Mini DNF ARC Review--Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

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.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.


Okay, I'll keep this short and sweet since Janella Angeles' Where Dreams Descend was yet another book I had to DNF. One of the reasons why was the world-building. I felt like I never got a real grasp on what this world really is. How do things work, magic wise, because magic clearly plays a large role in the story.

Another thing were the characters. While I was enjoying them, I think I felt a bit of whiplash from the third person point of view. I've been reading too much first person lately I guess, so it was a bit hard to get into the swing of things. I think when I finally threw in the towel we were given a mystery third person in the third person points of view that I was reading.

I guess the mystery of Jack and Kallia's relationship was another thing that bogged me down. Yes, it does get explained that Jack's father "found" or "rescued" Kallia as an orphaned baby, which very well might have been alluding to something more. I wasn't quite sure if we'd have a Stockholm Syndrome romance or not since even after Jack's father passed, Kallia was never allowed to leave her "home." She was virtually being kept a prisoner when she longed to go to The Conquering Circus.

I felt like some of the writing felt a little flowerly as well, but it's possible it was my frame of mind as I have been reading a lot of fantasy lately. But sadly, I had to end the book just after 50ish pages as I wasn't feeling the story anymore. Perhaps I'll pick it up again someday, but I honestly don't know if I would or not.