Nick WissemanRecensioni

I received this book from Librarything early reviews to give an honest review. I was very disappointed with the novel, and that isn't because it was badly written. For fans of Tolkien's work or the novel the Gospel of Loki, this may be right up your alley. Personally I am not a fan of stories that go on and on and on. It felt like too much crammed into a short space of time with no inclination of how or where the story was ever going to end.

The premise and magical universe was interesting, but again, there was no resolution to my many queries and I so I gave up at 56%, unable to slog through the rest just to find out if there were ever any answers.

don't normally read this genre, but I am very glad that I DID!! I was very entertained with Neva Freeman's short story and could only imagine how she bent her body into UNBELIEVABLE shapes! When one of her own dies in a silly fight between the two circus competitors she makes it her mission to find out why and gets the shock of her life!

Allow a week for this PG supernatural historical fantasy against slavery. The worst parts are the most historically accurate.

The Red Wraith: A legendary history of North American colonialism, no darker than the truth. I had this gift book for bedtime reading, probably takes a couple of days if read uninterrupted. 3*

The Black Resurrection: Set aside an entire day for this PG fantastic alternative history of the Americas starting from the Forbidden City. 5*

The Amber Revenant: Set aside two days for this PG supernatural historical fantasy that sees the Red Wraith in Europe seeking his mother. 5*

I had an ARC via StoryOrigin and this is my voluntary review.

Set aside two days for this PG supernatural historical fantasy that sees the Red Wraith in Europe seeking his mother. I had an ARC via StoryOrigin and this is my voluntary review.

Set aside an entire day for this PG fantastic alternative history of the Americas starting from the Forbidden City in China. The worst parts are the most historically accurate. I had an ARC via StoryOrigin and this is my voluntary review.

Such a unique mixture of genres. I loved the vivid details of the World's Fair. This book captures you from the beginning. You are immersed in this world and thanks to the details you can picture everything perfectly.

I just couldn't get into this one. World building was ok but I think it was just the description that I couldn't get past. I like to jump in fast and keep moving quickly and then maybe slow down. Starting off slow and taking a bit to get moving is just hard for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The supernatural elements were quite unusual and intriguing and I was impressed by how history and class struggle were made into interesting plot points. It even touched on South African history! Plenty of drama and excitement to keep the reader's attention. I like that the reader is kept guessing and that you have to infer quite a bit, but some of the details could have been a little clearer. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone wanting an exciting supernatural read and to fans of historical fiction.

I really liked this book; it’s well written and super intriguing. It keeps you interested from the beginning and the ending is definitely not what you would expect. I would 100% recommend this book to those looking for a short fiction read, or for anyone looking for an interesting drama/mystery story.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you want something to fill 90 minutes then this prequel novella is not a bad choice.

The cast of characters is interesting and the plot packs a few twists and turns into the short reading time.

I enjoyed the background information regarding Barnum & Bailey's Circus which placed the story in a real historical setting

Reading this has certainly whetted my appetite for the full novel(s) that this prequels

I loved the setting and feel the author nailed it. The World's Fair, labour disparity, anarchism, civil rights issues, the wealth divide, and even union issues were all prevalent at the time. All of these issues play a backdrop to the main storyline and they weave and intersect it often. The description of the fair made me want to read his source material... so, I am! :-)
In the beginning, I had a hard time juggling and connecting with the many characters because you're dropped right into the mix. I soon had my head wrapped around them though. The plot had some entertaining twists I did not see coming and that was a nice treat. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would recommend it for anyone that likes this time period and funky character hooks.

Magic in the Mud Show is a great prequel novella to Witch in the White City. For how short he story was I was amazed how many twists and turns were peppered throughout the plot! As always, Nick Wisseman leaves readers in the dark about how the story will end until the very last second - something that I can rarely find and appreciate immensely! Having read this after Witch in the White City, I appreciated the depth that this story added to the characters that I already knew, and although their time in the story was brief, loved the new characters that I got to meet! Overall, this story was a great addition to Neva and Augies world and I look forward to more!

I loved this book from beginning to end. And the end was not expected. It twisted in such a way it would be hard for even the most avid reader to forseee the endgame. This book pulled you in from the first few words. It was beautifully written both in lanuage and pace. The mix of magic, history, and racism/sexism (period views against the main character which of course mirror current social issues) was balanced well throughout the plot. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Devil in the White City I was intrigued to read a more fantastical version and Wisseman did not disappoint. The book’s details of the white city were very well done and I appreciate that the author kept coming back to the scenery time and again to really emphasize that this was a main element of the story.
I liked how he made the connection between Jack the Ripper and Augie as it brings out the true horror in the book; that a serial killer was in fact haunting the fair, but also this book fantasies it grossly on purpose.
There was A LOT going plot wise: the fair, the supernatural humans, the anarchists, relationships, etc. It was a lot to keep track of not to mention all of the characters. It was also somewhat disturbing and not from a vampirical, voodoo standpoint but from the relationship deceptions. Wissenman was able to pull it all together in the end and tied up any loose ends which I completely appreciate (sometimes I’m left questioning things or the story just falls flat with no real ending).

the first 10 chapters of this book were really intriguing. I enjoyed the writing style and the descriptions of the fair. I feel like there was so much happening, plotwise, it was hard to fully enjoy the book. the lack of character development was obvious, and the constant plot twists and character additions were hard to follow. i am grateful to receive an ARC of this book, and would recommend it to someone who appreciates strong writing/figurative language.

This was an imaginative and well-spun tale of fiction that also afforded it’s readers an amazing glimpse into the inner workings of the Chicago 1893 World’s Fair. I appreciated how the author “pulled back the curtains” and revealed the racial, gender, and class discrepancies going on during this period in time. As a reader, it made me think; it also made the story much richer.
I enjoyed this book. The plot line was fun, the writing was well done and the punctuation was on point. I felt that there were just a couple of snags where I had to stop during the reading to figure out what was going on, but it didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the story. I do feel like this story could be told the same if some editing was done to pare it down in the middle as it slightly lost my interest due to it’s length; however, by the end, I was definitely paying attention!
I would recommend this book. It was a enjoyable read and a unique and wonderful glimpse at a piece of U.S. history!

This was a very interesting book. It is obvious the author did a lot of research about the 1893 Chicago World Fair. It made me wish I could go back in time and see it for myself. The story was fast passed and had many surprising twists. I liked the strong female lead character.

Witch in the White City is one of my first fantasy mystery reads and I certainly enjoyed it. It's rare and refreshing to find a book whose plot twists weren't predictable and actually add to the story in a good way! I loved the magic, the drama, and the tactful handling of social justice issues. But while the descriptions of the fair and surroundings were immaculate, I wish there was more detail on relationships between characters, and perhaps some more character development. I struggled to connect with the characters, and even though I was fully enthralled by the plot I found myself unable to fully invest in the book because of this. Overall, a great read, and certainly one to add to your "to be read" list!

I received a copy of this book for free in return for an honest review.

Magic in the Mud Show: A Historical Fantasy Novella by Nick Wisseman in set in Homestead, PA 1892.

The main character Neva works at Barnum and Bailey circus as a "freak."

When Neva accepts a runaway and helps her find a new home with her and the entire circus family.

After being attacked the sculptor Ceburn dies mysteriously, Neva decides to investigate what really happened to Ceburn and how he really died.
I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend this book for children and young adults as well.

I really enjoyed the chance to read Magic in the Mud Show, by Nick Wisseman. This quick-read novella packs its pages with wonderful atmospheric detail. It becomes quickly apparent that Wisseman has deep dived into the history of the American circus, and the book is chock full of authentic tidbits. I have a soft spot for circuses, and mud shows in particular, and found the world Wisseman created to be authentic, rich, and deep.

I understand this is a prequel to an existing novel, and reading definitely made me want to learn more about Neva, the heroine of the story. Without getting spoilers, there is some magic in the pages I did not fully understand. I am guessing it is explained more in the companion novel. On the positive side, I wanted to read the next book to learn more. There was some very mild frustration in not having my questions answered in this volume.

Mostly, though, I just enjoyed the story, and the early days of the Barnum and Bailey Circus. (At the time of this book, Barnum has died, and the Ringling Brothers circus is the enemy, competing for the same territory.)

The book has a nicely creepy plot involving the death of a wax sculptor who is encased in his own creative materials. Neva is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. Neva is an interesting heroine, a young woman of color working as a circus performer. (It is worth mentioning that some words used to describe Neva are period correct, but culturally outdated, and could perhaps be triggering to some readers.). I enjoyed reading about Neva’s hopes of becoming a featured performer, quite a reach for her at that time.

This was a fun, rich read, with unusual depth for a novella. I look forward to reading more about Neva and the Barnum and Bailey circus.

I received an advance copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In all honesty, I have some conflicting feelings about this book.

What I liked:
- It was cool to read a book that takes place in Chicago because I was born and raised in the city so it’s nice to be able to recognize certain places mentioned in the book.
- I also thought the writing was solid and although the plot lost me at a few points, it was mostly engaging. I also appreciated that it was unpredictable as I really wasn’t expecting what happened at the end.

What I didn’t like:
- I’m completely speaking from my own feelings as a woman of color, so this may just be nothing, but the racism and misogyny at times made me uncomfortable. I absolutely know it was the norm at the time period, but the fact that it wasn’t written by a woman or a Black person just made it so that my skin crawled whenever instances popped up in the book. Again, those are my personal feelings about it, so other people may not care.
- The romance/chemistry between Neva and and Wiley was barely there, and when they seemed to get together it seemed a bit off. It just didn’t seem that necessary except to set up what I’m going to mention below.
- The whole incest aspect made me want to claw my eyes out too. That was my least favorite part and I didn’t want to keep reading after that.

The plot is seriously twisty! It is a rare book that I haven't figured out the ending before I get there. This is one of those books.

The characters are well-written and the historical details of Chicago are great. The race and labor issues (that we are still struggling with today) were handled well.

There were some places where I was seriously creeped out (the bugs!) but it wasn't just unnecessary ickiness. All in all, a great book!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Witch in the White City
Nick Wiseman
This amazing novel with its historical representation and intriguing story will excite
your senses and leave you craving for more. The details of the World’s Fair in 1893 in
Chicago has a vivid description of the buildings and settings in the fair grounds. The characters
provide an unusual sci-fi aspect to the story. No spoilers – just read it!

Roberta Crisp

Oooh! It's creepy & wonderful! A great blend of historical accuracy and supernatural weirdness. The protagonists, Neva & her brother Augie, are interesting even before their abilities are thrown into the mix.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Witty, funny, clever, missing siblings, and severed limbs! The book is peppered with great lines like "give her notch a taste of your holy bone somewhere else," "stick babies (dynamite)," and "slouching like a gin-soaked gibbon." Would recommend.