Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publisher: Anchor Books 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 516

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; Fairytales; New Author

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.

Can I give this book more than 5 stars? This has just secured a spot in my Top 10 books of 2015 and may just be number one. I absolutely adored this book. Let's break it down: The writing is just gorgeous. It reminded me of The Shadow of the Wind or Tolkien. Lots of description, but it never felt too much. I craved the descriptions of the various parts of the circus. By the end of the book, I could see every nook and cranny of the world. Beautiful! The characters may not all be likable, but they are fascinating. My favorite character had to be Tsukiko. I found her more than just a contortionist right from the beginning. As the story unfolded and we got more glimpses of her, I loved her more and more. I also really enjoyed some of the other side characters: Chandresh, Herr Theissen, Lainie and Tara, and especially Poppet and Widget. The main characters were also great, just in a different way. Some of the side characters seemed more real to me, but that seems to be on purpose. Marco and Celia are not really of this world and it comes through. Finally, we get to the story. I fell into the story on the first page and didn't come up for air until after I closed the book. Morgenstern weaves a masterful story jumping back and forth through time without confusion. I was always wanting the story to come to a conclusion but loathe to leave the world of the circus. I heartily recommend this book to anyone and everyone I know. I'm glad this is our book club book for early August. I can't wait to discuss with others.