I think, if it wasn't for the audiobook, I would have DNF'd this novel. I really liked some parts of it, but I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, and some of the moments in it just didn't quite sit right with me.

Sadly this story wasn't for me I stuck with it as long as I could but I found the story too slow paced for me and teh characters a little flat for my personal taste, but the narration of the audio book was of great quality.

Beautifully written and narrated. A thoroughly enjoyable novel of historical fiction.
My only criticism'would be that some of the characters felt Little more than plot points, doing things that felt unrealistic or out of character, merely to advance the plot.

Archived before I was able to review unfortunately:((

I hope to read this in the future, unfortunately I cannot judge this book fairly so therefore I won’t give a star rating that could be damaging.

A rich, captivating read that led me down many Wikipedia rabbit holes!
Sometimes it felt like important thoughts or decisions made by characters were made outside of they’re chapters. The character I had the most connection with was Jasper - his point of view felt the clearest for me. I wish I felt the same connection with Nell and Toby, but somehow I was always just a bit surprised by their decisions, more so than Jasper at least.
But this is minor. The visual complexity and delicious descriptions in this book make me think that it’s ripe for adaptation, especially as a more realistic and factual adjunct to The Greatest Showman.
Thank you for access to this audio book!!!

A historical fiction novel set in Victorian England.
The storyline shines a light on the "circus'" of the past and everything that goes with them, wonder and fascination as well as cruelty, exploitation and greed.
The main character, Nell, has a great character arch, from kidnapped and unhappy, to the star of the show, to making her own way in the world. I love the friendships she makes amongst the fellow circus acts and the bond they all have with each other.
Jasper Jupiter is a perfect "bad guy" for the time and setting, motivated by greed and fame, he is as unlikeable as he should be.
The writing is descriptive, atmospheric and captivating and the characters are all really well developed. Unfortunately some characters I found difficult to connect to and the romantic plot just didn't interest me. Though neither of these points stopped me enjoying it.
The narrator has an engaging voice that holds your attention throughout. I really enjoyed the different voices to distinguish between the characters too.

Beautifully written, engaging and magical novel following Nell, who makes the most of her life after her father sells her to a circus for a measly £20.

The Victorian backdrop is brought to life with the descriptions of the novel, with plenty of research having been done with reflections to Barnum's circus bringing a hint of The Greatest Showman to the novel. Characters are unique, some of which you truly fall in love with and some greedy and rotten that you love to hate (and potentially quite stereotypical in some ways)..

Plenty of emotions throughout, love, sadness, heartbreak, hope and much more. My first Macneal novel but certainly won't be my last.

The narrator has a beautiful voice that brings the story to life. Easy listening, fast paced and easy to keep concentration when listening.

3.5 stars overall, rounding to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Elizabeth Macneal for an eArc copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this, i enjoyed The Doll Factory by this author and Circus of Wonders did not disappoint. Cannot wait to see what Elizabeth brings out next

An amazing, captivating read. I really enjoyed the plot and found it easy to read whilst touching on some diverse themes.

This was such a delight to listen to, this audiobook kept me company as I worked like a rather lovely companion! Macneal is a wonderful writer, I enjoyed this even more than the Doll Factory, this story doesn’t try to remotely be compared to The Night a Circus, as often circus stories do these days, it’s a story about acceptance, about finding your home with other people, with your own purpose and your own self love.

Nell and Toby are 2 of the main characters, Nell is a girl born with spot/star markings on her, she grows up feeling an outcast, a burden, a freak, when eyes look at her, she has grown to feel repulsive to them. Then she is bought to join Jasper’s Circus of Wonders and the audience falls in love with her, looking at her as if she belongs in the sky. Throughout the pages you feel Nell grow, her wings spreading (literally), her learning who she is, what she is worth. She also falls in love with Toby, Jasper’s long suffering brother, a big man who is treated as if he were very small. While Nell has grown to hate the gaze of others, Toby has longed to be seen. They fall in love, they find a place with each other and again, like Nell, you journey with Toby as he finds himself away from his brother.
Jasper is a complex, fragile man, a proud, desperate man powered by greed and the need to be adored - but the world he built starts to crumble and the lives he has profited off, start to turn against him.
Toby and Jasper play an interesting relationship, 2 men who base their worth on being seen, Jasper craves the power of being idolised, Toby needs to be seen because without it he feels worthless. Even Nell learns too that after wanting to hide for so long, she adores the performance, feeling beautiful. It’s interesting to see the different parallels in this.

I really enjoyed this story and the themes it covers, the characters I grew to love, the images it created. If you need an escape, I recommend this circus.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio book to review

4.5 stars
This is just such a beautifully balanced book. We had excellent balance between the wonder and excitement of the Victorian Circus and the cruelty, prejudice and inequality of that time too. We as get balance between the circus when it is bright and flourishing and then flash backs to the Crimean war. All of these elements rounding out to form a story filled with light and dark, the rise to power and fame and the fall from it, the balance of love and fortune, of family and glory.

All three perspectives tell the story in such unique ways and they are such deep and rich characters. All of them are trying to make something of themselves in the world, in the Circus and they are fighting the same battles in such different ways. I found myself swept away with their stories. They are such complex characters all fighting for acceptance in there own way and the way the stories intertwine just makes this such a compelling read.

I am not a particularly huge fan of Historical Fiction, but there is a fantasy like style to MacNeal’s writing that kept me engrossed. The worldbuilding is so details but I like it doesn’t shy away from the darkness too. It exposes the lengths showmen of the age, like P.T. Barnum, went to to earn money and fame. There is a real richness to the writing and the plot, while a little slow at times is interesting and entertaining.

My only quibble is the ending felt a little too bittersweet a little more of a fizzle out that I felt just left me wanting more. We also had a tiny portion of middle sag and a felt that there were a couple of story threads that didn’t really get resolved. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book, it is a really beautiful read.

The Narrator is great, really clear and brings so much to the tale.

Nell’s body is covered in birthmarks, for which she is shunned by her village, and sold to a visiting circus by her father.

The Circus of Wonders is elevated above many such tales by its sympathetic and realistic approach to the people paraded as ‘freaks of nature’.

Macneal weaves a good story.

The audio version is well produced, and Tuppence Middleton gives a virtuosic performance.

My thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan UK Audio for the ARC.

A “freak” in a circus.
Whose not heard of this in the past historical events?

We still have “little” people being clowns and there were the big bearded ladies who were odd because of their total facial hair. Anything odd drew in the money.

Little Nell was sold to the circus because she had a birthmark that made her look like a Leopard which rose across half of her body.

It’s a good story. I enjoyed it. It’s obvious the author had done lots of research but the ending let it down.

I had purchased the book, but found it wasn’t taking my interest so I requested the audio off of Netgalley. It was much better and the narrator was very good and adept at keeping me fixed on what was going on.

I just don’t think this book was for me, I was totally hoping this book would go in the direction I hoped but it didn’t.

Just something was missing for me, a bit of punch or impact.
Little Nell was a treat though and the elements in the book are magical.

“She is wild yet poised, her arms as agile as an acrobat’s. She is magnetic, alive, a moth at a flame, joy radiating from her. He sees the other villagers murmuring, eyes on her. .... I present, London, a wondrous sight— Yes, Jasper thinks. Here is his ticket to the bigger game. She will be brilliant, novel, electric.“

My thanks to Macmillan U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Circus of Wonders’ by Elizabeth Macneal in exchange for an honest review. It is narrated by Tuppence Middleton.

May 1866. Nell lives in a small coastal village though the birthmarks that speckle her skin, mark her as different from others in the community. Her world resolves around her beloved brother and her devotion to the sea. She also loves the stories of transformation told by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen leaving her to wonder: “Would her birthmarks disappear if somebody loved her?”

Then Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village. Nell’s drunken father approaches Jasper offering to sell Nell to him given her unique markings. Jasper is curious to see her. He attends the village dance and sees Nell dancing with abandon under the Moon and realises that she has the potential to become an acrobat, a star attraction.

Nell is shocked when she learns what her father has done, though despite her protests she is taken. At first Nell is determined to run away from the circus, though she slowly makes friends with the other performers including Toby, Jasper’s gentle brother. She also finds purpose and freedom in performing. Over time Nell’s fame grows, threatening to eclipse that of the flamboyant showman. This does not bode well. ..

I found myself completely swept up by Elizabeth Macneal’s exquisite prose and her vivid descriptions of the world of the Victorian circus. The chapters move between the viewpoints of Nell, Toby, and Jasper.

Macneal’s characters, both main and supporting, were well realised. Even Jasper, whose obsession with being acknowledged as the greatest showman, could have made him the archetypal villain was more than just his ego. He was genuinely kind to animals, unable to abide cruelty to them. In addition Jasper and Toby were both shaped by the Crimean War and left damaged by it in different ways.

I also appreciated the thread of fairy tales that ran through the story, from Nell’s identification with the Little Mermaid to Toby and Jasper being dubbed by their father as the Brothers Grimm for the stories they made up when young. While the story never moves into magical realism territory, there was a sense that the members of the circus troupe were not only other but somewhat otherworldly.

This was also illustrated by Nell closing the show with the lines from ‘The Tempest’, “Our revels now are ended.” That speech along with Puck’s closing in ‘Dream’ always brings to mind spirits of nature. I felt that it was to this liminal world that Macneal’s circus belonged.

With respect to the audiobook, I have enjoyed Tuppence Middleton’s narration on a number of previous audiobooks, including Elizabeth Macneal’s debut, ‘The Doll Factory’. She is an experienced British actor with stage, film and television credits and she voices the range of characters in this novel with ease. I found her voice exquisite with a silky texture that is very pleasurable to listen to.

Overall, I found ‘Circus of Wonders a poignant, bittersweet tale, pure magic throughout. I adored it and salute Elizabeth Macneal’s imagination and storytelling skills that made this novel such a wonderful reading experience.

Highly recommended.

This book is absolutely amazing! If you loved The Greatest Showman you will love this. Nellie, the main character has birthmarks all over her body, she's been hidden by her family because she looks like a leopard. She's sold for £20 to Circus of Wonders where instead of hiding she' is put on show as the finale act.

The story follows the circus as it gets bigger and better and Nellie becomes the star of the show and they eventually can afford to perform in London. But at what cost?

The story has flashbacks to the Crimean War where the two brothers were. Jasper was the one fighting and Toby a photographer. You learn early on that Jasper's friend had died and somehow Toby was involved. I found it awful that the bodies were looted with the excuse that it would pay for the circus. I didn't like Jasper and as the story unfolds I still didn't like him. But his brother Toby was so sweet. He loved Nellie but being a big man he didn't see how she could love him back.

I listened to this book via audiobook and I was soon sucked into the world of Nellie Moon and circus life. She really brought the story to life and was just perfect for the story. I will definitely be buying a paperback copy of this book

What a fantastic book. We’re taken on a ride from war-torn Crimea to Victorian England at her best following the exploits of two brothers who set up the Barnum-esque Jasper Jupiter's Circus of Wonders and their main attraction – Nellie Moon. Sold by her father to Jasper for a pittance, Nellie rises to become the talk of the town. However things take a nose dive when Jasper borrows more than he can afford and everyone pays the price.
Beautifully written and incredibly evocative. Another must-read new author.
Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy via NetGalley.

This was an excellent read!
A wonderful setting with captivating characters, and I loved the way the author showed the prejudices of the time throughout.
I would say the plot slowed a little after the first half, but I constantly looked forward to the audiobook and the excellent narration.
The writing was beautiful, and the whole combination made for an enjoyable novel.

I listened to Circus of Wonders as an audiobook and it's a dazzling accomplishment set in the world of Jasper Jupiter's circus. It reminded me of The Greatest Showman and I enjoyed Nell's story. One I would recommend if you want to read something with a touch of magic inside!

Circus of Wonders is another fantastic novel from Elizabeth Macneal. It’s 1866 and Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders travels around showcasing his curiosities. While in a small town, he finds Nell who’s whole body is covered in birthmarks. Her father sells Nell to Jasper for £20 and she is taken away from her home and her beloved brother Charlie.
Nell soon accepts her fate and finds friends and love within the circus. Unfortunately, Jasper’s poor business sense and greed leads the whole troupe into trouble and danger. Jasper’s brother Toby is also involved with the circus and their difficult and toxic relationship also forms a captivating thread within the book. The novel also looks back to the time the brothers were together on the battlefields of the Crimean War and the constant jealousy and control that has festered between them.
Elizabeth Macneal Takes us back to a time when people who were different were exploited and ridiculed, and shows us how cruel society and individuals could be. The narrator was also completely engaging and added another level of enjoyment to the story. A fascinating, well researched tale that I highly recommend.

For me this book was a peek into a different world and a different era. The poor girl was powerless, sold to a circus and made a spectacle- but she was so spirited you just have to love her.
I listened to this as an audio book and found the narrator really helped to bring the book to life.