Mystery, Magic, and Mayhem -- three words that perfectly describe this book. Angeles took me on an adventure I have never traveled before. While magic is always an added element I like in my stories, I have never seen magic used in this way. A story where magicians actually have magic and uses it to perform, basically, magic tricks appealed to my magic show loving soul. When watching a magic show, you know that it is just slight of hand and misdirection. But that isn't so with the magic in this book and I absolutely loved it being utilized in this manner.

The characters in the novel were a joy to read. Kallia, Demarco, and Jack were different and unique in their own way. Kallia's confidence and swager made me love her character from the start. She is someone who has scars and fears, but does her best to overcome them. Demarco is a broken man who is trying to find answers. And Jack. Oh Jack. He has all the mystery and villain vibe that (dare I say?) The Darkling posses. Unlike The Darkling, I find Jack has some redeeming qualities, which I can't go into because it spoils the book so definitely need to read it to find out what they are :)

The world felt real and believable, even though there is the fantasy element. It trapped me in its grasps and I was sad to have it let me go. Waiting for the second book might be too much of a burden to endure.

The only criticism I have for the book is 1st, the description of the book. It is described as a combination of Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera, when I didn't find any Moulin Rouge elements in the story. If anything, it is more of a Phantom of the Opera mix with The Prestige. The magic shows, magician competition, mystery, deaths, and danger, lines up exactly with The Prestige. So, I would change that when describing it.

The second criticism I had was I didn't feel I got enough information about the history of Glorian and the families that started the city. When introduced, it didn't seem like the information was all that important, so I wrote it off in the way that they characters did. But come to find out, they are actually very important to the plot of the book. So, I personally would like to know more about those, then I feel like the ending would have more of the high stakes and cliffhanger element it is trying to incorporate.

Overall, an adventure and enjoyable read.

but he was fixed on her alone, unable to bring himself to look back to the sky."

The premise of Where Dreams Descends sounds spectacular, a magician competition gone awry and filled with defying characters. However, what we received in this novel wasn't mystifying or life changing it was bland and all over the place. The book tries to get somewhere, yet due to the pace and the characters whom you rather ignore than love the end results was a blabbering mess of magic with no sense what so ever.

My first problem with the story was the characters. Our main character is (or was) a showgirl, however she wanted to do more with her life. Therefore she escapes her Master Jack and goes to Glorian to participate in a magicians show to showcase to the world her real powers. However, when she gets there she realizes that although she might be powerful winning the hearts of the judges might be hard as the only female magician. She was plain arrogant. There is not other way to describe her. In many scenes I found myself rolling my eyes as she couldn't wait to see people's reactions when she dressed up nice, when she argued for the 100th time how wonderfully powerful she was, and how she continues lying to people to prove she's strong. Her attitude towards life and magic was all too snobby for me to enjoy and I ended up hating every scene she was in. Her assistant, whom she met while he tried to steal from her, interests me more than our protagonist.

The background is not thoroughly explained and the ending leaves you with even more question than what you started. I understand it is a series, yet we never end up understanding anything of what is going on. It ends up being frustrating that no sense of mystery is uncovered. Another issue I had was our supposed villain Jack. I never understood their relationship, it seemed they were lovers but this was never explained or shown . However, when they see each other they gravitate towards each other, yet he is still the bad guy for some reason even when he continuously admits he's not and blames Demarco. However, Demarco is also clueless about all the mystery. The whole book is them pointing fingers at who is at fault and I have a big theory the problem is not within their inner circle.

The writing is not horrible and it is a fast book to read, yet I won't be reading the next one no matter how intriguing the cliffhanger was.

--- 2 stars --

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this book!

I have been trying to decide if i should give this book a 3 or a 4. I did enjoy this book but not as much as I thought I would. It was really well written and the characters were great but for some reason I could just not get into it. The plot of the book was really interesting and attention grabbing which is why I wanted to read it. One of the main reasons I feel that it feel flat for me was I haven't seen or listened to either Phantom of the opera and Moulin Rouge. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had. There was nothing wrong with this book but it just didn't hit it for me. I did thoroughly enjoy the ending though. If you like those two shows plus The Night Circus and Caraval you most definitely will like it. I am gonna try and listen/watch those two shows and read this book again because I do feel like it could be a favorite but just not yet.

For these reasons I am giving this book a 3.5

This review is also posted on Goodreads

Overview: This one was difficult for me as I had to step back a few times and decide if I wasn’t enjoying the book because I wasn’t enjoying it, or because I wasn’t in the mood for it. By all means the marketing gripped me by throwing out ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and I could see it, but as reading it goes some things just were not there for me.

Starting with characters I was never connected to any of them. There seemed to be a lack of development and dynamic between them and to be honest I REALLY was not a fan of Jack as a love interest. If you lose me with characters I’m usually not interested in much else so it was hard to push through this.

The plot was...confusing. For a YA I shouldn’t feel all over the place and still completely lost by the ending. I should have at least some idea of what’s going on and where we are going or and least some guesses. But I think part of the problem was the writing couldn’t carry me through the entire way. Some was really beautiful and had me on the edge of my seat while other parts were lackluster and had me snoozing.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt so unsure about a review for a book, I think I will give it another go once published and once I feel desperately in the mood for this kind of world to make sure I gave it the most fair of chances. As it sits currently though, these are my feelings.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available for purchase on June second.

I was interested in this book because a review said that fans of The Night Circus would love it. I must say, I have no idea why the review said that, since the two books are so incredibly different. However, I still found this book to be incredibly enjoyable.

Kallia is a very powerful magician. When the book opens, she works for the enigmatic Jack (also known as The Master) in a club known as Hell House. She lives on his estate, a pampered but lonely existence. Kallia dreams of leaving and travelling to the city of Glorian. When she sees a flyer advertising a competition for magicians she seizes her chance, despite Jack’s warnings against leaving.

Kallia is the only female in the competition, and it is clear from the beginning that she is not wanted. Strange doings start and what began as a competition turns into something far deadlier.

What makes this book stand out are the fantastic characters. On top of Kallia, there’s Canary, a fire eater; Aaros, a thief-turned-magician’s assistant; and Demarco, a judge from the competition who’s hiding something. And, of course, there’s Jack. I didn’t love Kallia because she’s so convinced that everyone is against her. She’s very prickly. However, it made her incredibly interesting. The other characters were all very well-developed. Jack is my favorite. He’s such a mystery. There’s obviously more to him than is revealed in this book, and I can’t wait to see where his story-line goes.

This book ends on a cliff hanger, so if that’s a pet peeve of yours, you might want to wait for the sequel to be released before reading it. I loved it, though. The stakes were raised and there are loose ends waiting to be tied up. If the sequel continues in the vein of this book, it’s going to be a doozy.

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles is a dark fantasy whose world and character building excel. The fantasy world is unique- no plot tropes here- and is described by the author in ways that made it easy to feel as if I had dropped in and was there with the characters. The characters changed and grew (or devolved) throughout the book, leaving me desiring to know even more about them. There was tension between characters, tension in the world setting, tension in the activities the characters participated in; I read the book in one sitting, wanting to see where this all lead.
This is where I dropped a star from my review rating: there are questions raised throughout the book, and very few of them answered in this first book of a duology. The ending is definitely a cliff hanger, and it didn't feel like a closure of a story arc. It felt unfinished. I would have preferred to see at least some questions answered, or for the story to be published as one book.
I was given an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

A brilliant debut sure to leave the reader on the edge of their seat! Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles kept me intrigued practically the whole way through. I loved the agency that Kallia took and the bonds she formed with Aaros and the Conquering Circus. I do wish we had gotten to see more of the Circus troop, though. Aside from Canary, most of them fell to the background. I never got a chance to get attached, so I hope they make a reappearance in Book 2! There was an element of mystery, but I'm happy the ending wasn't a "gotcha!" one that came out of the blue. Demarco was also great, and I love how his character became even more complex as the plot escalated. All in all, a solid read.

When I requested this book I was expecting secret societies meeting in closed places, very morally grey characters and just overall greatness. Unfortunately, the book fell short of that. There was a lot of tell don't show and the main character was too invested in other people's problems. I'm giving this book a 2/5 because it does have a lot of potential, it just wasn't executed correctly.

I really enjoyed this! This book is gonna get a lot of Night Circus comparisons, and I'd caution against that comp because it might disappoint readers with ultra-high expectations. Longer RTC near release date.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was absolutely amazing. It had me captivated from the first page. The world building was beautiful and the characters were easy to fall in love with.

I was sooo excited to read this book. That cover! I’m still in awe of it! Where Dreams Descend is a story full of intrigue and magic, with darker forces lurking in the background.

The prose was so gorgeous; it set a dark tone that’s interwoven with tendrils of magic. This is Angeles’s debut, and I’m so excited to see what she does next!

We follow three characters: Kallia, a female magician and a showgirl who longs to do more with her magic; Jack, the master of the house that Kallia works at and her teacher; and Daron, a male magician who was once one of the biggest performers until he retired at a young age after a tragedy. Kallia travels to Glorian, a city rumored to be cursed, to participate in a game of magicians where Daron happens to be a judge.

The tension in this book was palpable, between characters as well as within the plot. The plot was so intriguing! I never knew where it was going. The worldbuilding was also so detailed. Glorian is a city full of secrets, and the characters soon find out that these secrets can be deadly.

I dislike that sexism plays such a big part of this book, as Kallia is frequently underestimated because female magicians are often forced to channel their magic into more practical paths. However, I liked how headstrong and ambitious Kallia is. She never takes anything sitting down and holds her own against prejudiced, narrow-minded men. Aaros, her assistant, was an exception to this and added a lot of humor to the story.

I will say that the first third and the last third were enthralling, but the middle third dragged a bit to me. But that ending! I desperately need the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was an amazing debut, with detailed worldbuilding and intriguing characters. Where Dreams Descend has the tension and haunting tone that fans of The Last Magician, The Gilded Wolves, or Leigh Bardugo will love.

Moulin Rouge meets Phantom of The Opera in this stunning debut by Janella Angeles. This book was full of wonder and had me on the edge of my seat with sultry performances and dark mysteries. I cannot stress enough how fun and dark this one was! Full of show-stopping magic, secrets galore, and an unsolved mystery, this book is not one to miss!

Semi-love triangle dances with manipulation, secrets, the universe of magicians, dark pasts and intriguing, riveting, high tension story-telling hooks you from the beginning and you cannot get enough because question marks are swimming in your fish-tank head and you ask yourself “Did the book finish? But instead of getting revelations, I got lost in more puzzles!”

Well actually I’m starting the strong parts of the book which I truly like: Its mysterious, eccentric, exotic world building, dark, conniving, and also intriguing pacing, dynamism of trio MCs picked my interest from the beginning.

BUT here are the weakest points that I found: The book circles around three powerful, strong willed, charismatic characters but at some parts I found them so immature, especially the hard boiled heroine turned into arrogant bitch when she competes with the other magicians and we don’t have much clue about characteristics about heroes. (especially Jack) I think the author left the most of their stories and secrets to the other installment and keep us in the dark so we may wonder and continue to read their stories. Well, a little more character building and heart throbbing romance with more hot chemistry (there are already sparks flying around the characters but they need to be ignited more!) work better for me!

I have a very strong feeling this novel will be making its way into book subscription boxes this summer. It's definitely one I can see becoming quite popular.

It's fun, it's daring, it's dark, and it has that magical showmanship quality that I have been missing since ‘Caraval’ and ‘The Night Circus.’ I really enjoyed the exciting cast of characters and the mysterious atmosphere of the story.

My only minor critique would be the overall vibe of the book. I think if the world-building had been a little bit stronger and really played into the whole ‘moody and broody’ tone, it wouldn't feel so juvenile. I understand this is YA, but I feel like the story is holding back, which is doing a disservice to itself and its potential.

Overall, this completely scratched my circus itch and I can't wait to see how everything is resolved!

I decided that my self-isolation time is too precious to waste it on books I don't enjoy... so I'm leaving Where Dreams Descend be at around 22% and moving on. This pandemic is leading me to something I normally never do, which is dnf, now for the second time in a row, but I'm just so weary. Some YA novels really want us to believe that 18-year olds in a magical world act like powerful, hard-boiled adults, huh? Well, I'm not buying it this time either. Were there any semblance of worldbuilding, logical decisions or even a more than just surface-level explanation of the magic system, I would have continued. Alas, 22% into this novel, there isn't, so I'm bidding Christine (Kallia), Raoul (Daron) and the Phantom (Jack) farewell.

Please bear in my that I might have enjoyed this story by the end, as you perhaps will, and that I feel sorry for even rating this without getting to the finale, but I swear to god, I don't have enough patience left in this body.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a change to read this book.

It was really nice to read something new other than contemporary romance. I loved this book. The concept was new and the plot was fill with mystery, magic and ofcourse romance. If you like The Night Circus then it's really for you. I highly recommend it. Janella Angeles is anew author and I loved this book and really enjoyed it. Hope you all like it as much as I did.
Happy reading!

This one wasn’t for me, but I can see it really appealing to a lot of people. Read this one if you liked: The Night Circus, Caraval, or if you enjoy books with magical comepetitions! Also, I really appreciate that this book has so much diversity.

Magical, vivid and enthralling. WHERE DREAMS DESCEND was an action-packed debut filled with intrigue and mystery. The craft of the characters was wonderful, and I loved seeing Kallia own the stage of Spectaulore and understand her own self-worth and talent as a performer—even when others told her otherwise. The plot was convincing and well laid out, dragging through a series of odd disappearances with competitors. I found myself at the edge of my seat as I tried to work out what was happening. The mystery with the mirrors was something that I thought was quite fascinating and added a fresh twist upon this novel. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would highly recommend it! Can’t wait to read the sequel!!!

I can definitely see the Phantom of the Opera + Moulin Rouge influences injected through this debut novel. I saw some Caraval (circus-like vibes) and Ace of Shades (forbidden city and crime families) similarities as well. WHERE DREAMS DESCEND has mystery, magic, angst, action, romance, and plethora of characters but some components were better executed than others.

WELL-EXECUTED
+ Mystery
+ Action
+ Angst
+ Pacing
+ Prose

SO-SO
- Kallia: It's one thing to be confident, but it's entirely another to be downright cocky/arrogant. The moment she escapes The Hellfire House and arrives in Glorian for the competition, she develops this belief she's the best thing since sliced bread. She is way overpowered and her risky stunts only backfired due to sabotage. There are scenes where she's completely exhausted for overexerting herself and she traps herself in her hotel room to sleep for days, but there are no other consequences to her dangerous acts.

- Romance: There is a love triangle between Kallia, Jack, and Demarco. The first act of the story explored Kallia and Jack's complicated but enthralling relationship. The second act introduced Kallia to Demarco. The third act builds upon Kallia and Demarco's attraction with a brief sprinkle of Jack to throw things off kilter. The four act puts this intense love triangle into a tailspin. I like both pairs, but Jack, our story's Phantom, is BARELY in the book to have a POV and be dubbed as a main character even though he's the sole reason I kept reading. Kallia's interactions with him are intense, complex, sensual, and darkly delightful.


NOT WELL-EXECUTED
- Competition: 3/4 of the book revolves around the competition. However, you only ever read about Kallia's performances. The other magicians are glossed over. She has no true rivals or threats to jeopardize her winning within the competition itself. It's stated multiple times she's the star of the show and everyone agrees willingly or reluctantly. External influences, sure.
- World-building: Lots of location names and cardinal directions were thrown around, but 1/4 of the book takes place in The Hellfire House and the rest takes place in Glorian.
- Magic system: Magicians are divided into three categories: labor, born, and acquired. Labor magicians work in all trades. Born magicians are magicians belonging to a magician bloodline, but they are considered rare. Acquired magicians learn magic. While I can get behind these three types, my issue is with the magic system itself. The book portrays the only consequence for a magician overexerting themselves is simply fatigue or fainting. There really isn't a true consequence or sacrifices. A few days of good rest is enough to carry on.
- Supporting characters: Though there were plenty, they didn't interest me at all because they were very one-dimensional.

OVERALL
The story's last act was a wild ride and the cliffhanger ensured my desire to pick up the next installment. The final two chapters inspired me to bump my rating from 3 stars to 4. I have to know what happens next.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley and Wednesday Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was originally worried abut reading this, but it had such amazing ratings, I knew I needed ot give it a shot!

Kallia is a show girl at Hellfire House. She loves performing magic, but she wants MORE. Kalli wants to perform bigger magic, and descending in the chandelier every night isn't cutting it, anymore. She's long since had her sights on Glorian, the ice-encased city beyond the Dire Woods. Until she overhears Jack, the owner, discussing a magician competition in Glorian. Burning down her dressing room and faking her own death, Kallia flees through the Dire Wood to Glorian, entering the Magician competition as the only woman.

Kallia is supposed to be this ambitious, confidant young woman. She obviously has a complex relationship with Jack, but she begins feeling for the young, handsome judge, Demarco. This magical story, unfortunately, fell a bit flat for me. All of the characters fit into stereotypical character charts for me. I was never concerned for the characters, nor was I intrigued by what might happen next. In general, I was just kind of bored. I really wanted to like this story, but I struggled through the entire book.