The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - Ashley's Pre-Reading

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Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Publication Date: January 1, 2010

Paul's Review
Paul's Pre-Reading

Synopsis: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. 

Despite the high stakes, Celia and Marco soon tumble headfirst into love, setting off a domino effect of dangerous consequences, and leaving the lives of everyone, from the performers to the patrons, hanging in the balance.

Why?: I've been wanting to read this book for a really long time. Like, since before it was published and I first heard about it. I love fantasy books, especially ones with magic, and I think circuses are magical even without the addition of actual magic. Throw in a competition that has the lives of everyone hanging in the balance and a little romance, and this sounds like an excellent book!

Expectations: I've heard really excellent things about this book, and I've also been anticipating it reading it for a long time, so I have really high expectations for The Night Circus. I haven't even read anything by Erin before. I'm expecting lots of imagery and magic and romance and I also expect to be on the edge of my seat, especially once the dominoes start to fall!

Judging a book by its cover: I love this cover! I love the black and white with the red accents. I love how the circus is in the palm of someone's hand - especially since I imagine it figuratively is with the whole competition going on and such. I would totally pick this book up based on the cover alone, and would love to have a physical copy for my shelves! 


--Ashley