Where Dreams Descend

This book definitely had those Phantom, Moulin Rouge vibes, as I saw a few reviews mention, but also just the craziness of magic-filled, risk-taking lore and adventure. There were great characters and a well-developed plot with competitions and increasing stakes. This was also definitely one of those books that focuses more on the characters; the characters move the plot, the plot doesn't move them. I don't quite have a preference for this, though at times I wish there was a little more plot-wise and not such a heavy focus on the characters. But considering the characters were so damn interesting, I couldn't quite hold it against Angeles. Great book.

I tried. I really did but I just don't care about what is going on. I know the main characters history is supposed to be a mystery but there was just too much mystery. You have to give me something to keep me interested but it was just this big secret with no small details.

There is a city hidden in the woods. People say the forest surrounding the city is cursed.
Kallia is a talented magician that has always dreamed of going there.
When she hears about a magical competition getting ready to be held there, she knows it's her time to shine.

This book had Phantom of the Opera vibes and I loved it. Kallia is a great MC, I loved Demarco, Aaros, and of course the ladies of the Conquering Circus. It's fast-paced and intriguing. I admit I was skeptical because most books I've read with any circus theme are usually flops for me, but this was great! There are so many unanswered questions that I cannot wait for the next one.

I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

DNF @45%
In theorie had ik dit boek geweldig moeten vinden. Een mix tussen “Het spook van de opera” en “Moulin Rouge” klinkt absoluut briljant!
Helaas slaagde het boek op geen enkele moment om mij mee te slepen of emotioneel te beroeren. De enige keren dat ik iets anders dan apathie voelde, was toen Jack op het toneel verscheen, maar zelfs dan was de vlam van interesse gering en slaagde er nooit in om op te laaien naar echte belangstelling.

I mean I just wasnt the best fan. The story was kind ig boring

2.5
Dit zou een heel goede film zijn. Als boek, minder blijkbaar. Ik was niet mee. Ondanks dat het alles heeft wat ik zoek in een boek. Circus, magie, liefde en geheimen.

Read for Buzzwordathon January 2022: 5 Ws

i enjoyed the writing, hated the carnival, it had no plot at all, and was extremely boring 

This book gave me a lot of Moulin Rouge/Phantom of the Opera vibes. The writing style is full of sensual metaphor, which on one hand is lovely, but on the other hand – the whole thing felt a bit over-blown to me. I didn't connect to any of the characters on a personal level. The ending left me struggling to parse what was metaphor and what had actually occurred – and maybe that's what the author wanted, but I just wasn't up for it. Overall I think the book has merit, particularly for teens/YA, but I as a busy adult reading for comfort and amusement am not the right audience for it.

i thought this book was going to be predictable but it surprised me at every corner and had me entranced the whole time. my hat's off to janella angeles, because this did NOT feel like a debut novel. absolutely spectacular, i encourage everyone to pick this up immediately!!!!!

When I received this in my Owlcrate, I was excited to read it. The cover is gorgeous, the premise sounded great. I mean, how could a mixture of Phantom of the Opera and Moulin Rouge be bad? Then I read it.

I show 3 stars, but it's closer to a 2 1/2 star rating. The book is a very slow starter. I can tell you all about the amazing clothes Kallia wears. But I have no idea how the magic system works. I have way more questions than answers and while I knew going in that it was book one of two, I really feel like the author wanted everything to be super mysterious and keep everyone on tenterhooks trying to figure out what was going on, to the point where she forgot that you do need to give the reader some hints. You don't have to inform your characters, but when you're 250-300 pages in and the reader still has no clue what is going on, that's a problem.

That being said, the last 100 or so pages do speed up and give you dribbles of information. I do want to know what happens next but will I remember or even care by the time the 2nd book comes out? Eh. We'll see.

This book started out real slow. Half the time I was reading it, I couldn't figure out what was going on. There wasn't enough world building for me to grasp the magic system thoroughly. About halfway through the book, the story started to form and get a little interesting. Parts of the book reminded me a lot of “Phantom of the Opera”, but in a more juvenile way. I sort of want to know what happens next in the second book, but a part of me is torn about really wanting to know or really not caring. I might need a re-read to decide what direction I am leaning to.