The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called “Le Cirque des Reves,” and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway–a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, 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. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love–a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per-formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. (Goodreads)

Celia and Marco are bound to a duel from childhood by their mentors, to a duel from which only one of them will survive. The venue is a circus that arrives without notice and opens only after sun goes down. But what their mentors did not take into account was that they might fall in love.

I’m so happy I finally decided to read this because I loved it! Before I started it I wasn’t sure about the whole circus thing but it worked here.

This isn’t action packed but it still managed to be not boring. The time changes were little confusing at first but I got used to them,

I loved Marco’s and Celia’s relationship but it could have felt more closer if they would haven spent more time together. There were years when they had no contact with each other which meant many chapters with no contact. I loved seeing them growing closer and learning more about their magic and what they’re capable doing with it. It was interesting to see Celia building some kind of relationship with her father and what kind of person it made her.

I have to say I never really got the meaning of this duel. I mean there was never any real confrontation between the players and it seemed like they never really did anything besides creating a new tent. Yes those were some special and cool tents but still. And how does that kind of duel really end? What makes the winner a winner? But that would be my biggest complain that the world would have been better explained.

But I really loved the book and it was a great debut. Can’t wait to read more of her books!

5/5
Published: Doubleday (2011)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 387
Source: library