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haniah__x's review
5.0
4.5*
What was THAT???
how am I going to wait for the sequel?
SO GOOD
Everything about Where Dreams Descend is exquisite: that gorgeous cover, the lush descriptive writing, intriguing characters, well-done romance, even the title itself!
I don't know why I was so hesitant to pick this up: it just goes to show not to take under-hype too seriously, especially if the concept of a book piques your interest.
Right from page 1 I was enthralled and couldn't do anything else until I'd finished this. Where Dreams Descend has indeed been compared to Caraval and The Night Circus - both brilliant concepts in their own rights - but don't let that put you off as if this will be a trope-filled carbon copy. I certainly enjoyed this as much, if not more, than both the aforementioned books.
Set in a world of circuses and magicians, the stage and forests, the mood was thoroughly enjoyed by me as well as the dark, brooding characters such as Jack and Demarco. Angeles is an author that can write romance, for sure.
Overall I would recommend to give in to the temptation of that cover and read this book: I hope you won't be disappointed. :)
What was THAT???
how am I going to wait for the sequel?
SO GOOD
Everything about Where Dreams Descend is exquisite: that gorgeous cover, the lush descriptive writing, intriguing characters, well-done romance, even the title itself!
I don't know why I was so hesitant to pick this up: it just goes to show not to take under-hype too seriously, especially if the concept of a book piques your interest.
Right from page 1 I was enthralled and couldn't do anything else until I'd finished this. Where Dreams Descend has indeed been compared to Caraval and The Night Circus - both brilliant concepts in their own rights - but don't let that put you off as if this will be a trope-filled carbon copy. I certainly enjoyed this as much, if not more, than both the aforementioned books.
Set in a world of circuses and magicians, the stage and forests, the mood was thoroughly enjoyed by me as well as the dark, brooding characters such as Jack and Demarco. Angeles is an author that can write romance, for sure.
Overall I would recommend to give in to the temptation of that cover and read this book: I hope you won't be disappointed. :)
jana_wnm's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
iki1315's review
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
amberlael_s's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
itputsthebookupontheshelf's review
3.0
Where to start...
I was super intrigued when people were comparing this to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Mulin Rouge (I adore them both). While I get the references, I was slightly disappointed by this title.
I'll be honest, I struggled with how to rate this and how I was feeling about it, so I went to go check other peoples reviews on Goodreads. It was well written and interesting, but it was also very confusing and left so many unanswered questions. I was simultaneously happy and upset that I saw so many others with the same feeling as I had. I was hoping I had just missed something or zoned out.
There are so many plot holes, things brought up that don't tie in and inconsistencies. While I understand that some authors do this to set up for the next book, this book just felt choppy. The beginning and the end were the most interesting, while a good chunk of the book "the meat" was unsatisfying.
We are told that magicians are either born or aquire magic, but we are never really told anything beyond that. It is brought up about the four families and I can maybe see, again, how the author may be setting up for the next book to reveal more about some of the characters and magic, but it would have helped to know a bit more now. I did like the tie-in with the mirrors, I need to know more!
I did enjoy Jack. He was interesting, and you get the most out of his character and how he ties in more than most of the other characters. Demarco was ok, and I started to like him until the end... No spoilers, but I saw that coming.
As for Killia, I would have liked a bit more on her, we know she is really powerful from the start, but we know nearly nothing about her other than that. I do love that she is strong and does what she wants, not caring what others thought about her.
I loved Aaros as a character, and I really wanted more about him. Everyone else, I remember nearly nothing about.
Even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was a fairly strong debut, and I can understand why people love it as well. I am curious to see what happens in the next one and hope that we get a bit more flushed out characters, magic system, and explanations.
Thank you the Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review
I was super intrigued when people were comparing this to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Mulin Rouge (I adore them both). While I get the references, I was slightly disappointed by this title.
I'll be honest, I struggled with how to rate this and how I was feeling about it, so I went to go check other peoples reviews on Goodreads. It was well written and interesting, but it was also very confusing and left so many unanswered questions. I was simultaneously happy and upset that I saw so many others with the same feeling as I had. I was hoping I had just missed something or zoned out.
There are so many plot holes, things brought up that don't tie in and inconsistencies. While I understand that some authors do this to set up for the next book, this book just felt choppy. The beginning and the end were the most interesting, while a good chunk of the book "the meat" was unsatisfying.
We are told that magicians are either born or aquire magic, but we are never really told anything beyond that. It is brought up about the four families and I can maybe see, again, how the author may be setting up for the next book to reveal more about some of the characters and magic, but it would have helped to know a bit more now. I did like the tie-in with the mirrors, I need to know more!
I did enjoy Jack. He was interesting, and you get the most out of his character and how he ties in more than most of the other characters. Demarco was ok, and I started to like him until the end... No spoilers, but I saw that coming.
As for Killia, I would have liked a bit more on her, we know she is really powerful from the start, but we know nearly nothing about her other than that. I do love that she is strong and does what she wants, not caring what others thought about her.
I loved Aaros as a character, and I really wanted more about him. Everyone else, I remember nearly nothing about.
Even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was a fairly strong debut, and I can understand why people love it as well. I am curious to see what happens in the next one and hope that we get a bit more flushed out characters, magic system, and explanations.
Thank you the Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review
samanthabeckett22's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
bookish_mrs_w's review against another edition
4.0
3.75ish. I did really enjoy this quite a bit actually. I liked it more than Caraval. However, there were certain parts that I had to go back and re-read, especially from The Masters POV because I wasn't entirely sure if I missed something or if the mystery was just that vague & mysterious. The ending was great and I'm hoping book 2 doesn't disappoint.
distant_ships's review
3.0
I had very high hopes for this one; it just didn't entirely deliver. I enjoyed it but won't gush about it. I am sure I will eagerly await the next book though.
signymarie14's review
5.0
WOW I’m absolutely obsessed with this book. It was so utterly unique yet so familiar, I loved the characters and the world, and the prose was beautiful. Sometimes I felt like the author was seeing into my soul. Even the dedication gave me chills!! I need the sequel like yesterday!!!!!!!