Spectacle Vol. 1 (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Oni Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Spectacle Vol. 1
Author: Megan Rose Gedris
Upcoming Release Date: May 22, 2018

Synopsis: Fan-favorite webcomic creator Megan Rose Gedris (Yu+Me Dream) crafts a compelling tale of magic, deception, and wonder in this stunningly illustrated graphic novel about the bond between sisters.

Pragmatic engineer Anna works as a psychic in the Samson Brothers Circus, but she doesn't believe in anything supernatural—until her twin sister Kat is murdered and comes back as a very demanding ghost. Sharing a room with her sister was hard, but now they're sharing a body while trying to identify the killer. With few leads, a troupe full of secretive folk, and strange paranormal occurrences popping up around the circus, solving the case seems near impossible. But the murderer in their midst may be the least of their problems...

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Review: This is a fun murder mystery story that takes place in a circus. Anna works as a tarot card reader, but she has more of a scientific mind. After her twin sister is mysteriously murdered, she appears to her as a ghost. Anna doesn't know if she is going crazy herself or if everything she thought she knew was wrong. 

I like the dynamic between science and the supernatural that is presented in this story. The circus members are all so unique and interesting, even right off the bat. This first volume does not end with any big reveals, so I will be looking for the second volume to see more of these characters and to see the mystery hopefully solved. 

I give this graphic novel a 4.5/5. I really enjoyed the characters and story, but I was disappointed in the ending of this first volume. I want volume two now! 


--PAUL

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern [audiobook] - Ashley's Review

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

My Pre-Reading
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.

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Review: I've wanted to read this book for a while - a magical circus, a competition to the death, and a romance to unravel the entire thing? Yes please! I had really high expectations going into this book, and every single one of them was met.

First, we start out with this incredible cast of characters that just keeps growing and becoming more diverse and interesting. There's Celia and Marco, of course, who are just children when the novel begins. Their instructors are old men who have played games for centuries and are always trying to out-do each other, even if it costs a life... or several lives. Then, eventually, there are the people behind the circus who are just as strange and eccentric as the circus performers themselves. I loved all of them (especially the contortionist!), and I especially loved how connected every single person in this story is to one another.

I think part of the reason that I loved the characters so much was that Morgenstern introduces you to all different aspects of each of them. Most of the book is from either Celia's or Marco's perspectives, but we often get to see things from other people and other places. The tense changes as well, and although I thought the shifts in narrator and tense were often unexpected, I came to really look forward to seeing the circus from all of the different people.

My absolute favorite chapters though were the ones where an outside narrator is introducing the reader (or the circus goers) to all of the acts and nuances of Le Cirque des Reve. During these chapters, I felt like I was walking down the meandering pathways, discovering the mysterious tents, watching the different shows, and meeting all of the performers. It was exciting and beautiful and so much more than I expected. 

This book does span an awfully long time period, but I think it's written in such a way that it doesn't really feel like it's been so long, especially near the end. I love how the conflict is resolved and how Celia & Marco's love story plays out. I wanted this circus to go on forever! 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a beautifully written, exhilirating, fantasy read. I wouldn't really recommend it for a younger audience though, since I think the language and some of the situations are intended for an adult audience, but I think the older YA crowd would really enjoy and connect with The Night Circus. I'm sad there's not really any room for a sequel set in this circus, but I'm also glad that the story wraps up in a standalone book. I'm also kind of glad I was able to listen to the audiobook version of this book, because I think it made it go by even quicker. I'd recommend this book for a long car drive, since I think it's best enjoyed all at once (if possible). I can't wait to see what Erin Morgenstern has up her sleeves next! A 5/5!


--Ashley

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

The Snake Charm (Vestigial Tales #1) by Laura Lam - Ashley's Review

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Title: The Snake Charm (Vestigial Tales #1)
Author: Laura Lam
Publication Date: June 3, 2014

Synopsis: Untold centuries ago, the Archipelago was ruled by the Alder—mysterious beings who vanished, leaving behind only scattered artefacts of unknown power, called Vestige. Sometimes, a person will be lucky or unlucky enough to discover that each piece of Vestige has its own tale to tell…

The Snake Charm

“To most, Drystan was just another buffoon in the collective of clowns. But behind the inane grin, he saw everything, keeping the secrets he discovered close, like precious gems to barter.”

Mutiny is brewing in R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic. When Linden, the leader of the clowns steals one of the ringmaster’s most prized possessions, Drystan, the white clown, finds himself caught in the middle. Tasked with retrieving the Lethe, he’s forced to betray Linden or risk his troubled past coming to light. But the Vestige artifact has its own history and its own power. Drystan will learn what it can really do, and who it can hurt.

Vestigial Tales are stories set in the world of the award-nominated Micah Grey series. Step behind the circus ring from Pantomime, the theatre of Shadowplay, and more…

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Review: I love Pantomime and Shadowplay, and I was so excited to learn that Laura was writing a series of short stories to tell the background stories of some of the other characters! Especially since the first one, The Snake Charm, is about Drystan. He's my favorite character in the series so far, and I loved learning more about him! 

The Snake Charm takes place before Micah joins the circus, so it introduces a couple of characters that weren't in the circus when Pantomime starts. It was fun to learn about them even if they don't make it to the books, and to see how the circus ends up the way it does. There are also parts of Drystan's past that are discussed that are not mentioned in the other books, and it totally makes sense why when you read this story. 

I think my favorite part of this story was learning more about the Vestige though. They're kind of talked about in the books, but it's always very mysterious and there's never very much detail about any of the Vestige. I mean, there are a couple that play a huge part in the books. But the Lethe is by far the most interesting one so far! It's dangerous and aptly named, and I love that it looks like a snake charm since many of the people in the circus possess serpent-like qualities.

If you've read Pantomime and Shadowplay, I would definitely recommend this story to you. It expands the world of Ellada and the characters a little bit more and is short enough that you can read it fairly quickly. I'm looking forward to more Vestigial Tales to hold me over until the next book, and especially to learning more about the Vestige artifacts and some of the minor characters! Laura Lam's writing is absolutely gorgeous, and The Snake Charm is another example of her brilliant work. A 5/5! 


--Ashley

Shadowplay (Pantomime #2) - Paul's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Strange Chemistry on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Shadowplay (Pantomime #1)
Author: Laura Lam
Publication Date: January 7, 2014

My Shadowplay (#2) PRE-READING
My Pantomime (#1) REVIEW
My Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) REVIEW

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Synopsis: The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus—the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he's perfecting...

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.

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Review: "One leader to spark the zeitgeist, and the world changes."

This is a wonderful sequel to an amazing novel. What Pantomime did with the circus, Shadowplay does with stage magic. I loved the details we learn about performance magic. 

The new characters really add to the story and we learn more of characters we are already familiar with. Even after all the secrets that were revealed in Pantomime, still more come to the surface. 

The use of foresight is done well. I liked the visions and was constantly trying to determine their meanings. 
A lot more of the history is explained. Although I found it very interesting and uniquely complex, I miss that mystery of the unknown. 

This book continues to deal with gender, but it's not as much at the forefront as in Pantomime. The diversity of the characters is still present though. 

I really missed the parallel story lines of Pantomime, but I enjoyed the excerpts that start each chapter. Sometimes just by reading the excerpt for the next chapter, I'd stay up even later to read "just one more chapter".

This is an excellent sequel to Pantomime and continues this interesting story. I did enjoy Pantomime more, but that's because there was more unknown and to reveal. This book continues the series with another 5/5. I am very excited for the next book!

--PAUL

Shadowplay (Pantomime #2) - Paul's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Strange Chemistry on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Shadowplay (Pantomime #1)
Author: Laura Lam
Year Published: 2014

My Pantomime (#1) REVIEW
My Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) REVIEW

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Synopsis: The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus—the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he's perfecting...

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.

Why?: Pantomime was so good! I loved the mystery of it. The world was so unique and we didn't even learn that much about it. I want to know all the secrets! Micah is such an interesting character, too. And now we're going to meet a magician?

Expectations: I'm expecting more mystery and more awesome secrets to unravel. I want to find out more about the history of this world, the Alders, and the Chimaera. I'm sure we will discover why Drystan calls himself a monster.

Judging a book by its cover: I like that the cover has the same feel as Pantomime's. It's eerie and mysterious. I like the use of the dragonfly again. I'm interested to see who this character is with her moon tattoo on her forehead. 

--PAUL

Pantomime (Pantomime #1) - Paul's Review

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Title: Pantomime (Pantomime #1)
Author: Laura Lam
Year Published: 2013

My Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) REVIEW

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Synopsis: R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilization long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

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Review: There is so much about this book that makes it absolutely amazing. First off, it is very well written. I love the way the two parallel stories of Spring and Summer interact, revealing things in such an interesting way. There were many things references in Summer that we only learned the truth about later in the book during a Spring chapter. 

I love books that delve into multiple genres. This book sits nicely between fantasy and sci-fi. The technological remnants of the past, Vestige, play a nice part in the mystery. There are so many cool details of the world that make it unique and not just another fantasy or another steampunk. Is this a fantasy world or the far future? Aliens?

The reveals are done expertly in this book. I loved the mystery. Even after finishing, I still have so many questions!

The details of the protagonist(s) thoughts really fledged out the characters. I loved the perspective.

Not only the main characters were detailed. I loved learning about all of the circus folk. There's so much depth and diversity in this novel. 

Gender plays a big role in this novel and to stay away from spoilers, I loved the questions and conversations this novel brings foreword. 

There are snippets at the beginning of chapters that I found really interesting. It was cool to see writing from this fantasy world and I loved how they were relevant to each chapter. 

I absolutely loved this book. And I am starting its sequel right now! I give it a very worthy 5/5 and highly recommend it.

--PAUL

Pantomime (Pantomime #1) - Paul's Pre-Reading

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Title: Pantomime (Pantomime #1)
Author: Laura Lam
Year Published: 2013

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) REVIEW

Ashley's Pantomime (#1) PRE-READING

Synopsis: R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilization long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

Why?: Like most Strange Chemistry books, Ashley really liked this book. Knowing that one of her biggest fears is clowns, I was surprised she enjoyed a book set in the circus. Remnants of a civilization. Magic. Chimeras. And the mysteries of the circus itself. All these things intrigue me.

Expectations: I'm expecting an interesting mystery that verges on sci-fi and fantasy. I'm sure the circus will contain some interesting characters.

Judging a book by its cover: I like this cover. It's so mysterious. I really like her mask, especially the dragonfly.

--PAUL

Pantomime by Laura Lam - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*


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My Pre-Reading

So... this book. It was not at all what I expected. The major twist (which is revealed pretty early on) was not something that I would have ever discerned from reading the description. It became obvious the more I read, but still. And you know what? It kind of made me love this book even more. Although I'm sure many people won't feel the same way. I'm going to attempt to avoid being spoilery, because I think the book is much better if you don't know the twist beforehand.

I really loved both Gene and Micah, and I loved seeing how their stories intertwined. I liked how the book started in the present, with Micah, then jumps back to Gene's past. And then eventually Gene's story merges with Micah's and everything takes place in the present. I thought Lam did an excellent job with the different perspectives and times. Everything flowed really nicely, and I never really felt like there were any lapses in time or anything that got left out in the process of jumping around.

Lam's world building was absolutely wonderful. Ellada seems like it would be situated somewhere in the Mediterranean region (at least, that's what I imagined), with deserts and beaches and such. The story takes place in the future, but it seems like it takes place in present-day, or even in the past. Parts of it seem like they could happen in the world we know, but then Lam throws in some new mythology and fantasy and whisks you away to a completely different world. 

There were so many questions that arose in Pantomime, and only a few of them were answered. By the end, I had about 1000 questions, and was very much hoping that there was a sequel in the works (there is!). I want to know about the Penglass, and more about Gene and Micah, and what Drystan is hiding, and so many other things that just couldn't possibly have been answered in one book. 

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books about magic, circuses, far off places, and the like. I would also attach a warning though that you should expect the unexpected, and that this book might not be for everyone. At least give it a chance until the first major twist, because by that point you'll be so invested in the world that you won't want to leave it. I would give this a 4/5, and will be anxiously awaiting the sequel!

--Ashley