Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

This book is a dream. The writing is sensual and gorgeous and I need to write about it now! The setting is an icy and mysterious city that seems to have no past and the only memories people have are stories told by others.

I was invested right away.

The story centers on Kallia, an amazingly talented magician who cant get very far because she's a woman (Also, because shes been trapped in a house of illusions dancing for a mysterious man named Jack. Spooky!

Right away you get Caraval and Phantom of the Opera vibes what with the masks, and the mirrors, and the games but unfortunately there's no stand in for The Persian in Phantom, which I was really hoping for but I  didn't write it, so noodles!

The winner of the contest/game will be allowed to be the opening act for the Conquering Circus, which sounds amazing and is one of the many things in this book that I wish were real. The characters are vibrant and fabulous.

Kallia escapes Jack's house of illusions and immediately meets and recruits a would-be thief and there camaraderie is perfection. 

Then there's one of the judges of the show, Daron Demarco, who has a tragic past and no longer performs magic. Intriguing...

So, the writing. Dresses are written about in great deal because Kallia refuses to make herself look meeker to make others more comfortable. I could practically feel the weight and drape of the fabric as I was reading about it. I guess the closest I came to this was reading Perfume: The Story of a murdere, which I guess is kind of an odd comparison, but oh well!

The show begins and it's a dynamic and thrilling spectacle until a magician disappears under mysterious circumstances and only a creepy note is left. 

There are so many questions to answer and while it does end on a cliffhanger, the book does not disappoint and I am so excited for the next one in this series!