"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

I began reading this book kind of spontaneously. It was not on my "to be read" list and I was not even curious about the book although I had seen it in bookstores before.  The reason I picked it up was because it was among the new e-book arrivals on my library overdrive app. So I downloaded it and dove in...

The story started out slow especially since I had just finished a few real page-turners. However, the book gradually pulled me in. It is very well written and has an usual structure. The author uses several different points of view (but not so many that you get confused or lose track of what is happening). In addition, her story moves along two different timelines (one of them lags behind the other) until both timelines converge at the end of the novel. So as you read this book, pay close attention to the dates in chapter headings. Once I realized they jumped around, I actually had to go back to make sure I had my timeline perspectives correct. This structure I thought worked really well for this book. Much of the story is occurring in the magical circus, and the unusual narrative structure adds to the dream-like effect of being trapped in an illusion.

The story itself is pure magic. I am sure the author had a lot of fun writing it. The main characters are two magicians who use the night circus as the dueling ground for their skills.  They were chosen for this challenge when they were children, trained by magicians from two different schools of thought and now must battle in the ultimate display of their skill, endurance and strength.

If you are looking for something different to read, this book is a real treat; the kind you savor and read for pure enjoyment of the written word. I highly recommend it.