Book twenty-seven: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

If you like your stories with a dose of happily dark magic, then get thee to a book store and purchase Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus.  This imaginative tale tells the story of Le Cirque des Reves, a place that seems to magically appear in towns and cities and is open only at night.  Two mysterious children, Celia and Marco grow up in different worlds and learning different magical traditions.  They are bound together and soon find their lives forced into a master magical rivalry.

It's not just the interesting main characters that make The Night Circus a delight to read.  The book is filled with strange, wonderful characters. Widget and Poppet, the twins born on the opening night of the circus give the story a charm that's hard to deny. They may also make you want to get basket full of kittens.  The creators of the circus, particularly the watchmaker, make you want to quit your job and do something more creative.

The circus itself may be the most interesting character with its never-ending tents that contain ever more amazing acts or illusions. And of course there's food; delectable treats like no others.  Yet for all its imagination, this circus seems somehow familiar.  The style and design are ripped from a Tim Burton production.  And I frequently found myself referencing Cirque du Soleil as I read about the various acts.

This book isn't perfect.  Sometimes the writing is thin and redundant.  The dialogue regularly veers dangerously close to that of a paperback romance. And sometimes I felt blindsided by plot points that appeared out of nowhere.  I guess that happens in a world filled with magic.  Even considering its weaknesses, The Night Circus is a fun, fast read that will delight all but the most curmudgeon-y readers.