An interesting female protagonist, and an unusual blend of magic and circus, but sadly, lacking in excitement.

It's the first book I read by this author and it was a great discovery.
I loved this book, the mix of genres and the style of writing.
The plot was enthralling and entertaining, it never bores and you cannot put the book down.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Polis Books and Netgalley for this ARC

It’s the 1920’s South and tragedy keeps hitting the carnival, Spectacular Star Light Miraculum. Ruby, the snake charmer and daughter of the carnival owner, need to find out why people start dying after the arrival of the new geek, Daniel. Daniel is unlike anyone else in the carnival. He wears expensive clothing, has an air about him and manages to manipulate everyone around him to do as he pleases.

I found myself immersed in the carnival and needing to know how each act played into the bigger pictures. Post created a setting that was rich in detail that placed you on the Midway experience what the characters did.

This was a definite Good vs. Evil and it was such a twisted path throughout. It was enchanting and entirely tragic at the same time.

The beginning was very slow and difficult for me to get past it, but once I did the story flowed well and kept my attention. I needed to know more about Daniel and his motives. I liked reading the bits into Daniel’s mind. You get a glimpse into his evil and his motives.

Overall, if the beginning hadn’t been so slow, this would have gotten five stars.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

"This means nothing! You are nothing!"
"I am everything."

Set in the year 1922 against the backdrop of a travelling carnival lies a battle of good and evil. Ruby is the snake charmer at her father's travelling show, it's not glamorous, it's anything but, however it is a safe haven for her as she would never be accepted in the normal world, not with her strange tattoos. When the geek of the carnival is found dead, hanging by a swing from a tree, Pontilliar is filled with rage, how DARE this man decide to take his own life and tarnish the carnival. How DARE this man make trouble for Pontilliar, costing him money to make this all go away. While still in a rage, Pontilliar is approached by a strange man, Daniel Revont, he claims to have something that Pontilliar wants, curiosity causes Pontilliar to hear the man out. Daniel proclaims to be a geek, he will take the empty place left behind by the passing of a man, and help Pontilliar out. This is how it came to be that Daniel is a part of the carnival. What follows is a series of strange happenings and curious feelings felt by all involved. In a battle of good VS evil, where the good has no idea what the game is, can the evil be thwarted?

So when I started this book, I had no idea what it was about, other than that explained in the blurb which to be honest, wasn't much. I felt a bit frustrated because I wasn't sure what I was reading, I didn't know the purpose of the story. It wasn't until probably half way through that my suspicions were confirmed about what we were actually dealing with. I had an inkling earlier on in the book about what might have been happening, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure. Once what was going on was actually confirmed, I found that I absolutely fell into the story. The revelation of the level of good Vs evil that was happening in this story was actually a stroke of brilliance. As a reader I was floundering through the beautiful words and the deep descriptions reaching for the life preserver that would just give me a hint, a tiny clue as to what I was actually drowning in, and it did not disappoint.

I won't go into great detail in this review as I believe this book is best read with almost total blindness going in. What I will say is that the pacing in the first third odd of this book is very slow. Things are happening but there's not really anything happening at all. We're getting a feel for the characters, for who they are, how they feel, what they think about their lot in life. We're being shown the reality of travelling with a carnival in the early 1900s. What we're not getting is told what we're actually reading about. If you can get past this initial frustration of being blind to the real plot of the story, I think you'll enjoy this book. When I first started, I was honestly thinking that it would be a push for me to rate this book at 3 stars. When I finished the last page, I had no issues throwing it a 4 out of 5.

I have a soft spot for stories based in or around carnivals of any era, something about them just seems so magical. So I think that was the main reason I requested this book. Though at one point I was considering DNFing it, I'm so glad that I didn't, and that I pushed through the stumbling start as I got to the end and everything made sense.

The characters are relatable, they are just people trying to make a living doing the only thing they know how. I liked Ruby, she was petulant, stubborn, too serious, and miserable, but she was real. Knowing that the carnival is the only thing she would ever know and the only thing she would ever be able to do was soul crushing. Prejudices against those who look different are still prevalent today and I have experienced them myself before, so it was kind of refreshing to read about Ruby's struggles. Her entire life has been one of tragedy and hardship and I think that moulded her into the person she became. I had a soft spot for January, the beautiful woman who knew she was only good to dance in cootchie shows, though dreamed of something so much more, of being a beautiful, respected starlet who would marry well and live a life of opulence. Though unfortunately, we know that will never happen. To Daniel, the stranger, the one who everyone believes is behind the strange deaths and the odd feelings and tensions that are winding their way through the carnival. I had sympathy for him. I don't know why. Post has written his character in such a way that he's just so HUMAN. He has flaws, wants, and needs just like anybody else. I enjoyed his character immensely.

I can't pick one thing that I loved the most about the story, just that I ended up loving in, when in the beginning I honestly thought that I wouldn't even finish it. This is put into the genre historical fiction, as well as literary fiction, which I suppose is correct. There is a hint of the supernatural in this story as well though, which I think worked perfectly for it. I've no doubt that I will be checking out more of Steph Post's work. I hope they're all just as amazing.

This is a new author to me but I will certainly be looking out for other books by her after reading Miraculum.

I have a weakness for the circus or carnival setting and many authors seem to feel the same. There are a lot of books set this way but Steph Post does it particularly well with historical facts mixed in with her magic and fantasy.

The story is creepy and fantastical and it unfolds quite slowly. Daniel is presented as an intriguing and mysterious figure and for a while it is difficult to know whether he represents good or evil. You sure find out though! I admired the feisty Kate and felt a bit sorry for Hayden!

There is an amazing ending which involves a very tricky solution to all their problems. It was all great fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended.

Ruby came down Chole Mountain after losing her mama and grandfather with nothing but an old playbill, searching for the traveling circus -- and the father -- her mama had left behind.

Her father's circus has since turned into a carnival and Ruby travels the South as the tattooed snake charmer for Pontilliar's Spectacular Star Light Miraculum. Her father doesn't hide the disappointment he has that Ruby returned from the Louisiana bayou covered in tattoos of strange symbols instead of portraits and scenes that were to make her the Miraculum's Tattooed Woman.  The tattoos are of no use to the carnival and that makes Ruby useless to her father.

Between the disappointment her father harbors and the heartache she harbors from being left behind by her lover Hayden, Ruby is isolated from the world of rubes and freaks alike.

A mysterious man dressed in an expensive black suit appears on a summer evening as the Miraculum is rushing to leave town after their resident geek hanged himself in a rube's yard.
Pontilliar offers the charming Daniel Revont a place in the sideshow as the replacement geek, biting the heads off live chickens.

Daniel's arrival coincides with both the return of Hayden and several tragedies for members of the carnival.  While Ruby intentionally isolates herself from everyone, she finds herself strangely drawn to Daniel.  Daniel can manipulate everyone around him, except for Ruby.  
Intrigued by one another, they begin a deadly game of cat and mouse.

 Along the way we learn who and what Daniel is and how and why Ruby became the outcast snake charmer.  Their stories and destinies collide in unexpected ways that lead to a stunning finale.

Post has obviously done a great deal of research for her latest novel that touches on everything from folk magic (hoodoo/voodoo), mythology, the Prohibition era South, and traveling carnival lingo genuine to the time period.
Miraculum is a Southern gothic fantasy that takes readers from the sideshows of a dusty carnival to the glittering lights of Atlanta, leaving a trail of smoke and disasters in its wake.

Thanks to Polis Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.  Miraculum is scheduled for release on January 22, 2019.

Thank you Netgalley and Polis Books for the ARC.

1920's, Carnival, Big Top, Sideshow, this is gonna be good!
After being introduced to all the beautiful people of the freakshow, the focus is on our two main characters. Daniel, forever dressed as a wealthy gentleman, at the same time being the geek biting off chickenheads in the sideshow. Who is he really? And Ruby, intended to be a tattooed lady, but ending up as a snake charmer. Her story is heartwrenching.
Vivid descriptions of the surroundings and sublime dialogue put me smack in the middle of every scene.
The mystery of the geek and his attraction to Ruby has me turn page after page, eager for answers.
Miraculum is a magical place full of creepy characters, seduction and the overall feeling of a dark presence.
I'm totally absorbed in the otherworld until it all ends with a bang. Wow! What a ride! Breathtaking.

3.5 stars.

If you give me anything with a carnival/circus setting, you should expect that I at least like it. From the prologue the writing was captivating and all-around amazing, and maybe it even was the strongest part of this book. It added to the overall mysticism quite well, which is always a plus. The characters were pretty decently written and I honestly loved Ruby and Daniel, but felt kind of indifferent towards Hayden.

I did feel, though, that the ending was quite rushed. During most of the book nothing too spectacular was happening, but at the last couple of chapters everything happened all at once, which felt weird. It almost seemed like a buildup for a sequel, but the fact that it all tied up in the end confused me. Still a good read, though.

I love this book so much! Someone please make a movie out of this one.

Steph Post gets better and better with each novel and I can't wait to see what she does next. With Miraculum, think of a cross between Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked this way Comes and Gruen's Water for Elephants, then add that Steph Post magic and you have Miraculum. The characters are finely drawn and the plot increasingly suspenseful. Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, Post surprised me. One thing I especially loved about this book was its visual imagery: Ruby is a strong yet vulnerable character, oddly enough, and she is as real as anyone you know. Daniel Revont is the mysterious stranger who enters the carnival world Ruby inhabits and he, too, is sharply written. I loved every moment of this book!

A shot in the heart and soul, Miraculum is a spellbinding triumph. Masterfully written with such obvious love for its intoxicating setting, it is bursting with memorable moments and characters who delight and thrill - just like a trip to the carnival itself.

Miraculum is a fantastic mix of supernatural and a historical novel. Steph Post is a magical author, who weaves her story and characters beautifully. I can't wait to read another book from this author.

All the freaking stars!!!

Miraculum is a beautiful, dark and mesmerizing book that will have the reader hooked from the very first line. This is, without a doubt, my favorite read of the year. Steph Post has set the bar so high and I am already jealous of all those who get to read this for the first time. Be prepared to have your mind, and your heart, explode! I need more and will be counting down the days until I can add this gorgeous book to my collection.

Full review will come closer to release date.

So many thanks to NetGalley and Poils Books for providing me with a copy of this book to read and provide my honest opinions. I am in awe!

A definite read for those who enjoyed the Night Circus. Interesting and well drawn characters lead you through the maze the author has created for her reader. A combination of historical fiction, supernatural, and a bit of mythology.

I enjoyed this novel very much. The characters were likable and the dialogue believable. It reminded me a lot of one of my favorie Bradbury stories “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, although taken as an adult story with the charachter of Daniel portraying Bradbury’s Mr. Dark. But the story is set up very differently. As a historical novel, it takes place back to the time of the early 1900’s with a traveling carnival and it’s many freaks and carnies that encounter much hardship along their travels and the way they deal with the owner/proprietor and his daughter the tattooed woman, Ruby. Also Ruby’s dealings with the man who keeps leaving her for the outside world and the dark stranger Daniel who joins the carnival as a freak, although he has no experience playing one.
The suspense is there, the plot is not as derivative of Bradbury’s but has borrowed some plot lines from Katherine Dunne’s “Geek Love”, and “A Son of the Circus” by John Irving, but weaves these together to form their own love story, murder mystery and sort of ghost story. I would look forward to reading other novels by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and reveiw this book.