I never would have picked this up on my own. It was recommended by a friend who clearly has impeccable taste.

This book is a firehose of rich, vivid settings and setpieces, with a story attached to it. It’s very easy to get lost in Morgenstern’s world — everything is black and white with splashes of red, and described to its most minute detail. Whether this is a feature or a bug depends on the reader — I was surprised at how strongly it grabbed me. There’s a bit of Twin Peaks-style eeriness to the thing that is addictive and intoxicating. It feels like a montage of moments from various Tim Burton or Guillermo Del Toro films, or a music video from a 1990’s goth band mixed with HBO’s Carnivale. Like Barnum and Bailey art-directed by David Lynch. If that’s your jam, then this is too.

There’s a plot, sure: two children doomed to some kind of lifelong ‘competition’ involving this travelling circus – cursed by their caregivers and bound to each other even though they don’t know the rules of engagement. Forbidden love ensues. The book tackles this story at a leisurely place — Morgenstern is more interested in the world than the plot. The competition is never made clear to either the reader or the characters. There were hints at Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell here, but the A-plot never attains any kind of momentum. There never seem to be any stakes — and when the aftermath of a previous competition is revealed, it doesn’t really answer any questions.

There’s a B-plot involving a young boy named Bailey, as he is slowly drawn into the circus, that shares a lot with Something Wicked This Way Comes. The author uses Bailey as an avatar for the reader to experience the circus through, to experience magic through the eyes of a kid, and those are the strongest parts of the story.

Morgenstern does such a fantastic job of immersing the reader in the setting that the plot actually gets in the way. Even the more minor characters were described so closely and intricately that I feel like I’ve seen them. I couldn’t really describe their roles in the story or motivations, but the tattooed contortionist is unforgettable.

If you’re expecting another Jonathan Strange or The Prestige, you won’t find it here. But if you feel like a grown-up, atmospheric and sexy Halloween party, this probably scratches that itch.