Well, I’m back! Did you miss me? 😉 As you know, I took a little break; it was refreshing whilst giving me the opportunity to relax and just read at my leisure (which means lots of reviews coming up!). I hope you all had a great New Year and that 2017 is treating you well.

My first post of 2017 is a book review of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (I know, very late on reading!).

About the book…

Format:Hardback
Published: 13th September 2011
Publisher: Doubleday
Pages: 400 Pages

The Blurb
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 lives 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.

Purchase the book: Amazon UK | Book Depository

The Review

I’ll just wait a few seconds for you to pick up your mouths from the floor. Yep, I’ll admit – I’ve only just recently read The Night Circus. I’m unfortunately one of those people that has a copy of most (if not all) books, but will take 299488448 years after everyone else to read it. It’s bad, I know, I want to get out of it, but for now I’ll just admit I’m terrible and get on with the review. 😉

Lisa from Lisa Talks About kindly gifted me the book and as she placed it into my hands my eyes lit up – how pretty is the cover? Nothing should be judged by its exterior, but I just loved the black and white contrast with a splash of red in the pages.

Le Cirque des Rêves is a place made of dreams! Enter the world where your imagination runs wild and transports you into the Victorian circus. There’s a host of areas that delight, evoke your senses and make you feel all content. I loved how Erin’s words were very descriptive because it helped you paint a perfect picture of what the circus was like. The Night Circus, as the name suggests, only opens at night with the fantasy genre jumping at you with full force. It’s not like your typical circus, the entertainers all have magical skills!

Celia and Marco are the two main characters that The Night Circus makes point of detailing, they have to ‘compete’ with one another using their magical minds. The competition is vague for both them and for us the readers, they literally have no idea what’s about to happen.

My favourite character would have to be Celia who takes after her father to become an illusionist using her powers to fool her audiences with delightful tricks. She had a terrible start to life with her mother committing suicide, but I think the circus gave her hope and a sense of belonging.

My only criticism was that the plot was a little vacant at times, but as one reader on Goodreads suggests, it’s all about the storytelling and that’s what keeps you immersed throughout.

clare
Connect with A Book and Tea!
Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram