JANELLA ANGELES
(Book one in the Kingdom of Cards duology)
Synopsis:
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.
Content:
Language: multiple minor swear words used throughout, some uses of stronger language (mainly "s")
Violence: Not much on-page violence that I remember, but there is discussion of a devastating fire in the past, disappearances, some descriptions of blood and wounds, some violence using magic, and manipulation through memory stealing and possessive behavior.
Sex: attraction between characters, some allusions to sex, heavy kissing (including one scene where the female MC mentions she wants to take her clothes off), lots of descriptions of skimpy costumes.
LGBTQ: mention of one of the characters being bisexual.
My Review: I was so excited for this book, and it did not disappoint! I loved the romance between the two characters and I thought the plot was so refreshing. There are still a lot of questions left over after you finish the book, but I am hoping these will be answered in the second book!
I also want to add what the author has said about the retelling/reimagining aspect: "From the beginning, this book has been widely pitched as Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge—but you’ll find that it does not read like a straight up, traditional retelling of any of them. It’s more a mash up reimagining, comprised of detours and differences that I hope make this duology its own thing while still honoring those influences."