Circus of Wonders - Elizabeth MacNeal

 59%

17.06.24

Proper literary fiction, this - meticulously written*, carefully layered and a bit depressing. The settings were well researched and vividly described, as was the complex plight of those who were 'different' in Victorian times. But the characters never really came alive, and most of them were so passive that their actions didn't seem to be conscious decisions.

*Although perhaps the editor got distracted three-quarters of the way through, when endless comma splices and a general lack of gerunds became very distracting.

The Mermaid's Sister - Carrie Anne Noble

70%
09.05.20

A whimsical, lyrical book that's, ironically, steeped in the grief and loss of the long, lingering death of a loved one. It's a really lovely, well-written read - a little awkward in parts, perhaps, and with a plot that doesn't bear too much examination - but certainly fantastic in many senses.

Caraval - Stephanie Garber

52%
04.01.19

Fine in its derivative way, but overall as insubstantial as the magical game it describes. Ironically, the story is very similar to the equally underwhelming The Night Circus, itself heavily influenced by earlier works.

Death of Anton - Alan Melville

63%
01.05.17

A rather delightful lost classic, set during a very specific period of time. Interesting protagonists and some striking turns of phrase make its obscurity rather unjust.