Review: The Night Circus

Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Magical realism, fantasy, historical fiction

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.
Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.
Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.
Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way--a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a "game" to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.
As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved--the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them--are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.
But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.
Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern's spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages.

Utterly gorgeous, weaving dark and light effortlessly into a mesmerizing story of magic, pain, and love. I have never read such a beautiful book! I wasn't expecting much, I'm not a big fan of books that focus on romance. I'd heard a lot of good things about this book so I decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did, this book was just so beautiful!

This story covers a lot of ground, weaving in the past and present from different perspectives all over the world. This book is primarily about the magical circus, and it's so interesting to see how it means different things to different characters. I always like books that have multiple POVs/timelines, so it was awesome that this book incorporated both! I also really liked having so many characters and interesting relationships because I was expecting the book to only focus on the love story between two people.

I can't talk about how much I loved this book without talking about the descriptions of food. I love cooking and baking and of course, eating, so my mouth was watering as I read about the magical food and pastries. I only wish I could taste some of it!