I’m not kidding when I say that I’ve been waiting for this book for over a year. I think Where Dreams Descend was one of my top five anticipated releases for 2020, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint! I was instantly drawn into the magical world Angeles wove, and devoured the book quickly. Pitched as Moulin Rouge meets Phantom of the Opera with a hint of The Night Circus – that’s a good description, but this is a story all its own unlike one I’ve read before.
✨ Read the excerpt on BNTeen
“The Conquering Circus Presents…S P E C T A C U L O R EWhere Dreams Descend is told in acts like a play, and the book itself feels like a performance in a way that I can’t really describe. Beautiful and captivating, Angeles’ prose flows on the page and draws the reader into a magical world.
Where the stage tells a story, and legends are born!"
While I was most swept away by the plot and world, I absolutely adore Kallia. She’s inquisitive and ambitious, with a longing for adventure and belonging that I relate to. As she begins to experience the world and form relationships within it, my heart soared for her. The character relationships and rapport Kallia builds are truly special. Let it be known that Aaros is the best and I defy you to think otherwise.
“‘What you see in any reflection is a world unto itself, one you can believe in because what you see aligns with what you know surrounds you.'”Trust and reality itself are at the fore throughout as Kallia and the reader are never really sure what is true. Reality blurs and so much is unknown by our main characters, and the way worldbuilding is revealed is like standing on shifting sand… constantly leading you to readjust your footing.
“‘But none of you make it to the top, and we all know why. You’re just a spectacle, something pretty to look at – nothing more.'”But there is more than just a beautifully crafted fantasy story. Where Dreams Descend also looks at gender equality in a way that mirrors how women in the workforce are undervalued. Female magicians have few options and are expected to be in gendered roles, the life of performance being for men only. Kallia competing in the Spectaculore to claim the recognition deserved by her skill ruffles more than a few feathers.
“How wonderful it must’ve been, to come into this life with the searing blaze of choice. To practice and learn magic however you wished. To go wherever your feet could take you. It was only too easy to imagine how such a life might’ve changed her. To have had the glory of choice over the promise of power.”My one complaint is I feel like I’m left with more questions than answers at the end of the book. I’m the kind of reader who is particularly invested in worldbuilding, and I felt like I was missing an “aha!” moment where something clicked into place. That being said, Where Dreams Descend is a book with immense re-readability. Now that I’ve gotten to the end, I wonder what other clues I would pick up on a second reading.
Overall, the setting and descriptions in this one set Where Dreams Descend apart in my mind. The prose wraps you up like a blanket and captivates you while reading, and I loved the fast pace that kept me hooked to the end… I can’t believe I have to wait a year to find out what happens!
Content warnings: loss of loved ones, patriarchy & sexism
ARC provided by the publisher for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion or the content of my review. Quotations are from an uncorrected proof and subject to change upon final publication.
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