This was a book with a lot of potential, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I thought the atmosphere was really great, but I felt like the characters were kept at a distance from the reader and consequently, I didn't really engage with their story. I will be picking up the sequel as the book ended on a really interesting note and I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoyed The Night Circus or The Prestige, but for me, it was a bit disappointing.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a very debuty debut. Lots of predictable twists, nearly pantomime-level formed characters, and big giant plot holes you can fall through. That being said, the world building was gorgeous, the setting was pretty well developed, and Kallia is a great main character (even if she's a heroine like so many other YA heroines). She's sassy, independent, and has great fashion sense. I feel like this book could be described as 50% predictable YA, 50% decadent world of magic and allure. If you're a plot-driven reader, maybe give it a pass. If you're a fan of world building and magical sumptuousness, give it a try. And bear in mind, the second half is leagues better than the first.

I recently had the pleasure of reading Janella Angeles's spectacle of a novel, WHERE DREAMS DESCEND -- and I absolutely fell in love.

With magical prose, lush descriptions, and a heavy dose of glitter, it's fun. It's romantic. It truly is a showstopper of a story.

Plus... this COVER?! Is it not one of the most stunning covers you've ever seen?! And Book 2's cover is just as pretty. 😍

What a way to kick off 2022. If you're looking for a show -- something to keep you entertained, or simply dose you in glitter and engross you in its world -- then I can't recommend WHERE DREAMS DESCEND enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Where Dreams Descend because the cover was so beautiful. However, I am so conflicted about this book. The start was slow. I stopped reading it once, then picked it back up and powered through with a buddy read.

Janella Angeles, a Filipino-American writer, started her writing journey with fanfiction. She lives in MA and works in publishing as well as being an author!

The writing style led to a great, atmospheric tale. I felt like I was walking the streets of Glorian. It was a great story with very immersive settings and characters. The plot, while slow to start, really picked up by the end and I couldn't put it down, nor did I want to! I had to see what would happen with the final performance!

The characters were all fleshed out with their own voices. Kallia was fiery and a woman taking on the world. Jack was dark, handsome, but you couldn't tell if he was good or bad. Daron was so sweet and considerate, but was he good? Aaros was probably my favorite. He ended up being Kallia's assistant and kept me laughing. I'd love to see him have his own story!

Overall, I enjoyed Where Dreams Descent. The beginning was slow and hard to keep my attention, but now that I have finished, I can't wait to read the sequel! I would give it a try if you love circus-themed books!

4 starts. Enjoyed the characters, the magic & the pacing. One of the first books in a long time where the romance and the will they, won't they didn't take way from the over all plot of the book. Cannot wait to continue

Between the cover and the book being pitched as “Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge”, I was all over this story. I had seen some early reviews about the ending, so I wanted to wait until I had both books in my hands…alas, this has been a struggle. And I’m wondering if three stars is too high of a rating.

I liked Kallia well enough. She knows she wants something different and is ready to fight for the chance to get it. Demarco was aloof and loyal and more times than not, seemed confused. Jack was a mysterious nightmare and the small glimpses we got from him are likely what kept me reading. Oh, and Kallia’s assistant Aaros might have been the best part, but he faded away quickly.

Plot wise, I don’t even know. There are loads of things mentioned and then never again, the world building is non-existent, I have no idea wtf is going on with the magic system, and all of the other magicians slash competitors are basically nameless faces in the background. However, I will say that it’s all quite atmospheric and I loved that.

Overall, I wanted a lot more, but something kept me reading. I’m hoping that there will be a lot of explaining in the next book because the last 20% or so was pretty amazing and has made me quite eager to continue. Fingers crossed.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. I admit in my joy at joining NetGalley I may have been overzealous in my requesting numbers. As this book has already been published, I am choosing to work on the current upcoming publish date books in my que.
I have finally got around to reading this and I regret not getting to it sooner, it had a bit of a slow start, but then I was drawn in and I could barley put it down.

I found this to be an enjoyable read, keeping me on my toes throughout. The storyline was written well and flowed seamlessly. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book--I liked the book, but bristled at what's basically domestic abuse between the Master and Kalia (her constantly looking over her shoulder; him stalking her; her cutting herself off from people because she's afraid he'll do something to them). Even if he had his reasons (which are never fully explained, even at the end of the book), it's a really crappy way to go about it. I felt the sexual tension between Demarco & Kalia more than some people, but then Angeles really pulls her punches. (Have they done more than heavy kissing? Sounds like it, but no details beyond disheveled hair and slightly askew clothes.)

For a magical competition, we learn nothing about the other judges and other contestants; same for the Conquering Circus. I understand Kalia and Demarco are the focus, but at the expense of everyone else who was introduced. The system of magic could've used a little more definition. This was clearly a setup for the sequel, which I'll still read.

Initial Thoughts
Alright, I admit I sat on this book. I received an ARC in April of 2020 and waiting until book 2 was out before I read it. But, my delay was not from lack of interest! I just hate to wait for sequels!

Some Things I Liked
World building and magic system. I really liked the almost historical fantasy world. It felt familiar but also unique. Also, the magic was quite interesting.
Phantom of the Opera vibes. Loved that. But, I wanted more Jack.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
I think I’m rooting for the wrong love interest? I’m team Jack but I have a feeling you’re not supposed to root for him. He is basically a villain but he’s definitely the more interesting of the two choices.

Series Value
I will read the next book. This one ended in a way that left me wanting more.

One tiny thing to note is that I finished this book about a week ago and I’ve already forgotten quite a bit. I’d recommend binging this duology because it was not terribly memorable.

Final Thoughts
I’m definitely excited to keep reading. This was a magical debut and I hope the ship I’m rooting for sails in book 2.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A promising start from a new young adult author! This had moulin rouge/greatest showman vibes. I really enjoyed the tone of writing and the pacing, the characters were also interesting! I am excited to read more.

The cover was great but couldn’t get into the story. I do think others might connect to this one more. Three stars.

The book description immediately drew me in on this one, sounding very similar to “The Night Circus,” one of my favorite stand-alone books. But then it continued and started sounding too much like yet another “Six of Crows” knock-off. I swear, the minute any summary starts listing characters as “The ‘thief/assassin/master/etc.'” I now immediately become suspicious. It could have went either way, so in I dove!

Kallia has always been ambitious, dreaming of more than just her small act in a local club. So when a competition is announced to find the next headliner for the Conquering Circus, she jumps at the opportunity. Fleeing alone through the woods, she briefly escapes Jack, the owner of the club. But safety is not to be found in this new city as her fellow competitors begin to fall prey to disappearances and mysterious accidents. But Kallia knows of no way but forward, and with the judge of the competition brooding in the shadows, Kallia begins to find she has more than one reason for sticking it out.

To get it out of the way, this wasn’t all I had hoped it would be. However, the problems I had with it weren’t due to any comparisons to “Six of Crows.” Instead, it was one of those odd reads where just enough things didn’t come together in a smooth way and left me with a disjointed and disconnected reading exerpience.

The first problem I had was with the writing itself. There was a lot of telling in this book and a lack of showing. Kallia’s abilities are highlighted on and off, but we’re essentially told she’s that much better than everyone else….just because she is. For a story that is comprised of many dark fantasy elements, scenes that just burst, sparkle, and pop from the page (she’s trying out for something called the “Conquering Circus” for Pete’s sake!), the actual prose often fell flat, and I found myself having to work hard to keep myself grounded in the story.

The pacing was also incredibly slow feeling. Again, this was a strange experience as, on paper, things were definitely happening. We have Kallia’s initial flight through the woods to get to this new city. Then her experiences in the competition itself. As well as the strange happenings when she’s home alone. Even typing it out, it sounds like it should read like an action-packed thrill ride. But instead, it felt slow and plodding. Again, I think there was just something lacking in the writing to really give the plot the “oomf” it needed to get started.

The characters were probably the best part of the book, but they didn’t stand out as especially unique. I found myself getting annoyed by Kallia’s innate “specialness” and the generous helping of arrogance that came along with this. I was marginally more interested in the two male character, the mysterious judge who is the primary romantic interest as well as Aaros, a young man who quickly becomes her best friend in this new city.

Sadly, this book wasn’t for me. There was the bones of a good story here, but I just couldn’t get into it. This is definitely one of those where one should take my rating with a grain of salt as there’s a decent chance that many of these things didn’t work for me just because I wasn’t in the right mood for this type of book. If you like fantasy and dark circuses, this still might be worth checking out. But if you were on the fence already, maybe give it a pass.

Rating 6: Just not for me with writing that couldn’t manage to draw me into the story.

Wow, so, like. I'm really mad at myself. I've had a copy of this ARC for so long and even before the release date was pushed back I just kept putting off reading it. I don't know why. So I'm here to encourage you to not do what I did. Because this book? Fabulous.

It may have taken me about two and a half, maybe three, weeks to read because I'm (as most of us are) slumpy or just living that pandemic lyfe, but nonetheless every little bit I would read? Was great. The story stuck with me, enthralled me, even when I put it down to be distracted by my phone or Netflix or staring at the walls.

"<i>I don't have to prove a single thing to them. What matters most is what I prove to <b>myself</b>. Giving up would be an insult to everything I know I'm capable of.</i>"

I am completely stunned this is a debut because though the story is fascinating and mysterious and compelling, the writing? It's solid. It's magical. It's polished. And it's all that while also having a very relevant dialogue about the double standards in society and the inequalities within most, if not all, fields, without feeling like it's trying to force the topic to <b>be</b> relevant, y'know?

"<i>Magician or not, we've always lived in a series of boys' clubs we're not allowed to enter. We're told we're simply lucky to be in the room, as long as we stay quiet. Make even a little murmur, and it's like we've disturbed the order of life itself.</i>"

As an added bonus, I could never quite see exactly where things were going. The teases were given, the little reveals, what you thought was true.. this was one story that was laced with the tiniest of breadcrumbs as opposed to smacking you in the face with what was coming next. I loved that.

If the comparisons to Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera put you off because you worried it wouldn't live up to one or the other or both; if you've been disillusioned by YA fantasies, particularly from debut authors one too many times; if you thought maybe would be just another NIGHT CIRCUS (even if you liked it, but especially if you didn't!), I'm here to tell you.. yes. Just.. yes.

<i>For too long she'd envisioned only herself on the stage, an image that always kept her going : basking in the spotlight, hearing her name and cheers over everything else. Strange how applause was just noise, when you were all alone.</i>

My one complaint, even though it isn't really, is that while I felt the mystery surrounding the setting of this book did a great job of sucking you in, the little glimpses we were given of the world outside just didn't feel quite as fleshed out or real. Maybe that was to keep the focus on what was happening in the moment, which it did very well, but I would definitely like to know more of the world outside this pocket of events, too.

Either way, I can't wait for more and I'm so excited for book two.

I've finally found another DNF. I couldn't really get connected, despite trying to read it on a few different occasions (hence why I am so late on this review). There's a great premise and the writing is lush and detailed, but it is slow to start and I was already working on predicting the tropes and plot points and was getting... bored. I'll try again in the future, but for now, this book wasn't for me.

I love carnival/circus type stories and this one did not disappoint! I love the magic and I think this would be perfect for fans of Caraval!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and Janella Angeles for the ARC. Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge? SIGN ME UP. Two of my favorite musicals wrapped into one novel, I was very excited to read this one. Overall I enjoyed the story and Kallia as a main character. She was sassy, strong, and didn't care what anyone thought - a rare find in YA fantasy. The world in which this story takes place was interesting, maybe a little confusing but it didn't take away from the overall plot. The magic competition plot was a little lack luster in my opinion - I would have much preferred to follow the all lady circus! Janella writes AMAZING female characters and I'm hoping we get more of them in book 2. Although I wasn't struggling to finish this book, there was just something about it that wasn't completely pulling me in, making me want to binge read it (I think it's because I would have preferred a story focused on the all lady circus/Kallia). Nonetheless, the ending of this book setup a sequel perfectly, so it'll definitely be something I pick up.

DNF review
I had high hopes for Where Dreams Descend. The cover is not only lush, but the book promises a circus. I can never say no to a book with the circus. While the writing of the book is rich, descriptive, and evocative, I found myself not really connecting to any of the characters. I also found the world-building to be a little lacking. I may come back to the book in the future but for now, I'm setting this one outside.

This was a great debut from Janella Angeles. I loved these characters but felt that the plot was drawn out and almost too detailed. I would recommend to anyone looking for a different experience from what they normally read!

I thought this book had a good premise and I tried to get through it 3 times. Each time I got a bit further, but ended up stopping at around 30% in. I liked the idea of the magic, the competition/contest, as well as the woman lead, but I could not stand Jack and how controlling he was. If I can get past his character my interest is still peaked by the mystery of it all and perhaps I will eventually finish it, but not yet.