[February Read-A-Long Review] The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Series: No

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publisher: Doubleday

Published Date: September 13^th, 2011

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 387

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis (From Goodreads)

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way–a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a “game” to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lvies of all those involved–the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them–are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.

But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern’s spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.

My Review

I am addicted! In fact I might possibly be having separation anxiety right now.

Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a fanciful, magical, and extraordinary love story between two people pitted against each other in game where there can only be one winner, with the loser losing their very existence.

The story is told through many different povs from the lovebirds Celia and Marco, and Isobel the fortuneteller, Chandresh the proprietor, and Poppet and Widget the two twins born on the opening night of the circus and hold amazing powers of their own, and Bailey the boy who will undoubtedly save them all. The circus itself was incredible. I wish that this could be real and I could attend!

The story flowed really well, and is pretty fast paced as well. Everything feels very secretive, and the answer are really slow to be answered, but it doesn’t feel frustrating. In fact it feels very necessary. The characters are well rounded, and for the most part required no developing. Celia and Marco of course are growing along with the circus as they are deeply entwined with it.

The Night Circus is definitely my favorite read of the month. I loved it, and I am fangirling so HARD right now! Erin Morgenstern is going on my list of others to watch!

I read this novel a long with Trang, one-half of the amazing couple over at Bookidote, in a read-a-long for this month! Definitely head over to her blog and check out her review of The Night Circus

Happy Reading

Jackie