Where Dreams Descend – Janella Angeles

Title: Where Dreams Descend (Kingdom of Cards #1)

Author: Janella Angeles.

Format: Hardcover.

Publisher: Wednesday Books.

Page count: 447.

Release day: August 25^th 2020.

Genre: YA, fantasy.

Rating: 4 stars.

What is it about? (Summary from GoodReads)

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

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.

Rating:
Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Average: 8.00

My thoughts:

As you can see in my CAWPILE rating, this was a very solid 4 star read haha! I’m still a little bit disappointed, since I really thought this would be a five star read for me. But there was just a little bit missing. I think I wanted more from the actual magical acts?! They were too short for me!

Kallia was a great character! I really liked that she was really going for what she wanted, but did have set backs because of things in her past. Which made her a more realistic character! I was missing a bit from Demarco, he was very interesting, and I really liked that we knew there was still something missing about him. And we did not really learn what until the end, but that is also my problem.. I´m still not really sure about the reveal at the end, as in I´m not really sure what the reveal was, it was so vague haha! It was really a set up for the sequel, which I will definitely read!

Also Jack?! I really need to know more about him! The reveal the end was not enough. I mean it definitely explains things, but I need to know more about his relation with Kallia!

I absolutely loved the world! The magic was very interesting, and I loved how it was still a little bit vague. For some books that really annoys me, but it worked very well for this book! I also really liked the setting. It takes place in this city where you know things have happened, and by doing this contest they are trying to ‘clear’ their name! Also we do not really know wat has happened, only that it used to be a great city, with 4 important families. But those are not there anymore, and we do not know why. And I really have a feeling this is going to be very important in the sequel, so once again, I will read it!

I really enjoyed the contest part of the story, and I kept wanting to know how the three different rounds were going to go! But as I said in the beginning the actual shows did disappoint me a bit, they were so short haha! But all the things that were happening to the Magicians in between the shows.. I needed to know what and why and how! So very intriguing!

I really enjoyed my time reading this (in case that was not clear haha!). I need the sequel ASAP, although that will still take another year..

My main reason for taking a star, is that for a circus book, I just wanted a bit more circus. But all the other aspects of the book I really enjoyed!

Have you read this book? What did you think?