Book Review: The Night Circus

It is a circus like no other. Magical tents full of impossibilities. Open from dark until dawn with sweet treats and amazing acts. Home of a deadly competition where there can only be one victor.

The Night Circus by Erin Moregenstern is the story of Celia and Marco, two people who grow to love each other powerfully, but are locked against each other in a battle of magic and imagination. Before Celia and Marco ever met they are destined to compete against each by their teachers, a competition that is sealed in blood and must go one until one of them succeeds. The stage is set, the competition will take place at Le Cirque des Rêves, The Night Circus, where the two of them will create tents and shows of splendor. The circus is only limited by their imaginations and power. But who will win this battle of wits and magic and how will the other go on when it is all over?

I LOVED this book. Truly loved it. The setting is completely magical. It is a circus so incredible, I can only imagine its existence. The descriptions of impossible tents and shows were fascinating I would read it again just to experience this circus again. I really loved the two main characters and their love story is compelling and powerful. Separated by their competition, I lived for the moments when the two main characters could actually be in the same room together. I would never have thought a romance that keeps the lovers so often apart could be so breathtaking.

This book does jump around a lot. I wouldn’t listen to an audio recording as you might get lost. In one chapter one of the characters is being born and in the next is is 16 or so and then it goes back again. It is really important to read the headings of each chapter to understand where you are in the story. It sounds confusing, but in falls into a kind of rhythm and flows very well.  In reading it a second time, I learned many new things I somehow missed the first time.

This book is very descriptive, flowery at times and while that normally drives me crazy, I loved the circus too much to not want to know more about it. I loved the use of color, or the lack of it, in the descriptions. This book is creative and original, it was completely different from anything else I have ever read. I love that it felt new.

I recommend this book to anybody who loves the circus, people who love a good romance and people who don’t mind descriptions.

Have you read it? I would love to know what you thought, even if you felt differently than me!