If you are into historical fiction, the circus life and good books…this one is for you! I’m 1860s England, a girl is sold to a ringmaster and this story is what ensues of that life for her. This book was well-written, had a great atmospheric vibe of the circus, and explored so many emotions. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend!

An intriguing tale of a young woman sold by her father to a traveling circus whose owner wants to be the greatest showman in the world. By switching the point of view between the three main characters, MacNeal broadens the narrative, offering clear insights into his characters and their motivations. The subtle changes in the writing between each character reinforce the distinctions between them even as their intertwined stories tie them together.

Circus of Wonders is wonderfully written! It's a great historical fiction novel that is really vivid in how it's written.

Once again, Elizabeth Macneal has recreated a Victorian England worthy of Dickens. This time, it’s 1866 and Jasper Jupiter runs his Circus of Wonders. Like a small scale P. T. Barnum, Jasper has a collection of freaks and oddities. Nellie has a skin disorder that has left her speckled. Some call her the Leopard Girl. Her father sells her to Jupiter for £20. At first despondent, she learns she can map out her own path. It’s a joy to watch Nell come around, to get a sense of herself and develop her self confidence. Toby is Jasper’s brother, always in the shadows, who falls in love with Nell but can’t see that she might love him, too.
I always want to learn something from historical fiction. But I also need to be entertained. This book does both. By interweaving the brothers’ time in the Crimean War, Macneal is able to show us how “all of history is fiction” and anything can be distorted to tell a story. The story touches on ownership, self worth, jealousy, family loyalties. It totally captures the times - the same age of discovery that led to science advancements also fueled a fascination in curiosities among rich and poor alike.
I was engrossed by all the characters, both good and bad, wondering how their individual stories would play out. Jasper’s hubris threatened them all. And the ending... This is no fairy tale, but the ending just really worked for me.
This book proves that The Doll Factory wasn’t a one off. I will continue to read anything Macneal writes.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advance copy of this book.

I loved Circus of Wonders. A moving story with human wonders. An intriguing tale with wondrous characters. I loved Nell, her story was touching. The brothers, Jasper and Toby, their story heartbreaking. A great read, I'm looking forward to reading more of this Authors work.
#CircusOfWonders #NetGalley

I give Circus of wonders 5 stars for its moving read.
I would recommend this book to everyone.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. WOW. Wow, wow, wow. This book was beautiful. It was lush, vibrant, full of emotion, rawness and pulls the curtain back on the glamorous/not so glamorous circus circuit. There was history, there was grit, there was beauty. This book was evocative and brutal and beautiful and horrifying and magnificent. Macneal captures the reader with Nell from the very beginning, and drops breadcrumbs of the past from Jasper and Toby throughout. The description of this book does not do it justice. It was magnificent, and the story was in my mind even when I wasn't reading it. I turned it over and over, examining it, trying to figure out what would happen next. Just splendid.

This was captivating. Nell is a young woman no different than the other farm women in her small remote village in Victorian England. Her one difference is that she has birth marks all over her body and is looked upon as a freak by her neighbors. Jasper and Toby are brothers and carnies. Jasper is the showman of the pair and Toby does the heavy lifting. When Jasper sees Nell, he immediately sees the potential for his Circus of Wonders and buys her from her father.

This is the introduction to a well written and plotted novel about the lives and interactions of these three protagonists. They are most definitely not always likable but they are, without fail, interesting. In many respects it made me think of Water for Elephants which, in my mind, is a compliment. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC for an honest review.

A beautiful story with a strong and courageous heroine. I couldn't put this down! Beautiful writing kept me turning the pages! Loved this!

A magical historical fiction book about a traveling circus and a woman named Nellie. Born with birthmarks all over her body and seen as a freak by her community, she is sold to a circus. Dealing with knowing her own strength, PTSD, brotherly rivalry, and found family. Loved this story.

Circus stories seem to be on the rise again, and Macneal has given us a dark but joyful look into a 19th century traveling show. Knowing what was going to happen to Nell made the first couple chapters very difficult to read, but the stage was set for her life to really take off. Macneal has written a story full of love, deception, and ultimately independence, made real by the colorful characters juggling and leaping through the pages.

I’ll be recommending this one for book groups for sure.

Thank you to Netgalley and author Elizabeth Macneal for an eARC copy of Circus of Wonders in exchange for an honest review.

I have been on the hunt for a circus themed book for a while now and when I came across the synopsis for this one I knew, before even reading it, that this was going to be one I wouldn't soon forget after finishing.

The story follows Nell, a young woman from a coastal village. Made an outcast by the mottled coloring of the freckles and birthmarks on her skin, Nell finds comfort and belonging from only her brother and the sea. When Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders comes through their small village, Nells father sees an opportunity to rid himself of his burden of a daughter and sells her to the showman. Betrayed by her own father, Nell is kidnapped and taken away with the Circus as they move on to the next town.

Nell soon realizes however that the circus may offer her more of a life than she ever could have had back I'm her quiet village. Slowly she begins to rise in fame among the performers as a flying leopard girl and develops an intimate connection with Jasper's more gentle brother, Toby, whose dark past binds him to his brother in peculiar ways.

As Jasper secures a show in London Nell's fame begins to grow and surpass that of the showman. Not only is she taking over his show, but she is also driving a wedge between him and his brother.

It is a truly fantastic world behind the scenes and the lives of the circus performers. The story really bends on the emotional side of things. You really feel how Nell just wants to be accepted and find a place where she belongs. At the same time though you meet Toby and learn how even though he fits in with societal standards, he himself feels like an outcast and longs to be different and unique in the way the performers are. There is a power in being different and this book showed that in so many different ways.

This was a first read by this author for me and I highly enjoyed every page of it and will happily be looking into her other works.

After her brilliantly memorable debut, The Doll Factory, Elizabeth Macneal's showcases that her writing just goes from strength to strength, as she once again returns to the Victorian historical era, this time putting the spotlight on Victorian obsessions with 'freaks', curiosities, and the exotic. This book shimmers with magic, illusions, interwoven with horror, where in a southern coastal town, Nell is markedly different from others with her body covered with birthmarks, she is shunned by others, believed to be a curse, thought of as a bad omen by her father. She holds on to her beloved relationship with her brother, picking violets for a living. Nell, the 'Leopard Girl', is to be betrayed by her father, torn from her life when he sells her to Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders. Jasper is blindly ambitious, selfish, seeking fame and fortune at any price, he and his gentler brother, Toby, are haunted by the brutal battlefields of the Crimean War, where Jasper served as a soldier, and Toby as a war photographer, the two bound tightly together by secrets, as they realised their dream of running a circus.

Nell is initially so unhappy, but she is soon to wonder if this is not the best thing that could have happened her, as she soars high above the entranced audiences as she becomes Jasper's star attraction, becoming widely celebrated, shifting large amounts of merchandise, the media labelling her the eighth wonder of the world. She becomes close to fellow acts, including a group of women, like the wise bearded women, Stella, along with Peggy and Brunette, forming strong friendships and family, developing resilience and a more defined sense of identity. She develops feelings for Toby, but she is owned by Jasper, and his insecurities, jealousy and drive to profiteer is to be source of his unravelling. In a atmospheric, multilayered, and emotionally charged narrative, we learn of the backgrounds and past of Nell, the despicably controlling Jasper, and Toby, touching on issues of power, ownership, celebrity, exploitation, differences, sibling relationships, secrets, love, loss and circus life, amidst the rich descriptions of life, the position of women, the social norms and attitudes of the day, the society and inequalities of Victorian England.

In this well researched novel, Macneal weaves her powerful spellbinding storytelling, immersing the reader in the Victorian period, and her magnetic, mesmerising, memorable and flawed authentic characters, none more so than Nell. The development of her character is a joy to behold, despite the challenges and obstacles that come her way, facing being all too obviously seen by others, yet to all intents and purposes, fighting being invisible, wanting to be seen for who she is. The author takes the reader beyond the macabre horror of the circus of 'freaks' into the thrillingly imagined world of the weird and the wonderful, the people and their lives behind the acts. This is a uncomfortable and unsettling book at times, but it just lured me in with ease with its beautifully written prose and emotional sensitivity, a historical novel of survival, hope, empowerment and acceptance in a world that can be so desperately cruel. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal is a wonderful historical fiction novel that gives the reader a glimpse into the fantastic and intriguing world of the circus existence during the 1860s in England.

This book really drew me in. It is so unique and way more intricate than I ever expected it to be. Yes, we get front row seats to the show that is the Victorian circus life, but we are also privy to the complicated, harsh, and challenging world behind the curtains of the people and animals that brought it all together.

Nell is such a fabulous and complex character. Initially added to the traveling show not of her choosing, her less than stellar life takes a turn as she begins to blossom and emerge from her cracked shell as she discovers life, love, tastes of independence and fame, but also that this world is just as harsh as from where she was escaping. The progression, the changes, and the eventual outcome are nothing short of entertaining, gripping, and inspiring.

The detail, the character cast, and the historical aspects added in made this a really enjoyable novel that I recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Atria Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/1/22.

Good historical fiction for fans of the genre and circus theme. Just wasn’t for me. Thank you to the publisher. I just didn’t gel with the circus theme as it isn’t what I enjoy In my reading . I was invited by the publisher to view this title but all thoughts are my own. Just wasn’t to my taste

I enjoyed this book about a "Circus of Wonders" in 1860s England. It is a bit unsettling how people with oddities were treated. They are gawked at, touched and laughed at, and yet, they are sometimes better off then when they are living among family and villagers. Some are well paid and like Nell, finally feels like her own person as she performs. Others, like 4 year old albino Pearl, is just shunted from one venue to another. With 21st century sensibilities, it is hard to justify or understand "freak shows", but this is a very well researched description of those times. The descriptions of the circus and London during this time period are beautifully rendered. There is also parts where the brothers are in the Crimea fighting the war there. These descriptions are pretty horrific. I felt that the story meandered a bit and I couldn't quite picture the contraption that Nell wears to perform. I didn't like that the situation with the money lender was not explained. After the threats Jasper received for late payments, I can't believe that nothing came of that story line. Everything wraps up satisfyingly, but I guess the story fell flat for me. The treatment of animals in the story was quite upsetting too. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC of this book for my honest review.

The Circus of Wonders was a Wondrous read.
I love the thrill that comes along with stepping into circus books of all kinds. The characters, the colors, the atmosphere, it’s all so intoxicating and this is book did not disappoint.
The author did a an amazing job writing a truly unique story that was beautiful & heartbreaking. I can honestly say, this has been one of my favorite reads this year!
Bravo to the Circus of Wonders !

It is the year 1866, Nell lives in a small English town, where she is not entirely accepted, all thanks to her skin and birthmarks that the villagers consider unlucky. With the arrival of Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders, her father betrays her by selling her, claiming that is for the sake of her happiness.

At first, Nell thinks about escaping, until she meets other members of the circus, mainly other female artists, with whom she will befriend.
I liked watching Nell grow up, finally seeing herself as she is, regardless of the opinion of others, she is beautiful and unique and deserves to be loved.

On the other hand, we have the brothers Jasper and Toby, they are more complex and gray characters, Jasper is ambitious, he wants to be the owner of the most spectacular show in the world and he will not hesitate to use Nell to achieve his goal,

The relationship of the brothers is complex, there is brotherly love, but also jealousy and secrets, there is much more there than what is perceived at first glance.

I think the book was sensitively written and is well documented. One of the characteristics of the Victorian era was their taste for "freaks shows"

In this novel, we see a bit of both sides of the coin, on the one hand, Nell being marginalized from her people, to be a star since people buy her doll, on the other we have Jasper, the one who procures her actors but at the same time consider your property and will not hesitate to sell or exchange them if you no longer need them,

The writing was lovely, the author has a beautiful style, it is a complex story, the setting is not pretty but the author makes it easy, and she makes you participate.

Circus of Wonders is set during 1860s when circus mania swept England. The story explores what it truly means to have control over your own life.

Growing up, Nell doesn’t understand why people are whispering around her. Her brother points to the birthmarks on her hand and says, “It’s these.” When she starts noticing more of it, the whispers, the mockery, she begins to isolate herself, choosing solitude.

Jasper Jupiter and his brother Toby dreamed of having their own show since a young age. Jasper always cared more for animals than people. And though things didn’t quite work out as originally planned between the brothers, Jasper owns a circus now and makes rounds to scabby villages. He dreams of striking it big in such city as London. When a man comes with an offer of selling his daughter, who, with her birthmarks could be used as “curiosity,” Jasper sees an opportunity despite his brother’s warning that “You’re better man than this.”

What Nell has been hiding her whole life, now is supposed to be the making of her. Wings made of metal lift her up in the air, sending her flying like butterfly. For the first time in her life, she feels alive. For the first time in her life, she sees that her past doesn’t have to be her future. She can actually make a future for herself. She could transform into anything.

The story is narrated through three voices: Nell, Toby, and Jasper. Those three captivating point of view continuously reveal something about themselves, making it easy for the reader to get attached. With their stories, these narrators weave mystery and intrigue, continuously building tension.

The characters are marvelous with their dimensions and thought process. I enjoyed Nell’s transformation, showing how empowering it is to be independent. And when her relationship with Toby develops, how she needs to make decision as to which path she wants to follow. I also enjoyed the transformation of quiet Toby who always lived in the shadow of his brother and his success which was supposed to be theirs, not just Jasper’s.

Set against the Victorian obsession with oddities and wonders, this richly imagined story of circus life explores what it offered to some who were looked upon as different. It’s a beautifully woven story of human transformation and how magnificent it is to have a choice, touchingly written with depth.

P.S. This author has one previous book – The Doll Factory, which I also highly recommend.

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com

what I liked most about this book was the way all of the performers looked after and cared about each other like they were one big family. Another thing I liked about the book was how the main character, Nell, went from seeing her differences as ugly to seeing them as beautiful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you for the arc!

This Historical Fantasy chronicled the Victorian Eras' obsession with "freaks " and "oddities". The writing was succinct yet descriptive and even though it was written well, with a premise brimming with potential, it ultimately fell flat for me. It was not action packed. It was not filled with lacy prose or Magic or even deep, well fleshed out, likable characters. There was a bit of a quasi- romance but it felt odd, stilted and plain old weird... and not weird in a good way. It was your run-of-the-mill, middle of the road, teetering pile of Meh. If I were not committed to reviewing this arc, I would have enacted Pearl's Rule and placed this one firmly in the DNF pile. It barely skirted the right side of decent and regrettably, it sloooooowly courted disinterest all the way through. I thought Toby was a cliched, love and attention starved Beaten Dog trope (although I did end up feeling for him a bit by the epilogue), Nell was WAY too annoying to connect with or even to pity and I Loathed (with a capital L) Jasper and not in some Gothic "I love to hate him" way. I thought he was not relatable or likeable or redeemable at all. His motivations were muddied and although we were repeatedly told that he and his brother were linked and regarded each other as the other half of their own souls... it was more of a telling than a feeling (on my part) through actions and intentions. There was only one time that Jasper's loyalty to Toby was irrefutable and it's a pretty big plot hook so I won't spoil things for you, BUT aside from that one time when he was a decent brother, he was odious, dastardly and down right toxic. Don't get me wrong, it's true that a good villain can be better than all the heros a book can muster BUT when I can't get behind, or even stand, any of the MCs... not even 1 of the 3... then THAT, in my humble opinion, is a literary travesty. There are only a few literary no-no(s)that I can absolutely not abide by and this is a major one. AT LEAST ONE MAIN CHARACTER MUST BE INTERESTING!! Now, the book could have done better with a bit more "freaks" and a LOT less... other boring people but that's not what we were given here.

Sooooo...

Overall:
This book had a decent premise with loads of potential but, ultimately, it fell flat. I did really like one character, Stella, but that's about it, the rest of the cast were either dull, despicable or annoying. Nothing better than a lush, creepy, freaky, circus yarn (especially around Halloween time)but sadly, if you're in the market for one of those kinds of reads you're going to be disappointed here.

~ Sorry
*** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***