I was really looking forward to this book but unfortunately for me it fell short. I'm not sure if it was just me but with LGBTQ+ I was expecting more than just gay males. I also didn't find the stories very scary.

I really, really wanted to like this collection. It ticked a lot of my boxes for me: horror, queer characters, and fantastic elements. But unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with this. It didn't fit any of my expectations and I was left feeling...unfulfilled. Granted, the queer characters were nearly exclusively gay men and I do not fit into that box. I do not understand those relationships and aspects of queer culture, so maybe that's where it fell short for me. I might not be the intended audience, and that is completely 100% okay.

Separate from that, I also just did not really get the horror. I try to be really open-minded and even though very few things actually scare me, I know that everyone's definition of fear is different. I agree with another reviewer that I think it was marketed as the wrong genre. I think this was more dark fantasy than anything else, and to me, that has a much different connotation than horror.

The two stories I did enjoy were "Loving Death" and the title story, "Cirque des Freaks." "Loving Death" felt fully-realized and had an interesting plot. And I found the premise of "Cirque des Freaks" interesting, but what cemented it as great for me was the ending. I laughed out loud for a solid minute and, while I doubt that was the story's intention, it made it memorable.

Cirque Des Freaks and Other Tales of Horror by Julian Lopez
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
Genre: Horror, LGBTQIA
Publish Date: 14 April 2020

Star Rating 3 Stars

I was very disappointed in this book. From the description and title of the book, I thought I was going to be transported into a world of horror that touched on our reality. Tied together by settings such as the circus, a Venetian masked ball, etc. these settings did exist but they were not horrifying.

I believe this book would do better if it was marketed as doomed love stories in magical settings. Lopez has written engaging stories that people will enjoy. I just feel misled and I wanted a terrifying read as the synopsis suggested it would be. If you are interested in doomed love stories in a magical setting do read this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.