The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

The black and white tents of Le Cirque des Rêves offer up breathtaking experiences unlike no other circus before it.  However, the circus is not what it seems.  Beyond the amazements and wonders lies a fierce competition between two magicians, Celia and Marco.  They have been trained their whole life for this competition and their affection and admiration of each other eventually turns into love. There is a dark twist however that there can be only one surviving magician.  Everyone who works for the circus is affected by the game and relationship between these two young magicians.  

This is the debut fantasy novel by Erin Morgenstern and it was a delight to read.  The enchanting imagination of Morgenstern is seen on every page.  The farther I got into the story the more I began to dread outcome.  I won’t revel any critical plot points other than to say that the ending surprised me.  The tale is told through the eyes of many characters and supporters of the circus and each of these voices bring a unique perspective and love for the circus.  The vividness of the tale is best left up to the readers imagination and although the book has sold the movie rights, I’m not sure that a movie will do justice to the brilliance and inventiveness of Morgenstern’s writing.

If you enjoy fantasy novels I think you would really enjoy this book.