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. ( )

I ended up really enjoying this book! I started out listening to the audiobook and found that I was a bit confused so I decided to go back to the beginning and follow along in the book while a listened to the audio which proved to be a much better experience. I really enjoyed the magic of the carnival and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out in the end.

There is a pretty large cast of characters in this story. Charlotte’s guardian, Odilon Rose, brings her to Aurelius Ashe, who runs the Carnivale of Curiosities. Charlotte is in ill health and after exhausting other avenues Odilon has to to Aurelius for a possible cure. We get to meet all of the key players in the Carnivale with Lucien playing a key role. I liked the way that the story slowly unraveled allowing the reader to learn the backstories of the characters as we worked our way through the story. When all of the pieces fell into place, there were more than a few surprises. The Victorian London was incredibly well done and I liked that we got to see the poorer side of town in addition to the more wealthy area such as where Odilon Rose resides.

I believe that this was my first experience with James Langton’s narration. I thought that he had a very nice range and like the voices that he used while reading the story. I had trouble keeping up with the larger cast of characters with the audiobook alone but once I really got to know the various characters, I had no issue with the audiobook. I would not hesitate to listen to more of this narrator’s work in the future.

I would recommend this book to others. It was an entertaining story full of secrets, magic, and Faustian bargains. I thought that the book was incredibly well written and look forward to future works by this talented authors.

I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio. ( )

The Carnivale of Curiosities is Amiee Gibbs' debut novel, and I have to say I really liked it. It has a bit of everything I enjoy in a book, including magic, Victorian England, mysterious characters, revenge plots, found family, and mystery. Plus, Ms. Gibbs tells an intriguing story.

The best part of The Carnivale of Curiosities is Aurelius Ashe. He is both a larger-than-life master of ceremonies and an enigma. No one knows much about him, although rumors abound. While he may be the flamboyant ringleader for the Carnivale, he takes his self-appointed role as the protector of his curiosities seriously. I have a soft spot for anyone who shelters and cares for the oppressed. Plus, Aurelius has some great one-liners, and his thoughts about people asking for favors still have me contemplating what he said.

Another aspect of The Carnivale of Curiosities I appreciate is how well Ms. Gibbs shows all of London. We don't just see the pretty parts, like in a Bridgerton novel. Ms. Gibbs spends as much time, if not more, bringing the worst parts of London to life. The Carnivale occurs in a disreputable part of the city, and most of the action happens in and around the neighborhood. Not only do we get to see those parts of London most authors keep hidden, but we also get to understand what life is like for the have-nots and the machinations that keep them from improving their lots in life. It is a side of London that Charles Dickens excelled at showcasing. I believe Ms. Gibbs does an equally good job doing so, with less of her story devoted to description.

In truth, I enjoyed all parts of The Carnivale of Curiosities. From uncovering Aurelius' mysterious power to learning more about Lucien's haunted past, the Carnivale holds a lot of secrets. I suspect Ms. Gibbs only scratches the surface with what she unveils for us. Odilon Rose is quite the character, and there is an intriguing struggle with knowing the truth but being unable to do anything with it because of the lack of money and position.

The Carnivale of Curiosities is a clever little story. There are a lot of layers to it, each of which is intriguing in its own right. Together, they form a cohesive novel that is deceivingly complex. The characters are a little one-dimensional, but they serve their purpose well. I would love to see more of them and this weird, dark world Ms. Gibbs created. I can't wait to see what else she has in store for readers in the future! ( )

The Carnivale of Curiosities is the third truly exceptional book I've read in the last year and a half built around an alternative Victorian London where the real and magical worlds collide. The other two are Freya Marske's A Marvellous Light and Mat Osman's The Ghost Theatre.

There are far more books that fall within this particular subgenre—lots of alternative Londons, lots of magic/non-magic—but these three stand out above everything else I've read. They're quite different from one another, but what they have in common is detailed world-building, characters that are complex and conflicted, and power imbalances echoing those you would find in "ordinary" Victorian London, as well as the world we inhabit today.

The Carnivale of Curiosities offers a very interesting variation on the Faust theme. For what kind of gain will people sell their souls? And in what ways can a dream achieved become a disaster?

The Carnivale is run by magician Aurelius Ashe and mechanical genius Pretorius (just the one name). The Carnivale's "curiosities" are individuals many would label freaks: a dog-faced boy, conjoined twins, a little person, acrobats, and man who can do remarkable things with fire. But for anyone who attends the Carnivale—or reads this book—the curiosities are nothing less than geniuses, each with a singular talent that could have gone unseen or been used in unscrupulous ways. The dog-faced boy is a virtuoso violinist. The twins are gymnasts. The little person is a gifted ballerina. One of the acrobats can truly defy gravity, the other can shapeshift and appear and disappear at will.

The other key location/structure in The Carnival of Curiosities is Decimus House, headed by Odilon Rose since the death of his father. Odilon has a sister. Then, there's Charlotte, originally raised in one of the poorest parts of London, but taken in as a ward by Odilon's father. The Roses are rich. Not just wealthy—rich beyond imagining; rich beyond the royals themselves. Charlotte lives in this home of endless bounty, but is more hostage than family member. Odilon sees her as his property to do with as he will. And Odilon is obsessed with owning things. Odilon is also odious—to an extent that makes that word odious an understatement.

But Odilon's control over Charlotte seems about to end because she's dying of leukemia. And not even a man as wealthy and powerful as Odilon can stop that disease. As a result, Odilon finds himself in the unusual circumstance of having to request the help of others. There's a story about that man who works with fire, Lucien. He reportedly died once, but was brought back to life through Aurelius' magical powers and Pretorius's creation of a mechanical heart.

Odilon is trying to strike a bargain with Aurelius. The Carnivale of Curiosities is the story of the making of that bargain and its results. You can imagine. Or maybe you can't.

It has been a long, long time since I've raced through a book as I did with The Carnivale of Curiosities. Page after page with other tasks completely ignored. Reading late into the night when I had to start and stop over and over again as I realized I'd fallen asleep and what I'd been thinking was the book was a dream that sprung from the book, but had left the book behind.

If you appreciate fantasy—even if you don't (it's not my favorite genre)—The Carnivale of Curiosities is a read so compelling you may find yourself being held hostage by it. In a good way...

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. ( )