Cirque Obscurum

by K.A. Knight, Kendra Moreno

Tell me your nightmares. . .

One night changes everything.

Ember doesn’t know how, but on the brink of death, she calls to them. They come in the darkness, like phantoms in masks, and rescue her from her pain. But that rescue comes with a price. Her soul. She must give all she is to the Cirque, where it doesn’t only house you, it owns you.

Nothing is ever as it seems and the truth behind the striped curtain is no small matter. Can Ember keep her vow? Can she embrace the madness the Cirque demands?

After all, the Cirque isn’t just a home for freaks and runaways, but also for those who will kill to protect it. They’ll carve a bloody path through the world, preying on the predators no one else dares to. When the Cirque calls, they answer.

The Cirque demands blood.

It demands payment.

And pay Ember must, with her soul or theirs. . .

Welcome to Cirque Obscurum, where the cards never lie. . .

*Cirque Obscurum is intended for audiences over eighteen and features adult situations, please check the TW list before reading*

Genres: Dark Romance, Why Choose, Dark, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Spicy

380 pages, Hardcover

First published June 28, 2024

About the author

K.A Knight is a Romance author from a little town in England. She writes the monsters you love to hate. The crazier the better.

She loves her fur babies, coffee and a good book. Katie also has an obsession with monster flicks, and plans to re-watch them all!

Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Katie...

Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/KatieKnightA...

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katieknight...

http://eepurl.com/drLLoj

Reviews

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books]

MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

'C𝐈R𝐐U𝐄 𝐎B𝐒C𝐔R𝐔M' Is a full length dark romance by co written by K.A. Knight & Kendra Moreno. Spoken in multiple pov's

My hopes were high for this one, K.A. Knight wrote one of my favorite books and I've only just recently encountered Kendra Moreno, so I knew by combining these two together they were going to f%ck sh%t up and I was definitely along for the ride..

I knew this was going to be a crazy ride, I just didn’t know how crazy it was going to be. These two definitely upped the ante with this, I’ve not read anything like it before! Straight away I was pulled in.

Everything seemed to be normal when a little girl visits the circus for the first time with her parents, a mother reluctantly, a father who would do anything for his daughter, the wee girl feels the magical lure of the place, a feeling of finally belonging, like the circus was calling to her, and before leaving she gets her cards read and is handed the card of the joker.

The card plays a huge pival part within the story.



Years later that wee girl is all grown up, left all alone in the world other than with an abusive husband..But just when she's given up all hope of surviving this cruel life she's been thrust into, she clutches onto that joker card like her life depends on it and her call is answered and this is where four men charge into her life Diamond, Heart, Spade, and Club who run the Cirque Obscurum and take her back home with them.

And this is where things start changing within the story, it’s like a light was switched and these two authors let their crazy out.

It became a magical, dark journey where four men claimed their Queen answering calls all over the countryside as they hunted down demons trying to destroy the light of goodness.

Crazy in a good though..And I'm crossing everything that these two co write something together again because this was unique in every way possible.

* Teaser used is off the authors facebook page *

Email ಇ Twitter ಇ Instagram ಇ Blog ಇ Facebook ಇ Amazon 
ಇ Pinterest 

[Ash Graff]

I’m editing this to say it makes no sense why there are so many 5 star reviews. And when you look they are all arc readers. This is why you seriously can’t trust reviews on here lmfao

I wanted to love this. I loved the idea of this but it was so cringey. The writing was not good and I just could not get past the cringe. I tried so hard.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm)]

I liked the concept of this much more than the execution. The premise is what initially drew me in, it was intriguing and I'm all for anything dark, depraved and unusual, of which this seemed to have all three. That and this author is one that I'm usually all-over. Unfortunately whilst there was nothing overly wrong with this I just wasn't connecting and though I did enjoy parts of this I also found myself heavily skimming the further I read. 

This has some real darkness especially the beginning when we join an abused Ember who has been at the mercy of her sadistic husband for years. When he finally takes things too far leaving her near death Ember calls for the the darkness to save her. A visit to Cirque Obscurum as a child provided her with a joker card and It's this card that calls Diamond, Spade, Club and Heart to her side ready and willing to avenge and reap hurt upon her husband.

Now faced with a choice Ember leaves her old self behind and becomes Queen and the Cirque Obscurum becomes her new family. The Cirque is a sentient entity and Ember is its newest acquisition so she now too must answer when they are called upon to avenge those that need saving from the true monsters.

So the concept of this was so good but I do wish much more had been made of the fact that the Cirque was sentient. I also wasn't sure about the time this was set in as a war was mentioned, so that confused me. It was very insta-love which isn't my favourite and I didn't think the connections Ember made with the men stood out separate in any way. Apart from Heart they all kind of merged and it all felt very surface-level superficial. There was also and i can't believe I'm saying this too much sex and not enough substance and some of the sexy talk was majorly cringy.

So now the bits that hit the mark for me, well the whole theme and the sense of found family was a plus. I also appreciated the dark themes and how vindictive and ruthless they all were when they hunted the monsters. Heart was especially adorable and I loved his brand of Cray Cray. I appreciated the creepy masks and how unhinged they all were. Finally, the beginning and the finale here were the strongest parts of this and had the most impact on me.

So yeah totally mixed bag, overall this was a middle-of-the-road read for me I liked it enough but probably won't revisit it in the future and it isn't my favourite by this author. Be aware this does have some very dark themes the beginning of this mostly, when Ember is being brutalised and abused at her husband's hands. There's also a lot of blood and gore and violence which didn't phase me but thought I'd give you the heads up.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm

[Poppy Sabrina]

4⭐️

A very good dark romance that doesn’t just focus on insta lust and overly possessive mmc’s

This book follows Ember, who gets a calling card as a young girl one day at a circus, years later whilst escaping an abusive relationship she uses the joker card, and Spade, Club & Heart come and rescue her and she joins the circus, where you can be as free as you want and dark as you want

There is also a magical realism element to the book where the cards contain magic, and the circus herself collects souls and can give you power which I really liked

It’s a VERY dark and VERY spicy story, but I loved how much it focuses on the actual circus and performances etc I felt really engrossed in this dark spicy circus life, I loved the mmc’s and their distinct personalities (Heart was my favourite haha) and watching them develop relationships with Ember as this is a why choose. Spicy scenes with circus equipment are my new favourite scenes to read 😂

And also Embers character development was amazing, I just wished that were a bit more plot to the one we had but still enjoyed it!

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

Ember Ember, this girl went through it all!! She had an okay childhood until her father died, the only man who understood her. Took her to the carnival, and that's when she gets her first taste of magic and darkness. And a card to call them if anything happens.
She was easy picking for her husband. He treated her like a queen until his true mask fell off. Abused her raped her made her have a Miscarriage this guy was evil. And it wad the last straw he beat her almost to death and did some horrible things (on page) she uses the card and calls out to be helped saved and that's who saves her. Club, Diamond, heart, and Spade who take care of the husband almost kill him. But Ember still has a soft heart asked them to let him bleed and die slowly.

Now that she's with her guys, they show her what it means to be a strong woman and killing 😈😈😈 they have to give blood and sacrifice. I loved each guy they all blended really well. I don't think I hated anyone.

Heart- the adrenaline acrobat psycho 💗
Dimond- the leaderish aka ring master
Spade- animal trainer or tiger master
Club- swords and knife type of guy.

🥰🥰🥰 hehe, we see all 5 of them bond and kill for the circus. They bring back ppls who's have been abused and needed saving. We also have an enemy who is trying to take back what's his. (You can already guess the bad guy).
Low angst, om drama (ex husband), no cheatingish, drama, sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5



Prologue
MF MFMM MFMMM
19h/idk
Non con
dubious consent
sexual violence
Praise kink
No condom
sexual assault
Rape (h is raped by her husband)
Mentions of a Miscarriage
physical violence
abuse
child abuse
Imprisonment
violence
murder/torture
depression
PTSD
Gore
Hea
Epilogue

[Crystal]

I read Cirque Obscurum over a week ago and can’t stop thinking about it! I absolutely love this book. It’s a dark, why choose with a circus background theme.

Ember has been drawn to circuses and Halloween since she was a child. The book starts with Ember at the circus, when she visits the fortune teller, who tells her her fortune and hands her a Joker card for when she needs it.

Fast-forward years, and let's just say Ember has not had the best life. In time, if needed, she holds the joker card. Now enters Heart, Diamond, Spade, and Club. I can't forget the Tiger, Freedom.

Each man brings something equal to their relationship with Ember. I always end up liking one more than all; at first, it was Heart. But then Diamond stole the show. By the end, I loved them all equally.

The storytelling in this book is fantastic, and I love the unique twist of the circus. The author paints a virtual, vivid world. It’s a must read.

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤]

This book is not for the weak minded, there is a lot to take in, some will undoubtedly make you cringe, some clap with glee and you may shout for the monsters but who are the real monsters. The cards have been placed on the table who deals them surely knows the outcome or do they?

Ensure you read the content warning if you don’t want nightmares 💀

The smut is intense because why wouldn’t it be in a world of freaks’, the cirque wants blood and its mystique is at every turn. 🎪🩸🔪 The pull is strong with this one 😈 Not giving you anymore than that, the writing was great drawing you in and keeping you enthralled, the storyline was good, parts maybe a little predictable though you still need to continue 🫣🤭 and damn our Queen is one of a kind 🖤❤️♣️♦️♠️

[Lulu]

DNF, extremely cringey!

[Britney ☆]

Oh look four men who help heal the woman they love through bloody revenge and spice 👀

And they have a tiger. Enough said honestly.

[Renee]

5★!!!!! 5★!!!!! 5★!!!!!! 🎠🍿🩸🎪 I cannot form into words how much fun and different this book was - at least I haven’t read anything like it but I LOOOOOOOOVED IT OMG - imagine AHS freak show…now written by KA Knight & Kendra Moreno..YEP EXACTLY 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙌🏼🙌🏼👹👹👹
now these two….oh the authors that they are…Ember is so heartbreakingly relatable…everything she went through, the feelings and experiences in the first 20% had me sobbing and by the end, Ember admittedly joins Reign (from Revolt) in my top 2 favorite FMCs🫡
(the part where she changes her name & what she changes it to??? good. f****** bye)
i seriously want to skip away into a mysterious circus now 🎪

[Elizabeth Hailwood]

Not my favourite unfortunately. I usually love her stuff but it just seemed so rushed with a pretty predictable ending. The jumps from being strangers to being madly in love and from a housewife to a killer were too sudden for me, I’m sure there’s people who love that but it’s not really for me. I do think I could’ve loved it if there was more of a build up and I loved the premise and the characters were interesting.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro]

Disappointing, especially emotionally.

I love creepy horror circuses, so I really wanted to love this.

Too bad

[Danny]

❝ The darkness will always come when you call. Cirque Obscurum's door will always be open to you should you wish for it. ❞

Omg!!! As always, Katie and Kendra delivered!!! Another amazing RH dark romance by these two and I could not have loved it any more! It was a dark, delicious, and thrilling read! I loved every second of it and I'd definitely read a series of these characters. Cirque Obscurum is a dark reverse harem paranormal romance set in the 50s about a special cirque that houses the darkest nightmares and freaks of the world.

❝ Cirque is here. Cirque is everywhere. We freaks play the cards and we are the cards. ❞

Ember was always fascinated with the circus and when she finally convinced her dad to take her to the Cirque in town, Cirque Obscurum, she knew she had found her home. As soon as she stepped in, she felt like she was where she belonged and she spent years after that trying and chasing after that feeling but what she found was the opposite.

Being stuck in an abusive marriage, Ember sees no way out and on the worst days of her life, she's ready to give up. Until she finds the one thing she kept from that day at the Cirque. The Joker card. Having nothing else to do but wait and hope for death, she holds on to that card as a lifeline, remembering happier times, but little did she know, she called upon the darkness and the nightmares answered her call. She just never expected to be a part of those nightmares and to become one of her own. Diamond, Spade, Club, and Heart will show Ember the power of embracing her dark nightmares and the rewards of accepting herself and joining Cirque with her life and soul.

❝ Our nightmares are what make us who we are. They brought us together. ❞

This book was absolutely amazing! Gritty and hot in all the right parts, I couldn't put it down. I was hooked from the start and seeing the characters' development made the whole story. Ember, Diamond, Spade, Club, and Heart were delicious to read, the way these men allowed her to finally be free, to be anything she wanted while they had her back was amazing. I loved it, another amazing read by Katie and Kendra! I'm really hoping they make this into a duet or series, I know I'd definitely read it.

❝ "You want all of us, Queen? Can you handle that?"
"Yes, I want all of you."
"Your wants are ours to fulfill." ❞

🎪 Dark Why Choose MFMMM
🎪 Touch her/him and d!e
🎪 Kn!fe, blood, rôugh play
🎪 Found family
🎪 Self-discovery
🎪 Empowerment
🎪 Revenge
🎪 Psychô mmc
🎪 DubCôn
🎪 Tôrture
🎪 Improper use of a sledgehammer

[BookmarkedbyKat]

“Be careful where you dare to tread. The ground is littered with the dead. Ones insane and ones devout, I’ll knock you all the fuck out”

Okayyy… whaaat!? I went into this blind (because, hello, KA Knight, am I right?!) as this isn’t a typical kind of read for me.

It was dark and twisted and I was here for it.
✅ Traumatized FMC turned badass? Always a yes.
✅ Slightly unhinged guy in the group? Of course.

Why it wasn’t a 5/5:
- I don’t care for instalove and this love definitely felt rushed.
- I felt like there wasn’t a lot of distinction between the guys aside from Heart (who was easily my fave!)
- Lastly.. Noah, what happened to him? I felt like he was going to integrate into the story deeper, but she says she’ll be back and he’s never mentioned again.


Overall, it was a good standalone. I’ll say the prologue and first chapter had me on not wanting to blink because it had my full attention. I do feel like it was also the best part of the whole book 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Bethany]

Meh

If Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy were wrapped into one character, to star in a reverse harem/why choose, with four jokers, where the mayor from the dark knight is the bad guy.

Was it Dr. Louis or Dr. Louie? He goes by both in this book that was poorly edited for mistakes.

What is the timeline here? Who knows! Post war, with electricity, where women don't have careers, they're JUST (*insert eye roll*) homemakers and baby makers, but they wear pants, and men can skip the draft for enough money.

What do the four MMCs look like. Couldn't tell you. The info was fed too quickly to be able to distinguish between them.

Ember or Queen because she uses both names and answers to both while simultaneously saying Ember is gone.

[s a r a h ♡]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Words cannot explained how happy I was to receive this arc, it started with a bang and just got better and better. Four males and their queen, the characters were built perfectly. I haven’t slept in days as I couldn’t put this book down.

[Cat H]

4.5 stars.
Loved the bloodlust, and magic of it all.
Relationships could’ve been a bit stronger, but the smut and all of that were so much fun.
Plus. Freedom? So cool.
I really liked that ending honestly, but I wish there was at least one more epilogue.🤷🏻‍♀️

[Juju]

.
"Here, we are the historians, the readers, and the keepers. We are the soul of cirque. Without us, there is no home or family." ..
🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪

Throw in some Harry Potter, Harley Quinn & Den of Vipers vibes into a dark & magical world of the Circus and you have Cirque Obscurum. It was a really interesting combination of themes & unique mix of vibes. I enjoyed the story but the insta love and insta stabby stabby from the Heroine not so much. 🤷‍♀️

Cast of Characters:
👑Queen / Ember
♦️Diamond - The Ringmaster
♥️Heart - Trapeze Artist
♠️Spade - Animal Handler
♣️Club - Sword Swallower

🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪

Couple issues:

TIME PERIOD
The book did not indicate an actual time period. Mention of war but not which battle. 🤷‍♀️

HEROES BACKGROUND / NAME REVEAL
It did cover the background of each hero including revealing there real names. Maybe I blinked and missed it but did not see revealed as much on Heart or 'Heart's" real name.

🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪

VIBES

Harley Quinn vibe
Heroine went from meek sweet /victim to bloodthirsty/ stabby stabby

DOV Vibe
Heart was a bit like Diesel 2.0 / Sweet/jokey jokey yet completely insane

Harry Potter vibe!!!
I swear I heard Professor Dumbledore's voice in my head when I read this line. 😆
..
“The darkness will always come when you call. Cirque Obscurum’s doors will always be open to you should you wish for it.”..

[christinac_reads]

was hyped to read this cause i usually enjoy circus anything but this was so so so unfortunately mid. didn’t know much about her backstory 30% to care about her as a character. not much distinction between all the men. it also wasn’t atmospheric enough for a dark romance circus. i wanted to feel anything but cringe and meh. not gonna push through cause it’ll put me in an even bigger slump so im dnfing at 30%

tw: lots of rape the first few chapters

[Emms-hiatus(ish)]

This would’ve been better as a dualogy. I would’ve enjoyed more character development, trauma healing, and more romance building.

[Natalya]

I actually really enjoyed it this book! I love the concept of it and felt like it was very empowering. Woman taking back control of her life and I love that.

But.. I also found it a little repetitive, especially when it came to them getting calls all the time and it seemed to be the same thing.

But overall, I really liked it! Not usually something I’d read, but I’m glad I did!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Leopoldine Wild]

This book grabbed me by the throat and said “welcome to the circus, it’s dark here.” And honestly? I was hooked fast. Cirque Obscurum is DARK dark, especially at the start (check your trigger warnings, seriously), but I didn’t expect to get this emotional. Ember’s story hurt, the darkness they’re hunting felt heavy and all the little side plots slowly tightened around my heart when I wasn’t looking. Also… why did I fall in love with four unhinged circus men?? Diamond and Heart own me, I don’t argue with fate.

The circus itself feels alive, almost magical and I loved how much the story leans into performances, cards and found-family chaos. The spice? Oh, it’s spicing 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and yes, circus equipment scenes changed me as a person. My only small gripe is a bit of insta-love and some personality vibes that reminded me too much of Den of Vipers, but it didn’t stop me from having a GREAT time. Dark, chaotic, sexy, emotional... if cursed circuses and morally questionable men are your thing… run, don’t walk 🎪🖤

[Vanessa Amelya]

4.5⭐️

This is the perfect read for spooky season! 🎃 I’m a sucker for a circus setting, and most of this book takes place in a circus, which I absolutely loved. 🎪

It’s fast-paced and a Why Choose with revenge, protection, and a safe haven for those in need. The FMC’s growth was incredible. Watching her go from being abused and powerless to taking back her power and becoming a total badass gave me major Harley Quinn vibes. 🔥

I really enjoyed this whole journey. It’s dark and gory, so if you have any triggers, I highly recommend checking them before going in. 🩸🎪

[Rachel #mrs.zerofoxgvn]

Arc review and I absolutely loved this book!

“Where brutal things linger and nightmares thrive”

If I didn’t have a normal job I probably would have burned through this even faster. Dark, delicious , nightmares that you will drool over! I love the theme, the dark romance bad ass fmc and her journey finding herself with the help of some unexpected morally grey hero’s . Each mc has his own journey of their past stories and how they ended up at cirque . The “freaks” are my favorite people in this book. I didn’t want to put this book down. Giving this review without spoilers is so hard! What’s in the cards….. the twists and the revenge is dark and glorious, the men ….. 🤤 drool worthy touch her and die , my queen vibes for life. And they have a tiger ! Yes please! I wanted even more of diamond ♦️! The spice ——- whooo 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Princess]

Fast-paced and gripping from the get go, Cirque Obscurum has you in its clutches. There is some magic towards the end though it’s more the pulsing soul of the Cirque that drives the characters.

This gave a new meaning to “girl power”

Be warned. This is an extremely dark book. Read at your own risk.

[Zen]

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. It was dark. The FMC goes through so much in the beginning, but she truly embraces her darker side and who she wants to be.

[ampère]

3.5/5⭐️
immensely, darkly satisfying 🤭🤌🏻 trust Knight to never disappoint.

[Tanya]

4🌶

Oh, how I loved this! I did find it confusing with the MMCs - who's who type thing, but I got there in the end, lol

[The Pastel Bookshelf]

4.5⭐️ I am OBSESSED!!!

[Justine]

Each time I spot a collaboration between K.A. Knight and Kendra Moreno, I’m instantly sold. Add in a healthy dose of dark circus/carnival vibes, some serious unaliving and delicious why choose dynamics and I’m foaming at the mouth. The concept of Cirque Obscurum ticked all the right boxes for me, and now that I’ve turned the final page, any and all expectations were met with fervor.

A tale of found family and finding one’s self, Cirque Obscurum is a story that brutally showcases the horrors humans are capable of committing, but also the light and love that come from kindred souls. After a brief introduction, we’re immediately delivered into despair as a woman suffers at the hands of her abusive husband. On the brink of death, she sends a call into the void and fate answers in the form of four masked men on a crusade for retribution. And then the fun really begins.

One of my favorite things about the stories these two write together is that there’s always a generally large cast, but each is gifted a unique voice that makes falling in love with them too easy. Ember and her mysterious quartet of circus freaks, conveniently named Diamond, Heart, Club and Spade, have all been dealt a bad hand (pun probably intended), but each plays a role in helping the others heal, and it’s truly beautiful to witness.

I won’t be talking about the plot, because this is a story you need to ingest properly without any spoilers. I will, however, tell you that this book is INTENSE, emotional and just one wild ride. As they work together to answer the calls of pain and suffering, their family grows, and the Cirque becomes a place for all monsters to find solace.

This book is not one for the faint of heart, so check those warnings— it’s HEAVY with all sorts of horrendous ongoings. And that doesn’t even account for the sweet sweet vengeance that follows. For all of you with dark hearts who love exploring the shadows, this is one for you. Loved it.