The Night Circus is an atmospheric tale of a circus linked to a competition unlike any other. It is a true "in it for the vibes" type of story, and more character driven than plot based

Sticking with the vibes, everything about them is incredible. The whimsical writing, jumps in time, and mysterious events all lend themselves beautifully to the eery yet intriguing atmosphere. Nothing is ever really explained which makes for the perfect circus story.

That being said, the characters fall a bit flat for me which is unfortunate in a character driven story. I didn't care much for the two main characters or what was happening with them, but I adored Bailey, Poppet, and Widget. I can see what Morgenstern was trying to do with the two different storylines but I wish the competition aspect wasn't even part of it to be honest.

If nothing else, the end of the book makes everything else worth it. This was a wonderful reminder of why I love circus books and will always come back to them for a bit of whimsy!

The Book of Fallen Leaves is a strong start to The Autumn Empire trilogy. Inspired by Japanese mythology, our cast of characters aim to restore their fallen clan while fighting against vengeful demons.

Starting with the characters, I truly appreciate how important women were in this story. It’s no secret that fantasies tend to be male focused or exclude women entirely, but this was balanced yet realistic. It felt like an author who has an appreciation for those who are different than him rather than including tokenized representation.

On top of that, each character was intriguing in their own right, rather than as a result of their place in the story. Despite wanting more backstory on each of them for curiosity’s sake, I felt each was fleshed out perfectly.

Because this is a debut novel, I am a bit more lenient with the writing, and truthfully that is my only complaint with the book. There are pacing issues at times and an odd couple of chapters that repeat the exact same timeline in different POVs for really no reason. But this book was an incredible feat for any author, never mind a debut.

Something I cannot speak to is the Japanese mythology in the book. Important to note, it is inspired by rather than based on Japanese mythology so it certainly will not be an accurate retelling or representation. The story is set in a fictional location with a fictional empire but of course there will always be some reality sprinkled in.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy. It is action packed and has some great characters that are enjoyable to root for. Looking forward to the release of the next book in this trilogy!