The book, "Barnum’s Angel," promises a story of the struggle of a beautiful albino girl named Lily who has strange powers and has the “power to destroy—or save—our world. I wish I could have read the book, “Lily, Interview with the Dragon” mentioned in "Barnum’s Angel" instead. Those snippets found at the beginning of several chapters had much more intrigue than the events in this book. I found "Barnum’s Angel" did not live up to that promise.

"Barnum’s Angel" spends much of its time after Lily escapes P.T. Barnum and is being hunted down like some prized animal. After all, it is all about the money. There is mention of the mysterious man with the same powers as Lily who desires her. He was instrumental in helping Lily escape P.T. Barnum, but alas, they never get together. Lily finally finds Charles Darwin, the only one who protects her as she grows up and comes into womanhood. A plan is set in place for her to marry, but events take a nasty turn with the arrival of hunters. Lily is forced to kill to protect herself. She realizes she can no longer stay with the Darwins and is gone with a flap of the wing. Many years pass before she reunites with Charles Darwin on his deathbed.

The author does excellent work with world-building, especially in establishing the Victorian timeframe through the choice of language and settings. Descriptions are plentiful and rich. However, for me, a clear voice that leads the reader through the story is lacking. The chapters which are laid out like a diary with a title defining the date, time, and place, feel somewhat disjointed. Some chapters seem to have nothing to do with the main storyline except to name-drop famous people in this world as shown in the chapters when Detective Chief Inspector Field would have a nightly stroll with Charles Dickens to discuss Mr. Dickens’ latest book.

There will be those readers who enjoy this book’s style. For this reader, I had no connection to any of the characters and the ending does not do much to entice me to read a sequel. However, I might give "Lily, Interview with the Dragon" a look-see.

Please note I was given "Barnum’s Angel" without cost in exchange for an honest review. ( )