I was provided Circus of Wonder by Elizabeth Macneal as an ARC through NetGalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and thanks is extended to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to do so.
1866. In a coastal village in southern England, Nell picks violets for a living. Set apart by her community because of the birthmarks that speckle her skin, Nell’s world is her beloved brother and devotion to the sea.
But when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped. Her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own leopard girl. It is the greatest betrayal of Nell’s life, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers and Jasper’s gentle brother Toby, she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her.
In London, newspapers describe Nell as the eighth wonder of the world. Figurines are cast in her image, and crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. But who gets to tell Nell’s story? What happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Toby, can he detach himself from his past and the terrible secret that binds him to his brother?
Moving from the pleasure gardens of Victorian London to the battle-scarred plains of the Crimea, Circus of Wonders is an astonishing story about power and ownership, fame and the threat of invisibility.
After reading the Doll Factory I didn’t think that it could get any better and then I read Elizabeth Macneal’s second book and omg! She has created a brilliant story in which History is seamlessly married to the Strange and the phantasmagorical. A tale where Light and Shadow coexist and is set in the era of mass hysteria frenzy over curiosities, circuses and anything to do with spiritualism. Through the eyes of the characters the reader can see the streets of London for all its filth and its glamour. She provides a perfect portrayal of Victorian England and more specifically Victorian London.
In short, Circus of Wonders is an incandescent and besmirched tale of love and self-determination filled to the brim with a beautiful and richly detailed prose. It is gothic, macabre and a perfect piece of historical Victorian literature. A very worthy 4.5 stars
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