I have been waiting for a book as good as The Night Circus, and this did not disappoint. I loved reading each character’s perspective, and the depth of each of them. The imagery was also fantastic, I felt like I was fully immersed in the circus.

I loved The Doll Factory and couldn't wait to read Macneal's next book. It didn't disappoint. Set in Victorian England it features Nell who has birthmarks on her skin. Her father sells her to a circus as a leopard girl and whips through other locations as we find out what happens to her. A brilliant follow up to The Doll Factory and great for historical fiction lovers.

In Victorian England, Nell lives a miserable life picking violets for a living. With birthmarks covering her entire body she is shunned by the other villagers. Her world is turned upside down when her drunken father sells her to a circus for twenty pounds. Jasper Jupiter, the showman, turns her into a flying act and she soon discovers the joy of being adored both as a performer and as a woman. But it is not Jasper who becomes her lover but his younger, more reticent brother Toby. Jasper and Toby are very close and we discover early on that they are hiding a secret about what happened to a friend, Dash, during the Crimean War in which they all served. Toby as a war photographer, the others as soldiers. The relationships are complex and with both Jasper and Toby lusting after Nell, things don't look set for happy ever afters.

I enjoyed this book very much. The characters are well defined and you feel sympathy for them all whether they are one of Jasper's 'freaks' put on show for the enjoyment of the Victorian public (and even the queen herself at one point) or one of the main characters like Jasper who I couldn't help feel sorry for as his hitherto overshadowed little brother started to assert himself.

One thing that bothered me was the cost of things. At one point in the story, Jasper borrows £10,000 from money lenders. This is the equivalent of 1.25 million today and seems an awful lot to be borrowing without equity. He also pays £1000 for a (presumably) albino girl. Again this didn't seem realistic. But I could be wrong. Maybe circuses were really big business back in the Victorian era. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is a very well researched and well written novel. Set in Victorian times, when people who were different were regarded with suspicion and put on display in circuses and exhibitions, the story follows Nell, a young woman who had been born with prominent birthmarks and is sold to a showman by her father.
The premise really appealed to me and I had high expectations of learning what it was like for anyone caught up in this world. Today, it would be inconceivable that someone born with a physical condition would be paraded around for 'normal' people to gawp at.
Unfortunately, I was left a bit disappointed. Toby just seemed so docile, I couldn't imagine someone like Nell being attracted to him. She, in turn, seemed very self centred, proven by her actions at the end of the story. I didnt warm to her at all. I also couldn't buy into the idea that within a matter of weeks she could become such an accomplished performer.
The sections dealing with the Crimea could have been really interesting but lacked depth because it was only part of the story. In having these two threads I didn't feel that either were given the attention they deserved, which is a shame.
Nevertheless, it did hold my attention even though I found it quite frustrating at times.

Enjoyed this one. I felt like there was something missing though, something I needed to love it. Well thought out plot and easy to read.

This magical second book from one of my favourite authors had me captivated from page one. Not only does Elizabeth Macneal always pick fascinating topics for her books, but you can’t help but he drawn in by her writing.

One of the most touching things about ‘Circus of Wonders’ was how it made me reflect on physical appearances - it teaches us that how we look on the outside does not define who we are on the inside, despite how society may have us believe otherwise. I also loved the female relationships and friendships - the strength of women against the odds. It was beautiful and just what we need in these times.

Although the ending was not what I was rooting for (I won’t spoil it though!) - it was actually better. Morally deep and enchanting, the story and the characters will stay with me for a long time.

If you like the film The Greatest Showman, or the musical Barnum I think you’d really enjoy this book!

Elizabeth Macneal's debut The Doll Factory was my favourite book of 2019, so I was really excited to read her second novel. I was especially curious to see Macneal's version of a Victorian circus and how she would make it her own. Circus of Wonders, set in 1866 England, follows a young girl, Nell, who becomes a part of Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders. There is something different about Nell and soon her life changes completely and the reader is taken into a wondrous world of performance and spectacle that is also dark and unexpected.

Elizabeth Macneal's writing is wonderful; she has a great skill for setting her story, creating and describing her characters and making the reader care for them (even those less likeable ones!). From the people in Nell's village, the circus performers, to even the cruel moneylender, the Jackal, Macneal's characters are vivid, they have stories and motivations of their own. As in The Doll Factory, Macneal's weaves together themes of love, betrayal, deceit, invention and secrets and turns it all into one tapestry that is a gripping novel. I really liked her exploration of the meaning of being different, not being able to fit in and trying to find acceptance. I also enjoyed how she made subtle connections to real people of the era, such as Dickens or P. T. Barnum.

Although the circus theme can be pretty predictable, with her imagination and excellent writing, Elizabeth Macneal made Circus of Wonders special and memorable. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for letting me read the ARC and see Circus of Wonders for myself.

Living within a couple of miles of the best circus in Europe (Giffords), I was very keen to read this and see the descriptions of life in those times when you were with the circus. I must say, it seems to accurately follow my understanding of circus life. I come from a city where there has been a Goose Fair every October for hundreds of years. I remember the freak shows, bearded ladies, pickled siamese twin foetus and the interestingly named "cock on a stick" lollipops.
I really enjoyed the characters in this and their back stories. Apart from Dash, I think I would have happily pushed him off a parapet to wipe the smugness off him.

A novel set in Victorian England - tick!
A circus with a cast of amazing and strong women - tick!
The new novel by Elizabeth Macneal who wrote the wonderful The Doll Factory - tick!
I couldn't believe my luck that I was able to read and review #TheCircusofWonders prior to it's UK publication, thanks to @NetGalley and the publishers #Picador
I was not disappointed. Macneal builds tension in a way that creeps up on you and is all consuming. At one stage i had to put the book down for a day and come back to it as I was so worried about what might happen. Yes, I was that invested. There really is something for everyone in this book. Amazing descriptions, well developed characters and past secrets that are revealed. I loved it.
I cannot recommend this lovely book enough. It is going to be so many people's book of 2021.

Smell the grease paint and the lion dung, be blinded by hundreds of torches and hear the flap of the tent canvas - the circus is in town! The villagers flock to see the wonders, the exotic animals and marvel at nature’s freaks on display. Only Nell, who has always been considered an outsider in her village due to a skin condition, is more reluctant to be drawn to “Jasper Jupiter’s Great World of Wonders”.
Her life changes abruptly when her father sells her to the showmann she is kidnapped by the troupe.
Jasper’s brother Toby, plagued by memories and guilt towards their friend Dash, befriends Nell. Meanwhile, Jasper has great plans to bring out Nell as his top attraction - a winged flying creature - and make his fortune with her.

Similar themes to “The Electric Venus” by Julie Mayhew, but here the atmosphere of a Victorian circus becomes sheer poetry. The structure of a trio - Jasper/Toby/Dash in the past and Jasper/Toby/Nell in the present works like the support for a circus tent. Although I did not understand the hold that Jasper had over Toby, although the plot sags a little in the middle, it is still a joy to read.

“All of history is fiction.”

Nell is a girl, who apart from the marks on her skin, would have most likely stayed in her little village picking violets for her whole life. Instead, she’s an outcast because of the birthmarks speckling her skin and Nell is sold into the circus, not just any circus, but Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders. Soon Nell is called the eighth wonder of the world, the queen of the moon and stars and it’s there, in amongst the glamour of her new life, she finds a family far removed from the father who sold her. Including Toby. Toby is the charismatic Jasper Jupiter’s brother, but all the wonder of the circus can’t ever fully obscure the bothers flawed past and some secrets can’t always stay hidden.

I’m a history student and I often get annoyed at historical novels that just fall flat but this was the complete opposite, the Victorian setting felt flawlessly interwoven into the story. I felt as though I could smell the sawdust on the floor and see the circus come to life. Also, I adored the inclusion of the Crimean war as well. It was so different from many historical novel settings and the realism portrayed in Jasper enjoying the spoils of war while the truth was a bloody, horrific mess and Toby was forced the capture the ‘joy’ of war abroad in his photographs for the English press was harrowing.

It helped that this was an incredible character-driven story, I found that once I started reading, I was desperately caught up in the complex characters that weave throughout the narrative, but especially in Nell, Jasper and Toby. Macneal skilfully crafts layered, relatable and flawed people. The chapters alternate between the three main characters, and although I loved and rooted for Nell, Jasper and Toby definitely stole the show. It was so interesting to witness the strained relationship between the siblings and explore their secrets and history, from their childhood to soldiers in the Crimean war to working together (or rather Toby working for Jasper) in the circus they both dreamed of. More than that, I felt like we really got to see them grow as people, to watch how the introduction of Nell to the circus changed Toby and Jasper’s relationship as it set the whole circus on a whole new path.

I know the introduction of a girl changing the relationship of two brothers, sounds like a cliché love story, but I wouldn’t classify this book as a romance. Instead, I think it’s an exploration of ambition, human obsession, freedom and so much more that’s hard to identify because its such a raw expression of life. There’s not a more fitting setting for this than a circus because, as previously highlighted, “all of history is fiction”. It spoke to me, as a historian, but also as a person witnessing the creation of people, the fabrication of stories and the writing of the book itself, as so incredibly true.

The only thing that dragged it down from five stars for me was the plot, once I picked the book up, I found it hard to put down, but it was sometimes a struggle to pick it up because I could see where the story was going. Apart from the very end, which was so well done and incredibly well-fitting, I could guess where there would be crisis points and know where there would be conflict and it made it feel very heavy to continue diving into and made the story feel a lot longer than it was.

However, I think the end really brought it together and as soon as I finished it, I wanted to talk to people endlessly about this great book. I highly recommend it to anyone that can appreciate well-crafted characters and a magical historical novel.

Thank you so much Pan Macmillan and Net Galley for the ARC.

I haven't read much Historical Fiction and it did take me a little while to get into this book. I fell in love with the characters and I loved how we saw the story from multiple perspectives, really giving me an insight into the brothers' relationship and what motivated Jasper.

I loved being engulfed in this world and I loved the way this world was crafted so I could really feel as if I was there.

I gave this book a 4 star as I did feel like there were some parallels with The Greatest Showman - and I know Barnum was referenced as he really paved the way for this sort of entertainment - however the fire that brought it all down at the end just niggled me for this reason. I would also have liked to seen more moments between Pearl and Nell - as although I became attached to Nell, I didn't really feel anything towards Pearl.

I really loved this. I liked the historical setting of the circus - I thought the writing style was beautiful and the description was vivid and colourful which really brought the circus to life for me. I also enjoyed the discussion of other famous circuses and acts all of which are historically accurate - this really added to the story for me. It is fairly slow paced, and so although quite a lot happens it does feel more character driven than plot driven - which is not a problem for me at all! There is also a slight element of mystery involved, and I always love a bit of mystery in pretty much any genre. The three main characters who we hear from in the book are very real and three dimensional. They all have flaws and say and do things that they probably shouldn't, but are still likeable (at least the two that we are supposed to like!) So all in all, a really enjoyable read for me, and one I would recommend to people who enjoy slower paced historical fiction which is beautifully written.

Firstly, I am still on cloud 9 from being accepted to read this book! The doll factory was my favourite read of last year so when I saw Elizabeth’s new book was up to request I was very excited. Then I was accepted!

It did not disappoint! It had the same eerie, gothic and historical feel to it. Strange characters that you oddly loved, romance, mystery and something ‘different’.

I really liked Nellie, she was a character that you instantly wanted to protect even though she was such a strong female role! In fact all the women in the book were very strong and it gave off a sense of women empowerment!

I loved the storyline, it had a feel of the greatest showman to it and that is my all time favourite film! So this book was perfect! I liked how each part would have a quote from a showman. It made the book almost feel a real story.

The pace was great as it kept you engaged throughout. The story was told through each characters perspective and it worked really well, I liked seeing just how different each character were and how each character perceived something similar or so differently.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend others to read. Particularly if they like the historical, gothic type books.

Thank you so much NetGalley, pan Macmillan and Elizabeth for this amazing opportunity!

This book is a must read. When the main characters, brothers Jasper and Toby, were young, they dreamt of owning a circus. This eventually comes to fruition, after a spell in the Crimea War which left Toby with some painful memories, Jasper, as the more confident and ambitious brother, is the ring master and leads his troupe with fear. Toby, quieter and more submissive works hard to help run the circus, but always in his brother’s shadow. Jasper is continually searching for the best act for his circus and will buy exotic creatures from around the world as well as human ‘freaks of nature.’ Most of the people obtains are outcasts, objects of ridicule and mockery in the world outside the circus. However, when they become a member of the troupe, they become accepted and are able to be themselves, without fear of shame or humiliation. Jasper drives on with his quest to create the most fantastic circus and borrows a large sum of money with the threat of death if unpaid. Even through Jasper have achieved a fantastic show, he is still unfulfilled and drawing on similar ideas to Frankenstein, he engineers a whole new act. This however, is not a successful as he imagined and dire consequences follow.
A very engaging book which I would recommend.

I loved this novel so much! Macneal writes wonderfully and whilst reading I felt like I was in Victorian England, she manages to include a lot of rich detail without it becoming tedious.

The storyline was intriguing, with events happening in the present closely entwined with an account of a suspicious death and I enjoyed how they ran parallel to each other. The characters of Nell and Toby were my favourties however I also found Jasper a fascinating character to follow.

There were various themes, feminism being one of them however it was subtle and done in a manner that was almost unnoticeable - I prefer this to being bashed over the head with it.

A really enjoyable read, I'll be recommending to several of my friends.

Circus of Wonders is historical fiction at its best. The main characters are fictitious but they live in a very definite time and place, Queen Victoria's London, where money is to be made by the unscrupulous by parading those who are in any way different as freaks, abnormalities and objects rather than people. Nell, born with birth marks covering her body into a poor rural family, is thrown into this world,when her drunken father sells her to the showman Jasper Jupiter. Jupiter transforms Nell into Nellie Moon, a flying artist. While at first desperate to go home Nellie soon realises that her life in the circus is more comfortable for her than at home where she was shunned and hidden for her difference. This is not only Nell's story however. It is also the story of Jasper and his brother Toby, the former the swaggering circus owner and the latter his shy younger brother, forever in Jasper's shadow. The narrative switches between the circus world and the Crimean War where Jasper was a soldier and Toby a war photographer. The power of story is a thread throughout the book, with Nell and Toby sharing fairy stories with each other but also with stories being created by showmen about their troupe, stories being told in photographs and also in press reports and stories being developed to hide secrets. Another strong theme in the book is relationships be they between siblings, lovers, friends or parent and child. The tensions and dilemmas raised in relationships are explored thoroughly - loyalty is never straightforward.
I loved this book, even more than Macneal's 'The Doll Factory' which was superb. The plot, the characters (major and minor), the settings were all really strongly developed. I will certainly re-read this book and will recommend to my book group and to friends.
Thank you to the publisher, via Net Galley, for providing me with a complimentary ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Circus of Wonders is the story of two brothers haunted by the horrors of the Crimean War who set up a circus. It is also the story of a young girl ostracized from her village because of her birthmarks/leopard spots who finds somewhere she can be accepted when she joins the circus. Thrown into this mix is all the fun of the fair, the found family trope, betrayals, romance and even a cameo from Queen Victoria.
I enjoyed reading this. It was beautifully written and a very vivid depiction of entertainment during the 19th century. If you liked The Greatest Showman, you'll really like this! I will definitely be looking for more books by Elizabeth Macneal.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Having enjoyed the doll factory, and enjoyed the reading style, I was looking forward to reading this. The writing in this book is even better! Love it, highly recommend

❌DNF❌
#circusofwonders by #elizabethmacneal @panmacmillan @netgalley

So the greatest showman this book is not, but perhaps that’s an little unfair....

So I’ll start by saying it’s not a bad story; I’m 60% of the way through and have enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters and all the wonders of Jasper Jupiter’s Circus.

The story is a simple one and really didn’t light any fires for me but equally it is nice and interesting. I feel for people who enjoy a slow pace and a nice easy story will probably enjoy this one.

For me though, the plot just moved so slowly towards anything of substance that I really found it hard to keep my interest. Although I’m a big fan of historical fiction and books based around circus’s, this one has just missed the mark and I’m ready to move on to something else.

This has really excellent reviews elsewhere so don’t be too put off!

➡️for synopsis

Thanks to #netgalley and #panmacmillan for allowing me to read this one early.

-Emily

@the_book_girls_1