Read in a day – I couldn’t put it down.

Nell has always been an outsider. Born with birth marks covering her face and body, she has always hidden herself away.

When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Curiosities comes to town, Nell’s father takes the opportunity to get rid of the daughter he didn’t want around, and make some money at the same time. He sells her to the circus.

Her initial horror and desperation to escape very quickly changes to a feeling of acceptance. Can she finally find where she belongs, and feel at home with this group of ‘curiosities’?

We follow her as Jasper makes her into a star, seeing her as the object which will finally give him the fame and fortune he is desperately seeking.

The story is told from 3 points of view: Nell, Jasper and Jasper’s brother Toby, who also feels like he lives on the outside looking in.

There is also a very interesting back story of their time at war and how it has shaped their lives.

A fabulously woven, almost magical tale.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy to read and review. I already have my indie special edition on order for my forever shelf!

I can see that a lot of research had gone into this book as the descriptions of Victorian Circuses and Victorian life were excellent and very evocative of the period. However, I did not connect with the Crimean War episodes that the book referred to as part of the plot. Overall, I enjoyed the book but not as much as I would have hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the advance copy.

A story of hope, greed and finding your place in the world. I loved Nell - she is such a captivating character. Her fight for acceptance is heartbreaking and emotional even amongst her own family. The sights and sounds described of Jasper and Toby’s war are so vivid, you can almost smell the burning and hear the cries. I loved the descriptions of the circus- almost fantasy like with the threads of fairytales spun through the story. Just Magical.

Having absolutely adored Elizabeth Macneal's debut novel, 'The Doll Factory', I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I was so sure that I would love this book that I've also pre-ordered the independent bookshop hardback version...so pretty!

I can now confirm that this has proved money well spent!

The story centres on Nell, a young woman with birthmarks all over her body and who is sold to the circus by her father. The circus is run by Jasper Jupiter, a veteran of the Crimean War, and his brother, Toby. Jasper restyles Nell as Nellie Moon, Queen of the Moon and Stars, and builds a show around her that takes the circus to a London pleasure garden, a pitch that was previously out of the realms of possibility for the touring troupe. However, with Nell's rise to fame comes many other things - a chance at love, a divide between brothers and a risky bargain with a dangerous man.

As anticipated, this is a beautifully-written book that brings the sights and sounds of the Victorian circus alive for readers, as well as the battlefields of Crimea. The various acts in the circus - the bearded lady, the albino child, Nell herself - are presented with depth and humanity and it is always clear that they are so much more than the traits that mark them out as worthy of exhibition.

The narrative shifts between Nell, Jasper and Toby and they are all engaging and interesting in their own rights. Nell's rise to fame is compelling as she gains in confidence and finds her support network in the circus - the feminist message about female friendship is an unexpected bonus in the novel. However, the relationship between the brothers was what I ultimately found most intriguing. It was fascinating to watch the dominant brother, Jasper, knocked off kilter by his decisions and inability to cede the limelight to Nell just as Toby started to find his place in the world.

I always knew that this book would be a personal hit - the author, the setting and the themes were always going to tick boxes for me - but I will admit to being surprised by the novel's plot. I don't want to give spoilers so I can only say that the subtlety with which the main characters are drawn means that I wasn't sure how I wanted the book to end. For this reason, the ending has left me with lots of food for thought and a slight sense that one of the characters perhaps has been ill-served.

This is a highly immersive and engaging tale and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction with depth and heart. The settings are vibrant, the characters human and flawed, the plot unpredictable - and I loved it.

Roll up! Roll up!
Welcome to Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders!

A bittersweet journey of betrayal, fame, greed – a poetic melody is needed to describe this work of art in the way it deeply deserves.

“Wonder kindles in her.”

Set in 1866, Nell’s skin is speckled with birthmarks that have her gawked at by strangers and acquaintances alike. She reads tales of those like her, Hans my hedgehog and a boy half-beast, who experience love and become cured – “would her birthmarks disappear if someone loved her?”.

Nell is then sold by her father to Jasper for his circus of freaks and wonders. We are then immersed and captivated by the circus world, human oddities and rare creatures filing this menagerie to be forever gawked at. Jasper loves his circus, himself and his brother Toby dreaming of this since the Crimean War, but Jasper has a voracious need for success and the spotlight which proves to be his downfall.

Strong friendships are formed whilst Nell blossoms into a confident woman and through her exhilarating and exciting life she finally finds her self-worth.

The colours of the descriptions and tumultuous story are captivating and you will be dazzled forever more by Elizabeth Macneal. I cannot stress enough just how enamoured I found myself with this story.

I absolutely adore anything and everything circus related, so whilst I knew I would love this read, it is much more than just its setting. I kept finding myself going back through completed pages and really taking the time to savour the words, not wanting to miss a single sight or sound.

Thank you so so much to Picador for accepting me to review this on NetGalley.

I was captivated by "The Doll Factory" so I was so excited to get this book! Macneal does an excellent job of weaving wonder with the darker side lurking behind the curtain. Circuses have always fascinated and troubled me, and she does an excellent job of balancing both while creating characters I won't soon forget.

I really enjoyed this book; it's an incredible piece of fiction!

I loved reading from the perspective of the three different narrators. The setting is filled with magic and wonder; the characters are so full of life.

Love, hate, loss, family, lies, loyalty, secrets, intrigue; honestly, this book has it all!

Crimean war veteran Jasper is the owner of the circus of wonders, helped by his shadowy brother Toby. When Toby discovers Nell, a girl covered in birthmarks, Jasper offers to buy her from her father for the princely sum of £20. Thrown into the world of the circus Nell becomes a queen amongst Jasper's other acts - making friends with the giantess and the bearded lady. Will Jasper's ambition push his circus to its limits? Will Toby ever step out of Jasper's shadow and escape his own secrets? Will Nell escape the circus if given the opportunity?

There's so much about this book that I liked. The characters are interesting and the imagery of the circus and the Victorian backstreets are well done. However for me there was something missing, maybe too much is made of Jasper and Toby's past which doesn't feel that relevant. I think if the focus had stayed on the circus and developing the characters of more of the other acts it would have been even better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

There is just something about a circus, and this book captures the “something”.

Obviously, this is a very well-written book with beautiful imagery, as one expects from Elizabeth Macneal.

The book has little “plot” and is majorly character driven, but the characters are compelling enough that it’s not an issue. Macneal does such a good job at portraying the terrible dichotomy of circus life - being adored for your “strangeness” but also being abused and never fitting in elsewhere. She also beautifully illustrates the relationship between love and control. What we do to keep it, create it, and grow it.

I loved the three leads: Jasper, Nell, and Toby; and I loved that we got all of their POVs.

Jasper is a fascinating character, with a need for control and domination over every facet of his life and those around him. He is incredibly complex and unusual.
What Jasper feels his faults are what actually makes him better and kinder than other showrunners, but sees them as weaknesses.

Toby spends most of his time dividing the world into “Jasper’s things” and everything else. He is almost desperate not to take from Jasper, while realizing the unfairness of Jasper’s claim over everything in their world. Later, Toby trying to change himself is so visceral and painful. He can’t bear to exist in his current skin anymore. He always walks the line of what a person can be capable of.

Nell is searching for her place in life. And I love the realization Nell has when her brother visits her. Sometimes people confuse love and control, and Nell sees it in her brother. And yet, Nell’s relationship with Toby begins to blur the lines between those two things.

At the end, Tony’s realization that what we perceive as defining moments may just be moments, and that sometimes people do get away with it, is heart-wrenching.And I’m so happy that <spoiler> Nell achieved her dreams, but I feel so bittersweet for Toby. The bindings of family trap him, but he has tied the knots himself. I like how family is both a blessing and curse to everyone in the book. </spoiler>

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillN for giving me this e-arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This is a story from three distinct but interlinked perspectives, Nell - born with distinct birth marks is noticeably distinct in her small coastal village and is sold by her father to a travelling circus. The circus is owned by Jasper, helped by his brother Toby. Jasper always the leader, followed and supported in all his endeavours by his faithful brother.

We accompany Nell on her journey as she finds a new family and develops confidence in her skills as a circus performer and member of the troupe. We meet all manner of individuals who make up this circus community and the back stories of a few key players, including the savvie, charismatic and knowing Stella!

This book is more than just Nell’s story, it also focuses on the fraternal interdependent relationship between Jasper and Toby. Theirs is a fractured relationship, damaged by past slights, jealousies and Jasper’s desperation for power, profit and control. Toby damaged by these and his lack of self-confidence us desperate to secure his brother’s approval, and so the not so merry go round of their relationship progresses.

It was a relationship full of jealousy and dependence, I loved this story!! The setting of the circus was so unusual and unique to anything I've read before. The story started with a bang and apart from a slight dip in part two the action just kept coming. Nell started off as an outsider in her hometown, not wanted and not sure where her place was. As the book progresses we see her gain confidence, skills and a sense of belonging. The circus community were a fantastic bunch of characters and I particularly loved Stella for her candid attitude.

The most interesting part of the story was the sibling relationship between Jasper and Toby. It was a relationship full of jealousy and dependence, one brother could not survive without the other. Whilst Jasper was awful and did some unforgiveable things I think his cruel actions were fuelled by what he had seen in battle and his hunger for power. He tried to look after Toby but his mistake was treating him like a slave and not his equal, which is all Toby ever wanted. I think Toby made the ultimate sacrifice in the final chapters and showed Jasper just how deep his loyalties were.

This was a story full of love, hope, magic and power. It showed the strength between two brothers and how one can find their home in the most unusual of places. brother could not survive without the other. Whilst Jasper was awful and did some I loved this story!! The setting of the circus was so unusual and unique to anything I've read before. The story started with a bang and apart from a slight dip in part two the action just kept coming. Nell started off as an outsider in her hometown, not wanted and not sure where her place was. As the book progresses we see her gain confidence, skills and a sense of belonging. The circus community were a fantastic bunch of characters and I particularly loved Stella for her candid attitude.

The most interesting part of the story was the sibling relationship between Jasper and Toby. It was a relationship full of jealousy and dependence, one brother could not survive without the other. Whilst Jasper was awful and did some unforgiveable things I think his cruel actions were fuelled by what he had seen in battle and his hunger for power. He tried to look after Toby but his mistake was treating him like a slave and not his equal, which is all Toby ever wanted. I think Toby made the ultimate sacrifice in the final chapters and showed Jasper just how deep his loyalties were.

This book tells a story of loss, love, hope, magic, family and power, within its pages it captures a multitude of stories that all meet to create magic and reminds us that home can be anywhere, and family is not limited by blood.

I received a copy of this from the publisher Pan Macmillan, and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

We read this as our Tsundoku Squad Books group April book, and we changed it up a little this month. Instead of splitting it into 4 parts and chatting each week, we decided to split it into 2 parts and chat every 2 weeks.

I loved this book, like really loved it. I love stories about the Circus (I wouldn’t go to an animal circus and have never been to one), and was pulled into the creaminess and magic of it all.

The book is a 2 different stories, one is sadness and the shame felt of being different, then there’s the magic, love and friendship of the Circus and the performers. Nell grew up knowing she was different, and covered herself in long dresses so no one could see the birthmarks. But when her father sells her to a circus to be one of Jaspers ‘freaks’, everyone sees her.

I loved Nell. Such a loving girl who wanted nothing more than to be seen as normal. I loved how at home she seemed amongst the others in the Circus, how she cared for them. And her love for Toby was so true. I didn’t like Jasper at all, he was an arse. But it made for a good baddie if that makes sense. The way he treats the performers as if they’re his pets, something he controls and owns was horrible.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and if you like stories of the circus then this is definitely for you. I’d love to see a sequel and see where it goes!

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an Advance Reading Copy of this book. I really enjoyed reading it.

There are two brothers who were a part of the Crimean War but now have decided to move on and start their own circus. The circus was always a dream of theirs to open together but Jasper, the older brother decided to start it by himself while his younger brother Toby worked for him. Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders was famous for its show. The freaks that Jasper had acquired/ hired were unique. Nell was the newest addition to this circus. She had birthmarks over her body that made her different from the rest. Nell’s father sold her to Jasper in hopes of her better future and being in a place where she wasn’t the only one who looked different.

The story follows each character and their complicated lives, individually and as a part of the circus. It was really interesting to read about these complex characters and their relationships along with the stories of the past. Jasper and Toby are brothers but their nature is the complete opposite of each other which explains the dynamic between them. Jasper shines bright in front of the people while Toby views the world from the lens of his camera. Nell is one of the main characters and throughout the book you can see a major change in her, going from a shy reserved person to the star of the show.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It is a story about dreams, ambitions, relationships, the fight for success and so much more!

I loved this story!! The setting of the circus was so unusual and unique to anything I've read before. The story started with a bang and apart from a slight dip in part two the action just kept coming. Nell started off as an outsider in her hometown, not wanted and not sure where her place was. As the book progresses we see her gain confidence, skills and a sense of belonging. The circus community were a fantastic bunch of characters and I particularly loved Stella for her candid attitude.

The most interesting part of the story was the sibling relationship between Jasper and Toby. It was a relationship full of jealousy and dependence, one brother could not survive without the other. Whilst Jasper was awful and did some unforgiveable things I think his cruel actions were fuelled by what he had seen in battle and his hunger for power. He tried to look after Toby but his mistake was treating him like a slave and not his equal, which is all Toby ever wanted. I think Toby made the ultimate sacrifice in the final chapters and showed Jasper just how deep his loyalties were.

This was a story full of love, hope, magic and power. It showed the strength between two brothers and how one can find their home in the most unusual of places.

A really rich and enjoyable book. Macneal captures the period very beautifully and the storyline was well structured.

This book was so amazing! I love the circus and when I saw the cover I was pulled in. The book centres around three people, Nell, Toby and Jasper. We see everything through their points of view and their back stories to who they were, are and who they want to become.
I love Nell and Toby, the ending had me wanting more for them and I couldn't help feeling sorry for them both for everything they went though. I could understand Jasper and his way of thinking but it was inevitable what would happen to him in the end. I love that the author references books such as Grimms fairytales, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and many others to describe the life he leads and how its relatable. It made me feel like I was a part of their journey and it was exciting all the way through.
I love happy endings and shocking endings but this one felt in-between. It was happy in ways and awful in others. It was perfect.
I cannot wait to read more of the authors work!

This is about the effect attitudes have on those who were considered different. For some, it meant degradation and subjugation, while for others it was a way out of poverty. This same conflict is echoed in the brothers Jasper and Toby, who have their own conflict over loyalty and betrayal. It was well written and the portrayal of the circus world excellent.

Good tale covering period from Crimean war to the circus of wonders. Two brothers, so different but bonded together by love for each other despite one being overshadowed by the other. Nellie, sold by her father becomes 'the Queen of Moon and Stars', but can she ever be happy knowing her brother betrayed her - or did he? Lots of interesting side line stories and a tale that ends possibly not quite the way you would want it to. you will enjoy this book.

1866 in a small coastal town lives Nells who sells violets for a living with her family. She loves her life with her brother but, is shunned by the rest of the villagers because of her birthmarks that speckled across her skin. The villagers think she is a freak. So, when The Circus of Wonders rolls into town with brothers Jasper and Toby who dreamed of owning a circus when they were fighting as soldiers in the Crimean war. Now has a circus full of wonders and curiosities that with Nells help will complete his dream.
Nell is fascinated of the people just like her. So, when her father sells her off to them, she is disgusted at his betrayal but then loves it as she doesn’t have to pretend to be someone else. She can be herself. Jasper set her to work and dreams of riches because of this unique girl with the speckled skin and thinks that he will make his circus the best there is because of her.
But things don’t go to plan for Jasper, and it makes it worse when takes money from a lender.
I thank Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a copy of Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal. I read her previous novel The doll factory so I was so happy to receive a copy of this for an honest review. This story is about Love, hate, being different and go against everyone’s negativity and being the best, you can be. This story is set in Victorian London and is deeply detailed on what life was like in them times and what it was like to work in circus. The hard work they endured and how some people thought that they were just a bunch of freaks that were trying to make a living. Not everyone respected them or even the Circus master to the circus that they worked in. They were there just to make money. 4 stars from me.

Captivated by Elizabeth Macneal's epic troupe of characters in this Victorian circus tale. Themes include sibling bonds, ambition & freedom. Clever historical & mythological references question illusion vs. reality & if 3 really is a crowd? Loved the colourful descriptions, devoured in 1 sitting!

By now, we've seen a number of takes on the world behind the glitter and glamor of the circus. The title of this one echoes one of my favorites, World of Wonders by Robertson Davies. Perhaps I was too influenced by the memory of that elegantly written novel, but Macneal's style grated on me and I found it hard to get into her narrative. I think that those who are looking for a gritty circus novel with period flavor and some poetic flights of language may enjoy it more than I did.