Release Day Review - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 5 Qwills

The Night Circus
Author:  Erin Morgenstern
Format:  Hardcover, 400 pages
Publisher:  Doubleday (September 13, 2011)
Price:  $26.95
Language:  English
Genre:  Fantasy
ISBN:  978-0-385-53463-5
Review copy:  Provided by the Publisher

Cover and synopsis:

US Cover

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 of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

UK Cover

My thoughts:

After hearing about The Night Circus for the last few months I was wondering if it could live up to the hype surrounding it. I can unequivocally say "yes, it does." Let me just state it up front: I love this book. There aren't many books that I will read again, but this is absolutely one of them. This is a book to be read and savored much like you'd savor and enjoy visiting Le Cirque des Rêves (The Circus of Dreams) in the novel. Erin Morgenstern has created a magical world of great depth with wonderful characters.

At the center of the story are Celia and Marco who are bound together in a magical competition and then so much more. I enjoyed both of these characters tremendously. All of the characters that inhabit or are connected to the Circus are also remarkable. There was not a one that did not intrigue or charm me in some way. At times I wanted to clap my hands so delighted I was by what was happening.

The book is mainly two intersecting stories connected to Le Cirque des Rêves that move toward each other throughout the book. It's easy to keep track of where and when you are because the information is provided at the beginning of each chapter. There is mystery, romance, intrigues, and amazing settings. In addition to the two narratives, there are little chapters interspersed directed at the reader to walk you through the Circus. These little chapters enable you to feel that you are there experiencing the Circus yourself. They are dreamy and evoke the Circus beautifully. 

I was sad when I got to the end of the book because I wanted to linger a bit longer among the black and white tents of the mysterious and magnificent Le Cirque des Rêves. The Night Circus is a fantastical book with rich prose, superb characters, and a mesmerizing story.  Once touched by Le Cirque des Rêves you will never forget it.

I give The Night Circus 5 Qwills.