In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide 

Succeeded by When Night Breaks

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A stunning debut that enchants you with the stage lights, a talented performer, and a slow romance while snow lightly falls upon your eyelashes, the magic thrills every nerve, and every page continuously, successfully smashes sexism. Thank you to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this early!

Where Dreams Descend is a young adult fantasy that gracefully performs amidst magic, beauty, and mystery.

Like a dream played at the crack of dawn where a hopeful sunrise is awaited but the night still lingers, Where Dreams Descend is a beautiful quilt sprawled in a cold winter, hiding thorns in the softness, and jerking one awake from their dream of freedom to find walls standing tall around them.

Reigning through a confident, magically overpowered, and an extremely talented woman—Kallia—who believes herself to be more than a mesmerizing dancer, and longingly looks at the city across a forest she has been warned to stay away from, this tale instantly makes one hopeful. And bestriding two men: an enigmatic keeper of the club where Kallia is a showgirl—Jack—and a brooding magician who is judging the competitive magical contest Kallia participates in to prove herself—Demarco—this tale makes one anxiously anticipate the complexity connecting these three characters.

Jack’s lies coated in hypnotizing truths and Demarco’s dark past are key propellers in this risk of illusions, mirrors, fame, and fire. Mingled with Kallia’s strong headed persona determined to win the coveted spot among other young magicians, but often pulled back by the naivety of remembering her former home’s long lost comfort, occasionally estranged by the perfidy of someone close, and forced to raise emotional barriers in the name of surviving against anything dangerous—but mostly heartbreak—Where Dreams Descend delivers allure and power through skillful writing and stunning imagery.

Equally thriving on a romantic tension filled with quick glances, unwarranted support, and yearning around an air of mystery, this debut strongly wraps instances and sequences as sharp as a shard of broken mirror in a delightful tenderness that only magic can perpetuate, and even shines through a themes of rebelling against a controlled environment, smashing sexism, and proving the true affinity in oneself.

my rating ↣ ★★★★★

Buy the book: Amazon US | Bookshop UK | Amazon IN


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3 replies on “Book Review: Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

  1. Omg okay so I guess I need to read this NOW because I see you 5-star review *wink wink*

    Loved this review Fanna <3<3

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