by Erin Morgenstern
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.
Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.
Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.
Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.
But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.
Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern's spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.
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I had a little apprehension reading this book because of the the reviews I've read that it wasn't good or that it was boring. And then I get conflicting reviews madly raving how wonderful this book was. And to tell you the truth I actually still don't know how to rate this. Don't get me wrong, this book was actually written very well it's just that I feel kinda muddled with it - like I got really drunk and not remembering what happened.
I need to stress the point of not trusting the Blurb of this book, it's just going to ruin your expectations.This is not a love story, nor is there much of a magical competition. There is absolutely no character development and the way that it is set in 2 timelines that slowly (and I mean slowly) meets is a little confusing. You haven't really spend much time in one plot when suddenly another crops up and characters who were minor characters before becomes main characters or vice versa. Sure there is even magic but it's not much to build on.
It all boils down to what the book is really about - The Night Circus. It already has a life of it's own even before one of the characters thought about it. The plot is settings based - and it's all about the circus. I think one of the highlights that I got is how the Night Circus captures ones fancy and dreams. It wouldn't be called Le Cirque des Rêves or The Circus of Dreams for nothing. I get the allure - mysterious tents with equally mysterious acts, the smell of candied apples and popcorn (oohhh love popcorn) but I would never want to join the circus.
After writing that down I think I know what to rate the book. It's just too much hype and the book didn't live up to it but it was still a decent read.
Rating: ⭐⭐
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