The circus, like no other, appears from nowhere unexpectedly and disappeares as quietly as it arrived. The show is something you've never seen before or ever will, perhaps because here the magic is real and not just a trick. But the circus is not there for the audience, it is there as an arena for two magicians to showcase their talent in a competition. A competition they do not know who their opponent is, what the rules are, how the winner is decided and what the price is.

Goes out as a rabck to next reader.

Very kind thanks for the rabck, saarahoo!

I had Christmas vacation for one week. I chose 7 books to read during that time, I managed 5. This was one of those.

I finished the book today. What could be better time to believe in magic than Christmas. Extremely vivid and mesmerizing read. And visual as saarahoo pointed when she gave me the book. I absolutely loved it.

To the meetup.

Picked this up at the BC meet.

Oh, this has magic! Then it could be number 29 in the Finnish Kirjan vuosi 2015 -haaste (the Year of Book 2015 Challenge). Or it could be number 15, because I have handled this several times at bookstore and library on the brink of taking it along. Maybe there are other possibilities, too. Thanks, Niksu!

edit: wishlisted by -Kata-

Kept reading, vaguely irritated and hoping I'd soon start enjoying it, until Bailey came along. He was so likable and real that I did, almost instantly, and then the rest of the story went quickly. I have a nagging feeling I'd have liked this book much more about 20 years ago. Now all that impeccable black-and-white (with crimson accents for Dangerous Passion) just gets predictably tedious instead of being quaint and charming as it should. What a pity.

This is my number 29 (magic) in the Kirjan Vuosi 2015 challenge. Thank you, saarahoo and Niksu!

I got the book at the meet-up in Sokos.
Thank you!

The courier will take the book to Edinburgh.
Happy reading!

Thanks for the book! The courier is most happy as it appeared still an hour ago that I didn't have anything (but frog stickers) to take to bookfrogster to the meet-up on Saturday.

An hour to meet-up and I'm having a hamburger on the other side of the city. Have to start moving these old bones to the right direction.

Edit: I stumbled into a massive Church Book Sale on my way back. Was already late and then got stuck in the lift. In all the hurry I forgot the frog stickers... Will have to post them from home.

This has now arrived safely in Edinburgh! Thank you so much for bringing it all the way in person kirjakko!

I read this during the course of this weekend. I really liked some of the ideas in this book, such as the illusions being performed actually being real magic. My favourite characters were probably Tsukiko and Widget, rather than Cecelia and Marco. I liked the way the black and white aspects of the performers clothing was described too, I was able to picture how it all looked.
This will be travelling very soon as part of the wishlist tag game.

And off it goes to Brunton11 as part of the wishlist tag game. Happy reading!

Arrived safely today. Thanks bookfrogster.

I’m not usually a big fan of fantasy tales but added this to my wishlist as it was one of the earlier Richard and Judy book recommendations and I was keen to try some different types of books.

And… I really enjoyed it! As others have said a very visual tale with lots of intertwining elements.

Sending in to Delphi_Reader next :)

The Night Circus appeared in Delphi today, along with book labels, BC stickers and release bags. Thank you very much, what a well-travelled book! I'm really curious to see what I'll make of it. Let the show begin!

I have mixed feelings about this book.

The start seems very promissing but the pace is too uneven, there is a romance coming out of the blue, little character development and the story (or its execution) is very weak. Many things don't stand on close scrutinity even within the world of the book.

The very strong point is the ambiance. It is definitely a very atmospheric read. The author very artfully managed to transmit the dreamy quality of the setting, the world of her circus through her writing style, including all kind of details about the clothes, the lighting, the decoration, the smells, the sounds, the touch of the materials, the tastes and so much more...

The very first pages of the book caught my interest in the plot and the characters. However, for at least 100-150 pages, I felt as if the story was not moving at all. Then some things start to get into motion, but the many snapshots back and forth in time, while revealing very indirectly, circumferentially and gradually some elements of the plot, got a bit tedious for me. I was expecting a much more rewarding ending after so much beating around the bush! After a slow pace and the almost zero character development, I expected some upturns, some revelations about why all this is happening, some liveliness in the imaginary part of the book beyond dreamy images and romance.

Some of the characters seem to be getting more interesting towards the final chapters and the developments are really thickening, so it started to touch me more, I found some of the author's ideas interesting - I try not to write spoilers here - but again something seemed to be missing.

I tend to believe that some more solid information on how magic worked practically within the world of the book, a better explanation on who or what the two men who started it all are-and why, some more direct scenes of action, a faster pace and a tighter plot, would have helped me significantly to enjoy and appreciate the book.

All in all, I found some of the secondary characters more lively and interesting than the main ones, Ι liked the folds and wrappings of the story, but I think the core story its self didn't win me over...
Still, the ambiance, oh the ambiance...

The Night Circus is on the go again, through the Books, Chocolate & Tea Sweepstakes of Oct '21 . It will appear somewhere across the Pond next!

Good Luck!

Thank you for the book and the generous assortment of tea and chocolate. You are very kind. I know I will enjoy everything. Your book choice is spot on. This is one I have thought about putting on my wishlist, the only reason I did not is my wishlist is already very long. Now I get the chance to read it.

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Promised to echode in the wishlist tag game.

Here is a quote from the clockmaker, one of my favourite characters in the book,

"I find I think of myself not as a writer so much as someone who provides a gateway, a tangential route for readers to reach the circus. To visit the circus again, if only in their minds, when they are unable to attend it physically. I relay it through printed words on crumpled newsprint, words that they can read again and again, returning to the circus whenever they wish, regardless of time of day or physical location. Transporting them at will.

When put that way, it sounds rather like magic, doesn't it?"

And I have to agree that it does. The book itself is magical and every time I dived into the story, I was completely transported to a magical circus that captured my imagination and filled me with awe and wonder. The book is a literary marvel of the senses. And I felt like Bailey walking around fascinated and trying to absorb the essence of the wonder in front of me.

To me, the circus itself is the main character of the novel, and as such, the character is very well developed. There are parts in the novel that sometimes slows down in pace and I might need a break, then just like the visitors, I would leave the circus for the night and come back another day to be wowed by the fantastical sights and sounds and be immersed into the magical experience once again.

The read was a mesmerizing experience and I absolutely loved it.

Be prepared for some magic. Enjoy!

Abracadabra! The book is now in Seattle!
okay, so not really magicians but hardworking postal carriers...

I really enjoyed The Starless Sea; will perhaps wait until the holiday season for this magic show (like one of the reviewers above).
Thank you mcsar, for passing along this well-travelled & enduring book!

Wow! What a delight everytime I had the opportunity to step into the magic of this book. Had I not brought it on my travels abroad with the intention of releasing, I would place it permanently on my bookshelf at home, is how much I loved it. Guess I'll just have to procure my own copy 😊

(⁠✿⁠ ⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠)
Hello dear reader,
Please leave a note on this traveling book (you can even do it anonymously)! Then read & release, if you so choose. Take a look around the Bookcrossing community; I hope you enjoy the book, and your time here.

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