Reading this novel is like being part of a waking dream. The world of The Night Circus is fantastically imagined, drawing you in to its spellbinding atmospheric tone with its very first sentence: “The circus arrives without warning.” Before the first chapter is concluded, you know you have entered the imagination of a mesmerizing storyteller. Erin Morgenstern weaves a tale with characters that draw you in; the circus becoming the most magically integral character in and of itself. This story could easily appeal to readers who are not drawn to works of magic, as it can be appreciated for its romantic and historic nature, among other things. And if you choose to listen to The Night Circus as an audiobook, your encounter will be that much more magical as you’ll have the pleasure to experience a narrative master. Jim Dale’s voice adds a depth of richness to the already seductive prose.

Summary from Amazon.com:

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.

Reviewed by Bernadette Foley