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A review by bookaquarius
The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I finally finished this! It’s not been easy to find the energy to read lately but I made it through. The Carnivale of Curiosities is a great fall read for all the people out there who really miss the atmosphere around ABC Family’s 31 Nights of Halloween. It’s seasonal and intriguing but not so scary that a delicate girl such as myself could not sleep at night. It’s a gothic horror based around Faustian bargains and has a distinct creepy, dark vibe set perfectly against a historic (foggy) London backdrop. I liked the setting, several of the characters, the mystery that left some questions turning without feeling dissatisfying, and the magic/performances that are left unexplained. I also liked the theme of people being different does not mean they don’t have a place or that they need to conform. The book wasn’t overwhelming with circus scenes as this is really more a story about characters in and around this show rather than the show itself.
I think this story would have been stronger if the author had gone with the real main character, Aurelius Ashe, instead of trying to make Lucien happen. I understand why he needed to be prominent but Ashe was the center of all intrigue in this story and should have been the heart of the plot. All Lucien does is complain and be hot which like… go off I guess! Him and Charlotte were anticlimactic and the forced chemistry dragged this down a bit, it wasn’t awful though. Charlotte and Ashe however were incredibly compelling together platonically, especially the ending!
There were plenty of dark moments in this story as well so beware. S.A., abuse, child loss, death, violence all have a heavy hand in this.
Overall I enjoyed it, glad I read it this season and tried something new genre-wise! The audio book was really well done; I recommend listening to this one.
I think this story would have been stronger if the author had gone with the real main character, Aurelius Ashe, instead of trying to make Lucien happen. I understand why he needed to be prominent but Ashe was the center of all intrigue in this story and should have been the heart of the plot. All Lucien does is complain and be hot which like… go off I guess! Him and Charlotte were anticlimactic and the forced chemistry dragged this down a bit, it wasn’t awful though. Charlotte and Ashe however were incredibly compelling together platonically, especially the ending!
There were plenty of dark moments in this story as well so beware. S.A., abuse, child loss, death, violence all have a heavy hand in this.
Overall I enjoyed it, glad I read it this season and tried something new genre-wise! The audio book was really well done; I recommend listening to this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder