Reviews

The Carnivale of Curiosities by Amiee Gibbs

samidonovan's review

2.0

2.5 - for a debut i think this is pretty great. i liked the writing but sadly not the audiobook narrator. the synopsis of the book doesn't kick off for so long that i could not get invested in these characters and what was going on. this felt too long to be able to hold my attention and i found myself bored even though there is so much happening. atmosphere was very well done but again i needed more from the characters and honestly a more original story. this is very The Greatest Showman meets Moulin Rouge meets The Devil Went Down to Georgia with a sprinkle of The Night Circus and it was just too much. The sequel bating ending also annoyed me a bit, i don't think it'd continue with these characters but i would be interested in future works from this author.

kalliegrace's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

3.5

3.5 rounded up. I like this in theory, but it's just a little longer than it needs to be. It's also very dark. There's implied rape and abuse frequently. There are surprising decisions made by some characters, giving them some depth I wasn't expecting. 

chanceofbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bi_n_large's review

I was right the first time. The writing is not for me.

samantha_p's review

5.0

Absolutely loved this, really hope she does a sequel

siljefp's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

minty's review

1.0

DNF. Couldn't get into this at all, it absolutely never captured me and I even restarted it once to see if I just needed a fresh start.

scribe391's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Set in 1887 Southwark London,
Aurelius Ashe and his troupe of performers arrive, drawing the attention of Odilon Rose, a powerful man who seeks to strike a bargain.
Gibbs’s historical fantasy has hints towards the Jack the Ripper murders.
There is also mention of Mary Shelley.
Gibbs also references Shakespeare’s Tempest.

tbrplaylist's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

carneyvorous's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0