source

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Description from Amazon:

“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.”

I’m finding it hard to describe this book, which is why I referenced the Amazon description above.  People seem to either love or hate this book (at my book club, most of the gals were on the hated spectrum).  I was one of the in-betweeners.  If you love imagery and long descriptions, you’ll love this book.  I usually loathe description and crave fast-paced dialogue, which this book is not.  But I was intrigued by the story!

Two older magicians (true magic, not illusions) wager that they can both train a superior magician.  For the years of their youth, Celia and Marco are the chosen trainees.  I really enjoyed the chapters about the young magicans and the training they had to go through.  Once they are adults, they find out that the circus is the the stage of their competition.

Interesting concept, right??  Confusing concept too though!  The unique premise kept me reading this book.  The slow pace and reliance so heavily on imagery left it short for me.

3 out of 5 stars