Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta

You might have seen these fantasy themes before: An overpopulated community stuck within the confines of a certain set of boundaries due to the threat of a plague which has destroyed the outside world with the home-bound population being controlled by magic and death/execution – a common occurrence meant to keep everyone in line. In Shimmer and Burn by Mary Taranta, that’s not enough, the King requires an obedience bond between himself and his subjects, administered when they become “adults”. Thus our rebels are teenagers who know there is something out there worth risking everything, even their lives, to discover.

Of course, each has their own motivations. Faris Locke originally wanted a better life than one of eking out an existence in the Brim, a slum like community, but now she is forced to fight her way to the prize to save her sister from being used as a drone at the workhouse. Princess Bryn is determined to be Queen of Brindaigel, so she magically binds Feris to her as a servant to not only protect, but to serve as a virtual “whipping boy” who absorbs any pain the princess experiences (even if maliciously self-inflicted). Upon entering the forbidden Avinea they immediately get captured, but are rescued by North, a nomadic magician who wants to free his beloved homeland from the deadly sickness which is creeping throughout the kingdom.

I’m thinking this book should be included under the Steampunk Category. This is a YA fantasy novel full of intrigue, violence, greed/self interests, and a bit of romance, all entangled with the power of magic which can both protect and destroy. While the premise has a few twists using this common theme, the concept is muddled enough to require a bit of an explanation instead of simply leaking details on the fly as the plot unfolds. After a few attempts, I gave up trying to make sense of events by rereading passages which leave out the clues necessary to provide any cohesiveness. While the characters are intriguing, there are so many secrets and scams, it is easy to get confused about their motivations. These young people all have complicated relationships with their parents, most of whom are out of the picture for one reason or another, but who influence their actions, which makes discovering who’s who and what’s what requiring the skills of a detective.

However, the book is readable if unpredictable (for various reasons), just don’t expect a definitive conclusion as the ending is a cliff hanger leading to book 2 of the series. Three stars.

A thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

There’s Nimue and Merlin, Juliet and Romeo, Harley and the Joker, and now from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Celia and Marco, love stories with a sadistic twist.

When Prospero the Enchanter takes ownership of his talented young daughter, he can’t resist challenging his old nemesis Alexander to one more contest. With no beginning or ending date set and no specific venue the competition begins, each Master training their chosen apprentice in the art of magic. And what better place to display these talents than at a circus – not just any circus, but a Night Circus which begins at sundown and closes at dawn roaming from one site to another with no advance notice but so spectacular in its amusements that the general public cannot resist its allure. There’s even an extreme fandom of Reveurs who seek out Le Cirque Des Reves and follow it from locale to locale, wearing a splash of red against their austere black and white clothing to identify themselves to fellow devotees. The brainchild of Chandresh and his small entourage of creative talents, they achieve the goal of creating a masterpiece unique in its scope and “top shelf” in its entertainment value managed with the silent, hidden skill of Marco, Chandresh’s Assistant and Celia, the Illusionist. The reader finds themselves in the midst of the performance, mesmerized with the details and wondering how the saga will play itself out.

A good way to sum up this book is through a quote attributed to the clockmaker and number one fan:

“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 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? -Friedrick Thiessen, 1898″

It is indeed magic, not just the plot but the beauty of the narrative as the words paint an unforgettable picture making the reader feel as if they are a part of the scene. The chapters circulate back and forth through time from the 1870’s to 1902 as secrets are revealed and details disclosed in such as way as to keep us guessing right through the chaotic climax which changes everything.

I could compare The Night Circus to the peeling of an artichoke in order to access its heart, but I feel it is more like a Rubik’s Cube requiring numerous twists and turns to reach the final move. Five stars for an incredible reading experience.

Mrs Houdini by Victoria Kelley

My Great Uncle, Harry Klauber and his wife, Jacques Marchais, were friends of the Houdinis and some of the seances which attempted to contact Harry were conducted at the Klauber estate (now torn down) on the borough of Staten Island. Knowing this I have always been curious about this infamous magician and was attracted to a book featuring his wife, Bess.

Victoria Kelley interweaves fact and fiction in her novel, Mrs Houdini. Researching various biographies, some rare and out of print, she was able to reconstruct and even replicate various conversations and events from the past, manipulating them in a way to give substance to her imaginary resolution to Houdini’s promise to communicate with his wife from beyond the grave. Focusing on Bess Rahner, who at eighteen had left home and begun a life entertaining in Coney Island, the young girl meets the mesmerizing Harry, born Ehrich Weiss, and finds herself married and on the Carney Circuit.

Life on the vaudeville road was tough for the young couple, but Bess became an important part of the act, at first acting as her husband’s partner on stage and then managing his career from behind the scenes throughout their 33 year marriage, supporting Harry through the ups and downs of an always uncertain career in show business. Despite his fame, the worldwide travels, and renowned people they met along the way, Harry was a shy man who only opened up when performing. At times he struggled with insecurities, but Bess was there to guide him through the tough patches. Kelley tells the tale through Bess’ point of view, going back and forth between the time after Harry’s death and the prior events of their lives together, from 1894 to 1929. I found this device a little disconcerting and would have preferred a straightforward narrative or at least one with less flashbacks and more chronology. Kelley attempted to showcase a love story while maintaining some integrity regarding the conflicts found in any relationship, but it fell a little flat. At times superficial, we never truly get into her head.

The book was full of descriptions of the various stunts and illusions performed at the numerous locations where the duo traveled plus a listing of the people who surrounded their lives, but it was often stilted, not flowing like a traditional novel. A common problem of authors who try to write fictionalized biographies is that they get bogged down in all the factual details. It would have been a more compelling novel if Kelley had selected various highlights and dwelled more on those, rounding out the facts with her imaginings. For example, one of the compelling events was the Houdini’s trip to Europe where Harry purchased a dress designed for Queen Victoria in London and then invited his mother to her home town of Budapest, holding a party in her honor where she could wear this beautiful gown. Instead of just telling us about this event, Kelly should have involved the reader in every aspect of this delightful tale, making us feel as if we were there. There was just too much telling with more than a bit of repetition. Yet, I found the basic information interesting and it gave me a different perspective of the life and times of the great magician and his wife, with an interesting fictional twist at the end.

Three stars and a thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.