I received an advanced copy of Where Dreams Descend from Wednesday Books!

The Conquering Circus has come to town, searching for its next headlining act. Magicians from across the land have gathered to audition, displaying their magic for the chance to compete for a coveted career in performance. Kallia has powerful magic, but no woman has been allowed to perform as a magician before, stacking the odds against her. She will do whatever it takes to earn the star spot in the competition. But, when magicians start to disappear, Kallia begins to wonder if she will be next?

Where Dreams Descend is coming out on August 25th!

I was actually rather disappointed by this book. I couldn’t get into the author’s writing style, which felt jarring and fragmented. I also didn’t find myself interested in any of the characters, so I lacked investment in the story. Where Dreams Descend was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020, but I was really let down by the execution.

My Recommendation-
To be honest, I would recommend skipping this book. If you aren’t bothered by issues in writing style, you might want to give the story a chance, but if you’re bothered by anything I mentioned earlier, this book probably shouldn’t stay on your tbr.

It felt like Phantom of the Opera with Magicians. The chemistry with Jack was hot and made me think of The Phantom. Demarco made me think of Raul. It ended on a cliff hanger so I am interested to see where we go next.

This is a dnf for me, I am at 48% and cannot bring myself to pick it back up, I hate to give a star rating not finishing a book, but that's what I have to do here. The story did not engage me, and the characters have fallen flat for me, I am disappointed.

*4.5 stars*

ARC provided by Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

Kallia lives her life as a showgirl at the Hellfire house, beholden to the master, Jack. He trains her in the ways of magic, but in exchange she is stuck in the isolated house, performing as a masked showgirl night after night. Kallia longs to go to the mysterious ice-covered city of Glorian, where she can compete in a game of magical feats. When Jack forbids her from leaving Hellfire house, Kallia takes matters in to her own hands. But danger lurks in the deadly competition to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus.

Review

This book was sparkling and magical in every aspect! I could really feel the magic in the air and the emotions of characters through the storytelling of Angeles, and this book was truly a treat to read.

There is a magic woven in to the city of Glorian and Hellfire House itself, and enhances the descriptions of the settings. As you read the book and discover more about each place, there are underlying mysteries at play that keep you intrigued. The writing was whimsical and atmospheric and really transported me to the iced covered streets even though I was sitting outside in the summer heat while I read.

One of the coolest aspects of this book was the feminist commentary woven throughout the magical system. Only men are show magicians, while women are pushed to the sidelines to do household magic. And when women decide to go in to show business? They mysteriously disappear. Kallia is a direct challenge to this system, and will do whatever it takes to prove that she can be the top magician. She is brash, bold, and smart and I absolutely adore her for that.

There is such an interesting relationship dynamic that exists in this book. Jack and Kallia have some sort of toxic attraction to each other, but its very clear that there is a power imbalance and Jack keeps Kallia in his grasp. Once she is free of him and meets Demarco, she begins to see what a relationship between equals is like. Their slow burn is truly delightful and the way their romance unfurls is captivating. However, Jack is always lurking in the background, unwilling to let Kallia go completely. I was so interested to see more of the dynamic between Jack and Kallia because it is a clearly toxic relationship, but he is holding the secrets of Glorian and in some twisted way trying to protect Kallia. I'm interested to see what will play out between these three characters in the sequel!

I think I loved the idea of this book more than the actual book. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with it, however, I found that it didn't hold my attention very well as I was reading.

I was very excited about the premise of this book, especially since it was linked to Moulin Rouge. I did REALLY appreciate the strong female lead. Especially since she is a talented magician among many male magicians who have prejudices against her.

This very well could've been an issue of timing. Had I been in the mood for a story like this, I may have enjoyed it more.

I'd like to throw a huge thank you out to not only Netgalley but also Wednesday Books for allowing me the chance to read an early copy of this book. I absolutely loved Caraval and this book made me feel like I was reading that one all over again with just a little bit darker tone. Not once did I feel like I was reading something I had already read before. The whole thing felt fresh and new, from the characters, to the setting, to the plot, I wasn't bored once. 

For this to be a debut novel  from this author I was very pleasantly surprised. I felt like her writing style and ideas all flowed very naturally without too many of the usual YA tropes. While you knew there was going to be a love interest it didn't feel like it was forced too heavily on the readers for example. I loved that characters felt like they weren't necessarily good/bad, other than the mayor who was just a jerk for the sake of being a sexist jerk. You got to really kind of see why they acted the way that they did and while that left you with more questions than answers I felt it wasn't a waste of my time. I realize this is going to turn into potentially a series or at least a trilogy and I am more than willing to allow my many questions to be answered in the forthcoming books!

Once again I would like to say a huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review. If you want a dark, magical, and spectacular story that will keep you up at night just so you can finish then I highly recommend you give this debut novel a shot. I'm glad I did!

Where dreams descend is a YA book by Janella Angeles which has been touted as a cross between Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera, and for fans of A night circus.

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

The premise sounded really interesting and not only loving books about magic and circuses and YA, I thought this would be a book right up my alley. I was a bit disappointed, as I found it somewhat slow and confusing. The writing is beautiful, but could have been edited. While I am sure there will be fans of this book I was not. I think any teenagers who enjoyed the series Cirque du freak may want to check this book out. 21/2 star rounded up to 3







Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I just was not able to get into this book. I have been trying to read this book for a few months now and I just cannot get into it. I made it to the 60% mark and it was clear that this just isn't the book for me. This book is VERY well-written, but it is SLOW. I am more of a fast-paced, plot-driven reader and this book just couldn't keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book.

I went into this book really excited - I’m in a book group that’s reading this and majority are loving this book and the characters. But for me it just isn’t working. Early on in the book, I just found myself skimming pages. .. that’s generally a sign to me that the book probably needed a bit more editing.

But don’t listen to me - this book has a lot of fans - so do give it a try and make up your own mind !

Confused.

That’s how I felt for the most of Where Dreams Descend, and definitely after I finished. Only the ending resulted in a more of a “WTF just happened!” confusion versus the “I don’t know what’s happening” confusion I experienced while I was reading. I’m not mad that I was perplexed – it definitely makes me more interested to read the sequel, but I am slightly annoyed that only a few of the sources of my confusion were resolved by the end of the story. This is honestly probably my biggest problem with Where Dreams Descend. If there are any mysteries in a novel, I need some sort of payoff or resolution to them by the end of the book.

Another source of confusion is my reading habits while reading this book. I’m naturally more of a one sitting reader, but I found myself willingly taking breaks while reading Where Dreams Descend. I don’t know, I just couldn’t read a lot of it at once, which is unusual for me. The story was wonderfully written and intricately woven, but it just didn’t pull me in until past the halfway mark after most of the world building is established and the plot picks up.

But that might be because of the writing. As beautiful as it is, it can get a bit redundant and flowery at times. It kind of reminds me of Jay Kristoff’s writing in Nevernight.

I also felt like some of the characters were underdeveloped and didn’t experience any significant development throughout the story. I get that they’re all supposed to have mysterious pasts, but again, it’s just too much mystery and not enough answers.

As for the romance, let’s just say this one I blame on the synopsis. It was not what I was expecting. The characters had great chemistry, but I still felt like the romance was a bit forced. I think it might have just needed some more time for it to feel more genuine.

Despite my complaints, I really did enjoy reading Where Dreams Descend. Where it shines is with its star, Kallia. She is just so fierce and confident! There are times where she does toe the line between confidence and arrogance, but I can hardly blame her. Even though the story takes place in a fictional world, I loved how it alluded to many modern-day struggles and issues, such as the fact that women, and especially women of color, have to work harder to be taken seriously. Kallia is an excellent representation of that. I feel like she often wears her confidence like a suit of armor against those that want to belittle her accomplishments and potential.

In conclusion, Where Dreams Descend is an intriguing read full of mysteries, almost too many. I loved Kallia and her fierceness and how magic was woven into the plot but it wasn’t as spectacular as I’d like. I can’t believe I have to wait until 2021 to read the next book.

What a luscious dream of a book! I knew I would enjoy it based on the comps alone, but I was delighted to see that it lived up to expectations. Angeles's imagery facilitated between dark, rich, and whimsical as the book careened on a predictable but still enjoyable plot. Kallia was a vivacious, brilliant heroine you can't help but to root for. I do wish it had been a bit longer, as the ending seemed a rushed with a few too many questions left unanswered for my taste. Luckily, the sizzling romance and quick pacing held my interest and have me looking forward to reading the sequel!

A hauntingly atmospheric series opener, perfect for fans of Caraval and the Shadow Game series. Kallia is a compelling and chaotic main character, and her complicated relationships with Jack and Demarco will surely only get more complicated as the story goes on. Lots of threads left hanging and mysteries left unsolved, but the world building is excellent and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Where Dreams Descend

4 stars

Filled with magic and suspense, mysterious intrigue, spectaculore (see what I did there) productions and chilling visuals, Where Dreams Descend is perfect for fans who wanted more of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera and couldn’t get enough of the dazzling performances of Moulin Rouge.

What stood out to me the most in Where Dreams Descend, is the author’s writing. I find it very hard to believe this is a debut novel. The author’s visual descriptions were so profound and exemplary that I find the vivid mental images of many of the scenes still playing in my head long after I’ve finished the novel. Although I still have many questions about the world and magic system, I found the author did an amazing job of explaining and visualizing for the reader in a way that added more intrigue and had me wholly immersed awaiting what would happen. This is a world unlike any other I’ve seen in YA and one I am more than excited to continue exploring.

I adored our main female lead who faced not only obstacles dark, ominous, and unknown, but also the very known sentiment of building a name for herself in a world that solely favors male magicians. I loved her will to not back down and in fact stand out all the more. I also really loved the slow burn romance and found it to be sweet and wholesome. But most of all I really loved the side characters. They were all so unique and interesting and I hope to see a lot more of them in the sequel which I will be eagerly awaiting.

The novel also ended in a major cliffhanger that still has me reeling so I will definitely be waiting with frayed nerves!

I highly recommend Where Dreams Descend to fans of Caraval, The Crown’s Game, and even for fans of The Raven Cycle. I think fans who enjoyed the element of foreshadowing gloom and suspenseful mystery in TRC will really love this one!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Where Dreams Descend

Author: Janella Angeles

Book Series: Kingdom of Cards Book 1

Rating: 1/5

Diversity: POC characters (Kallia specifically is described as having brown skin)

Recommended For...: ya fantasy, magic, kinda like The Night Circus.

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF-ed

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 464

Synopsis: In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Review: Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 43%. I think the book has a lot of promise and I’m really intrigued by the story, but it needs more editing. The book is very confusing. The formatting is horrible and the POV switches are so confusing. The book kind of jumps into the story and it was pretty far into the book before I figured out who Kallia really was personality wise. The plot is intriguing in the synopsis but at 43% it still wasn't the focal point of the book. Character development is all over the place and the mind games hurt my brain. The world building is the best part but it doesn't help save this plot. It's also very long winded and overtly talkative in a lot of spots. I did have an arc so I'm hoping the final version was cleaned up but it's definitely not for me I don't think.

Verdict: It’s promising, but not for me at the moment.

I Adored this book. It had me hooked from page one. Drawing me in and making me feel as if i was there living it myself. It is one of my top reads for this year by far

I truly loved this book. From the beginning, the premise hooked me. I mean, how can a person NOT be excited about Phantom meets Moulin Rouge with a dash of The Night Circus?!

These characters have found their way into my heart and I want to keep them all there even though I don’t know which ones I can trust. This story is so full of mystery and magic and the entire cast leaps off the page in a colorful blaze. Speaking of mystery, Janella did such a brilliant job of unfolding this mystery, giving us little tidbits when we need them but never too much that we can guess (or at least that I could guess).

I thought the pacing felt w little off in places, which is why I can’t give it a full five stars, but this lived up to my expectations in so many ways and I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds in the next book.

eArc provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I LOVED this book. I really enjoy carnival/circus settings in books, and yet I don't seem to find many that I actually enjoy. This one was amazing and I'm so glad it lived up to the hype. I enjoyed every minute of it. A must read for those who enjoyed The Night Circus or Caraval or Moulin Rouge.

I am very conflicted about my feelings on this book. It took me awhile to get into it, but once I did I was hooked with the descriptions of the magic and the Spectaculore. Kallia was easy to love, she was strong, blunt, and never doubted herself, even when things began to go wrong around her. She was really the only well fleshed out character in the whole book though, everyone else just felt flat and one sided to me. The ending was, for me, very disappointing. Obviously things have been left very open for a second book, but I just hate books that build and build and build to just be suddenly cut short. Hopefully the next book will answer some of the many questions I have.

I did like the premise of this story. I can see where some would think it would be similar to Night Circus. It just wasn't drawing me in like I was hoping, which is important to me when reading a book.

The characters just didn't feel relatable, I couldn't understand what was happening half the time, and I felt bored. Maybe I expected too much from it, But overall, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. I just don't think this book was for me, but I really appreciated the opportunity to read and review it!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book for an honest opinion.

I did like the premise. But I felt like the whole story was just setting up for a sequel and that was kind of boring. It just seemed like one missed opportunity after another

Maybe I expected too much from it, But overall, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. And that's usually what I want from a book.