siljefp's review against another edition
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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.
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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
hershey_13's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sarahberry_reads's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Carnivale of Curiosities is a dark and gritty tale, exposing the gruesome and awful deeds people will do to hide the truth.
Gibbs built an incredible atmosphere with her prose. The Carnivale was imaginative and vivid in detail, leaping off the pages. The grim truth of 1887 London was thinly veiled in a clever way. I was simultaneously seeing the real London and the illusion of respectability it tried to cast. Overall, it was reminiscent of The Night Circus in tone.
While the prose built a magnificent world, it hindered the story. I had a hard time truly getting into the plot. At first, the wordiness seemed to hide a weak plot, but as I got further into the story, it became twisted and convoluted. It took about half the book for me to really immerse myself in the mystery and twisted power plays of the characters.
I wish I had gotten to know the characters better. There were too many key players introduced. As I started to sink into one perspective, it would switch to another. While I had strong reactions to the villains, and loved the moral dubiousness of the others, I wanted to know more about them.
Please, check trigger warnings before you read this one. It was darker and gloomier than I anticipated.
TW: incest, rape, violence, gore.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Gibbs built an incredible atmosphere with her prose. The Carnivale was imaginative and vivid in detail, leaping off the pages. The grim truth of 1887 London was thinly veiled in a clever way. I was simultaneously seeing the real London and the illusion of respectability it tried to cast. Overall, it was reminiscent of The Night Circus in tone.
While the prose built a magnificent world, it hindered the story. I had a hard time truly getting into the plot. At first, the wordiness seemed to hide a weak plot, but as I got further into the story, it became twisted and convoluted. It took about half the book for me to really immerse myself in the mystery and twisted power plays of the characters.
I wish I had gotten to know the characters better. There were too many key players introduced. As I started to sink into one perspective, it would switch to another. While I had strong reactions to the villains, and loved the moral dubiousness of the others, I wanted to know more about them.
Please, check trigger warnings before you read this one. It was darker and gloomier than I anticipated.
TW: incest, rape, violence, gore.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
sydneysbooknook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
raereads17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bluebleeder2001's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5