Early Review – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (5/5 stars)

The Night Circus

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Size:  400 pages
Publisher:  Doubleday
Release Date: September 13, 2011
ISBN: 978-0385534635
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from Publisher
Rating: 5/5 stars

I got an eGalley of this book from the publisher for review.  This was an absolutely magical book.  It was beautiful and wondrous; a story that absolutely captured my imagination and drew me in.

The Night Circus, Le Cirque des Rêves, is magical and mysterious.  It appears completely set up and is only open at night.  Sometimes the things that take place inside it are a bit too magical.  What the innocent circus attendee doesn’t know is that the Night Circus is actually an arena for a competition going on between two magicians.  Celia and Marcus have been forced to study magic from a very young age; their masters used very different methods of teaching.  Then the masters bound Celia and Marcus into a competition to prove which student was the best.

This book is told from a number of perspectives.  Parts are shown to you from your perspective as an attendee of the Night Circus and parts from various characters who participate in the circus.  The majority of the book switches between Marcus’s and Celia’s story; with occasional interruptions by Isobel.

 

The descriptions of the Night Circus and the attractions there are absolutely magical.  Morgenstern writes in such a way that the tents come alive, mysterious and sparkling, in the reader’s mind.  The premise of the book and the descriptions within the book are so creative and interesting.  I am not sure how Morgenstern thought up some of these things but I am glad she did because they were absolutely wonderful to read about.

 

The book is incredibly well written and while it has a fine literature feel to it, it is still incredibly easy to read and very engaging.  I read this book super fast, just because I had to know what was going to happen next.  The plot is intricate and very detailed, but never hard to follow.

 

Next there are the characters.  The book is filled with wonderful and quirky characters.  Celia and Marcus will both steal the reader’s heart; they are absolutely lovable and engaging.  The relationship they develop is sweet and complicated because of the lengthy competition they face.

 

The book ends well and is wrapped up in a creative and surprising way.  When you think back to the story after reading the book, you realize how well planned out the plot was and how so many intricate things were woven together to make this wonderful story.

 

Overall this was just a fabulous book.  I really enjoyed every little last thing about it.  The plot was intricate, the description beautiful, and just such a creative idea.  The atmosphere of the book is magical and mysterious throughout, but always engaging and easy to read.  Marcus and Celia are very engaging characters who are easy to love, they travel an interesting path together.  I really think everyone should give this book a read.  It is the type of book that should appeal to a wide audience and is appropriate for young adult and older.  If you love magic and mystery in a historical setting this is definitely a must read.  I will be watching out for future books from Morgenstern.

 

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

– 100+ Reading Challenge
– The Debut Author Challenge– 
E-book Reading Challenge

The Night Circus

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