Its hard to read a book that is written now that uses slurs. Even if the book was supposed to take place approximately 100 years ago when it would have been very common, it still feels weird to me. The plot/mystery aspects of this story were interesting to me, but there was aspects of the coming of age part of this story that seemed over used. (The MMC spends a lot of time complaining about being a virgin still). There are other ways to show innocence or even growing up than complaints about not getting laid on every page.

I was interested with the description but this wasn’t for me. Half way through I felt it was dragging and it couldn’t keep me interested.

Unfortunatly this one wasn’t for me.
I couldn’t get into the story :(
The mmc seemed quite problematic.
It was too much on the ‘historical fiction’ for me, I thought it would lean more toward the circus / magical vibe than it did.

SUMMARY
Vandemere is a coming-of-age story about a teenage boy living in 1930s Southwest America, working for a two-bit circus as a trick pony-rider.
Caught between the legacies of his parents, he struggles to find his identity between the two scraps of his ancestry that he’s still connected to out on the touring circuit. He takes his estranged father’s name and all the tricks he took the time to teach him, performing as Vandy Davidson; but he can’t deny his Romanian roots. Especially as the magie he inherits from his mother allows him to finally confront the evil that followed his family’s emigration from Romania.
Following the disappearance and death of a child who had been visiting the circus, Vandy’s special gifts come under scrutiny. He must grapple with the where he belongs and whether he can trust his magie.

WHAT WE LIKE
The Narrator - At first, we were concerned that Kyle Shive’s voice might be too mature for Vandemere’s teenage character. Rich and smooth it may be, but that typically isn’t how we think of most 16/17 year old boys. However, he grew on us as the voice of Vandemere. With skillful transitioning between narrative and dialogue, he gives personality to Vandy’s moments of teen angst and distinction to side characters.
The Memories - Vandy’s retellings of significant moments in his life, like when his dad proclaimed he would be a trick rider and subsequently his dad’s abandonment of their family, are heartbreaking. They are deftly woven into significant moments of the story without it feeling like a disruption to the momentum of the plot.
The Circus - We wanted more of the circus life! The glimpses into the other performers and interactions between them left us wanting more!

REAL TALK
The Magic - The rules of magie are a little unclear. Vandy is able see visions of events that occurred in a person’s past and seems to have an intuition he himself doesn’t quite understand. Despite having his mother living with him at the circus, she is cryptic at best when discussing the magie. The curse and shadowed spectre that threaten him are described, but not necessarily explained.
The Ending - Understanding that there is a sequel (‘Fire Horse’), this ending still feels too abrupt. It lacks resolution in a way that makes it feel like a single book has been split in half, rather than resolution to book one that bring larger questions to answer in Book 2.
The G Word - Time for some really real talk and some spoilers to give the context... We, at BonDrac Studios, are not experts in Romani culture. However, we’ve done some learning and listening to those from Romani backgrounds, and what we’ve learned is enough to have concerns over some of this book’s content. Starting with ‘The G Word.’ While the author does indicate multiple times that it is used as a slur, and it is likely this slur would have been used during the time-period, it doesn’t seem like enough care has been given to protect those of Romani ancestry from harmful stereotypes. Vandy’s mother is portrayed as promiscuous and an addict after his father leaves. There is some indication this is a result of the family curse, but it doesn’t look great to have characters who self-proclaim themselves as part of a culture that has been persecuted, to have stereotypical behaviors that oppressive groups used as justification for said persecution. Similarly, the disappearance and murder of a child is linked to Vandy. While he does not have any connection to the harm done to the child, again, this is a stereotype that is pervasive and harmful to those of Romani ancestry. The real sticking point is that the author continuously refers to Vandy and his mother as ‘Romanian.’ This gives us pause. Telling a story of persecution with contextualized details of how stereotypes impact a given oppressed population is perfectly reasonable. But not if the author does not have understanding of the population in question. Romanians and Romani are NOT the same. While some Romani live in Romania, the Roma ethnicity and culture have entirely different ancestral roots, language, and culture from Romanians. The fact that this distinction is not made in this book is root of our discomfort and the main driver of the rating we feel compelled to give.

BOOK DRAGON RATING
The unfortunate use of Romani culture and persecution, with the (less significant but still relevant) poorly formed ending have lead us to giving 2/5 Book Dragons. There is an interesting circus-related story to be told here, but it needs more development and a sensitivity review.

This was such an interesting read. Who doesn't love a good mystery, tarot, possible possession story. The characters are interesting and the things that the main family goes through are definitely strange. I can't wait to be able to read book two in order to figure out what exactly is going on.

The synopsis sounded really good but unfortunately was let down by unlikable characters and a bad narrator.


I'm guessing the author's aim was to have an unbearable ' I hate everything and everyone ' 17 year old teenager but honestly it got very old very fast.

Not to mention the army of unlikable idiotic and just straight out mean for no apparent reason side- characters who just bashed and insulted the main guy..... I just didn't get the point.

Normally I don't mind difficulty characters if the have a point or redeeming qualities or show some sort of growth - but unfortunately having any sense was not in the room with this book

This was all made worse by the narrator with his over dramatics and poor accent skills.

Lastly nothing interesting really happens besides the main character yelling at everyone and a kid getting murdered and some tiny fortune teller magic to get you excited for the next book...

Thank you NetGalley for proving the audiobook in return for an honest review

Thank you Netgally for this audioarc!

I loved the characters and the magic system of this book it was so creative. The narrator did a great job of bringing Vanademere’s perspective to life. I do although wish there was more magic in this story as well. Although I did like this book the only thing that I would say is that some of the sexual aspects were a bit unnecessary. But other than that it kept me interested.

I do think that showcasing the circus via a historical setting was a great idea on the author's end. But I believe the execution needed some more edits before it came to the final showing. I wasn't a fan of the emotional turbulence that our narrator faced. Plus, if you are going to have the setting be in the southwest portion of the United States, I was expecting more imagery than the barely there sentences that we were given.

It was so nice of the publisher and NetGalley to have this as a free audio arc. I was definitely intrigued by the book description. I'm sad to say I didn't make it past 40%. I loved the narrator, but this book just didn't hold my attention. I have kept trying to go back to it and continue listening, but I keep finding other things to read instead. I'm just not sure I'll ever be able to finish this.

I attempted to listen to this self-published audiobook, which I assume is intended as a YA novel given that the main character is 17. However, I ultimately chose to DNF at 32% due to several issues that made it difficult to stay engaged.

One of my main concerns is the book's use of Romani culture. I did some research but couldn’t find any confirmation that the author has Romani heritage. If she does, I may be mistaken, but if not, the use of this culture—especially in combination with other problematic elements—felt uncomfortable to me.

Set in the 1930s, the novel does include derogatory terms. I understand their historical context, and the book does portray them as derogatory rather than excusing them, which I appreciate. However, that does not outweigh my other concerns.

One of the most jarring aspects for me was the way the main character’s sexuality was portrayed. While it is normal for a 17-year-old boy to have sexual thoughts, the book places an excessive and almost crude emphasis on his desires. Love and lust are used interchangeably, which adds to the discomfort. Given the use of Romani culture, this portrayal also feels like it leans into harmful stereotypes.

In the 32% I listened to, there was very little actual plot. Instead, the book delivers an overwhelming amount of background information, and only about half of it seemed relevant. Perhaps more context is given later, but at this point in a novel, I expect to feel engaged in some way—whether through the plot or the characters—and I felt no connection to either.

One thing that stood out was the author's knowledge of horses, which is evident in the writing. This isn’t necessarily a positive or negative aspect—just a clear strength of the author that is reflected in the main character’s expertise.

Ultimately, I stopped listening because, after nearly a third of the book, I found myself uninterested in both the story and the protagonist. While some might find aspects of the book engaging, it did not work for me due to its lack of compelling plot, the way it handled its cultural elements, and the uncomfortable focus on the protagonist’s sexuality.

Props to the narrator though. The performance was quite good.

I looked forward to listening to Vandemere based on the description filled with circus life and magic in the 1930s American Southwest. The writing style in Vandemere flows easily and keeps the reader captivated from the start. Unfortunately, the plot fell flat, often swerving in unnecessary directions making it difficult to follow the main storyline. I couldn't root for any of the characters (not even the hero) who were all either unlikeable or one-demential. I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it nearly made its way to my DNF list.


*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audio version in exchange for my honest review.*

This book had so much potential to be good but had to many themes competing to really follow along. It had to many themes to really do any one theme justice.

* Although this book had a slow start i actually enjoyed it. It took me about 45% of the way through before i was really interested and wanted to finish the book, but once i actually got into the book i didn’t want to put it down. I enjoy the mystery aspect and i really enjoy that even though it leaves on a little bit of a cliffhanger it still leaves in a spot that actually makes sense to do so. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Vandemere: Book One of the Circ de Tarot Series
Written by Kimberley D. Tait, Narrated by Kyle Shive
#Vandemere #NetGalley Thank you to Netgalley and Kimberley D Tait for the ALC

This is an easy 5-star read for me.

Listening to Vandemere was an absolute delight, largely thanks to Kyle Shive's incredible narration. He did an excellent job portraying the full range of emotions the protagonist experiences throughout his journey, from moments of despair and pain to awe and hope. The voice acting truly brought the story to life and made it even more immersive.

Vandemere follows seventeen-year-old Vandy Petruska, a trick rider in a travelling circus, as he grapples with his dual heritage and the dark forces that haunt him. Living as Vandy Davidson, he honours his father’s legacy, performing on horseback in the circus ring. But as Vandy Petruska, he wrestles with the tarot magie inherited from his Romanian mother, a power he tries to reject until he realizes that the misfortune in his life is no coincidence.

Set in the gritty 1930s American Southwest, this lyrical coming-of-age tale blends magical realism with personal growth as Vandy confronts an ancient evil tied to his family’s past. To survive, he must embrace the very magie he’s long denied.

The story explores darker themes like violence, self-harm, and sexuality, making it a raw and intense depiction of life during that era. Vandemere is the first part of a duology, promising more to come in this captivating series.

The book reminded me of one of my favourite Stephen King novels, Joyland. Both stories are coming-of-age tales, rich with emotion, mystery, and a sense of discovery. Like Joyland, Vandemere captures that bittersweet, nostalgic feeling of youth while weaving in elements of intrigue and wonder.

I eagerly anticipate the second book in this duology and sincerely hope it will be available in audio format soon, with Kyle Shive as the narrator! His performance has set a high bar, and I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds next.

This book is a gritty depiction of life in the 1930s American Southwest. It contains violence, coarse language, self-harm, and sexual situations. Some of its darker themes may be triggering to sensitive readers. Please use discretion when deciding if this book is right for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

Vandemere is the first book in the two-part series Circ de Tarot. It tells the story of seventeen year old Vandemere Petruska who grew up in a traveling circus. As a young boy under his now estranged father's tutelage, Vandy developed his trick riding skills and now has his own show in the circus. He also inherited a psychic ability from his mother, and someone is warning him not to use this ability, else Vandemere could lose the people he loves the most. While the story is set in the American southwest during the 1930s, parts of the book, particularly those concerning Vandy's time as a child, are told in flashbacks.

The story gets a bit dark at times which can be upsetting to some readers, and in the audiobook, the narrator provides a content warning about some of the grittier content in the book. Some of these topics include animal abuse, child sexual abuse, and sexual content. Considering the recent controversy over library books in some school districts, librarians should carefully consider whether this book would be appropriate for their students.

While I did enjoy the book as a whole, it does feel like the book is suffering from an identity crisis. There are so many different story lines going in throughout the book. There's a murder, racism, a love interest, a bully, a family curse, a father who abandoned his wife and son, a drunk, careless mother and her abusive boyfriend. It feels like the author was trying to accomplish too much in one book.

Kyle Shive's created a unique voice for each character which brings the story to life. However I had a difficult time buying the mother's supposedly Romanian accent.

I would recommend for teens age 16+.

This was a listen now option and I thought why not, I am so glad I did! I was pleasantly surprised. It is listed as a YA, I would say an older YA because of subject matter. It has topics that may be triggers and sensitive subjects to some, take heed in the warning listed in the book before you decide if this book is right for you. It did seem to end abruptly, thank goodness there is a book two. The narrator was fantastic and I hope he is the narrator for book two. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

#Vandemere was a decent fantasy novel. I found myself caring for Vandy along the way. While he does have his mother, the circus becomes a found family for him. The magie, a Romani form of seeing the future, was interesting. I thought the ending was a little abrupt. The narrator was awesome. I am interested in the sequel. 4 stars.

Usually circus books come with a wide variety of unusual and bizarre characters. In this book, we don't know much about them other than their state of virginity....or not. The MMC is an arrogant troublemaker that makes it hard to root for as he ducks in and out of his various scrapes. The narrator is pretty good though and I particularly enjoyed his take on Chi Fu from Mulan.

I gave this audiobook 3 stars. I felt it had the potential to be a good story but there was just to much going on. I also didn't like the narrators voices for certain characters. The main characters voice was fine but some of the others were weird.

I liked the setting being a circus and the main characters role in the circus, and felt that part of the story was good. It was confusing when the dark force would take over randomly and I feel that part could have been written more clearly.

I don't regret listening to this audiobook but it wasn't one of my favorites. Thank you to netgalley for the free audiobook copy.