I can't give this anything but a high rating because of the absolute force of the writing. Seeing Deliliah and the rest of the menagerie lose their hard won freedom to a frightful world of gladiator fighting and worse wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

After Delilah and her cryptid friends finally managed to take back their freedom at the end of Menagerie I honestly expected Spectacle to be about them travelling the country and rescuing other cryptids along the way so the direction this story took really surprised me. They do manage to run Metzger's Menagerie for a couple of months but then they're captured by Willem Vandekamp, owner of The Savage Spectacle. No matter how brutal and humiliating the Menagerie was the Savage Spectacle somehow manages to be so much worse. On the surface they are kept in better conditions, they have mats to sleep on, they're fed proper meals and they're even allowed to shower but that is only because Vandekamp needs them looking their best. You see the Savage Spectacle caters to the fetishes of the rich and powerful, no matter how depraved your desires may be if you have enough money Vandekamp will provide your deepest, darkest wishes.

I really enjoyed Menagerie but I think Spectacle was even better and I just couldn't put it down. If you've read the first book then you'll already know that this series is dark but I should probably clarify that it doesn't get any easier in this one, the things that Delilah, Zyanya, Lenore and the others go through were horrific but I'm glad to say most of it wasn't shown in full detail. Even Gallagher and Eryx are forced to kill in an arena to survive so this is not a happy book full of sunshine and roses. What it is is a book that will make you think about what it means to be human. Does it really matter that you're physically human if you're a monster on the inside, how does that make you any better than someone who is different on the outside but who just wants to be free to live their life in peace? It was far, far easier to relate to the cryptids in this book than it was to their human handlers and I spent most of the book just waiting for Delilah to find a way to release her inner furae on them all.

I don't want to spoil the book by telling you if that happens or not but I will say that some characters definitely get what they deserve even if it isn't all of them. It's not often that I read a whole trilogy without taking a break between books but with the way this ended I'm incredibly relieved that Fury is already available because I'm diving straight in. I really want to see Delilah, Gallagher and the others find some happiness and a safe place to be and more than anything I want to see them punish anyone who has ever attempted to abuse them. Humanity had better watch out because the cryptids are coming for revenge!

This book lived up to all of my expectations. That is saying a lot because I really set the bar pretty high for this one.

Ugh so good!!! Is it similar to the first novel? Yes. But it also shows the difference in what captivity can mean. Somewhat predictable there were plenty of moments where I was taken by surprise.

I bought this on audio but also received an ARC from Harlequin and purchased the print version to have on my shelf.

Missing that certain indefinable something that made MENAGERIE so special.

** Trigger warning for violence, including rape and forced abortion. **

“This one isn’t like the others,” the woman—his wife?—said, and the sharp edge in her voice could have cut glass.

“I’m like them in every way that matters,” I insisted.

##########

I frowned, studying the dryad. She looked different from when they’d taken her the afternoon before, but I couldn’t…

Her hair. She’d had several beautiful whitish blooms blossoming in her hair.

Now those blossoms were gone.

One of the other ladies knelt next to her and laid a hand on Magnolia’s shoulder, but the nymph turned on her, teeth gnashing. Mossy-green eyes flashed beneath the tiny woody tendrils growing in place of her eyelashes.

“Oh…” Simra breathed, and I turned to her with a questioning look. “They got rid of it.”

“It?”

“The baby.”

“She was pregnant?” I whispered, horrified. “Vandekamp ended it?”

“His wife. She won’t let the ‘monsters’ breed.”

The only thing I could imagine worse than being forced to end the pregnancy was how Magnolia might have gotten pregnant in the first place.

##########

When MENAGERIE debuted in 2015, I devoured an early copy faster and with more passion than a piping hot bowl of Daiya cheese sauce. It alternately had me squealing in delight, pumping my fist in the air, and squirming in my seat as if a whole mess of fire ants had set up residence there. More than anything, MENAGERIE inspired a jaw-dropping sense of disbelief: am I really reading what I think I’m reading here? I then went on to spend most of the next five days writing one of my most epic reviews ever. (Rivaled only by my treatise on THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES.)

Since then, I’ve read it several more times, including on audiobook, which incidentally spawned one of my favorite video recordings of one of my favorite rescue dogs, Mags (she of THE HUNGER GAMES fame; her son’s name is Finnick).

[Since Amazon doesn’t allow video embedding or even links, you’ll have to peep this review on my blog if you want to see an angry, captive Mags commiserating with Delilah.]

When the sequel was finally (!) released into the wild, I promptly requested an ARC on NetGalley…and then proceeded to sit on it for more than a year. I was just so scared to touch the darn thing! While MENAGERIE was most likely meant as an allegory for the treatment of Muslims (and brown people as a whole) after 9/11, it was impossible for me not to read it as a story about animal rights, however unintentional. (In the vegan community, we call this “accidentally vegan,” like Oreos. Yum!)

Every mistreatment of the cryptids in Delilah’s world – both the humanoid and more “bestial” ones – has an obvious and devastating corollary here in the real world, in our interactions with nonhuman animals. From forced impregnation to the separation of parents and children; the exhibition of animals in zoos and circuses; vivisection, including for the most trivial of reasons, like developing new household cleaners; physical punishment under the guise of training; and even crush videos and bestiality. And while we dismiss these atrocities since they’re “only animals,” Vincent nails the crux of the issue in MENAGERIE: it’s not intelligence that counts, or DNA, or one’s physical approximation to humans. The only thing that matters is sentience: a being’s ability to feel pain (or joy) and suffer.

The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer? – Jeremy Bentham

The cryptids in MENAGERIE are indeed sentient – as are the billions of nonhuman animals we enslave, torture, and kill every year. It’s impossible not to draw parallels.
And yet. Given that I’m 99.9% positive these parallels were unplanned, I worried that Vincent would walk them back in the sequel; undo some of the amazing arguments put forth in MENAGERIE. And so I hemmed and hawed and put SPECTACLE on the back burner until I could stand the suspense no further.

The good news is that my fears were largely unfounded. While the moral and philosophical underpinnings of Delilah’s furiae – so eloquently (though not imperfectly) laid out in MENAGERIE – remain mostly unstated in Spectacle, they are not challenged in any way. Delilah and her compatriots are the victims: victims of a cruel and inhumane society that dehumanizes, objectifies, and others them. Because humans are afraid. Because it elevates them. Because they can. Because there is a profit to be made by doing so.

The bad news? SPECTACLE is just an okay book. Entertaining enough, sure, but nowhere near as revolutionary as MENAGERIE.

After several months on the run, operating Metzger’s Menagerie like it’s just a regular old traveling circus, earning cash monies and buying up/rescuing fellow cryptids where they can, Delilah and company are found out, captured, and sent off to one of the “worse” places: the Savage Spectacle. Owned by one of Delilah’s former professors, Willem Vandekamp, Spectacle rents out its cryptids by the hour. Clients are free to do whatever, as long as they’re willing to pay for the privilege.

Some of the more dangerous cryptids are forced to compete in cage matches, fights to the death (on which spectators place bets, of course; dog fighting, horse racing, or horse fighting, anyone?). When the captives have outlived their usefulness – which happens in a matter of months or years, much as with exploited animals (think: battery hens) in the real world – they are unleashed in the Spectacle’s acreage as part of the corporation’s captive hunts (again, IRL examples abound!).

Perhaps worst of all, the captives are prevented from fighting back by high-tech collars. One swipe on a cell phone app, and the handlers at Savage Spectacle can administer a shock, paralyze a cryptid, or even strip them of their voice. The collars also work on a biological level to control a cryptid’s special powers: “Which means the sirens can’t sing, the succubi can’t seduce, the shifters can’t shift and the beasts can’t lift a hand in aggression. Until we want them to.” Luckily, Delilah is (technically) human, so her sense of justice and retribution remains intact.

Establishments like the Savage Spectacle were whispered about in hushed, fearful tones from behind the bars of Metzger’s Menagerie. They were the boogie men that Metzger used to keep his captives in line: act up, and you’ll end up at a place even worse than here. But is it? Really?

While rape in the form of sexual trafficking is rampant at the Spectacle, rape also occurred at Metzger’s: he forced “exhibits” to breed so that he could sell their offspring. Instead of forced abortion, as at Spectacle, Metzger’s had forced pregnancy and birth. Captives were not intentionally murdered at the carnival, but they were neglected and sometimes shipped off to places where they would be killed, such as research institutions or game preserves.

Is it really possible to rank oppressions?

I feel like SPECTACLE is Vincent’s attempt to up the ante, to create a world more shocking and appalling than even Metzger’s. And I don’t think that’s possible, because again: how do you compare atrocities? It’s all terrible and horrifying and makes anyone with an ounce of humanity not want to live on this planet anymore.

Additionally, the result feels formulaic and not nearly as original and groundbreaking as MENAGERIE: Delilah (and her friends) is captured; she suffers unspeakable abuse; she leads a revolt and ferries her fellow victims to (relative) safety. We’ve already done this, okay? Give me a fracking political revolution already. Cryptids will only be “safe” when they are free; when society recognizes them as individuals, not property: someones, not somethings – and treats them accordingly. We need an equal rights amendment for nonhumans, okay. (Worldwide, because otherwise it’s useless for cryptids who have far-reaching migratory patterns. YES, I HAVE THOUGHT THIS THROUGH, WHY DO YOU ASK.) The first book convinced us of this, so why double down on the witness to suffering thing?

SPECTACLE is missing that wild, indefinable spark that made MENAGERIE a tour de force. It’s entertaining enough, though hardly memorable. None of Rommily’s premonitions sent shivers down my spine; no one scene saw me jumping out of my chair with excitement and anticipation.

MENAGERIE …did things to me. Made me feel all kinds of crazy and unexpected feels. It will sit with me, forever: weighing on my soul, dancing in my heart. It’s a fantastic riot, a call to arms. A gorram life philosophy. An impossible act to follow, probably, so perhaps I shouldn’t hold it against Vincent too harshly.

FURY popped up on NetGalley a week ago. As soon as I submit this review, I’ll be putting in my request. Fingers tentatively crossed.

Spectacle I liked a bit less than Menagerie, although both are very well-written and raise complex concepts in an interesting way. Also, the sheer rage really fit my mood. Aside from A Darkly Beating Heart, I can’t think of any other books so full of anger. Sometimes you may find you need this in your life.

Where Spectacle didn’t work for me as well was in the plot. On the one hand, I did appreciate that, despite overthrowing the menagerie at the end of Menagerie, that’s not the end of the war. They’re still trapped in a country that doesn’t believe they deserve any rights or protections, and I rather like that they got caught immediately. There’s a realism to that, even though it super sucks. They end up going to an even worse place that whores them out and makes them participate in gladatorial combat, so this book’s even squickier than before. The plot ends up involving amnesia and View Spoiler », but which might work better for other readers.

If you want to read about a bunch of white men doing horrific things but then getting ripped apart for them, this series is for you.

I reviewed this editorially for a publication this review does not belong to me

Delilah and her fellow cryptid's new found freedom doesn't last very long when they find themselves recaptured shortly after the end of the previous book.
It doesn't matter that from an outsiders perspective, they're being well taken care of. They're still prisoners and Vincent shows us just how strong of a force the need to survive can be. SPECTACLE was a unique breath of fresh air in the speculative fiction genre. I hope this particular series has many more installments to come.

I just absolutely loved reading this book! I did have a bit of a problem getting into it-one of my buttons is captivity, and knowing that it was going to be pushed before going into it, yeah, made me hesitant. But once I really got reading, well, the pages just flew right by! I knew it was going to be an awesome book, and it was!

Knowing that they would be forced into this horrible situation-after freeing themselves from an equally horrible one, was pretty awful. And the reason why it all happened? That was kinda worse, like they were betrayed. Actually, it was worse, because they weren't thought of at all.

The Savage Spectacle was worse than Metzger's Menagerie, because while they weren't starved or anything, they were used as servants, and as sexual playthings. I just wanted Delilah to go all Fury on their butts, to realize that humanity needs an ego check. But no! Gah, the humans in this book were so annoying!

Oh, but that ending! That was really satisfying! Taking down the bad guys, and all that destruction-so they wouldn't have to face this kind of life again. Sure, captivity, but not the control that they were under. Anyways, they got free, and there's the question of the future! So excited!

I can't wait to read more of this amazing series, I need to know how it'll end!

I could not read the first book fast enough. I was anxiously awaiting this book to come out. I grabbed a copy right away. Yet, I struggled to get into the story. It was stop and go for me. This went on for about several chapters and twice before I put the book down with disappointment. In fact I was ready to walk away for good from this book. However, I thought I would give the book one last try. The third time was better. Not going to say it was a charm as it wasn't. I just was able to focus on the story better this time around but with some speed bumps.

For example, for almost about a third of the way into the story, it was slow going. There was not really a lot happening. I had hints of what Savage Spectacle was about but did not actually experience any of it until a few chapters prior to Part Two (half way mark). If it had not been for my fondness of Delilah, I might have put this book down again. Yet, she showed a strong will as a fighter. Additionally, I was giddy with delight to see Gallagher as well. He will always be Delilah's knight. What made this book less appealing to me is the dark and provocative, fantasy elements that I enjoyed from reading the first book. Yet, this book is dark but not in the same magical way Menagerie. Part Two of this book is better then Part One.

A great follow up to this fantasy series, the cryptid world is expanded further and introduces us to the depth of politics prevalent in this alternate reality. The characters undergo significant development and I thought the relationship between Delilah and Gallagher was expanded nicely, with Delilah’s power still having a significant level of potential for future books.

*Full review available on the blog*

I dove into Spectacle right after finishing Menagerie (which I loved). Unfortunately I can't say the same about the sequel. 

Which is funny because they're basically the same thing. 

Menagerie was an interesting urban fantasy, a standout for its uniqueness compared to other books I've read in the genre. I can't say I really knew where the sequel would go. The end of the last book left the cryptids in charge of their lives but they're still in danger in the United States so nothing's really changed on that front. I guess I hoped that they would do something... different?

Instead, the plot of the first book is basically repeated in Spectacle. Which is a shame. I mean, I'm not sure why there WAS a sequel at this point. 

Once more, the cryptids are captured and it's another fight to escape the hold of humans. Nothing new. The writing was still great. The world is still interesting. I still like the characters. But the story.... THE STORY. Come on. If this is what we can expect from book 3 I'm not sure I'll be reading. 

I will say this book took it a step further into the darkness. Don't expect to see sunshine and rainbows. Trigger warnings for abuse and rape, at the very least. There were graphic scenes. And I'm not upset about it because the author handled it well. Like I said, the writing is good. But for those who choose to avoid those topics in fiction, I wanted to mention it. 

Honestly, this was a good book. And if you haven't read Menagerie recently you might enjoy it more than I did. Having the first book fresh in my mind ruined the experience somewhat since the main storylines were so similar. My hope is that the third book gives the cryptids a chance toward freedom and how they deal with that rather than yet another capture/escape plot.

This series has been spellbinding from the very first chapter. From a menagerie of beasts and exotic creatures for all and everyone to gawk at. To a private collection, locked away and controlled by a mastermind. Delilah's journey was far from over.

After their coup, Delilah and the rest of the survivors of Metzger's Menagerie had barely time to enjoy their freedom, when it was taken again.

At The Savage Spectacle, survival was more important than ever before. Not being able to talk, move, or think without getting punished was a daily occurrence. Technology overriding instincts, and free will was only part of this new cruel new environment which Delilah and the rest of the menagerie's population had to endure on a daily basis. The cruel and clinical environment was shocking and chilling to Delilah. And the implications petrifying. Without hope of escape there was nothing to stop their captors from doing whatever they wanted with the cryptids.

So far this series has been thrilling, fascinating and chilling at the same time. The idea of having someone's freedom taken away, being used as entertainment for others, left a chilling effect on me. The imagery was stunning and spellbinding and just added to the overall enjoyment and pleasure this book gave me. It's no surprise that this incredibly well written story kept me glued to the book from beginning to end.

SPECTACLE was a devour-in-one-sitting kind of book. 

It's hard to accept that I'll have to wait until sometime in 2018 until I can read the conclusion of this masterly crafted trilogy. Not knowing what will happen to Delilah and Gallagher and the rest of their friends is driving me nuts. So many questions still need to be answered. 2018 can't come soon enough. 


Review will go live on july 14th, I'll update the links at that time

When their coup of Metzger's Menagerie is discovered, Delilah and her fellow cryptids find their newly won freedom brutally stripped away as they are sold into The Savage Spectacle, a private collection of "exotic wildlife." Specializing in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors, the Spectacle's owner, Willem Vandekamp, caters to the forbidden fetishes of the wealthy and powerful. At the Spectacle, any wish can be granted—for the right price.

But Vandekamp's closely guarded client list isn't the only secret being kept at the Spectacle. Beneath the beauty and brutality of life in the collection lie much darker truths, and no one is more determined than Delilah to strip the masks from the human monsters and drag all dark things into the light.



* * * * *



Ms. Vincent's SPECTACLE asks and answers the question of just what makes us human. Is it our bloodline? Is it the special abilities that come from that bloodline? Or is it what is in our hearts?



I didn't get a chance to read the first book in this series, Menagerie, which I do regret simply because I would like to spend more time with Delilah, Gallagher and the rest of the cryptids. SPECTACLE does stand on it's own beautifully and is one of those books that I regret finishing simply because I would be saying goodbye to these wonderful characters.


I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, urban fantasy or who simply questions the humanity of those around us. There is some graphic violence and sex is mentioned though not shown in this book.



*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

The problem with having book 2 lined up immediately after reading Menagerie is that I had no time to relax and enjoy the happy ending of the first one. After leading a revolt and taking over the Menagerie with Gallagher and the rest of the cryptids, Delilah's plan is to continue running the menagerie in plain sight while buying back everyone the others have lost. However all is destroyed when Vandekamp captures them and they are forced back into performing. Though I enjoyed the book, it felt a bit too much like a repeat of the first one.

Spectacle is book two in the Menagerie series. I've been a fan of RVincent's for awhile now and try my best to read each of her books no matter what genre she writes, because her writing is just that good. This series is a mix of a dark Urban Fantasy with New Adult. While it isn't for everyone, if you're a fan of darker type reads you might get as addicted to this series as I have.

In the previous book, our leading lady Delilah managed to free the cryptid's from their cages and overtake the menagerie. They're now touring the towns acting like nothing has changed, and everyone is thriving in this newfound freedom. It doesn't last long though before everyone is caught and taken to the Savage Spectacle. This isn't anything like the menagerie they were in where they were beaten, starved and thrown in cages. They're now living in a dormitory, have access to healthy foods and showers. While it seems a lot better on the surface, they're now facing new challenges when they're placed in electroshock collars that are able to control not only where they go, but also what they do and say. The Savage Spectacle runs on a different set of rules, one where anything goes for their clientele as long as they pay. This ranges from the cryptid's serving drinks at parties, to fighting in a ring gladiator style, to being hunted for sport. Delilah and her crew from the menagerie know they must break out, but their outlook is bleak with most of their abilities removed.

Spectacle is an addicting dark fantasy that I couldn't put down. My emotions were all over the place while reading this installment. The book is dark, and that will give some readers issues. But it's told so well, you're hoping that Delilah and the others stay strong and manage to escape somehow. It leaves off where I want the next book asap and I already know it will be a must buy. If you're a fan of darker reads I cannot recommend this series enough.

In some ways, SPECTACLE felt a lot like the first book, but that's in no way a bad thing. The plot was very similar in the most basic of senses with the cryptids going from captivity to freedom, to captivity... However as atrocious as their conditions were in MENAGERIE, the horrors almost paled in comparison to the civilized predicaments they found themselves in Vandekamp's facility. They are fed well, in a clean and almost sterile environment, so their living conditions are better, and yet as I said more horrific. There's just something so extra terrifying about the atrocities they were forced to endure all while under a civilized facade caused by the control collars. At least previously their entire minds and bodies weren't actually controlled. Sure they were always caged, and controlled through pain, but at least the cryptids still had their minds.

It truly is a testament to Rachel Vincent's incredible skill that she was able to up the horror and stakes so much. After finishing Menagerie I would have never have guessed things could have gotten so much worse but yet she masterfully crafted a horrifically riveting story I just couldn't put down. You truly care for and root for the characters every step of the way, hoping against all hope that things will turn a corner soon, only to be shocked by the next horror. But even so none of the characters started to fade, holding strong, and making them truly admirable, which again is a true testament to the author's masterful skill.

If you are looking for a book and series that will stick with you long after you finish the last page, look no further than MENAGERIE and SPECTACLE. I cannot wait to see what's in store next!

The second book in Rachel Vincent's Menagerie series was just as intense and thought provoking as the first. In some ways, even more so. The members of Metzger's Menagerie had a small respite from their captivity and that taste of freedom made what came next even harder to take.

The description only touches on the horrors that Delilah and her friends and other cryptids had to endure when purchased by the Savage Spectacle. Willem Vandekamp was the perfect villain and his sweet, spoiled wife was even worse. Just like Menagerie, there was a loud and clear message just below the surface. The creatures in Spectacle were much more humane than the humans that not only kept them captive, but used them in horrific ways. The captors also played on their weaknesses and it didn't take long for Willem to figure out how to play the connection between Delilah and Gallagher to his advantage.

As hard as parts of Spectacle were to read, the intensity, imagery and action kept the pages turning. Delilah never stopped trying to find ways to escape. She refused to give up, even when her punishments came close to breaking her. Watching what her fellow captives were forced to endure was the only motivation she needed. That and her vow to destroy Willem and everything he stood for.

The ending of Spectacle didn't seem as abrupt as the end of Menagerie, but it still left me wanting the next installment sooner rather than later. The fate of many characters were left hanging in the balance and then there's the interesting twist... Needless to say, the last book in the Menagerie trilogy is already on my TBR list ;)

This was an interesting read and I do like the series. It has such a fascinating world and complex and likable characters but I wanted a little more from the plot. I think there is a lot more to explore and I am excited to see just that in the next book.

Spectacle picks up not long after the ending of Menagerie and, though the cryptids have found themselves comfortable in their new roles, they don't get to stay that way for long. Their worlds are turned upside down once again and with these new challenges, we get to discover a whole new side to this world that Vincent has created.

In this book we get to go inside the world of Savage Spectacle (hence the name) and see how the other side of the cryptid world is run. The Spectacle is nothing like what they experienced at Metzger's Menagerie and they're thrown into a whole new dynamic full of issues and problems they never would have had to even begin to think about at the travelling menagerie.

I deeply enjoyed this book. Menagerie was amazing and Spectacle held everything I loved about the first book and more, much much more. These worlds that Rachel Vincent can create are insane and the story she has come up with absolutely blows me away. She paints the picture of each cryptid and each individual setting and emotion so perfectly well that you find yourself immersed in the pages so deeply that you can't put the book down.

I really couldn't get enough of this book and the further the story went along, the further I fell in love with it. Each character is so well formed and each have their true purpose in the story that it's easy to love them and to sympathize with them.

The ending of this book makes it obvious that there will be a third book in the series and I honestly wish it were already out. I totally can't wait to read it and the wait is gonna be torture. I need to know what will come next for Delilah, Gallagher, Eryx, Rommily, and the rest of her beastly friends.

Rating: 5 Stars