To be honest, I’ve never been the biggest fan of fantasy books. Other than a notable few (cough, cough Harry Potter), the idea of witches and magic has never really appealed to me. I think it’s because it feels too far-fetched. However, The Night Circus definitely falls into category of noteworthy fantasy books. Morgenstern’s use of language and the quaint Victorian era setting are just a couple of things that make this novel stand out.

The Night Circus follows the story of two star-crossed lovers, Celia and Marco, as they are bound to compete with each other against the backdrop of a magical circus. This competition stems from an old rivalry between two opposing magicians, Prospero the Enchanter and Mr. A.H.

The two magicians have very different views on the best way to train a magician. One believes in talent and fame, the other in diligence and humbleness. This disagreement causes the two to begin training protégés to compete against each other. The latest competition, and the one the novel focuses on, begins when Prospero’s newborn daughter shows signs of magical powers, causing Prospero to challenge Mr. A.H to another competition.

However, it was Morgenstern’s wonderful writing style, rather than the magicians interesting back-story, that really made me fall in love with the novel. Her use of vivid descriptions, flowery sentences, and Victorian era language gave the novel a poetic feel.

I also really enjoyed how the novel switched between the perspective of Celia and Marco. This omniscience truly adds to the magic of the story by giving the reader a fuller picture of what is going on. In addition, the Victorian era and whimsical circus backdrop also add a magical touch to the story.

Morgenstern’s beautiful writing style, exciting plot, and magical settings all come together to make the ending of the novel one of the coolest I’ve ever read. The ending brings magic and the reality together and really hits at some cool themes. My only (tiny) complaint about the ending, and the whole novel, is that it failed to fill in the blanks of Prospero’s and Mr. A.H’s back-story.

Overall, The Night Circus was a really wonderful book for those interested in reading a fantasy novel that has a more human element to it. It’s the perfect blend of magic and reality, and I’d definitely recommend it.