Caitlyn lives with her friend Vanessa in a small regular town, with a boring regular job and little in the way of future prospects. She suffers from severe headaches which the doctors have been unable to explain, meaning she has to medicate herself to keep them at bay.

Everything changes when a stranger comes into the cafe that Caitlyn works in and hands her a flyer for the circus. It is soon revealed the circus is not as it seems and finds herself drawn into it. Caitlyn also discovers that she may not be the regular girl she thought she was.

What I liked about this book

I actually really enjoyed the concept of this book. I liked the idea the the powers are an extension of their soul.
The circus theme - I love a circus themed book! The way the circus performances are described is great. I could really imagine it.
What i didn't like

There are a few continuity issues with this book. Some things happened that just aren't in line with what happened previously. It made me doubt my memory a bit?
Overall i think that i would rate this book around 2.75. I think if the details were ironed out then this would have the potential to be alot better.

DNF'd @ 16%

A Spectacle of Souls by Jessica Julien sounded like it was going to be right up my alley, but it just wasn't working for me. It's supposed to be a New Adult fantasy, but it comes across as much younger in tone. Also not much of anything happened during what I did read. Plus, I didn't care enough about any of the characters to keep reading.

Thank you Bleeding Ink Publishing for granting me access to a NetGalley digital ARC of this book. I'll admit, "A Spectacle of Souls" took me by surprise! In a lot of ways, the atmosphere of this story reminded me a lot of Stephanie Garber's "Caraval", but with a distinctly darker, more twisted and paranormal-centric tone...

In this first book, we follow Caitlyn Stoker, a young woman plagued with migraines who works as a waitress in a local diner in her hometown. Caitlyn and her best friend Vanessa are invited to attend the new circus that has just arrived in town... a circus that is unlike anything seen before. They are even presented with a pair of VIP tickets by one of the performers, the "King of Spades", also known as Daniel... A very handsome young man who takes an interest in Caitlyn from the very beginning. As the girls wind their way through two nights of revelry and spectacle, a darker plot unfolds and the glitz and glamour loses its charm. Caitlyn's migraines are more than they appear to be, and the circus psychic seems to know more about their meaning than she's letting on. The Ringmaster is far more interested in Caitlyn than he has any right to be, and he quickly ensnares her in the circus through bribery, threats and even darker deeds... What capabilities could Caitlyn possibly possess to make the Ringmaster go to such lengths, and more importantly, is she strong enough to face the ever-growing darkness taking hold of everything?

Overall, this was a 4 star read for me. I really liked the fact that, unlike many other ya fantasy villains out there these days, the ringmaster is a truly menacing and threatening figure who is more than just talk. There are severe consequences to be faced by our protagonist, which raises the stakes and makes the plot all the more exciting and suspenseful because you can never predict who will be safe. Going into it, I didn't realize that this was only the first book in a series. I'm definitely curious to see in what direction Julien takes this story in future installments.

My biggest critique would be the romance. It was far too instant and didn't seem to have much of a foundation. Knowing now that this will be a set of books rather than a standalone novel, I would have preferred to see the attraction build over the course of several books instead of an immediate "true love" sort of situation. Some of the paranormal aspects were a little difficult to follow as well, with transferring of energies, imagining abilities into being, and demon-like spirits. I feel like we've only scraped the surface with this installment and that there's a much deeper plot brewing, in which case, I look forward to reading the next book!

A typical coming of age with magical powers storey. The circus adds a lot of great content, and characters.

Spectacle of Souls is one of those books that is oddly captivating and you're left lingering in a world equal parts forebodingly creepy and whimsically magical ❤

The book follows one characters interactions with the circus act first experiencing the whimsy and a patron, the horror as a patron being hunted because of her latent talents, then back to the fun and magic of being a member of the troupe back to the bone chilling horror of the realities behind the circus's corrupt and evil ring master.

The plot line is beautifully crafted and has several BAM moments where you're left knocked off your feet. Murder, mystery, magic, psychic powers, lost memory, teamwork and ultimately hope and recovery all come up.

Each character is wonderfully written and so much fun to follow. I will warn you though this is NOT happy tale. This is very much a horror/fantasy. It is dark and creepy and gorey and incredibly atmospheric. The whole book is downright creepy in a magnificent way and I was left enthralled from beginning to end.

Taking off a star sue to certain language and grammar things making me pause and reread but overall it's still a great read!

Review will be live on socials next week.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC

What’s not to love about a circus story? Especially one with magic and supernatural! The story moved at a really good pace and although I lost a bit of interest one stage this was more about the behaviour than the story and after a few days away I got back into it and could not put it down.
The romance was only there lightly and did not take away from the actual story line but rather added to it. The relationship and love that the villains partner had for him was also something as was the determined friend who also wouldn’t let the main character disappear.
Overall a great story that had a me not wanting it to finish. I would also be interested if there is going to be a follow up book.

Unfortunately I had to DNF due to writing style. Wasnt my cup of tea unfortunately. It simply was hard for me to get through and how I wanted to love it. The synopsis was fantastic but it fell short for me.

I had high hopes for this soul-sucking circus plot, but it just wasn't what I needed. This is the story of Caitlyn. When a circus rolls into her small town, she is forced to learn about her own latent psychic abilities. The ringmaster seeks to use her gift for his own gain. How can Caitlyn protect herself from the (literal) mind games he'll play to get what he wants?

Things I liked: 1) vivid descriptions and 2) a strong girl friendship (one says to the other, "I'm going to save you, you bitch!" which is a sure sign of a bond for life).

Things that didn't work for me: 1) a sometimes clunky writing style with overhanded adverb usage, 2) a stock, overpowered ya fantasy heroine/girl next door, and 3) insta love to complete the cookie cutter plot (also, boo generic gender roles). In the end, these things conspired to prevent me from liking the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book started out really well. It was inventive, exciting, alluring and intriguing. I wasn't sure where the storyline was to go.

"He could kill us," he said gently.
"Wouldn't you rather die fighting for our freedom than let him kill us slowly as his prisoners?"
Daniel let out a breath and looked to the tent where cheers from the audience echoed through the night. "You can't do this alone."
"You're right. Which is why we are all fighting together."'


When you pair the dazzling elements of the circus with the complications of romance, murder, magic and mayhem wrought by its acts and ringmaster, you can be sure you're in for a highly entertaining story and for about half of it, that's precisely what we got. However, halfway through A Spectacle of Souls some of that initial excitement and wonder was waylaid. It started to lose steam and attraction. The plot line didn't necessarily stagnate but it did meander and take twists and turns that just felt forced rather than organic to the original storyline.

The main heroine was a bit wishy-washy. I found her a little dull for the female protagonist role. She was neither very courageous but neither was she a coward. She was middling in her assertions and ambitions. Her personality a little lackluster. I feel for these kinds of epic fantasy romance stories we need to have strong leads or they get washed out by all of the mysticism and chaos that is prevalent around them. And that's what I feel happened here. We were left with big revelations and deaths. Strange worlds full of souls. A circus inhabited by magical beings. Yet a hero and heroine who were neglected. They weren't complex or interesting enough to really fall in love with.

It was a good story, though with the key elements utilised here it could have been something extravagant, something spectacular. In the end however it was just engaging enough to see me through to the end.

Well this book is a bit slow, some situations I did not understand, I did not know that there was a pre-sneaks and I think that affected me with my reading, I think it will be difficult to know how to rate it more.

I am very torn about leaving a review as I DNF'd the book a few chapters in. I normally would not review a book I DNF'd but I will say that if you like reading useless description--a lot of constant description of everything in the scene--and a MC who reads like an angsty teenager, then this book might be for you. Seriously, I cannot stress how much description and regurgitated thesaurus is in this book. I was excited about the book's description as I love a good mysterious circus story but holy, description and shallow character Batman.

This is one time I feel cheated by a book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bleeding Ink Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

I thought there would be a more intense and better mystery to this book, but it still kept me intrigued. There were quite a few predictable moments and some of the dialogue seemed repetitive and not needed. I still enjoyed most of the story! Thank you for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

I love a good story with a band of misfits coming together to solve a problem. Unfortunately, it didn't really deliver. I felt the characters were pretty 2 dimensional and the relationships didn't seem that genuine. The dialogue was a little off and the prose/writing just felt a little juvenile to me. This book was also very predictable at many points and I wasn't that impressed with where the plot was going. This book had a lot of potential but unfortunately just turned out to be another average YA book. I am sure readers trying to get into YA fantasy would enjoy this but it was just not for me.

A note for the publisher, I wish the archive date came with a little of a warning before the archive date suddenly sprung upon us. I wasn't able to download the book because of the sudden archive date but luckily my friend had an ARC and since I was already approved she let me use her kindle account to read the book.

This book was suddenly archived without prior deadline, and while the book is not yet published. Therefor I did not get the chance to read this story. I find it sad that there was no warning whatsoever.

This novel drew me in from the start with its spooky atmosphere, compelling characters and well-written story. The pacing was strong as the main character is drawn into a wild mix of supernatural events, quirky small-town folk with secrets to hide, and personal demons that conspire to end them all. Some great twists and characters that are nuanced and tough to figure out who is good and bad- some may be both! Recommended.

Enchanted circus.... Repressed psychic powers.... Mysterious cute boy... Enigmatic Ringmaster? SIGN ME UP! I was so excited to read A Spectacle of Souls. Until I actually read it. Caitlyn is a waitress in a one stoplight town, with no opportunities. She has a spunky, sexy best friend named Vanessa, and an on-again, off-again crush named James, who works with her. Her life is good, if a little boring. The only bad thing in her life, other than the monotony, is her paralyzing migraines. But after a really cute boy, in a tattered top hat, comes into the diner with a flyer for the circus, Caitlyn's life will never be the same. She's been hiding an enormous power in her mind, and she'll need it to save her life. Sounds fantastic, right? That premise has the perfect elements, it just falls a little flat in execution. The writing itself feels a little juvenile, and the dialogue is unnatural. Neither Caitlyn or the other characters really have any depth. She will declare something, and then in the same sentence, declare the opposite. I couldn't keep track of her thoughts, emotions, motivations. The only element of the story that drew me in was the circus itself. Now, that was intriguing. The background of it was really cool. All the performers, with their own special powers, and the illusions, with some actual magic interspersed, was magnetic. Unfortunately, it was not enough to redeem the book from all the other problems. I do think that with some refinement, this book could be great. I am not closing the door on the rest of the series, since this is the first book. Maybe the story will grow enough to fill the expectations ignited by its premise. Although this book was not for me, I do think it could be enjoyable for a younger reader.
2 stars

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Bleeding Ink and Netgalley.

I adore a circus setting, they really lend themselves to creepy dark magic. The cover adds to that feeing ... toss in a YA romance and I'm good to go. It took me a second to get into this story as things were set up but once it hit part two I was totally enthralled. Caitlyn and Daniel were interesting characters but you know I'm a villain gal, so the Ringmaster!! OH YUM! I see there is a sort of prequel short and I'll be all over that as soon I get a second.

I really enjoyed the dimension of the Ringmaster and the vibe once we were more fully in the circus setting. In part three the magical aspects grow thicker, which I also loved. On a super thank you so much note to the author, the story has an end, no cliffhanger, and yet there is room more. I sure hope there is more....

Recommend for fans of YA/Teen para-romance

This book reeled me in with its beautiful cover (look at it!!! stunning!!!) and promise of a New Adult circus fantasy.

However, this didn't feel much like New Adult--the characters acted and spoke like high schoolers (honestly, I forgot it wasn't YA). It immediately turned me off the story when the main character started putting herself down as ordinary or not as talented at makeup as her best friend. The best friend is also kind of slutty and rich--the direct opposite of the main character, of course. That friendship dynamic is exhausting to read and can burn. Additionally, the writing was sort of weak and amateurish. I DNF'd around 25% after some skimming, because I simply had no interest in the story or characters. A hard pass from me.

Honestly not sure what I read here. It was quite slow and in many places very confused. I understand there is a prequel which I have not read, so factor that into the equation. Otherwise I think this might just be a style that doesn't suit me.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not going to lie on bit guys. A Spectacle of Souls was just really weird and confusing. It didn't even help to have a buddy read this with me because we were constantly confused.. about the entire book. Plus, what happened towards the end was entertaining but it made no sense whatsoever.

In it, you will meet Caitlyn. I get that she's the main character.. but she basically does absolutely nothing the entire book. Not sure what was going on in her head.. but she let a ton of people die.. and then was sad about it. I mean.. she didn't try to help or nothing. So, yeah.. she did nothing for me but annoy me constantly.

Then there's this whole circus and they all seem to be okay with people mysteriously disappearing? Like it was a regular Tuesday kind of thing and it was no big deal. What the what.. all these people are crazy. Plus the whole bad guy suddenly turns good and everything goes back to sunshine and rainbows?

I'm sorry.. but not today Satan.

In the end, this book would've been a heck of a lot better if they did the following: 1) explain these freaking powers and how they came to get them. 2) what the realms really are and how they can be "one" with them. 3) the inner voice telling her people were hiding things.. and she should've listened. Last, but not least, the damn pacing. I felt like 75% of this book was painfully slow and I had no idea how long I was staring at pages trying to make sense until things finally picked up.