Daron not be sexist by the end. Maybe show a competitor learning the error of their ways. Something to make the part of the plot feel more impactful than a lacking hurdle Kallia had to roll her eyes at.
Magic also really felt like it could have been explored. There was no real system, but I know there are people who prefer that more mythical approach to the usage of magic, which is fine. But I felt it could be explored at least a little more, even while sticking to that exploration of it.
Honestly, at the end of the day, it really felt like a lot of this book was just filler so that we would have a sequel. I am excited for the sequel because of what the first book set up, but the first book should have been more than that. There should have been more substance in the middle. There should have been more than just a book filled with people wanting to keep their secrets.
It was a fun read, I will likely read the sequel, but if someone DNF-ed this book, I would 100% understand.
Fun fact, I started this review giving the book a 3.5. Talked myself into lowering it to a 3. I guess because I enjoyed it more than Goddess In The Machine I thought I should bump it up xD
issianne's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, heck yes. This is a new favorite. I mean, all I really needed from this book was for it to be surrounded around a competition for it to get my vote. And the slow burn of this book was actually very well done... I don't have much else to say!
jenhurst's review against another edition
2.0
For a book that involves a circus and a magical competition I was really bored. It was really unmemorable and unoriginal
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
Beginning was fine, middle was so slow and boring and ending was fine again. I never say this but this book should just be Kallia POV.
Beginning was fine, middle was so slow and boring and ending was fine again. I never say this but this book should just be Kallia POV.
amandalyn's review against another edition
4.0
It really should come as no surprise that I really liked this book. It’s so up my alley. It took me a minute to really get into the story, but once I fell in love Kallia and Demarco there was no looking back. And the conquerors. I loved all of them! I’m a little disappointed that a few more questions weren’t answered, but it does mean I wanna read the next book immediately.
Definitely pick this up if you like the circus, mystery, ans magicians!
Definitely pick this up if you like the circus, mystery, ans magicians!
bookish_withsky's review against another edition
4.0
Really a 4.5
I loved this book. Kallia’s affinity towards fire really does go along with her own personality very well and I adore her! This book has a touch of feminism, ‘anything you can do I can do better’, a love triangle, enemies to lovers, kind of lovers to for sure enemies, and such a magical atmosphere. I’m so happy I happened to be approved for the arc of the second book, because I will be immediately reading it
I loved this book. Kallia’s affinity towards fire really does go along with her own personality very well and I adore her! This book has a touch of feminism, ‘anything you can do I can do better’, a love triangle, enemies to lovers, kind of lovers to for sure enemies, and such a magical atmosphere. I’m so happy I happened to be approved for the arc of the second book, because I will be immediately reading it