I think I loved the idea of this book more than the actual book. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with it, however, I found that it didn't hold my attention very well as I was reading.

I was very excited about the premise of this book, especially since it was linked to Moulin Rouge. I did REALLY appreciate the strong female lead. Especially since she is a talented magician among many male magicians who have prejudices against her.

This very well could've been an issue of timing. Had I been in the mood for a story like this, I may have enjoyed it more.

I'd like to throw a huge thank you out to not only Netgalley but also Wednesday Books for allowing me the chance to read an early copy of this book. I absolutely loved Caraval and this book made me feel like I was reading that one all over again with just a little bit darker tone. Not once did I feel like I was reading something I had already read before. The whole thing felt fresh and new, from the characters, to the setting, to the plot, I wasn't bored once. 

For this to be a debut novel  from this author I was very pleasantly surprised. I felt like her writing style and ideas all flowed very naturally without too many of the usual YA tropes. While you knew there was going to be a love interest it didn't feel like it was forced too heavily on the readers for example. I loved that characters felt like they weren't necessarily good/bad, other than the mayor who was just a jerk for the sake of being a sexist jerk. You got to really kind of see why they acted the way that they did and while that left you with more questions than answers I felt it wasn't a waste of my time. I realize this is going to turn into potentially a series or at least a trilogy and I am more than willing to allow my many questions to be answered in the forthcoming books!

Once again I would like to say a huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for a review. If you want a dark, magical, and spectacular story that will keep you up at night just so you can finish then I highly recommend you give this debut novel a shot. I'm glad I did!

Where dreams descend is a YA book by Janella Angeles which has been touted as a cross between Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera, and for fans of A night circus.

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

The premise sounded really interesting and not only loving books about magic and circuses and YA, I thought this would be a book right up my alley. I was a bit disappointed, as I found it somewhat slow and confusing. The writing is beautiful, but could have been edited. While I am sure there will be fans of this book I was not. I think any teenagers who enjoyed the series Cirque du freak may want to check this book out. 21/2 star rounded up to 3







Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I just was not able to get into this book. I have been trying to read this book for a few months now and I just cannot get into it. I made it to the 60% mark and it was clear that this just isn't the book for me. This book is VERY well-written, but it is SLOW. I am more of a fast-paced, plot-driven reader and this book just couldn't keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book.

I went into this book really excited - I’m in a book group that’s reading this and majority are loving this book and the characters. But for me it just isn’t working. Early on in the book, I just found myself skimming pages. .. that’s generally a sign to me that the book probably needed a bit more editing.

But don’t listen to me - this book has a lot of fans - so do give it a try and make up your own mind !

Confused.

That’s how I felt for the most of Where Dreams Descend, and definitely after I finished. Only the ending resulted in a more of a “WTF just happened!” confusion versus the “I don’t know what’s happening” confusion I experienced while I was reading. I’m not mad that I was perplexed – it definitely makes me more interested to read the sequel, but I am slightly annoyed that only a few of the sources of my confusion were resolved by the end of the story. This is honestly probably my biggest problem with Where Dreams Descend. If there are any mysteries in a novel, I need some sort of payoff or resolution to them by the end of the book.

Another source of confusion is my reading habits while reading this book. I’m naturally more of a one sitting reader, but I found myself willingly taking breaks while reading Where Dreams Descend. I don’t know, I just couldn’t read a lot of it at once, which is unusual for me. The story was wonderfully written and intricately woven, but it just didn’t pull me in until past the halfway mark after most of the world building is established and the plot picks up.

But that might be because of the writing. As beautiful as it is, it can get a bit redundant and flowery at times. It kind of reminds me of Jay Kristoff’s writing in Nevernight.

I also felt like some of the characters were underdeveloped and didn’t experience any significant development throughout the story. I get that they’re all supposed to have mysterious pasts, but again, it’s just too much mystery and not enough answers.

As for the romance, let’s just say this one I blame on the synopsis. It was not what I was expecting. The characters had great chemistry, but I still felt like the romance was a bit forced. I think it might have just needed some more time for it to feel more genuine.

Despite my complaints, I really did enjoy reading Where Dreams Descend. Where it shines is with its star, Kallia. She is just so fierce and confident! There are times where she does toe the line between confidence and arrogance, but I can hardly blame her. Even though the story takes place in a fictional world, I loved how it alluded to many modern-day struggles and issues, such as the fact that women, and especially women of color, have to work harder to be taken seriously. Kallia is an excellent representation of that. I feel like she often wears her confidence like a suit of armor against those that want to belittle her accomplishments and potential.

In conclusion, Where Dreams Descend is an intriguing read full of mysteries, almost too many. I loved Kallia and her fierceness and how magic was woven into the plot but it wasn’t as spectacular as I’d like. I can’t believe I have to wait until 2021 to read the next book.

What a luscious dream of a book! I knew I would enjoy it based on the comps alone, but I was delighted to see that it lived up to expectations. Angeles's imagery facilitated between dark, rich, and whimsical as the book careened on a predictable but still enjoyable plot. Kallia was a vivacious, brilliant heroine you can't help but to root for. I do wish it had been a bit longer, as the ending seemed a rushed with a few too many questions left unanswered for my taste. Luckily, the sizzling romance and quick pacing held my interest and have me looking forward to reading the sequel!

A hauntingly atmospheric series opener, perfect for fans of Caraval and the Shadow Game series. Kallia is a compelling and chaotic main character, and her complicated relationships with Jack and Demarco will surely only get more complicated as the story goes on. Lots of threads left hanging and mysteries left unsolved, but the world building is excellent and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Where Dreams Descend

4 stars

Filled with magic and suspense, mysterious intrigue, spectaculore (see what I did there) productions and chilling visuals, Where Dreams Descend is perfect for fans who wanted more of the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera and couldn’t get enough of the dazzling performances of Moulin Rouge.

What stood out to me the most in Where Dreams Descend, is the author’s writing. I find it very hard to believe this is a debut novel. The author’s visual descriptions were so profound and exemplary that I find the vivid mental images of many of the scenes still playing in my head long after I’ve finished the novel. Although I still have many questions about the world and magic system, I found the author did an amazing job of explaining and visualizing for the reader in a way that added more intrigue and had me wholly immersed awaiting what would happen. This is a world unlike any other I’ve seen in YA and one I am more than excited to continue exploring.

I adored our main female lead who faced not only obstacles dark, ominous, and unknown, but also the very known sentiment of building a name for herself in a world that solely favors male magicians. I loved her will to not back down and in fact stand out all the more. I also really loved the slow burn romance and found it to be sweet and wholesome. But most of all I really loved the side characters. They were all so unique and interesting and I hope to see a lot more of them in the sequel which I will be eagerly awaiting.

The novel also ended in a major cliffhanger that still has me reeling so I will definitely be waiting with frayed nerves!

I highly recommend Where Dreams Descend to fans of Caraval, The Crown’s Game, and even for fans of The Raven Cycle. I think fans who enjoyed the element of foreshadowing gloom and suspenseful mystery in TRC will really love this one!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Where Dreams Descend

Author: Janella Angeles

Book Series: Kingdom of Cards Book 1

Rating: 1/5

Diversity: POC characters (Kallia specifically is described as having brown skin)

Recommended For...: ya fantasy, magic, kinda like The Night Circus.

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNF-ed

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Pages: 464

Synopsis: In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Review: Unfortunately I had to DNF this book at 43%. I think the book has a lot of promise and I’m really intrigued by the story, but it needs more editing. The book is very confusing. The formatting is horrible and the POV switches are so confusing. The book kind of jumps into the story and it was pretty far into the book before I figured out who Kallia really was personality wise. The plot is intriguing in the synopsis but at 43% it still wasn't the focal point of the book. Character development is all over the place and the mind games hurt my brain. The world building is the best part but it doesn't help save this plot. It's also very long winded and overtly talkative in a lot of spots. I did have an arc so I'm hoping the final version was cleaned up but it's definitely not for me I don't think.

Verdict: It’s promising, but not for me at the moment.

I Adored this book. It had me hooked from page one. Drawing me in and making me feel as if i was there living it myself. It is one of my top reads for this year by far

I truly loved this book. From the beginning, the premise hooked me. I mean, how can a person NOT be excited about Phantom meets Moulin Rouge with a dash of The Night Circus?!

These characters have found their way into my heart and I want to keep them all there even though I don’t know which ones I can trust. This story is so full of mystery and magic and the entire cast leaps off the page in a colorful blaze. Speaking of mystery, Janella did such a brilliant job of unfolding this mystery, giving us little tidbits when we need them but never too much that we can guess (or at least that I could guess).

I thought the pacing felt w little off in places, which is why I can’t give it a full five stars, but this lived up to my expectations in so many ways and I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds in the next book.

eArc provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I LOVED this book. I really enjoy carnival/circus settings in books, and yet I don't seem to find many that I actually enjoy. This one was amazing and I'm so glad it lived up to the hype. I enjoyed every minute of it. A must read for those who enjoyed The Night Circus or Caraval or Moulin Rouge.

I am very conflicted about my feelings on this book. It took me awhile to get into it, but once I did I was hooked with the descriptions of the magic and the Spectaculore. Kallia was easy to love, she was strong, blunt, and never doubted herself, even when things began to go wrong around her. She was really the only well fleshed out character in the whole book though, everyone else just felt flat and one sided to me. The ending was, for me, very disappointing. Obviously things have been left very open for a second book, but I just hate books that build and build and build to just be suddenly cut short. Hopefully the next book will answer some of the many questions I have.

I did like the premise of this story. I can see where some would think it would be similar to Night Circus. It just wasn't drawing me in like I was hoping, which is important to me when reading a book.

The characters just didn't feel relatable, I couldn't understand what was happening half the time, and I felt bored. Maybe I expected too much from it, But overall, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. I just don't think this book was for me, but I really appreciated the opportunity to read and review it!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book for an honest opinion.

I did like the premise. But I felt like the whole story was just setting up for a sequel and that was kind of boring. It just seemed like one missed opportunity after another

Maybe I expected too much from it, But overall, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters. And that's usually what I want from a book.

Where Dreams Descend is a spellbinding new fantasy novel that features a magician competition, a magical circus, and a mystery. Our main character Kallia is a born magician who has lived her entire life in an entertainment club hidden in the woods. The master of the house Jack taught her how to wield magic and turned her into a star performer at the club. But Kallia wants more. When rumors of a magician competition being held in a nearby city reach her, she resolves to run away and enter the competition.

This book has many elements that I like:

an unequivocally strong female lead – I loved Kallia's confidence and the way she owned the stage and never cowered before men in power
magicians competing for the right to be called the best and to launch their performing career
a mystery and a lurking evil power that haunts the city and attacks performers
a captivating love story
a powerful anti-hero

All of these elements combined kept me enthralled with the story. Moreover, the story itself reads a lot like a thriller, you constantly wait for the other shoe to drop, which makes you keep turning the pages. The one thing I found a bit disappointing is that nothing is really explained in the end. We know that there is some ancient secret. There are also hints at non-humans, another world beyond the mirror, rumors of magicians disappearing, etc. But nothing is explicitly revealed.

I guess this makes a perfect set up for book 2, especially with that ending, but I did hope that we would get at least something explained. Who is Jack? What happened with the four founding families of the town? Where do magicians disappear? Who are the shadows in the mirror? Getting at least one question answered would be a bit more satisfying. I gave this novel 4 out of 5 stars docking a star for this absence of answers. I will definitely be reading book 2.

An e-ARC was provided by NetGalley.com

By now it should be easier to explain how much I loved a story. I mean, after writing so many reviews, putting down my thoughts on paper should be a piece of cake. Nevertheless, every time a book steals my heart as Where Dreams Descent did, I find myself wordless. No word is perfect enough to put together a sentence that describes how much a book messed up my emotions.

Storytelling: From the first moment I saw Where Dreams Descent, I had a feeling that I would fall in love with it. With a sprinkle of The Phantom of the Opera and a drizzle of Moulin Rouge, Where Dreams Descent is a bewitchingly nightmarish tale. Janelle Angeles crafted a marvelous and captivating story, with beautiful passages, and divided into acts -- one more mysterious, spellbinding, and enigmatic than the previous one.

The plot of Where Dreams Descent starts slow, with all these questions arising and no answers. Then, the story picks up (this does not mean there are no more secrets to be unveiled) and an alluring and intricate world unfolds before the reader's eyes. Janelle Angeles's writing is simply enticing and it will trap you in Glorian, a city covered in ice, ruin, and danger and filled with pulsing dark magic. Where Dreams Descent ends with a cliffhanger that will make you wish the second book would be out already!

Characters: My sweet and powerful Kallia. So daring and fearless. ❤️ I adored how Kallia challenged the patriarchal norms and made her way into the competition -- not only as the only female magician but also as the most powerful magician. She was the better contestant by far and she knew it! Kallia was not afraid of showing it. No matter what the men responsible for the competition did to push her out of it, Kallia would resist and put on a bewitching show. Sometimes you must wonder how fragile the male ego can be to not allow women to join a magician competition. However, behind all the fearlessness and tenacity, there were cracks in Kallia. Living a life o lies left marks on her. I liked how confident Kallia was of herself and her magic, but also had this fragile side that made me want to tell her that it is okay to break down -- everyone breaks down and that does not make them damaged or unworthy.

Demarco had his own demons too (and there was something about the ENDING that needs to be better explained in the sequel). He was shattered by loss and willing to do what he could to protect Kallia -- even if that meant being manipulative. I enjoyed how naturally the relationship between Kallia and Demarco developed -- at the beginning, they were not very fond of each other. Dusted with magic and heartbreak, this relationship was beautifully written.

World Building: Glorian is a city of secrets. It is haunted by a cryptic past and surrounded by a cursed forest. After a long period of isolation, Glorian opens its doors to the Conquering Circus and a magician competition. Of course, when there is so much darkness hidden in a decaying city nothing is bound to end well -- especially for the magicians involved in the competition. What I loved the most about the world building was that Glorian was not just a setting. The city felt alive! This city almost felt like a character, with its wishes and magic. The magic system is quite interesting: some are born with magic while others can learn how to use it (I must confess I did not understand how those without magic learn how to wield it). The magic is used to create illusions -- even if some illusions are more "illusionary" than others.

I was so excited that I got approved to read this book as I knew it had something to do with performing and I loved Caravel. Kallia is why to headstrong and so proud of her magic. I really want her to meet someone that best her because she really needs to be taken down a peg or two. Also, her dismissing Jack from her life just because he lied to keep her safe is crazy. She is so ungrateful and her hooking up with Demarco is just wrong. She and Jack need to get together.

There is a lot more going on in this book other than the contest and I can't wait to see how all of that is going to work out in the next book. There is something sinister going on in Glorian and I really want to know what it is. Plus, that ending. I want to know which magician it was looking at Demarco in the mirror.

"Here, with you," she said, showing a small hint of teeth. "Sounds like applause."
...
Wow wow wow. I knew I'd enjoy this one but it still surprised me. I heard this book compared to Phantom of the Opera, Moulin Rouge, The Night Circus, and some of those vibes I definitely did pick up. But Where Dreams Descend is it's own magical story.
The beginning was a little slow for me, although still interesting. It took me a while to get into, but that honestly doesn't change how I feel about it. The last third of it blew me away!
The writing style was simple, but also had some beautiful moments. What really intrigued me were the characters, the plot, and the romance. Kallia was an amazing, confident, complex main character. Jack was super mysterious and interesting. And I grew to love Demarco so much! I also thoroughly enjoyed the side characters. The romance had a great slow burn. Each characters are so troubled and lovely and you just root for them so much!!
And THAT. ENDING. A BIT frustrating, but mostly wonderful. Especially that last line. Ugh.
I would definitely recommend Where Dreams Descend and I'll definitely be reading whatever Ms. Angeles puts out next!