THE CARNIVALE OF CURIOSITIES - Amiee Gibbs


In Victorian London, the Ashe and Pretorius' Carnivale of Curiosities is one of the most sought-after entertainments. Each performance is a limited engagement, and even London's elite boldly dare the dangerous streets of Southwark to witness the Carnivale's marvels. 

But the real show is behind the curtains. Aurelius Ashe is the man behind the show and it's rumored that he is more than an average magician. But even a prominent man like Ashe has problems that can't be swept away. For Ashe that problem is Odilon Rose - a powerful London thug who has his eye on Charlotte - the beautiful young girl in Ashe's charge. Odilon has secrets that could threaten the carnivale so Ashe has little choice.

Charlotte hightails it from the carnival (the only home she's known) with Lucien the Lucifer - the carnival's star attraction - who only wants to help. But Lucien and Charlotte begin to feel drawn to each other, but with Odilon on their trail and a number of grave secrets coming to light, the pair don't have time to really consider what they mean to each other.

I suppose I've never quite outgrown the child-like appreciation for carnivals and circuses and that's why I'm drawn to books that feature such entertainment forms.

I thought that this started out well. Establishing the circus and the characters really had me engaged right from the start. But from the moment Lucien and Charlotte get to a specific 'safe' house, my interest waned. There's no more set-up - it's time for the story and despite what sounds like a lot of action, the book really slows down. The narrative gets a little too descriptive and the pace feels too even all the way through. My thought while reading this was: "This is over-written."

Unfortunately for me, this is one of those books that takes a great premise and sets up the world well, but then gets lost in its own narrative. This is not a book that i would recommend.

Looking for a good book? Some may find The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs to be a fetching, Victorian-era fantasy, but I found it cumbersome.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

* * * * * *

The Carnivale of Curiosities

author: Amiee Gibbs

publisher: Grand Central

ISBN: 9781538723937

hardcover, 448 pages

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