Dive into a world of magicians, top hats, circus performers, and forbidden romance... and be ready to become scared of mirrors (August 2020).
(photo credit: Goodreads)
Janella Angeles’ Where Dreams Descend is a magic trick in itself: from the first page, it whisks the reader away to a land of top hats and circuses and performance magic. Set in a fantasy world adorned with old-European imagery and gilded luxury, Where Dreams Descend follows Kallia, a powerful showgirl with inborn magic, as she faces off against a group of magicians to become the next headliner of the circus. However, as the competition progresses, things begin to go amiss. Magicians disappear and darkness lurks behind the guise of illusions and glamour, and Kallia and the remaining magicians must uncover the truth before the darkness swallows them as well.
Kallia is a strong main character—one of the most enjoyable main characters I’ve ever read, actually. She is bold, undaunted, and full of ambition, three traits that female leads typically lack. Kallia begins as a performer at an elusive club, the highest rank women are typically allowed to assume in the world of magic. Her extensive capabilities are perfected by her mentor and the club owner Jack, a mysteriously powerful magician, and every night, Kallia steals the show. However, Kallia feels trapped in the simple life of being a showgirl and dreams of Glorian, the distant and elusive city that Jack refuses to tell her about. When her old life dissolves into lies, Kallia leaves everything she knows behind and takes a risky gamble to get to Glorian, where she believes her dreams of becoming a legendary magician can finally come true.
Kallia’s strengths are crucial in the misogynistic show business environment the book describes. She is constantly vilified by her fellow male competitors and judges—and actually shatters the glass ceiling just by making it into the competition. The powerful message of feminism the book leaves the reader with is one of the things I applaud Angeles for. Kallia’s struggles mirror that of many women today, and the fact that she remains strong feels empowering to read.
Beyond the book’s morals, I also loved Where Dreams Descend for its uniqueness. While its setting has been compared to Phantom of the Opera, The Night Circus, and Caraval, the structure of the book is unlike anything I have read before. The book is split up into different acts, so that it almost feels like a blend between a play and a novel, which perfectly suits the setting of the story. Additionally, Angeles’ writing is captivating and places the reader right beside Kallia with all its luscious imagery. The details Angeles incorporates into the story are clearly well thought out and make for excellent world-building that was a joy to read. “Flower vase[s] draped with crystals as if dusted with frost” and “the walls were lined with patterned gold, delicate filigree designs embroidered all over like gilded borders of playing cards” are some of my favorites.
Lastly, I loved the romance—especially because it took me somewhere I was decidedly not expecting to go. Angeles has a beautiful buildup and palpable tensions that had me rooting for the characters, and I was also pleased to see how the romance did not dilute Kallia’s strong ambitions but instead gave her another dimension.
Despite the suspenseful romantic buildup, the story took a while to pick up speed, and I was confused (and not in a good way) about where the story was taking me at the beginning. Additionally, I was left questioning the change in narration. While Kallia is the main character, large amounts of the story are told from DeMarco’s perspective (a competition judge) as well as from Jack’s perspective. Though I enjoyed DeMarco’s perspective, I felt that Jack’s perspective was abrupt and confusing, especially because Jack was not developed as a character and we got to see so little of him in the novel.
Lastly, though I did find the overall plot-arch fascinating and loved the way the competition and the mysterious darkness of the city were intertwined, I finished the book extremely annoyed at the lack of answers I received. Where Dreams Descend is the first in a series, so I expected to be left at a cliffhanger—but I ended the book with much of the plot left unanswered, and felt like the entire first book had been a mere setup for the future books.
Despite its faults, I would still recommend Where Dreams Descend for its beautiful setting, captivating writing, message, and romance—just prepare to be left with a plethora of questions and perhaps some dissatisfaction with the plot.
Hopefully the next book, Kingdom of Cards, can provide clarity to the storyline!
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