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A review by kimonawhim
Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene
4.0
”Rebecca Levene has written the most stunning first volume epic fantasy since Game of Thrones. It’s a little bit grim dark, a little bit epic, and a whole lot of incredible. If George R.R. Martin wrote The Night Circus, Smiler’s Fair would be the result.” - Cover Blurb.
Now I haven’t read The Night Circus (yet), but I don’t really understand the need to compare it to Game of Thrones. It’s probably a great eye catcher. And yes, there’s noble houses, there’s sex and crude violence, characters you grow to like get relentlessly killed.. but that doesn’t make it Game of Thrones, does it? It’s probably not a good vision to have of the book as you dive in.
What ’Smiler’s Fair’ is, however, is a great fantasy series opening novel with unique world building and diverse characters. It all starts at the equally named moving carnival Smiler’s Fair. It sounds pleasant at first, but turns out to be a gruesome place where your sins are forgotten, as long as you pay the price. There’s mention of duelling, gambling, prostitution and merciless killing. It gives the novel a very adult grim dark feel that I enjoy. Life isn’t all roses after all.
The Fair is where we meet our cast of characters, diverse in genders, roles, personalities and ancestry. The author makes clear that everyone is equal, something I truly admire. She makes no difference between genders. One character for example is a male prostitute, Eric. He’s thrown into situations that usually don’t fit characters of his type. It was very refreshing.
The characters seem far away from each other at first, plot wise. They have their own adventures, motives and stories that drive the novel forward. Allegiances towards characters change, and slowly the pieces of the puzzle come together, but never predictably so.
The first half tends to be a little slow at times, which was the reason ‘Smiler’s Fair’ took me a lot longer to read than I had hoped. The second half definitely picks up the pace, this is where I began to blast through the pages.
Rebecca Levene’s writing style turns this all into fantastic, original beginning of a series, making me look forward greatly towards part two.
Now I haven’t read The Night Circus (yet), but I don’t really understand the need to compare it to Game of Thrones. It’s probably a great eye catcher. And yes, there’s noble houses, there’s sex and crude violence, characters you grow to like get relentlessly killed.. but that doesn’t make it Game of Thrones, does it? It’s probably not a good vision to have of the book as you dive in.
What ’Smiler’s Fair’ is, however, is a great fantasy series opening novel with unique world building and diverse characters. It all starts at the equally named moving carnival Smiler’s Fair. It sounds pleasant at first, but turns out to be a gruesome place where your sins are forgotten, as long as you pay the price. There’s mention of duelling, gambling, prostitution and merciless killing. It gives the novel a very adult grim dark feel that I enjoy. Life isn’t all roses after all.
The Fair is where we meet our cast of characters, diverse in genders, roles, personalities and ancestry. The author makes clear that everyone is equal, something I truly admire. She makes no difference between genders. One character for example is a male prostitute, Eric. He’s thrown into situations that usually don’t fit characters of his type. It was very refreshing.
The characters seem far away from each other at first, plot wise. They have their own adventures, motives and stories that drive the novel forward. Allegiances towards characters change, and slowly the pieces of the puzzle come together, but never predictably so.
The first half tends to be a little slow at times, which was the reason ‘Smiler’s Fair’ took me a lot longer to read than I had hoped. The second half definitely picks up the pace, this is where I began to blast through the pages.
Rebecca Levene’s writing style turns this all into fantastic, original beginning of a series, making me look forward greatly towards part two.