If you're looking for a horror murder mystery with gothic vibes, then I really recommend this book.

The story and characters are so vivid and fleshed out that the book really pulls you in. The prose and dialogue is perfect for the historical setting.

I really hope we'll get more of these characters in future future books.

Please do read the trigger warnings, but I am really excited to read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

DO NOT READ AT NIGHT 👀👀👀

Im kidding but seriously I was checking over my shoulder and everything. I love a good horror book and this delivered on every front!

"So we begin as we have begun a hundred times before - from darkness to bring people stars."

Black Carnival by Harlequin Grim is one of those books that sinks its claws in and lingers. I went into it expecting something along the lines of Caraval or maybe even The Night Circus—you know, whimsical, mysterious, dazzling. But this? This is darker. Grimmer. And honestly, way more unsettling in the best way.

"We are no better than those men. We never were. We hold candles to the Devil and stand in the shadows they cast."

This book delivers big on atmosphere—creepy, cultish circus vibes that feel like they’re creeping up your spine with each page. It’s the kind of story that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into a twisted funhouse where every mirror shows something a little too real. The death toll is high, and yes, child death is present, so that’s something to know going in. Some scenes are genuinely haunting. This isn’t a book for the faint of heart, and I mean that sincerely. Read at your own risk—but if you're into that dark, unflinching storytelling, you’ll probably devour this like I did.

What made this even more fascinating for me is the author himself. Harlequin Grim isn't just a pen name with a flair for the dramatic—he actually lived a life that feels tailor-made for a gothic novel. A mortuary worker turned full-time circus artist? Yeah, you feel that authenticity bleeding into the pages.

"A man who spends most of his waking life with the dead should never be afraid to live."

This was strange, eerie, and totally unique. It won’t be for everyone, but if you like your fiction soaked in death, mystery, and carnival shadows, it might just be for you.

a promising debut from an author who clearly knows his stuff! this book throws you into the deep end and acquaints you with a world so immersive it’s almost hard to put it aside. there are so many unique concepts to explore; some of which i wish were more developed, the lore behind the ghouls for example (though of course only so much can be done in one novel!). the pace was a bit slow for me at first and i had a hard time distinguishing which character was our protagonist for a bit, but when it picked up i couldn’t put it down. i would love to read more about this world and its characters, and i sincerely hope this book does well enough to make that a possibilotu

Magic, Carnies, and Ghosts! What more could you want? I have to be honest; this one didn't draw me in right away. When I guessed the Act 1 twist, I felt a little disappointed, until I realized I was only halfway through the book. It switches between multiple perspectives and covers a lot of ground following the workers of the carnival, a local mortician, and the leader of a group called 'The Disciples', who charge local businesses a protecti0n fee (classically of course, the Disciples are exactly who they need protection from). This book is worth a read if you're interested in supernatural fiction and would like to see the inner workings of a carnival. Written by a mortuary worker turned circus artist, the novel reveals a lot and stays interesting throughout. The novel explores the lengths a person will go to for justice, or revenge. Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel, I am providing this review of my own choice.

This one is incredibly hard to rate for me because I liked the writing, but the plot got lost for me.

The setting, the darkness, the descriptions of the circus: brilliant. The way the plot unravels left me hanging during too many chapters and too many pages (and the book is not even 400 pages long).

Act 1 appeared way too long, and I preferred Act 2. The different POVs were interesting, I think it could have worked with only one (Atherton) or two (Atherton and Boo). Atherton is, by far, the most interesting character in the book. I also think Lester could have been amazing, but she has a minor place in the story.

The plot itself, well. I don't know what to make of it. Things happened for a reason. Everyone can be a villain until they are not (or they are). My understanding is that this book is a debut novel. One thing I can say for sure is that the author has potential.

Pick it up if you like:
- Precise descriptions (circus / carnival)
- Slow pace
- A hint of romance
- Ghosts (some)
- Villains (but make it really villains)

Honestly DNF'd. I wanted to like this book so badly but honestly I could not get into it. I've had it almost a week and I am not even 100 pages in because every time I try and read it, I fall asleep within a chapter. I even started reading it earlier in the night so I could give it a fair chance, and I ended up falling asleep again. or my mind wanders. There is just too much happening I don't understand to keep my head in the story.

There's just too much going on, and this is a good example of less is more. It's too much having an undertaker who sees ghosts, a guy who needs bodies for some reason, a gang, a travelling circus, and multi POVs jumping around too quickly to get a sense of what's happening. The characters keep talking about ghouls, and ghouls just showed up in the book without explanation on what they are and where they come from and what they do. It was frustrating. Add in the English slang and my brain was not computing this.

A more simple plot would be: undertaker finds bodies when the circus comes to town, investigates with strange circus performer, is met with opposition from local gangs, finds occult connections. This book had potential to be really cool, but it's Peaky Blinders meets the Night Circus but the most boring parts of both of those stories. Sorry.

Two stars because there's potential and the author did not drag out the story more than 400 pages.

Three pov told from not your usual cast of horror characters. The characters really jump out at you and make you feel all kinds of emotions. It makes you feel like it’s your reality and not just words on pages.
Pages full of emotions, twist, nastiness, cruelty, and all round a great book. Honestly this book will have you contemplating what you just read and an over all sad feeling that’s it’s over.

"Ghost are just that - fragments. Mangled remnants of who we were, trying to make sense of what we couldn't understand in life."

Wow! I went into this one with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. I loved it - the story, the historical setting, the circus universe and the motley crew of characters. There is horror aplenty with all kinds of nastiness.
The writing is great, the story is told from multiple point of views. I love the prose, generously sprinkled with all those ancient words. The descriptions are detailed, vivid and sometimes lyrical. The characters are well fleshed out and so different from the usual run of the mill horror characters. The plot is great with a lot of twists.
I will be reading this one again and other works by this writer. I also hope we will get to see some of the characters (Atherton, Boo, Lester, Kayne......) again in the future.
Great read.

Out of all the books I've read this year, The Black Carnival truly took my breath away. I was still thinking about it long after I finished it. I devoured it in two days, completely unable to put it down.

The alternating POVs are a style I love; it adds so many perspectives to the same situation. The POV characters were as original as they were compelling. The setting outside the carnival felt accurate to the time and had little to do with anything particularly magical, which I enjoyed. The main antagonist was as normal as they come, but the energy he radiated made him feel extraordinary.

What stood out to me most was the deep connection I felt to the main characters, in a way I usually don't. You truly feel for their struggles and pain. It can be difficult to write a sympathetic character, but Harlequin Grim hit the mark dead on. I will be reading this book again, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a new read.

I loved the multiple perspectives and how each character really had their own voice and personality. Sometimes with multiple perspectives characters personalities can get lost in the authors writing style but not with this! I really couldn't put it down. I really hope to see more from this author!! Very intriguing story, interesting characters, great world building, overall just a great mystery/horror read!