The Night Circus

"The circus arrives without warning. 

"No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not." - The Night Circus

So begins the story of the mysterious yet intriguing Le Cirque des Rêves. 

This is a beautifully written book. Like most attractions at the circus, not all is as it seems. The circus itself is a playing field between two magicians in a deadly magical game. The lives of Celia and Marco depend on the game, and should they step out of line, or even try to change the game, they face the deadly consequences. There is no escape in a duel where only one will be left standing. Whoever wins, and whoever loses is determined by the game itself. 

The only way to review this book, is to spoil it. I will simply say that the book slowly reveals the meaning of events, attractions and additions to the mysterious circus. As Marco and Celia pull the strings, they discover that their own competition is a thread of fate tying them together, and the more they tug on it, the more drawn they are to eachother. But magic has rules, and they are not the only pieces on the chessboard. As the story unfolds, you are given a ticket to the most intriguing, beautiful place you have ever experienced, where every spectacle has a story. 

I give this book five out of five enchanted umbrellas. The ice garden tent was my favorite. 

To read this book is to step into a fairytale under a curtain of stars.