This kind of Fantasy ought to have its own sub-genre. Sort of “steampunk art but modern-day with fantasy creatures thrown in.” The plot of this novel involves a late 19thcentury traveling circus with dragons and griffins and twenties-era gangsters with trolls as enforcers.
So much for creativity. The story is peppered with Characters with a capital “C,” as we would expect. It is, after all, a circus. Add to this a complex plotline with a couple of good twists, a love story that seems doomed by circumstance, and old-fashioned, “How shall we pay the rent?” suspense.
The only thing I found missing was enough tangible conflict. All the suspense revolved around imaginary threats, mostly financial. Even the physical intimidation seemed theoretical. There was nothing like a good old-fashioned car chase, a fight or a cliff to hang off to get the reader’s blood moving. Until the Chapter 23, when we got the whole book’s worth in the last 25 pages: gunfire, a magic animal mob escape scene, a dragon flight, and a “happily ever after, maybe if you read the next book in the series” ending.
Plenty of fun, creativity, and atmosphere. Recommended for steampunk and fantasy fans of all sorts.
(4 / 5)
