The Immortal Circus: Final Act - A.H. Kahler

The final book in the Immortal Circus trilogy sees Vivienne betrayed by those she cares about and cheated by Mab, the faerie queen of the winter court, into becoming the ringmaster of the circus. She is trapped, powerless despite the fact that she can destroy demons and is unable to calm the angry troupe. She still sees horrific visions, and every day gets closer to the future she has seen.

This whole series is one that I have not been able to put down, and the final book is no exception. I was so invested in the entire story and couldn't wait to see how it would all pan out, and this was definitely not a disappointment. There are a fair few unexpected elements, danger lurks around every corner and Mab continues to throw obstacles in Vivienne's way. We even see a glimpse of the Winter court! This ending was great, and it was the build up of tension that I really liked, which ran throughout the books and finally came to fruition here.

Th explanations given to certain plot points (notice I am trying hard not to give anything away), were very nicely reasoned out and everything actually made utter sense. I think my only issue was that at the end we didn't quite get all the 'hows' and 'whys', only what happens a long time later and the in-between is a blank. I would have liked some more explanation as to what happened with the courts and how certain characters lived and died.

There was some slight character development for Vivienne as she realises the truth and learns who she can trust. She also has to cope with a lot of varied emotions as well as the responsibility of looking after others, people she hardly knows. In the end she does exactly what she thinks is right, and it is kind of heart breaking.

Themes of love, betrayal, guilt and remorse run through this story right to the core, with a few disturbing truths and painful choices coming to light. I love the use of the faeries realms and the existence of the circus and really liked how much bigger the story got through every book.

This is a great read and is very satisfying despite lack of detail. It is a well-imagined readable series that I recommend for YA readers and lovers of fairy lore.

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Kyra_x

Review: The Immortal Circus: Act 2 - A. R. Kahler

Enter back into the world of the Winter Court's circus, where Queen Mab plays ringleader to a troupe of magical beings.

What happened in the last book was only the beginning, but the show has quickly picked itself up again with the addition of new members. Vivienne now knows all about the dream trade and it's place in the Cirque Des Immortels, but there are more secrets that are yet to be discovered.

Vivienne still does not know who she is or how to use her new-found powers, but she is about to find out. All the memories that she had pleaded to forget are coming back to her, as is the power that was kept at bay by Kingston.

A short but engrossing read, The Immortal Circus, Act 2 is something you can't simply put down. Vivienne's character is now completely believable, and Kingston becomes even more intriguing in this book. We learn a lot more about the fey and the land of faerie, as well as the Summer Court. Characters are brought into focus that were not before as Kahler creates an even more complex and involved world to go with his story.

The only qualms I have are that the story was slightly too quick, so everything change of mind seemed to happen too fast. Vivienne seems too easily convinced by Oberon and Pan and her feelings toward Mab are extremely quick to change. Despite this, the book was still a great read.

The plot is growing thicker, and a surprising twist at the end leaves Vivienne in a very difficult position, What one earth will she do? I can't wait to find out! 8.5 out of 10.

Review: The Immortal Circus - A. R. Kahler

Imagine the world of The Night Circus, now update it to the present and instead of a fight between two wizards (or two young lovers) make it about an age-old battle between the fey courts of summer and winter. Add to that some murder, a dash of amnesia and a pinch of extremely binding contracts and you have got The Immortal Circus. In a word, it is awesome.

Vivienne joined the circus less than a month ago, and someone has been murdered. The worst part is that she appears to be the only suspect, and had absolutely no answer for it. It soon turns out that the entire circus is in jeopardy, under attack by the summer court, and now the secrets that Mab, the queen of the winter court, has been hiding will be let out.

The plot starts heavy, pulling you in from the first chapter with a gruesome murder juxtaposed by an unrequited love. So far, so good, and soon we realise that this murder was never supposed to happen; the circus really is immortal and the people in it are all magical. Well, everyone except Vivienne, it seems. However, Vivienne's amnesia also begins to gain your attention, and soon you begin to wonder if there is more to our protagonist than meets the eye as well, even if she doesn't know it yet.

As characters go, this book is really good at delivering. Vivienne is really easy to empathise with, even if her constant yearning for Kingston does grate from time to time. She is in the same boat as you, being dragged along by the current, and her reactions are precisely the kind of reactions any sane person might have. Well, nearly... I say this because I found that it was much too easy for her to accept that magical beings exist in the world, and her ability not to freak out is something most people decidedly lack. However, I think we'll get to know more about that side of her in the remaining two books, and to me, this wasn't as important as the plot was. Now Kingston, Mab and Lillith are the really interesting characters. They are so complex, and in-between the writings of the contracts forcing them not to say certain things, you can really see who they are, and who they have been striving to be, especially in the case of Kingston.

Sure enough when it all comes to a head there is an incredible crescendo. Vivienne's fragmented memories finally make sense, along with Mab's confusing actions and the riddle that is Lillith. A battle takes place that is unlike anything you were expecting, and all hell breaks loose.

If you want a quick but utterly enthralling read about a circus and the fantastical, this is the book for you. If you liked Wicked Lovely, this is also for you. Heck, if you like some action and a bit of romance with some paranormal stuck in, this is for you, too.

10 out of 10.