I personally think that Menagerie was a stronger, more coherent read. Spectacle delivers a powerful emotional impact, but the continuity of the plot was compromised and the ending - definitely rushed.

After the coup Delilah finds herself in charge of the menagerie, however, the freedom is short-termed, and the cryptids are captured to find themselves in even worse situation than before. The Savage Spectacle exists for the private amusement of the rich, and they live or die by their regard.

Rachel Vincent is amazing at describing emotional turmoil, and both Delilah and Gallagher, and of course their friends feel that and more. You can not escape the parallels with the black slavery when you read how the cryptids are treated by humankind. You feel sick to your stomach and you are rooting for them to escape, to punish their slavers to get retribution. Which s also pretty savage when you get to it.

The part that confused and upset me is the amnesia trope. I am not a fan at the best of times, and i didn't feel it was justified in this case. Instead, we conveniently skipped two months and rolled from when things were just heating up to the grandiose ending.

Lower rating just for that. Otherwise, it was a superb read as usual. Recommended.

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.

Spectacle is a spellbinding read and in a class all its own in the urban fantasy genre. I stayed on pins and needles throughout the narrative--angry, frustrated and distraught over the atrocities Delilah and her allies have to endure at the hands of Vandekamp and his staff.

While not overtly graphic, the themes of social injustice, discrimination, slavery, forced prostitution, abortion and mental, physical and emotion abuse are not for the feint of heart, so readers should be prepared for the emotional upheaval that not only entices them to engage in the story but also to feel all the feels.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This book grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let me go. I was so caught up in the story that I sped through it, finishing it in less than a day.

In the first volume in this series, the cryptids (werewolves, jinni, sirens, etc.) overthrew the owners of their traveling menagerie that housed them, guided by the leadership of Delilah (a human who is the embodiment of the concept of justice in the form of a Greek fury) and the redcap fae Gallagher. Their freedom doesn’t last long, though, and they find themselves imprisoned in a private collection of cryptids. There the cryptids are forced to perform--fighting each other to death in gladiatorial combat, being slaughtered in canned hunts, and being rented out by the hour for perversion and debauchery. The owners of the collection even figure out a way to make money off of the fury’s instinct to kill when confronted with injustice. Attempts to fight back are ruthlessly suppressed using highly sophisticated control technology. With their only other option for escape being death, Delilah and Gallagher desperately search for a way to save themselves and their friends.

Vincent’s fictional world is dark, and parts of this book weren’t all that easy for me to read. The abuse encountered by the cryptids is brutal, although Vincent does give the reader a break by having the worst of the sexual violence occur off the page. The punishments meted out by Gallagher and by Delilah’s fury were pretty violent, too. Readers need to be able to tolerate a certain amount of abuse and gore to appreciate the story being told. (If you don’t want to picture anyone being rended limb from limb, not even the bad guy, this isn’t the book for you.) What kept me going was my fascination with the world created here and the story’s treatment of the idea of a persecuted minority fighting for their rights.

I do wonder what Vincent’s endgame is. The overall number of cryptids seems too small for them to take and hold a safe territory, which would be one way to give them a happy ending. The author has also provided a powerful incentive for humans not to form any sort of cryptid liberation movement, given that they blame the monsters for somehow instigating a mass murder of human children. The storyline could use more good and compassionate humans, though. Humans take the role of the monsters here, but human beings aren’t really collectively monstrous, any more than the cryptids are.

Given my curiosity about what happens next, I’m really looking forward to the publication of the third book in the series. There’s an added hook in that Delilah experiences a significant personal development that is going to have a real impact on the story. It’s going to be a long wait for the next volume!

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure where this series was heading with Spectacle, but I certainly wasn't disappointed! Delilah, Gallagher, and the others from Metzger's circus have managed to live free for the last few months. It hasn't been easy, and they haven't been able to do what Delilah was hoping to, but she won't give up. At least until their rouse is discovered and they're all rounded up and taken some place that turns out to be far worse than a freakshow: Vandekamp's Savage Spectacle.

Spectacle kept me hooked from the very beginning. We're given a very brief taste of happiness for Delilah and the other cryptids, and then the tone changes immediately. Delilah (as well as the reader) has no idea what to expect from the Savage Spectacle. While no one is caged, beaten, or starved, they are 100% micromanaged. Vandekamp has an invention that has the power to track, punish, and suppress or force the cryptid's gifts. Of course, with Delilah being human, things get complicated.

So much happens in Spectacle and I don't want to spoil any of it. I was shocked and disturbed throughout. Truly, anything goes at the Savage Spectacle. The handlers might not beat their captors, but that's because damaged goods aren't worth as much to their wealthy clients. We get to witness a wide range of activities that go on inside the fences, and each is more horrific than the last. Anything you can imagine could happen to sentient beings without basic rights happens. Even to Delilah who was proven once again to be human.

While it's not a happy book by any stretch, I did enjoy Spectacle. It's so creative and disturbing, I couldn't stop reading. Even though the majority of the characters are not human, all of the themes are very human and parallel the way people treat each other. The plot did follow the same formula as Menagerie, but that didn't make me enjoy it any less. And I definitely cannot wait for the final book!

Delilah Marlow and the rest of the renegade cast and crew of Metzger's Menagerie don't have long to enjoy their hard-earned freedom from captivity. Quickly into the second of the "Menagerie" series, Delilah and many others are found to be impersonating humans and are quickly captured and bought by The Savage Spectacle. Once again imprisoned, Delilah and other non-humans are forced to serve the rich patrons who visit The Savage Spectacle. Now, instead of being held captive in a cage, non-humans are surgically implanted with tracking devices that electrocute the wearer if s/he misbehaves or tries to escape, and this time, Delilah's protector, Gallagher, is also caged.

Vincent crafts an even more brutal edition in the "Menagerie" series, where some non-humans have to battle against others gladiator style to the death as entertainment for the rich. The sense of injustice as well as suspense is just as high in this installment as in the first book, Menagerie, although a too-convenient twist and ending may stretch credulity a little too far for some readers.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Those in captivity with Metzger’s Menagerie were no strangers to the daily atrocities regular humans could inflict upon cryptids. With Delilah Marlowe’s furiae, basically a being that is the embodiment of Justice, she started the coup that gave the cryptids control of the Menagerie.

But it’s not long before someone finds out their secret and all the cryptids are once again taken hostage, this time by Willem Vandekamp’s Savage Spectacle. The Spectacle makes Metzger’s look like a cakewalk, where all cryptids are paraded around for the exotic fetishes of those who can pay top dollar. There’s no limit to the depravity people will pay to see, or partake in, but even the most immoral of places can harbor secrets and the Spectacle is no different. If Delilah wants to get everyone out this time around, she’ll have to find out and expose those secrets.

For me, Menagerie showed this kind of beautiful grotesqueness. I didn’t want to look away from the wonder of the different cryptids (mythological creatures) that Rachel Vincent chose to weave into her story, but at the same time their treatment at the Menagerie was atrocious.

Well, the conditions at the Spectacle up the ante on the atrocities tenfold, but the clever tactic that Rachel Vincent chose to utilize was more the readers’ imaginations. We never truly see on page the things that go on “behind the curtain,” only what little information is gleamed from captives, but certain circumstances, along with a general unwillingness to talk about what they’re specifically made to do, keep the activities shrouded. To me this made the tension of each scene almost worse—especially where my imagination chose to go, but I’m betting I wasn’t far off in many instances. Like I said, clever Rachel Vincent, clever.

Besides this, however, I felt like the majority of Spectacle’s storyline seemed a bit recycled from Menagerie. I mean, we’ve already seen our beloved characters facing captivity. I wanted their story to move forward in a different way besides hitting home, again, how much cryptids are viewed as property to be bought and sold.

Something that the reuse of the captivity storyline does allow is the further exploration of the bond between Delilah and Gallagher. Gallagher revealed himself as a Redcap, or fear dearg, a warrior species of fae who attach themselves to a noble cause and will fight for the cause until death. Gallagher has, of course, made an oath to aid and protect Delilah and her inner furiae on their quest for Justice. Their relationship is such an interesting one because it comes from a completely non-romantic place, yet the devotion they have for each other are things the best romances are built upon. There are certainly some very interesting developments for them which are even more eye-opening when Rachel Vincent decides to throw a twist at us right in the middle of the book. A twist that drove the last half of the book all the way up to the end as you try to piece everything together.

Overall, despite the two-steps-back feeling regarding the overall storyline, I was really intrigued by how the characters were developed. I thought the ending was satisfactory. Obviously not every problem is solved, but the main issues were all addressed and I’m looking forward to seeing where some of the other developments take Delilah and Co. next.

Spectacle is the second installment in author Rachel Vincent's Menagerie series. The story picks up (3) months after Delilah Marlow and the rest of the cryptids from Metzger's Menagerie freed themselves via a nearly bloodless coup. Remember I said nearly bloodless. It really doesn't take all that long for things to go sideways. Especially when Willem Vandekamp and his Savage Spectacle (SS) sycophants show up show up at Metzger's and captures Delilah, and nearly everyone else.

Savage Spectacle is a slap in the face for Delilah and the others who fought so hard to be free of their cages. Savage Spectacle is a place where they collar the cryptids with needles that can damage ones spine. They separate the cryptids into different categories, and put the females (shifters, anthropomorphs, sirens, Naga, nymphs, and Oracles) all together. There are zero children involved. They rent out cryptids to those who are into the kinky and can afford to pay. They strip them down, tell them how they can dress, what they are supposed to eat, and to top things off, they force hygiene adherence on everyone without any exceptions.

Vandekamp has created ways to keep cryptids in line. The collars can shock, paralyze, mute, and stop them from shifting. Vandekamp even uses entertainment as a lure for the rich and famous to enjoy themselves without worrying about the public finding out. He pits cryptids against each other in a coliseum like environment where they are forced to fight to the death. He uses the females for servers, and entertaining the rich men and women, while his wife doesn't just sit in the background being his partner in crime.

Delilah is a unique character. No matter how hard Vandekamp or his sick and twisted wife Tabitha try, they can't get a fix on what Delilah's tell is. Readers know that Delilah is human, but if you missed it from Menagerie, then you also know that she has another side to her. A side that is the wrathful justice of vengeance. A side that is supposed to right the wrongs. Delilah really finds herself in a dark, twisted, and yes, vulgar situation where she is treated like an animal. But, she isn't the only one.

Vincent alternates her story through a few other characters as well. Characters such as Rommily (oracle), Vandekamp, and of course, Gallagher. I am not one who needs trigger warnings, or safe spaces to read this book. If you need that particular warning, then please avoid this book at all costs. I am one who acknowledges that a certain segment of our population is sick, twisted, and disturbed. Some may be our friends, or colleagues, or even our family members.

I recognize there are those who will jump up and down and claim this story parallels what Josef Mengele did at Auschwitz to the Jews, and therefore why Vincent uses the SS designation for the villains in this story. Are there situations that cross the line? Of course there are. Telling a story sometimes takes guts and the willingness to go where there are no safe spaces, or coloring books, or soft music playing in the background. Vincent's ending once again leads to yet another path in the already entertaining and brilliantly
written series. Delilah's determination to keep her family together is why I keep coming back to this series. She won't just walk away from anyone, or leave them behind. She will fight until her last breath if that is what it takes.

I promise to keep this review completely spoiler-free, not only for this book but for book one, Menagerie, a book that I loved wholeheartedly. You can read my review for that book here.

“To fire and blood.”

Spectacle is an absolutely brilliant follow-up to Menagerie, picking up shortly after where we left off. It was so wonderful to be reunited with the characters that I grew to love and, while I didn’t think it possible, came to love even more during Spectacle. This amazing group of cryptids had already been in a horrible place in Menagerie; but just as my love grew for them in Spectacle, so did the horror they faced. So many things that happened in these pages hurt my heart, but also gave me hope. Delilah is a fantastic, fearless heroine; and I rooted for her and ached for her and her plight. If I was ever given the chance to choose a fictional character to have on my side – it would be Delilah. Gallagher and Eryx continue to steal every scene they are in, and they make my heart soar; but their dilemma also kept me on the edge of my seat with fear for them. Rommily is as cryptic as ever and so oddly fascinating and endearing. Those are the only characters I will mention, as to keep the other characters’ secrets and the plot of book two a mystery. Rachel Vincent is an absolute talent; and though I have loved her writing for years, she continues to surprise and impress me. Her beautiful passages have even more beautiful, deeper meanings.

“People are different just like cryptids are different.
Some are kind, and some are cruel. This isn’t a one-species-fits-all world.”

This book is full of symbolism, and it is so thought-provoking that it lodges in my brain and shelters in my heart. There are no awful cliffhangers in either of the first two books, only promises of more to come. The only thing I can lament about this sequel is that I have to wait a year until the next book. Highly enthralling and utterly captivating, this series is one I cannot recommend enough.

“To vengeance and death. May they all get what they deserve.”

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Quotes used in this review are from an ARC and are subject to change.

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Spectacle by Rachel Vincent
Book Two of the Menagerie series
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

In this riveting sequel to New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent's acclaimed novel Menagerie, Delilah Marlow will discover that there is no crueler cage than the confines of the human mind…

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.

What I Liked:

Let me say two things before I start my commentary: (1) This book is not bad, and I think it will be very successful and a good addition to the series. Please read my full thoughts before jumping to the conclusion of "Alyssa gave the book three stars so it must not be good!". (2) This review might be shorter than usual because my thoughts and feelings on this book are not going to be an accurate reflection of the book's quality. Usually I write my reviews based on technical aspects and categories (character development, plot, world-building, etc.), but I don't think I can construct a fair review based on those items, based on my physical reaction to this book. You'll see what I mean.

Actually, this review is going to be somewhat similar to my review of Menagerie. I thought that book was good, well-written, but I suffered as I was reading it. Like Menagerie, there are cruel and disgusting aspects of this book. Unlike Menagerie, or compared to Menagerie, the cruel and disgusting aspects get worse, in Spectacle.

In essence, Delilah and the Menagerie gang get kidnapped and forced into the Savage Spectacle, which is different from the Menagerie. The Savage Spectacle is cleaner with better conditions... yet, worse conditions. Each cryptid is outfitted with a collar that has needles that go directly into the spine, which can sense neural and hormonal impulses. Every impulse, action, even thought is controlled. Worse - the Spectacle is all about private engagements and satisfying clients with cryptid fetishes. Yep. Reread that again and imagine what I'm talking about.

Vincent did an amazing job with this story - I can't imagine it having been easy to write. Every disgusting act, every choice taken away, every forced action - I hated all of it but I can't deny that everything was well-written and not without its place.

I adored Delilah, and Gallager, and the crew. I hated what was done to them, but I loved seeing their strength and self-preservation win out.

No romance in this book, though there are some... odd things that happen.

In general, it's a sequel that will rip you apart and hurt you, but it is a good book.

What I Did Not Like:

There are so many things wrong with this story, I can't even begin to list them even if I wanted to (but I won't, because of spoilers). Notice I'm talking about the story and not the book (note the distinction). Vincent is shining a light on some gruesome and horrible topics, and I take no issue with that. Sort of.

I think my problem is that I hated everything that happened in this book, and I didn't - couldn't - enjoy the story. There are no trigger warnings, nothing to help someone decide if this is a book for them. Let me just say: there is rape in this book. There is lack of consent. There is sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Wills (willpower) are taken, choices are taken, freedom is taken. A person's body is not their own, physically, mentally, or in a reproductive way. Loss of memory, loss of control, loss of the ability to communicate - the story is filled with these things.

Can you imagine?

I needed warnings. Put yourself in the shoes of a rape survivor, or sexual abuse survivor. This book is disturbing and horrifying - as it is meant to be! - and I could not enjoy it. I do not begrudge anyone their high rating or praise of this book, but I couldn't enjoy this story. I recognize that it is not the book itself that should be put down - but I'm being honest here: I hated the story.


Three stars, because it's not the book, it's the actions and behaviors that exist in this world and should not be ignored. But, three stars, because I could not stomach this story. Call me whatever name you want, but I couldn't do it. Yes, I finished the book. Yes, I know, all of the things in this book exist (in some way) in real life.

In Menagerie, I sort of got used to the "disturbing" aspects of the story. In Spectacle? Everything was one hundred times worse. Menagerie seemed just barely disturbing compared to Spectacle. So there was no way for me to "get used to anything", to become desensitized.

Would I Recommend It:

I do not recommend Spectacle. I do not recommend Menagerie. These are not easy books to read, and honestly they get worse and worse in terms of graphic content. Worse NOT in terms of the quality of the storytelling, but worse in terms of what the characters have to experience and face. Call me a snowflake, call me fragile, I don't care - these books are not for everyone. Definitely (unfortunately) not for me. I thought I could handle it with Menagerie, but clearly I was wrong with Spectacle. I can't finish this series. I can't think about how bad book three will be.

Don't take my word for it though, if you've already read Menagerie and you're really interested in this book. But if you haven't read Menagerie, think about what you'll be reading before you start the book. Message or email me with questions, if you want. Although I have to say, I'm going to be trying really hard to forget what I read, in both books.

Rating:

3 stars. I honestly don't know how to rate and review this book, because it's me and my thoughts/opinions that I'm writing about, and not necessary technical aspects (writing, world-building, character development, etc.). I rarely write this type of review (based on my thoughts/opinions alone), but I'm so shaken and unsettled, and I really don't know how to write this review any other way. Hopefully I've conveyed something useful to any reader of this reviewer. I'm not trying to tear down the author or this book - but I am trying to warn any reader who, like me, shouldn't be reading this book but don't know that they shouldn't be, because they don't know enough information about the book (see above, about warnings).

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. Last year, I picked up the first book in the series, Menagerie, on a whim and completely fell in love with the story. I immediately started counting down the days until I would be able to see what happens next in the life of Delilah and everyone else from Metzger's Menagerie. I had a few guesses about where the story would go next and all of them ended up being wrong. I couldn't be happier about that because I love it when a book really surprises me as this one was able to do.

This book picks up right after the events of Menagerie. This is a series that really should be read in order so I do recommend that readers new to the series go back and read Menagerie before starting this one. It is a great book so you wouldn't want to miss it anyway. Delilah and the gang are running the show and trying to make things work. Things are tough but they are enjoying their new found freedom until things go horribly wrong.

They soon find themselves being added to Vandekamp's Spectacle. This is not a place you would want to be. It isn't a traveling show as Metzger's was. Vandekamp's serves a different kind of customer. The exhibits are subjected to pretty much anything the clients are willing to pay for and the owners find profitable. The captives are controlled through high tech means which seem impossible to overcome.

This story proved to be incredibly exciting for me. Everything that Delilah goes through and sees in this story really got to me. I was as confused about what was happening at first as the characters were and my heart broke for them as we discovered more about what was going on. I kept wondering what was going to happen next and by the end of the book, I couldn't turn the pages nearly fast enough. Let's just say that this book definitely ends with a bang.

I would highly recommend this series to others. It is the kind of story that really makes you think about the things that people do to each other. Even though this is set in a world full of cryptids, I think that the behavior of the humans really felt authentic which makes me very sad. This is a series that has earned a spot on my favorites list and I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment!

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Harlequin - MIRA via NetGalley.

REVIEW
I was really looking forward to reading this one. I loved Menagerie and can't wait to catch up with all the characters and to meet more Cryptids, as well as wanting to see if the general population can at some point in Spectacle, come to accept the Cryptids.

At the very beginning the book starts with a young nine year old girl called Tabitha, following her parents to the barn to see what the noise is about. There she see's Isabelle whom she has come to think of as a sister as she writhes on the barn floor giving birth.....but giving birth to what? Well we don't really find out in Spectacle but we do learn that Isabelle is a Cryptid that originally lived with her Cryptid family on land neighbouring. When Cryptids were being rounded up Isabelle's father begged Tabitha's parents to take in their daughter and hide her. Finally it is Tabitha's father that agrees to take the young Isabelle in and even comes up with the solution to dying the young Cryptid's green hair a colour that would make her appear human. When in later years it becomes more and more difficult to hide Isabelle's true nature, she is kept hidden at home in relative safety.

Then after that mysterious scene we quickly pick up the story of Metzger's Menagerie almost where the last book left off. The Cryptids than can pass for human are able to walk around freely at all times. The more unusual Cryptids are kept in their "cages" that have been made as comfortable as Delilah & Gallagher can make them until all the humans have left the Menagerie grounds and then they are given as much freedom as possible. So life for the vast majority of the Cryptids at Metzger's have improved. Money is very tight, in fact with implementing as many improvements as they can and feeding everyone they are only just breaking even.

The evening everything changes had gone just like all the others, other than a strange looking man in the audience, who seems to have attended on his own which is quite unusual, as most people come in couples or a group of friends. Suddenly Delilah and the majority of the other Cryptids find themselves once again caged like animals! Apparently the fact that Metzger is no longer in charge has reached another well known Cryptid collector, Willem Vandekamp!

We learn a little about Willem Vandekamp via the letters between Willem's mother, Judith and her estranged sister Barbara. Willem Vandekamp left school as valedictorian, then gained a full scholarship and attended Colorado college to study cryptobiology and became, Dr Willem Vandekamp, owner of the Savage Spectacle. His very own collection of Cryptids, which he "rents out" to those that can afford to have their curiosities quenched. He also puts on shows and events in his large home.

So Willem Vandekamp has decided he wants these Cryptids for his own collection and he basically goes into the grounds where Metzger's Menagerie has just finished it's show for the night and takes them by force. There are no laws in place to protect the Cryptids, just investigations and legislation against the Cryptids, more or less allowing humans all the rights and the Cryptids none. We read about these laws, investigations etc within the book through little newspaper clippings/reports. As Willem and his men (or more like soldiers) that he employs to capture and transport the cryptids at Metzgers Menageries. Anyone that resists capture is tranquilised. As Willem has friends in high places the human workers of the Menagerie are arrested so out of the way as Willem's staff take the Cryptids. So now the Cryptids are to be part of Willem Vandekamp's collection that is named the Savage Spectacle. Though the Savage Spectacle employees seem somewhat more respectful than the old ones that worked at Metzger's before Delilah took over they aren't revealing any information to their captives. Adrian Woodgrow introduces himself as the gamekeeper and advises the Cryptids to cooperate as punishment is swift and harsh. To begin with the Cryptids are kept in small holding cells then one by one all examined and given the same standard clothes to wear. All the Cryptids are also fitted with a collar that Willem Vandekamp invented. The collars are the thing that Vandekamp and the Savage Spectacle employees control the Cryptids with. The metal collars can limit where they can walk, hence the female Cryptids are kept in a dormitory along with some of Vandekamps existing species. If a Cryptid tries to go through into an area they are not allowed in they are shocked via the metal collar. The collars also enable Vandekamp and his men to prevent the Cryptids talking about certain subjects or even just stop them talking at all, at their whim. The Cryptids are basically used and abused for the richer people's amusement. From curious people wanting a closer look at Cryptids, to bloodthirsty people wanting to watch Cryptids fight in a sand pit ring to the death! When Cryptids become older and not so pretty to look at, or fit enough to fight in the ring, then they are put into the woods for organised hunts. The hunts have three stages and consist of two people that have paid for the chance to hunt Cryptids. There are three levels of the hunt. In Stage One the cryptids are hunted by two people that have tasers as their weapon. Stage Two the hunters have long bows and Stage Three, the hunters have guns. I suppose it's Willem Vandekamp's skewed view of survival of the fittest. If the Cryptids think Willem is bad, his wife Tabitha is even worse!! I have to admit to wondering if its just coincidence Willem's wife is called Tabitha? Or could she possibly be the Tabitha from the flashback at the very beginning of the book?
Naturally the Cryptids are horrified but are not in a position to do anything about it, other than endure it until they can gather enough information and Delilah and Gallagher can come up with a plan.

Vandekamp is initially at a loss as to what Delilah is, having taken blood tests and them coming back "human". Delilah begins by keeping what she has learnt to herself thinking she is safer if Vandekamp doesn't know. Later she uses her knowledge as a bartering item to get to see a newly captured Gallagher. Vandekamp uses the cryptids emotions and their caring nature to get them to do what he wants. For example to force Gallagher to fight, he threatens Delilah time and time again.

There are occasions where Delilah's furiae takes over and deals out the justice. I don't want to go into great detail as I think you need to read about the occasions within the context and order of the story. What I will say is that the saying "an eye for an eye" is very fitting for the type and style of justice that Delilah deals out. I think Vandekamp is equally frustrated yet annoyed that by threatening those she cares about he can dominate Delilah, but finds it impossible to command Delilah's inner furiae. Delilah attempts to explain to the Vandekamps that she has no say of when the furiae awakens or what punishment it deals out to those that have angered it.

Then the Vandekamps allow something so awful to be done to Delilah that she begs the help of the Cryptids that can bury memories, to make her forget. Though she later changes her mind and has to face what Tabitha Vandkamp has also done to her. Will the result be what she hopes with all her heart for? Will she survive long enough to find out?

I think both Willem and Tabitha look down on the Cryptids as a much lower species and because of this attitude they really end up underestimating them. Maybe individually there is nothing they can do. But each Cryptid doing their part collecting information and then a fluke situation occurs that presents the ideal "now or never" chance to escape. Of course the workers at the Savage Spectacle try to get the Cryptids back under control, but the sheer amount of them and the fact they are working together makes that a very hard task.

My immediate thoughts on finishing reading this book were, well initially stunned, then wow! What a brilliant book, full of explosive action. I would have read the next book straight away, had I had it! What more can I say? I loved it! Thankyou Rachel Vincent for a fantastic read. I can't wait for the next book!!

Spectacle was a dark, yet beautiful story. Where the cryptids were taken from relative freedom to a prison more horrible than even their worst nightmares could conjure.

Spectacle was even darker than Menagerie, because Delilah and her companions had managed to live for a while in relative freedom only to be caught by someone far worse than Metzger. At first, Gallagher is taken to a human prison, but this only makes Delilah's anxiety worse, as she hasn't had any news from him since she and some of the other female cryptids from the menagerie were taken to their new dormitory.

I felt every anxious and fearful feeling Delilah and the others felt, and I have to admit that during Spectacle, my heart beat with a heavy and rather fast thump on more than one occasion. The indignity Vanderkamp let on these people was horrific, and especially Delilah, whose DNA is human, was treated with such callous carelessness because of her otherness I shuttered in disgust at how depraved and without feeling he and his wife behaved.

The main theme in Spectacle is definitely otherness, but close behind there is both loyalty and honor, and Delilah's actions proved that she is the kind of heroine I want more of! Her sense of family was very strong, and she felt responsible for all those who had been with her before they were brought to Vanderkamp's dark spectacle of others, where money and shallow entertainment counted more than anything else.

Written mostly from Delilah's point of view, in first person perspective and past tense, there were dialogs to make the story move forward flawlessly, and also to share some insight into the other characters who were part of the plot. The handlers, the bosses, the other cryptids - they all got their say. Spectacle releases tomorrow, so you should hurry and pre-order it so you can enjoy the darkness of the story, but the light of Delilah as soon as possible.

Metzger’s Menagerie is no longer run by the vicious humans enslaving the cryptids. Instead, Delilah and the other cryptids are now running their own traveling carnival, hiding right in front of human eyes. They are determined to find and save other cryptids still held in captivity but unfortunately their freedom doesn’t last long. Now, Delilah is once again a prisoner, this time at the hands of William Vandekamp, the owner of Savage Spectacle. Can Delilah and her friends survive in a world where the only limits of brutality are what money can buy?

SPECTACLE is the second book in Rachel Vincent’s <i>Menagerie</i> series and is best appreciated if you’ve read the first book, MENAGERIE. The relationships between the various characters has already been established, making the emotional impact of SPECTACLE much stronger if you’re already familiar with the characters. Rachel Vincent does a marvelous job at showing us the injustice and hatred that abounds in this violent and frightening world, and it hits us all the harder for knowing just how much the characters have already survived.

And speaking of characters…I love Delilah’s loyalty to her friends, even at her own peril. Delilah’s desire to look out for the underdog helps us better understand why the furiae resides within her. The furiae’s justice is quick and brutal, but the violence is never gratuitous.

And oh what a disturbingly dark, and haunting world Rachel Vincent has crafted! SPECTACLE is definitely not for the faint hearted. However, it is the characters who are the heart and soul of SPECTACLE. The world they live in is harsh and brutal but it is the strength, love, and loyalty we see emerging out of the darkness that makes SPECTACLE so impactful. I can’t wait to see what unfolds in the third book of the <i>Menagerie</i> series!

*Review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Talk about devastating, after being free for a short time the cryptids find themselves captive once again and even though it might seem the care and circumstances are more humane, when they scratch the surface of their confinement its much worse.

Not for the faint of heart reader.

Talk about out of the frying pan and right into the fire! You thought things where bad in the Menagerie, Delilah's and her fellow cryptids' situation just went from bad to way worse. Oh, the perceived civility is all there but where is PETA when you need them, because pets have more rights then they do. Disturbing and appalling yet utterly riveting, Spectacle is not for the light hearted. Don't get me wrong the situation are mostly implied and not described but nothing is light in Vincent's telling. Serious white knuckle reading at its best, with lots of heart wrenching moments in between. I can't wait to see where Vincent takes us next.

I received this ARC copy of Spectracle from Harlequin (US & Canada) - MIRA. This is my honest and voluntary review. Spectracle is set for publication May 30, 2017.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Rachel Vincent
Series: The Menagerie Series (Book 2)
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: May 30, 2017
ISBN-10: 0778318206
ISBN-13: 978-0778318200
Genre: DARK Urban Fantasy

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/spec...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spectacle-Nove...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spect...

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I really enjoyed the first book in this series - Menagerie - but with Spectacle, I can't shake the feeling that I've just read the same book twice.

To be honest, I felt like Menagerie could have been wrapped up as a standalone. The story arc follows Delilah Marlow's journey from discovering she is a "cryptid" (supernatural creatures who have no human rights and can be sold and kept as property) to her captivity in Metzger's Menagerie. The whole book is about the injustices done to cryptids in captivity, and Delilah's need to escape.

SPOILER FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOK-- When, at the end, Delilah leads an uprising and takes over the carnival, things look relatively peachy. The cryptids are free from their cruel master and can choose to continue performing or leave as they wish.

So what is the plot of this book? Pretty much exactly the same. Shortly after the book's opening, Delilah & Co. are captured once again. This time, instead of being imprisoned in Metzger's Menagerie, they are taken to Willem Vandekamp's Savage Spectacle (SS). They suffer similar mistreatment - being forced to perform for customers, treated violently if they don't comply, etc. And I, of course, won't tell you what happens at the end, but I think maybe you can guess.

There is a third book on the way, but I think I'll hold off and await the reviews first because I cannot read the same story three times.

Also, as a sidenote that I can't decide how I feel about - is this world supposed to be a Holocaust metaphor? A world in which people who are "different" are taken, imprisoned, and mistreated by the SS and two guys with distinctly German names - Rudolph Metzger and Willem Vandekamp. Is Dr Willem Vandekamp - who does experiments on cryptids - supposed to be Dr Josef Mengele? Does Metzger's Menagerie = Mengele's zoo? No one else seems to have mentioned it so maybe this is just something I imagined; a series of bizarre coincidences. I just wondered.

Review will post week of release date. Link to review will be added when it posts.

I’m not sure how to review this book. I have all these thoughts and opinions pinging around in my head, but I’ll try to get them in order. This book was brutal. Absolutely brutal. If you’ve read the previous release, Menagerie, you might be ready to dive into Spectacle, but be prepared to be even more horrified by what happens to these characters than before. If you were thrilled when the cryptids took over Metzger’s Menagerie and had hope that they would be able to live in peace for a while, just know that shit can always get worse and in this case it absolutely does.

I was one of those readers who was thrilled by the ending to Menagerie. The Cryptids overcame their captors, broke out of their chains and cages and, for many, gained freedom for the first time in their lives. All of this was led by Delilah, who as a Furiae is the embodiment of wrathful justice, and her sworn protector, the only known living Red Cap, Gallagher. Readers only get to see them and their friends enjoying their new-found freedom for a few pages before they are ripped apart and forcibly taken to a new hell on Earth, The Savage Spectacle. Where before they are given terrible living conditions with barely enough food to keep them alive, in the Spectacle they have three meals a day, are given clean clothes, allowed to bathe and have medical attention, but are forced to endure even worse humiliations and indignities.

They are made to wear collars that not only repress their cryptid gifts and nature, but also allow their guards to prevent them from speaking and moving. These collars are the invention of the Spectacle owner, Willem Vandekamp, and he is determined to get them approved for use around the country. In the meantime he uses his captives to amuse rich, spoiled crowds, in what ever way they are willing to pay for. Fights, hunts, parties, and even private engagements. Delilah is the only one Vandekamp can’t completely control, and that’s because she’s in essence human, and as she puts it, “with a little something extra”.

Honestly, even while being horrified by the injustices perpetrated upon so many characters I’ve grown to care about, I was also enthralled by this world. Even as my heart pinched and my stomach rolled with each new terrible thing I absolutely had to know how the cryptids would once again find a way to be free. Because I knew they had to. They just had to find a way out.

Gallagher is still awesome and while he and Delilah haven’t had a previous romantic relationship, something happens that leads me to believe they might possibly in the future. Which is fine by me. I didn’t particularly like the way it came about, but it’s done and maybe this will lead to some freaking happiness for these two in the future. Because there has to be some good coming to them, all of them, Eryx and Rommily, Claudio and Genni, Lenore and Kevin, Zyanya, Payat, Simra, Lala and Mirela. I’m invested in every one of these characters and I need to see them find freedom, peace and happiness. Spectacle leaves off in such a way that I’m hopeful that will happen in the next book, but I’m mentally prepared for more awful first.

If you’re thinking of picking this book up and haven’t yet read Menagerie, my advice would be don’t. You’ll be confused. There is a lot of world-building and character set-up in the first book. This was a hard, yet compelling read and I am absolutely looking forward to the release of the next book in the series. Final Grade- B-

This was a really hard book to read, mostly due to what happens after Delilah and her group are captured. The things that happen to them and they are forced to endure are horrible, no person should have to be treated like that! I hated how close ties were used against them, forced to do things they wouldn't only to save the other person. What Delilah learns/realized towards the middle is so beyond horrific there are no words. The only thing that made reading about all these bad things was the madness at the end where everyone escaped, reeking havoc on those that hurt them. They so deserved it! My hope now is that our main group can find each other again and manage to find some sort of peaceful life, they deserve it!

Review Scheduled to go live on blog on May 22nd @ Naomi’s Reading Palace - http://nomisparanormalpalace.blogspot.com.au

I must say, this book had my adrenaline pumping! Right from the first page I could feel that it was going to be an action packed read! I was on the edge of my seat as the story built and my jaw kept hitting the floor as twist after twist was thrown in. I'm going to say it, but I think that Spectacle was better than the first book and I am DYING for more.

Delilah and the rest of the Metzger's Menagerie cryptids only experienced their freedom for a little while, as they were captured and sold off to The Savage Spectacle. They soon found out they were nothing more than pawns and that money could buy anything. My heart broke as I watched them lose their dignity, were used and abused, and little by little, they lost their spirit.

The relationship between Delilah and Gallagher was as strong as ever, and I could see that Gallagher was struggling with his oath to her. Delilah continued to be passionate about their freedom and would do anything to save her fellow cryptids. I was glad that we got to see more of her furiae, too, as she defended those who needed it.

Rachel Vincent has proved to me once again how amazing her world building is. I loved the characters and the connection that they still have with one another, as well as seeing new characters introduced. Spectacle was told in two parts, and my mind was boggled as certain details were revealed! I couldn't believe how much time had passed and what may have unfolded! My chest ached for all the characters, being subjected to those conditions, treated badly and basically abused. I wanted them to fight back, hurt those that hurt them... I wanted the bloodshed, and I wanted to help! Spectacle will tear at your soul, as you too, would want to avenge these characters, and help them seek revenge!!

At the end of Rachel Vincent's Menagerie we were left with the hope that Delilah and the rest of the cryptids in Metzger's Menagerie might have finally found a way to exist freely, if not secretly, in a world that no longer accepts them. In Spectacle (Menagerie's sequel) that hope is short lived. Newly imprisoned at the Savage Spectacle, the characters we have come to love (including Gallagher *swoon*) face new horrors at every turn. Yet through it all Delilah and the Furiae that dwells within her continue to fight against injustice.

This was not an easy read. Spectacle includes a mix of gladiator battles to the death, dehumanizing prison conditions, sexual assault, manipulation and psychological warfare that haunt you. Yet it is told in a manner that makes you cheer for the heroes and celebrate every time the Furiae or Gallagher leave one of their enemies in pieces. No literally, in pieces.

There is a twist in this book that was so infuriating and yet compelling to me that I can hardly think about it without being mad that I have to wait for the next book. How can you do this to me, Rachel Vincent? Make sure you read it soon so we can suffer through the wait together.