Welcome to my stop on the Where Dreams Descend book tour! Thank you to Wednesday Books for organizing the tour and allowing me to participate as a tour host!

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Where Dreams Descend (Kingdom of Cards #1)
Author: Janella Angeles
Release: August 25, 2020
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Genre: YA Fantasy

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

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REVIEW

ARC provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley.

I’m a simple girl. Pitch me a book as The Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge and I’m all in. Where Dreams Descend is a decadent story full of intrigue and magic. The book captivated me from the beginning and I thoroughly enjoyed navigating the many twists and turns along the way. 

The writing in Where Dreams Descend was absolutely beautiful. Janella Angeles uses lush, descriptive writing to create a dark, atmospheric setting that easily transports the readers. The world and the characters are full of intrigue and mystery. The story is full of high-stakes tension from the beginning which only builds further as the book goes on. I was completed invested in learning more about the characters and the world. I do wish there had been more reveals–by the time book ends, I still had a lot of questions and not many answers–but since this is a duology I’m confident those answers will come in the next book. 

One of my favorite aspects of Where Dreams Descend was Kallia and the hardships she faced as a woman. Misogyny and sexism are themes that are front and present throughout the story, and I was impressed by the way the author wrote it in a way that is representative of issues in our own world. I found Kallia to be a determined, assertive heroine, especially when dealing with the misogynistic men involved with the magic competition, Spectaculore.  

The romance was subtle and I have to admit it needed to grow on me while I was reading. There is a slight love triangle, and wasn’t sure how I felt about Kallia’s developing feelings for Demarco. However, I will say that I ended the book feeling satisfied with how the romance plays out (although I would love to learn more about Jack and see more of his interactions with Kallia). 

Where Dreams Descend was an exhilarating, darkly decadent story full of magic and intrigue. I would absolutely recommend this to fans of mysterious characters, lush descriptions, and atmospheric settings. I got a lot of Caraval vibes when reading so I believe fans of that series will also really enjoy this one. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the duology!

★ ★ ★ ★

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janella Angeles is a Filipino-American author who got her start in writing through consuming glorious amounts of fanfiction at a young age–which eventually led to penning a few of her own, and later on, creating original stories from her imagination. A lifelong lover of books, she’s lucky enough to be working in the business of publishing them on top of writing them. She currently resides in Massachusetts, where she’s most likely to be found listening to musicals on repeat and daydreaming too much for her own good. Where Dreams Descend is her first book.

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr

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