This is a sweeping saga of old family secrets, love and loss, sacrifice, beauty, magic and revenge that blends a family generational mystery with the supernatural which results in a mesmerizing tale of romance and the macabre.
And in the center ring. . . a magical, demonic circus from Hell.
Our journey to Hell includes anxiety inducing life or death events, a perilous romp through the streets (and ages, as this is a dual timeline adventure) of Paris, family drama and the most imaginative, and tempting, depiction of Hell (as seen through the windows of the circus as well as a spin on the Ferris Wheel as it slowly descends down the realms of Hell, lending view of the river Styx).
This circus definitely came to please. There are disappearances, mystery and intrigue, a treasure hunt (of sorts), personal quests, devious machinations and of course there are the murders. All of this interwoven and laced with magic and trickery was both gratifying and exciting.
The magic surrounding the ladies, and of course the secret circus, comes from a forbidden love affair between a high ranking daemon and a mortal, producing daughters who have daemonic powers passed down to them. These magically mischievous daemon prodigies perform in, and are irrevocably linked to, this scintillating circus in Hell for all eternity.
There is betrayal, a slight love triangle (if pining over a missing or possibly dead fiancé could be considered one side of a triangle) and then the tense, well planned out magical showdown at the end.
I was wholeheartedly addicted to this story. This is one that will have you compulsively turning pages, promising yourself just one more page, until you find yourself in the wee hours of the morning, still curled up with the book in your hands, and realizing you can’t stop now as the showdown is just beginning for you! You just won’t be able to put this novel down.
This story was so captivating, that I also could see the appeal of giving (almost) anything to be able to watch, join, fly, perform, and just enjoy this wickedly delicious, and utterly seductive sanctum. I am definitely on edge to see (and read) a sequel! This is definitely one you should not let pass you by.
I would like to offer my sincere thank you to Redhook Books, Constance Sayers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions and review.
Thank you for stopping by reading my review. I would love to hear your thoughts, share a book recommendation with me, or even just follow along with my blogs journey. Enjoy the read my friends!
Oceans of Books 