Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles Pages: 464
Published by Wednesday Books on August 25, 2020
Series: Kingdom of Cards #1
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic
Source: eARC from Publisher
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide
Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.
Where Dreams Descend is the first book in the Kingdom of Cards series by Janella Angeles. Where Dreams Descend is a young adult fantasy book that is filled with atmospheric magic, twists and turns, a dangerous and dark world and plenty of secrets. I really enjoyed this book, though it did have a bit of a slow start for me. As I continued reading, this was a book that built and built like a great performance with a spectacular crescendo. Overall, I enjoyed Where Dreams Descend and I am excited to continue on with this series.
In Where Dreams Descend, we meet our main character Kallia who is the star of her clubs performances. But Kallia dreams of getting out and becoming a real star. She wants to enter a magic performance competition in the city to grab a coveted spot in the Conquering Circus. The city and vibe of the book had a bit of New Ryenes, from Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. The dark seedy underbelly of a city filled with secrets and sin. It lent itself well to the overall atmosphere of Where Dreams Descend.
When I first started this book it was hard for me to grasp just what was going on. The writing felt jarring to me, but it kind of all fell into place as I went on and I grew to love the world that Janella Angeles had created. It is full of magic and secrets, plus the idea of a magical circus is super appealing to me. I could vividly imagine the performances and acts. There is a romance in Where Dreams Descend and I am hoping to see more of that in the next book. I can’t wait to see how this duology is going to wrap up. This was an exciting and gripping read. It just kept getting better and better as it went on. If you love a dark atmospheric setting in a book filled with magic, then the Kingdom of Cards series is going to be a good book for you to check out!
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2020 New Release Challenge
- ARC August 2020
- Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2020
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