Everything about this book was purely magical. It gave me a dark, whimsical feeling lingering in the back of my head, and I loved it. I loved how it kept me thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. And the writing style was nearly perfect. The choice of dialect played such a big role, it gives the reader an inside look to what the character's can't see, like you get a peek behind the curtain.
Magic is real, and to those who have mastered it, it all depends on how you use it. Two magicians choose students to participate in a game of sorts. Now this isn't a game like fiery dodgeball or who can hover the longest. The game itself is a bit of a mystery, and I'm still not a hundred percent sure how it was meant to be played, I just know how one would win. Alexander, or more commonly known as the man in the grey suit, chose a boy from an orphanage, who later takes the name as Marco. Prospero the Enchanter, who uses real magic and stages it as illusions, undertakes his own daughter, Celia. The two children are trained in polar opposite ways. Marco was in a room for nearly his whole childhood, with loads of books, and Celia was put under pressure to use her magic, with her dad being a psycho. (Example: He slits her fingertips and she has to use healing magic. Ouch.)
Marco later takes an assistant job to a man named Chandresh. Chandresh is a man who loves projects, and he spends quite a while on some. His latest dream in hand: a circus. Not just any circus - the most amazing circus to ever cross a person's imagination. Dear god, I want to go to this circus.
At intervals in the book, there are some pages where it's written from your point of view, leading you through a few choice tents of the Cirque de Reves and helping you visualize how awesome it truly is. Some of these tents are just purely amazing, like how does one even think of these? The Ice Garden, the Cloud Maze, the Pool of Tears, the Wishing Tree, and so so so much more that I can't even describe. Widget's tent where he kept his stories? Oh, man I would love to visit that. To everyone, the Cirque is a place of fun and mystery, except for Celia and Marco. To them, it's a gameboard.
So anyway, the circus is built as becomes well-known everywhere. It travels like magic, and that may or may not be related to Celia working as the illusionist (hmm...). There are people who follow the circus wherever the go, and these people are known as reveurs. You'll learn more about how the group came about, and their story is actually pretty cool. I could totally be a reveur, I'd just have to keep reminding myself that it is not a cult-like thing. Because honestly, sometimes it comes across that way in my thoughts...
Every character in this was described well, and I especially loved the Murray twins. There is a sense of deep connection between everyone, and it's kind of like a big, twisted family. Not so surprising, Celia and Marco form a relationship kind of (not spoiling much). And to me, it came on kind of sudden. My reaction was kind of "well that escalated quickly", but then I realize that they've been working on this circus for around twenty years. They're old! I mean, they don't look it for some complicated, magical reason, but dang they're old...
There are two stories within different time periods in this book. There's a story about a kid named Bailey in 1902, and the story about those within the circus that goes on through the years. With each chapter you read you get a little more excited as the date increases, knowing that the stories will intertwine. And they do. And it is quite good.
I feel like I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of this book, but I have to hold back and let you guys find out for yourselves. Oh, and make sure you read to the very end. There's a thing where you learn about how the story itself is told, and I'm just like "Eeeee! That was awesome." This really is a book I could reread.
Not sure if this is necessary to say, but 5 stars out of 5.
Go ahead and comment if anyone else would be a reveur at heart.
Ciao!
- Julia :)
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