The Night Circus

a novel

Hardcover, 387 pages

English language

Published Nov. 6, 2011 by Doubleday.

ISBN:
978-0-385-53463-5
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4 stars (2 reviews)

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates …

6 editions

The Night Circus

3 stars

A pretty fairy-tale about a pointless magical duel conducted over an extended period of time at a circus that is both real and surreal.

There is romance, manipulation and illusion as the central characters, unbeknownst to them, fight out some proxy war over theories in learning magic.

It's an enjoyable fantasy but I found it easy to put the book down and forget about it for a while. I wasn't fully immersed in the fable nor invested in the characters.

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5 stars