I give this story a solid 5.
This is the story of an unconventional game played to the
death, only the participants don’t really understand that they are just pawns
in a rivalry that has gone on far too long. It is the Night Circus that is
their playing field and the weapon of choice is magic, though there won’t be any
waving of wands or chanting of spells here. In many ways, that aren’t so
oblivious, mystery and intrigue are the catalysts to changes in the player’s
favor whether they are actively playing or not.
When posting my typical To the Point review of the audio
book I said, “Think Cirque du Soleil meets Harry Potter with youthful
imagination and mature sophistication. Listening to this story is like hearing
a secret that no one else can handle, except you.”
Maybe I was being a bit deep, but that’s how the story made
me feel. This is not a story for children, but only because I don’t think
they’d get most of it. Teens with a fever for magic would probably eat this up,
but still, the story is mature. I like that that the story is for and about
adults, but it’s clear the that Erin was definitely in touch with her inner
child when she imagined this quirky Circus and all the people in it.
The story is fill with youthful imagination and has a mature
appeal, but most of all, it has that ‘love conquers all’ or that ‘good triumphs
over evil’ feel to it. The best thing about the story to me is the fact that
the reader never really gets to pick sides in the game. Every time you think
you’re going to pick one player over the other, something happens and the story
takes you in a whole new direction. Like every story that inspired and shaped
my imagination as a child, Night Circus left me wanting to leave the world of
reality and take a trip through the lines of the story. I can just see myself
now staring into the white flames of the bonfire just as the festivities are
about to begin. I wish there was more of it to read.
