plot: ★★★★☆
the plot follows the creation of a magical circus and two young magicians who are forced to learn different styles of magic, and then use the circus to "compete" with each other, as well as the other participants in the circus and how the competition affects them as the circus travels the world.

it is a bit of a dense plot, and I will be honest, it took me a bit of time to get into the story, but once I did, I was HOOKED. I would however advise new readers to pay attention to the dates at the top of each chapter. I did not for a long time and the dual timelines had me C O N F U S E D. (learn from my mistake) I probably would have gotten into the story sooner if I had been paying attention to the dates from the start.

writing/prose: ★★★★★
as noted above, the story got a bit dense at times, but the prose was soooo good, dude. I was SWOONING at times during this book. I'm really looking forward to reading The Starless Sea now!!

pacing: ★★★★☆ (3.5 rounded up)
this is 100% a slow paced book, but surprisingly, I think it works for this story (?????) weird thing for me to say as someone who usually HATES slow books, but with the story spanning literal YEARS, it felt like it fit right to have the story be told in a slower way. truly, there isn't a lot of action in this book. it's a lot of mystery that leads to a bit of romance, but it really hit for me.

humor: ★★★★☆
there isn't much humor in this book, but there are enough moments that made me laugh outloud to where I feel comfortable giving it a good humor rating!! it was just the right amount of funny to break apart the more solemn/serious storyline.

characters: ★★★★★
Celia and Marco are genuinely so interesting to follow, to see how they deal with their teachers and how they choose to use their magic in the circus, and of course, how they slowly fall in love with each other. I also found myself getting frustrated with Bailey's chapters when they first came along, but he 100% grew on me before the book was finished.

spice level: ♥♥♡♡♡
the sexual content in this book isn't explicit. it is made very clear what is happening, however. but then it does become more "fade to black". which was fine for me. I would not have been opposed to the author choosing to have more detail, but I did not feel like I was missing anything as it is. I also think that by keeping them brief, it added to the pining that I had as a reader, feeling desperate for more Celia x Marco moments and wanting them to find a way to be together sooooo badly.

over-all enjoyment: ★★★★★
honestly! I had a good feeling about this book, but I enjoyed it in a different way than I expected to? (not sure if that makes sense) I think I was expecting a faster paced, more YA level of action/adventure and a whirlwind romance. the slower paced story combined with the slower paced romance left me constantly wanting more as I read. I really enjoyed reading this and could definitely see myself picking it up for a re-read in the future. ( )

I normally do not read fantasy /mysticism novels but I’m glad I read this one as it gave me a greater appreciation for the genre. Widget learns in the end that stories move people and magical stories do too.To me the theme being conveyed is as said by the man inthe grey suit at the end ,”This is not magic. This is the way the world is, only very few people take the time to stop and note it….Not a one of them even has an inkling of the things that are possible in this world, and what is worse is that none of them would listen if you attempted to enlighten them”.
We all can use some enchantment in our lives. Let’s be open to it. ( )

this book is superior. the characters you think don’t have that much of a main role in the book end up being key to running the circus(for example Bailey and Tsukiko) and as for how the game works, you have two opponents chosen from one of hector bowens students and one of the man in the gray suits students. they are both bound into the challenge but have to learn the rules and their opponent by them self. the circus is only a location from the game to take place, and when the opponents learn who they are against, they plan to end the circus and run off with each other.
The book also contains little chapters from 2nd person view and references you being at the circus and what you can experience. you are not told who is saying this but I believe some of them are from the circus casts point of view.
And the last line makes you realise the book is over. “You think, as you walk away from Le Cirque des Rêves and into the creeping dawn, that you felt more awake within the confines of the circus. You are no longer quite certain which side of the fence is the dream.” All the characters you spend your time with, the circus you spent your time finding your way around, the connections your characters have with others. It’s over and you wish there was more to the story. ( )

http://absolutelyfamished.blogspot.com/2011/05/grossi-florentino-melbourne-revie... ( )

I started reading ‘The Night Circus’ because [b:The Guns of August|11366|The Guns of August|Barbara W. Tuchman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431760956s/11366.jpg|1884932] is currently being held hostage by a locker that’s jammed shut. As a pleasant distraction, it works well enough and the central conceit is a beguiling one. On the other hand, I found all the breathless praise on the cover amounted to hyperbole and over-hype. It’s a pretty book but hasn’t a great deal of substance. And let me rip this plaster off for those considering reading it: there are no vampires. Considering the focus on a circus that opens at nightfall and closes at dawn, I expected at least one vampire. Alas, it was not to be, although there was a threat of trespassers being exsanguinated.

The circus of the title is a beautiful creation and certainly made me wish it existed to be visited. It remained a frail confection, though. There is little that is visceral about the narrative or description. Things aren’t ugly or dirty or inconvenient enough to feel real. Neither are they weird or unsettling enough to feel like a dream. I spotted another review that called the book ‘twee’ and have to agree. It is also entirely ahistorical - events take place in the late 19th century, but there is no sense of time and place. The speech, attitudes, and actions of all characters are consistently anachronistic. The extent to which the reader might care will depends on whether you’re treating the novel as pure fantasy or as historical fantasy. I tried not to read it as the latter, in order to avoid being jarred.

‘The Night Circus’ is perhaps well suited to a Bank Holiday weekend, as it is easy to read and contains much that I enjoyed. The idea of a contest of magic being played out in such a mannered, artificial fashion is rather appealing. It seems that practitioners of these powerful arts have a tacit agreement not to use them to influence world events, or to achieve specific goals. Instead, they apply them to elaborate and lengthy games. I also liked the concept of the Rêveurs, people fascinated by the circus who follow it about. The characters do not have a great deal of depth, though I liked that so many are female. The central love story bored me, but I never have patience for epic romances that eventuate for no apparent reason.

All in all, I rather wish I’d read this novel when I was younger, less cynical, and not as critical. I wonder if it would work better as a film? ( )