Blood Circus
by Camila Victoire
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Pub Date Jan 31 2023 | Archive Date Mar 10 2023
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Description
In this lush and terrifying debut—perfect for readers of The Hunger Games and Children of Blood and Bone—Camila Victoire draws upon her own experience in a traveling circus to create a future where cruelty and spectacle hold the keys to subjugating humans on a ravaged earth.
At the end of the twenty-first century, climate change and famine almost ended humanity—until the discovery of the Klujns, a barbaric, humanoid species with strangely colored eyes and even stranger abilities. Their crystal claws and bones fertilize barren soil, and their tender meat is a super-protein. Klujns are both humans’ saviors and natural-born enemies, meant to be hunted and used.
When sixteen-year-old Ava finds herself on the wrong side of a military fence erected to protect the North American Territory, she’s captured by Klujns and made to participate in the Blood Race, a macabre tradition where young human hostages compete to the death for Klujn amusement. At first, she is terrified, but as Ava observes Klujn behavior that contradicts what she’s learned, she begins to wonder: Are Klujns as different as she was led to believe? And, as she fights for her life, does it matter?
Inspired by the dark, bohemian influence of the circus she traveled with for four years, Camila Victoire delivers a twisted coming-of-age tale that combines elements of fantasy, magical realism, and suspense. Blood Circus will capture fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, and Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone. Its masterful worldbuilding, plot twists, and boundary-pushing Blood Race are wholly immersive—and compel readers to call their own long-held assumptions, values, and belief systems into question.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
“I could not stop reading Blood Circus from the moment I started. The world is fascinating, and the story is brilliantly told. Love, love, love.”
—Storm Reid, actress, winner of the Teen Choice Award and NAACP Image Award
“This socially progressive dystopian adventure with strong worldbuilding and suspenseful plotting will appeal to fans of the Hunger Games…Pointedly questioning what it is to be human, this absorbing debut expresses profound longing for the disappearing wild.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Marketing Plan
Debut author
National publicity campaign
National reviews campaign
YA fiction buzz mailing
Digital advertising campaign
Social media campaign
Author Instagram: @camilavictoire
Debut author
National publicity campaign
National reviews campaign
YA fiction buzz mailing
Digital advertising campaign
Social media campaign
Author Instagram: @camilavictoire
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9798200816088 |
| PRICE | $19.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 414 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Jessica B, Librarian
I'm not a fan of books that revolve around the circus, but I thought I would give this chance. I am so glad I did because it was amazing. I had the perfect amount of suspense, magic realism and fantasy elements. This is a 100% 5 Star book!
Kelly A, Reviewer
Loved loved this one!! Gripping and exciting and as always a fab read and can't wait to see what this author does next :)
Megan W, Educator
This book reminds me of the hunger games and the maze trials mixed together. It was a fantastic read and kept me up late into the night. Sometimes monsters look like innocent people even when they’re the worst monsters of all.
Librarian 542583
I really loved this book! I was sucked in as soon as I started reading it and finished in one day! The author did an amazing job to keep the plot exciting and interesting. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.
Reviewer 834798
Okay I just want to give a HUGE thank you to the author Camila for going to such great lengths to let me read and review her book, I am truly so thankful!
World:
So we didn't see too much of the world in this book, however, a lot of the side characters were able to help fill in some of the details of the different environments. This world is a very dark and grim dystopian with humans living in walled-up civilizations and the Kuljns roaming free.
Characters:
There were a lot of characters and each of them held their own different personalities and stories. My only complaint is that they did feel fairly flat to me and a bit stereotypical. Still, I enjoyed the interactions with them! My favorite was Diablo.
Plot:
The plot was fast paced and really intriguing. And though I wouldn't call it the most complex, it still had me hooked.
Writing:
This part is extremely subjective so please don't read it if you don't want your opinions swayed. For me, the writing felt very young given the type of story and there was a lot of *tell* rather than *show*. However, the parts that did have some *show* were really good. Unfortunately, it just wasn't up to my specific reading level.
Overall:
This premise is incredibly interesting and unique. I truly did love and enjoy this story and will definitely be sharing it on my socials! For a debut novel it was really well done. The story was truly SO creative and dark and beautiful and bloody! I will be looking out for Camila's future works for sure.
Thank you again to the author and her agent for my copy!
Anissa R, Reviewer
It is very much a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" kind of read. I just wish I could read this book for the first time again.
Lauriane L, Reviewer
🎪 BOOK REVIEW 🎪
The Blood Circus by Camila Victoire
Coming out Jan. 31st, 2023
E-Arc provided by @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
For the lovers of Hunger Games, Squid Games and the Night Circus.
Set at the end of the 21st century, in a world destroyed by famine and climate change, this dystopian novel will test your beliefs. Humans isolated themselves from nature behind fences. On the other side? Monstrous creatures and animals but also Klujns, a barbaric species dangerous to humans.
Ava, 16, never felt like she fitted. She dreams of escaping, travelling and dreaming but that not an option for women. That's until she's thrown on the wrong side of the fence and captured by Klujns for their deadly game: The Blood Race. Only a few of them will survive.
In this dark, dystopian fantasy debut novel, the characters are confronted to a different reality. We're the Klujns the bad guys all the time or could it be the other way around?
My thoughts :
This was again a FANTASTIC read! I am so blessed and honoured to have the chance to read such amazing novels before they're published. The setting was vivid, going from a cold grey survivalist town to the colorful and peaceful forest.
This novel did break my heart. Twice. You keep reminding yourself that they are only 16 years old trying to survive. All they have is luck, no superpower, no intense training background. They just have themselves. I would maybe recommend this book to the older YA audience due to some gruesome and intense details.
Once again, this is an ARC that will have me waiting impatiently for the second one. I have so much more to say but it would end up in a three pages essay!
Rubie C, Reviewer
WoW! What a total shocker! For me anyway. Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did.
But Victoire came rushing into my life like a ton of bricks and took me completely by surprise.
Blood Circus by Camila Victoire was addicting and wonderfully brilliant debut.
Her writing is flawless and so beautiful.
The characters are fun and the atmosphere is encompassing. Ava was an incredible character I truly enjoyed reading her story and being sucked into her world.
The world-building was amazing. I could almost feel it all around me, it was so immersive.
Everything was perfect: the characters, the world-building, the plot!
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
Blackstone Publishing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.
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