Girl in the Shadows

Cirque American #2

by Gwenda Bond

Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas’s stage lights while her father’s career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic.

When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father’s handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to join the Cirque. If she can perform alongside its world-famous acts, she knows she’ll be able to convince her dad that magic is her future.

But when Moira arrives, things take on an intensity she can’t control as her stage magic suddenly feels like…real magic. To further distract her, Raleigh shows up none too pleased at Moira’s presence, all while the Cirque’s cocky and intriguing knife thrower, Dez, seems to have it out for her. As tensions mount and Moira’s abilities come into question, she must decide what’s real and what’s an illusion. If she doesn’t sort it out in time, she may forever remain a girl in the shadows.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Magic, Contemporary, Mystery, Romance

380 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2016

About the author

Gwenda Bond is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the first official Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds, the Lois Lane YA series, and the romantic comedies Not Your Average Hot Guy, The Date from Hell, and Mr. & Mrs. Witch. She has a number of forthcoming projects, including a magical art heist book, The Frame-Up. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Publishers Weekly, Locus Magazine, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications.

She co-founded and chairs the nonprofit Lexington Writer’s Room, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and a veritable zoo of adorable doggos and queenly cats. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or join her newsletter at www.gwendabond.substack.com.

Reviews

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

magicians + charming, mysterious love interest + real magic + awesome mc = perfection

----------

I SEE YOU, MIXED REVIEWS.

But I honestly don't get it, because I totally adored this book. It was fun, fast-paced, the romance was absolute perfection, and all the tricks and magic made it so original.

oh, not to mention the feminist aspects weaved throughout the story that I really, really loved. + how the relationship between moira and dez grew gradually, and was so healthy. + the father-daughter relationship that was complex, real, and where there was actual COMMUNICATION. + a million other good things.

anyway, full review to come so I can hopefully convince some people to give this a try despite the iffy reviews :DD

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story it was a bit different in that it revolves around a circus and magician who can do real magic . It has a Las Vegas magicians daughter a secret society and circus drama what more for a quick entertaining story.

[gio · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review

It's a 1.5. I'm sorry, but this is really full of tropes and I want to read something enjoyable. Now that I have time to read I don't want to use it to torture myself with books that have more tropes than pages.

I'll try to keep it short:

- the characters are flat. There's not much space for characterisation of whatsoever and I think that overall there was no growth for the main character nor the secondary ones. There was a lot of romance considering that these people are in love after a couple of weeks spent together and that bothered me, mainly for two reasons:

> there was nothing that justified the romance. The characters are not really fleshed out nor well developed, so there couldn't be chemistry. How can you ship two people when they don't have a personality? (Spoiler: you don't.)
> the romance was a giant trope itself: insta-lovey, kind of bad boy with a girl who doesn't even try to resist his charm, but obviously the bad boy can be redeemed. That doesn't work anymore.

- there was no world-building. I mean, the MC has "powers" because she's part of this...secret society? Big magical family? I don't even know what they are! We don't know why they have these powers, what these powers can and cannot do, which are their limits, how they came to be...nothing, literally!

- it was all rather predictable

- bad writing

"Dez grinned down at me, breathtakingly cocky and, yes, still rakish."

This was the MC at 9 percent. How can one be "breathtakingly cocky"? It's quite obvious that this didn't start in the best way for me. Obviously, the guy started flirting with her after two seconds. Maybe 1.7 seconds actually.

(And in about 3.7 seconds they were going on a secret, special date.)

And then, a few pages later, we had something like "yer a wizard, Harry"?

I'm sorry, but this was so juvenile! The writing, the plot, the characters and the romance, everything was extremely fast paced that it was impossible for me to like any of it. Things kept happening but nothing really stayed with me. Really juvenile.

"I nodded against his freshly T-shirted chest. “He might say no.”"

Guys, freshly T-shirted. I. Can't. Even.

Overall this is a big no for me.

[Fafa's Book Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mini review:

Wow what a breath of fresh air! Loved the carnival and the magic. The characters were fantastic as were the friendships. The romance was surprisingly done well.

Will definitely be reading more from this author. Highly recommend.

[Colleen Houck]

I loved this girl power take on the world of magic. My favorite scene was the disappearing Ferris wheel. So fun to be immersed in the life of magicians and to hear favorite tricks explained as well as as learn about some new ones. The coffin scene made me claustrophobic. I was holding my breath like the audience!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join the discussion over at Tales of the Ravenous Reader!

The magic business will never fully embrace a woman. It isn't what the audience wants. You can never be a magician, Moira.

Not hard to imagine why Moira feels like she is in her father's shadow...It's also not hard to imagine why she would run away in order to prove herself. So when Moira arrives at the great Cirque American, she's not going to take no for an answer, even if she fumbles her audition thanks to some unexpected magic.

Girl in the Shadows is set in the same world as Girl on a Wire but is the best of both worlds, as it's a standalone within a the series. I'm obsessed with this style of writing (see Break Me Like a Promise and The Glittering Court) because you do not have to read the previous installment to read this book (though you definitely should, because it's great!). The characters return as secondary characters in Moira's story, helping her to understand what is going on when her magic tricks suddenly feel a bit more real. I definitely need a novella on the famous Roman Garcia! Oh, and the description of Dita's outfit was begging to be recreated (what can I say, I love the vaudeville style).

Your magic is dangerous.

Moira is a risk-taker and will have you concerned for her safety throughout the book (at one point, the Ringmaster ups the insurance policy). I love Gwenda's description of the magic tricks and illusions, giving us a peek behind the curtain. I also love that Moira stumbles along the way as she's learning. I also appreciate Gwenda's spotlight on lesser known female circus acts, as if to throw it back in Moira's dad's face!

I was in trouble with this beautiful rogue.

Oh boy, I'm such a sucker for Dez, the damaged, bad-boy knife thrower who instantly sets off Moira. He's sassy and a sweet talker and I fell as hard as Moira did. Their story would not be the same without the twist Gwenda tosses in partway through and I found myself obsessed with finding out what happens next for the two of them.

Oh, Houdini, if you could see me now. The truly unholdable girl. Here goes everything.

If you're not convinced yet, there's also a comic series headed our way featuring the characters and the world. Come back soon for our review on it, too!

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Flash Sheet
BFF Charm: Heck Yes
Swoonworthy Scale: 6
Talky Talk: School of Carolyn Keene
Bonus Factors: The Cirque American, Magic
Relationship Status: Season Ticket Holder

Read the full book report here.

[Karolina Kat]

Fast-paced and enjoyable reading. Unfortunately it didn't have the same focus on the atmosphere of the circus as the previous book. A fun book nonetheless.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I'd first requested this book, I had no idea it was the second in a series. But I did find out that this was a sequel in the sense that it was the same world and even included many of the characters from the first. With this knowledge, I decided to go ahead and start this book.

Let me start off by saying that I loved the MC Moira. The fact that she was determined to make a name for herself, and was so in love her craft that she made plans (unbeknownst to her father, who had forbidden her from ever becoming a Magician, though he himself was one) to become one of the greatest female magicians ever. This involved her joining a traveling circus, under the pretense that she was spending the summer with a friend, checking out colleges. Moving on, I liked how before every illusion or magic trick, she would tell a small story about the female magicians who came before, and it helped with my understanding her love for magic.

So, as much as I liked Moira, I did not like the instalove she had for Dez, another performer in the circus. It definitely happened quickly, and though the guy did initially pursue her, it didn't seem to take him long to reel her in. Though she didn't trust him completely, she seemed willing to overlook it because she thought he was hot. Yup, that sounds like the makings of a great relationship! The romance was blegh for me.

Now, usually I'd bring up other notable characters at this point, but there really weren't any that stood out for me. Her "friends" were minor roles in this book, and the other people mentioned were also rarely present, and when they were, I didn't like them.

It's sad that the MC is the only character I really liked, but overall, this book wasn't that bad, and though I only gave it three stars, there is the chance that my hang ups may not even bother you, so besides the instalove - and lack of characters with real depth - this book really wasn't that bad...


I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindy ✩☽♔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

DNF

Rating 2.5

I guess the best thing I can equate this book to is a friend of convenience. The friendship is nice but overall pretty superficial. Like they're someone you can go to get coffee or brunch with, and maybe hang out with from time to time but they're not someone you'd ever really call if you needed something. And in all honesty they are not close enough of a friend that you'd really miss them when they're gone.

Overall, that is how I feel about this book. Like it was pleasant enough, but it had no real depth at all. I did not feel like I cared for any of the characters or their situations at all, which is a shame because I thought the synopsis sounded quite interesting. The story itself, however, was slow. But oh well I guess this book was just not for me. Historically, I've never not finished a book I started but with my TBR list piling up it was time to start making cuts. Sorry to fans of the book.

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Naima · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through NetGalley and Skyscape and Two Lions in exchange for an honest review.

I. Ok, so I'm really disappointed. Like... really disappointed. I'll give you the tldr; right here: the characters are flat, the only explicitly stated recurring character of color is used to jumpstart the white MC's magic career, it's casually homophobic on more than one occasion, and the romance is so rushed that it's unbelievable.

Alright first things first: I was a big fan of Bond after reading her book Double Down- I thought her depictions of Clark and Lois were incredibly spot-on, with the side characters being cute (if not occasionally bland), but fleshed out. Now, upon retrospect, I'm wondering if that was my comic book knowledge filling in the holes where Bond's characterization fell flat. Because, really, this book has the worst characterization I've seen in a novel. I'll tell you what I know about Moira from reading this entire book: she wants to be a magician to spite her dad, she doesn't listen to anyone talking any form of sense, and she'll somehow fall in insta-love with the best friend of a homophobic boy.

Oh, also, her white feminism is goddamn annoying.

The one thing I just can't deal with in this book is how Moira will launch into forced non-sequiturs for the sake of imparting some Very Basic Feminist Ideology on us. In fact, Brandon seems to have been created solely for this purpose- to be a misogynistic clown so that Moira can shoot him down. Which makes me give 0 shits when he gets his hand fucking massacred in the end. Nice try trying to make me feel bad for a misogynist (and implied Hitler Youth allegory), Bond, but I'm not buying it. I just love (heavy sarcasm) how she says "Several of the girls who worked at Dad's show were lesbians or bi, and I'd been in one couple's wedding", yet tries to strongarm Dita into coming out to her at 12% into the book.

Like, really, what kind of Bad Straight Ally shit that you see men's clothes in a feminine-presenting person's closet, then launch into a spiel about how you'll accept them if they're "gay or bi or straight as an arrow or whatever variety or combination thereof"??? Honestly, if she was so good and accepting, she would've waited until Dita was comfortable with bringing up the subject or coming out to her (and I know we're supposed to read Dita's reaction as, I don't know, in awe? that Moira is So Sensitive- but really, she just sounds uncomfortable. Because there's no way you can write a scene like that and have it come off as organic with the queer person being excited about being forced to come out.). Also, what kinda bullshit that Dita being coded as trans is never mentioned by the text, but she says she's currently unsure, but "feel[s] more like [herself] when [she] dress[es] in men's clothes".

Dita never gets to transition or get new pronouns or anything other than a man's costume for her performance- she's put firmly in the backseat as the token Quiet Queer But Supportive Best Friend for the majority of the narrative, while Moira fumbles around trying to figure out whether she loves or hates Dez.

Also using terrible slang. I don't know if this was a Thing in the previous book (for some reason, I only seem to get approved to read the sequels to Bond's novels), but no one is "cray annoying".

Onto the romance- wowza what a bland and heterosexual ride that was! No, like, really- there was no chemistry to begin with (with Moira in-text saying she doesn't like him/is wary of him because he's friends with Brandon) and then... 17% in, and she's fully invested and jealous when he makes knife-hearts around other girls (makes sense in context). He's pretty much a dick for over half of the novel, until he's terrifyingly correct that Moira is needlessly risking her life which really!!! She knows her magic is unstable and not to be depended on, yet she still somehow thinks she can rely on it to save her from snapping her neck- to the point where she doesn't even prepare for the trick in case it goes wrongs?!, to which he... loses any semblance of character from his previous iteration. And, really, the 'over prepared' guy that we were introduced, the guy that has All The Cards, doesn't match up with the guy who later will drop really serious topics in order to make out. I'd come into this book, defensive of Bond's writing and... Was disappointed in how immediate Dez's character shift is. He showed pretty much no empathy for the first quarter of the book, then dropped into some Smooth Talking Stranger as he woos Moira right onto a ferris wheel and bargains for her love with planning to sabotage Raleigh's performance to give her a chance in the spotlight.

Wait, I haven't talked about Raleigh yet? Ok, so, only explicitly mentioned black character in the entire book. One of two total explicitly-mentioned people of color in the entire narrative- and he's far more interesting than Moira. In fact, the whole reason that this book started is because Moira mistakenly assumes he's there just to boost up her career by dropping the invitation (which she then takes and doesn't mention to him because she thinks it's Destiny). This isn't the last time that he has to suffer to benefit her, however- time and time again, he's thrown under the bus (he's a mole for her father looking for the coin! he loses his job so she can perform on-stage! he covers for her time and time again! he's the last person to find out magic is real despite knowing Moira the longest in the cirque!)- and, when he's not thrown under the bus, there's this weird... Honestly, no clue what to call it. It's teased that he's interested in her, but he's never treated as a viable love interest- only something for Dez to be jealous over (on the rare occasions that Raleigh even gets time to speak)- he's just "brothery". I get it- you have, like, one black person, one latinx, and one queer person! Yeah, totally makes up for the fact that you don't know how to handle any of these diverse profiles (nope!).

Speaking of latinx characters, I'm really not sure who's latino in this book- Dez's descriptions vary from being a tanned white person (in his initial description) to being "brown" (later description), and someone was referred to as "The Latino Cary Grant" at 31%, but I have no clue if that's supposed to be him. If Dez is latinx, however, this opens up a whole other can of worms, including the Spicy Latinx Lover stereotype, the Unfaithful Latino stereotype, and, literally, the fact that he's a thief, and cases out stores like he's going to steal something- which is bad because he'd literally be the only latinx character, and the only thief. Also the fact that he's profiled (if he's latinx) by a white storeowner because, at a point, he's actively and obviously casing out a store like he's going to rob it. Also the fact that he has a complete lack of consistent characterization is problematic (from being the Latinx Lover stereotype, to being completely disconnected, to willing to die for Moira, who he met maybe four months ago). Either he's the latinx character, or Remy is, and I'm not entire sure on either account- but it has bigger consequences for Dez's characterization if it's him.

All in all... Yeah, don't think I'm gonna hang around for a third Lois Lane novel or anything from this series. This showed that Bond is only willing to talk about issues that concern privileged white, cis, heterosexual women, and won't take the same critical stance and scope in regards to other races, sexualities, or genders.

[Magen - Inquiring Professional Dog Trainer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a real disappointment. I didn't expect to really enjoy the first book in this "series," Girl on a Wire, for a variety of reasons, but it turned out to be suprisingly good. I was incredibly excited to listen to this book, the next book in the Circe American universe. This book is not a sequel as it follows a different young woman, but there is overlap between this book and Girl on a Wire. The characters from Girl on a Wire are present in Girl in the Shadows, but for the most part, they are minor chracters who mostly happen to be walking by. While Moira calls Juliet a friend, they show nothing of their friendship in the book. This book does essentially pick up where Girl on a Wire left off; just a few months ahead at the start of the new season. While it is not strictly necessary to have read Girl on a Wire, I would recommend it since the primary plot line builds directly off part of the plot in Girl on a Wire and while one would be able to understand the plot without the backstory, it would be a limited understanding.

The following is not directly spoilers as I don't mention specifics, but it does hint at some, so read with care
I knew going in that this book wasn't strictly a sequel and that Juliet wasn't going to play a big role, but I did go in expecting a similar arc of a strong, independent, confident, passionate, talented girl pushing herself to be her best and navigating a male dominated world. Immediately, it became clear that this was going to be a different story in significant ways; namely that Moira isn't particularly talented, passionate, or independent. Throughout the book, I thought a lot about whether these aspects of her character were necessary to the storyline and I concluded they were not. In fact, if Moira had been passionate, talented, and independent, it would have made for a much better book. Instead, she starts off as a bumbling magician and later leans way too heavily on dangerous short cuts, something I don't find particularly enjoyable to read. It's frustrating to be yelling at a character in your head for doing something obviously inept or unnecessarily dangerous. This still could have been effective had she grown as a magician and/ or character, but she doesn't really and thus I didn't connect with her.

But the part that bothered me the most, especially knowing that this book is aimed at young girls, is how absolutely dependent she is on a boy's attention. Not only is she pulled in by a smooth talking boy who clearly is a player, but also she endlessly cares about what he thinks of her. Where Juliet had inner dialogues about how she hated women in movies who spent time obsessing about what boys were thinking and whether he liked her, Moira literally does just that. She becomes so dependent on the boy that even though he deeply betrays her and blatantly lies to her, she can't carry out her plans without him, so she forgives him and gives him her full trust. I see that as a dangerous story line to teach young girls. Worse, he is portrayed, many, many times, as the bad boy, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, the boy who needs to be saved, the boy she can fix, and the boy who deserves endless chances. Again, this is a dangerous story line to teach young girls, especially since he doesn't want to, or at least doesn't think, he can be saved. Even if Moira does end up saving him in the end (I won't say whether she does), he would be completely dependent on her for a time, which is incredibly unhealthy. I don't want any girl ever to have this kind of relationship and I certainly wouldn't want a niece or daughter reading it. Women can make their own choices, but role models matter to young girls and Moira is a bad role model as a professional, a person, and a romantic partner.

For those of you concerned about whether this book is appropriate for young girls, in addition to what I referred to above, there are several things I could see as concerning to parents. I will list them as content warnings at the end of this review because those are spoilers. Overall, I would not recommend this to middle grade or high school girls.

For me, this book fell flat. I didn't particularly like any of the new characters, particularly Moira and her boyfriend, though her parents weren't great either. I found the level of violence disturbing for a middle grade book. Plus, the plot wasn't that good or very compelling. Overall, I recommend a pass on this one.

SPOILER ALERT
Content warning: Torture, graphically depicted; violence, graphically depicted; near death/ very dangerous situations, graphically depicted; young couple spending the night together regularly, not graphically depicted; sex scene, not graphically depicted; codependent relationship, fully fleshed out; running away from home for extended period of time, fully fleshed out; significant lying, fully fleshed out and major plot point

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

First things first, this is the second book in a series, but it’s about different characters. I don’t think you need to read the first book in order to understand it, but you may be slightly confused about who certain characters are or what they’re talking about in reference to certain events or objects from the first book.

Now for my actual thoughts on the book… I really liked Girl on a Wire and was excited for another book in the Cirque American setting, but this ended up being one of those books that was good, had no big flaws, and had a nice story but lacked that extra oomph for me.

The Good:

– The book had some really great feminism and LGBT messages. The book was basically about a female fighting for recognition in a male-dominated profession, and there were also mentions of positive body image, accepting people regardless of their sexual orientation/how they dress, and the ridiculous double standard that shames girls for having sex while it praises boys for it. And Moira herself was headstrong and went after what she wanted.

– Moira and Dez had a healthy relationship. Moira handled the relationship bumps maturely and talked to Dez instead of overreacting, and they were both supportive of and stood up for each other. They were also straightforward and communicated instead of playing games.

– Moira had a great relationship with her father. Yes, she lied to him, but I could understand why. And yes, he lied to her, but I could understand that too because he truly thought he was doing what was best. He was a good father, and they clearly cared about each other and had a strong, realistic bond.

– Reading about the magic (the illusions) was fun and interesting. I’ve always been a fan of magic acts.

The Not-So-Good:

– Though Moira had a lot of good traits, I didn’t like how reckless she was or how she was using real magic in her acts as it seemed a bit like cheating. And her decision to follow Dez and Brandon into the house party was just epically bad.

– This is being nitpicky since it wasn’t a big part of the story, but it seemed unrealistic that Dez used audience members in his knife throwing act. It doesn’t matter if someone has thrown perfectly 7000 times, the 7001st time could be the time he messes up, and it seems unethical to use people who aren’t trained professionals and don’t fully know the risks. And not only would it be dangerous, I doubt any business owner or insurance company would ever allow that.

– My real issue though was the whole secret magical society thing. It made the book feel more over-the-top than realistic. Yes, I realize the book was about magic, but it’s also what I would classify as magical realism, and the secret society just pushed it a little too far for me and took the focus away from the actual magic. It did up the stakes and will be a gripping and interesting aspect for many readers I’m sure, just not for me. I would’ve preferred the book be more like Girl on a Wire with more focus on the romance, the circus, and how the magic itself affected Moira.

Overall:

As I said, even though it didn’t blow me away, this was not a bad book, and my issues were pretty subjective, not serious flaws. So if it does sound like something that interests you, I do recommend giving it a read!

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes headstrong, determined, female YA characters, illusion/escape magic, and the magical realism genre.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Kris Mauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl in the Shadows is full of intriguing magic, fun circus acts, and a bit of mystery surrounding our main characters!

"Magic was well-crafted lies woven into stories no one believed were true, even though they delighted to see the convincing falsehood with their own eyes."

We meet our main character, Moira, as she is getting ready to impress her magician father in order to get a job with him.. But he is not having it. Right off the bat we learn that Moira's father doesn't want her to be a magician, and all he wants for her is to go off to college and live a "normal" life. Of course that is not what she wants.. So, when an opportunity presents itself to audition for the Cirque American, she goes for it.

The one thing that I really enjoyed about Moira was how driven she is. She's all about girl power, which I love, because all of her acts are inspired by female magicians. Yes, she has her flaws but she's loyal and has a big heart above everything else. It was easy to root for her as the story progressed.

After a rough audition process, Moira ends up getting hired to work the season for the Cirque American. There is definitely more than what meets the eye with our lovely Moira though, and she's learning that as we are. As she begins to work for the Cirque American she begins to discover pieces to her past that she never even knew existed. It's all very intriguing, and I'm not going to spoil it for you because that would ruin all of the fun in reading it! I will tell you that I did enjoy learning more about her past. It was probably my favorite thing about the book.

It was a lot of fun to read about Moira's escape acts, there were moments when I was so intrigued that I couldn't stop reading! Gwenda Bond was able to capture every description perfectly to make it feel as if you were there in the crowd watching all of these circus acts alongside Moira.

I enjoyed all of the characters, too.. Even her dad! I haven't read the companion book, but I know there were characters from that one in this story.. And you definitely don't need to read that one in order to enjoy this book. I still felt as if I knew those characters and was able to enjoy what they brought to the main plot.

Now. . . The only downfall to this book, personally, was the romance. We are quickly introduced to Dez - the handsome knife thrower. I liked Dez as an individual character, but the romance just wasn't believable for me. Yes, he's a charming guy but it was still hard for me to enjoy their instalove story.. Luckily, it didn't completely ruin the book for me though! By the end of the story I was even rooting for them.

"It doesn't matter if anyone cares if you fall. That is irrelevant. You should care."

As the story progresses there are a few twists and revelations as Moira continues finding out the truth of who she really is. It's fun to solve this mystery alongside these characters.. And the story wraps up great.

I really loved the ending and Moira's personal journey throughout the book. I love how she stayed hopeful until the very end, even when all was lost. This book was entertaining and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fun, light fantasy reads!


* Quotes listed above are from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change. I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Lucille · Rating 3 out of 5]

I already read two books by Gwenda Bond, her two Lois Lane novel that are really great, so I was really excited when I saw that one when scrolling through netgalley. I loved how the cover has the look of a nice shiny circus poster. Now I like it even more as I understand the details after reading the story and that’s my favourite kind of cover. I haven’t read the first book in the series, Girl on a Wire, but Girl in the Shadows is a companion novel so even if I’m sure it’s better to have read the first, I don’t think I missed some important things in this one. But after reading the description of Girl on a Wire I sure want to read it to understand some characters better!

I liked how the story combined magical tricks and real magic. I hadn’t read the description when I started this book and was pleasantly surprised when the real magic thing happened! But it lacked a little world-building. We’re only said that real magic exists for an ancient family and… that’s it. The story and the plot unfold without more info about this. It wasn’t really a problem but I thought that we would learn more things later and when we didn’t I felt a little disappointed. Maybe more books in this series will be published and we will learn more each with each books!

I wasn’t a big fan of the instalove trope. It happened so fast I hadn’t time to want them to be together or anything. Not even to get to know them as character. Moira and Dez lacked a certain characterization. They were too much characterized by their status of magicians and performers, and “cocky” and “charmer” are not really enough for me to fall in love with a character. But their story was not problematic, their relationship grew gradually even if it felt a little bit forced and started too early in the book in my opinion. It was great anyway to see Moira enjoy nice things that happened to her without losing her footing and still thinking clearly about what she was doing and who she would trust or not. She was a nice main character to follow, when she wasn’t scaring me with her dangerous illusions! At times I wanted to stop reading –in a good way – because I was too anxious of what was going to happen.

What I loved most is how Moira took the opportunity to talk about lesser known female magicians or circus acts before her own shows. It was very educational and I thank Gwenda Bond for this! Moira was driven by girl power and feminism and I loved this.

In the end, it was a nice story in which I found myself absorbed, but I didn’t care enough for the characters for it to become a favourite. I’d recommend it for the historical elements sprayed into it about female performers and because it’s quite suspenseful.

(Complete review with quotes on the blog https://adragoninspace.wordpress.com/...)
(A review copy (eARC) of this book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley.
Girl in the Shadows was published July 5th 2016, I couldn’t read it sooner as it was a PDF and my ereader couldn’t read this format, I only managed to upload it to my phone a few days ago and to read it asap.)

[Pili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl in the Shadows is the second book in the Cirque American and both builds on what we knew about the Cirque and the characters we met in Girl on a Wire and takes it in a new direction with a new plot and new main characters.

When we meet Moira she's ready to prove herself but it doesn't go as she wanted, and she ends up defying her father in a rather spectacular way and joins the Cirque!

I liked Moira a lot because she's brave and extremely motivated, she loves what she does but she is not ruthless or backstabbing with competition. She's secretive and that's not always very good for friendships or other relationships, but for the most part, she had a point when secret keeping.

I loved her work with magic and escapism and her drive and love for magic reminded me of Jules' love for walking the wire in book 1. She had quite a few unexpected surprises and revelations and she managed to handle them all pretty well, given what a shocker some of them were!

The moment we met Dez and Moira used the word "rakish" for his smile and attitude... well, I was 100% sold on him! I liked that there was quite a lot more to him that we might have thought at first, and he might not have been entirely trustworthy, but for different reasons than one might suspect upon first meeting. I called it pretty soon with his allegiance but it didn't bother me that Moira didn't suspect as I did, since she was too close and with too many things to worry about.

I loved that we see the relationship between Jules & Remy progress once established, even if it's more in the background, and I loved that Nan and Dita and the rest of the Cirque crew that I loved from the first book still were relevant and part of the story and very much on the forefront of the story at times.

Moira's story has quite a finale and the climax was as satisfying as slightly unexpected (which is usually best) and although it closes her story well enough, there's also enough of an open door to get more stories from the Cirque and hopefully to check on her on those stories too!

If you love the circus, magic, rakish boys, fearless girls and a captivating story, look no further! Very much deserved 4.5 stars to Girl in the Shadows!

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I'm writing the reviews out of order for this series but I don't think it really matters since the books have completely different characters in it. Just go with it.

Girl in the Shadows was pretty good but I guess I was just expecting more since the first book, Girl on a Wire was really good in my eyes. I don't really know how else to explain it other than the fact that I was just sort of expecting more from this book in a way.

What I really liked about Girl in the Shadows was that it had a female fighting for recognition in a male-dominated profession. However, it wasn't only about that - no, it mentioned positive things about body image and accepting people for being themselves.

I've always hated the double standard that we live in. I also have always hated how so many people get harassed for who they are. Just accept them. They aren't harming you in any way for them being themselves. I don't base my friendship on what they wear, how they act, who they love, their religion, or anything else that's super fucking dumb to judge them on. Well, unless they are douchebag or a twatwaffle 25/8 then that might break the friendship pact. But other than that I don't really care. So, it's really frustrating to me when in books and in real life not everyone can accept people for the way they are. For who they are. For them being an actual person.

Okay, enough of my rant there. Other than that I really like Moira and Dez because they constantly supported one another. They seemed to have a normal and very healthy relationship and I fully supported them supporting each other.

Overall, this book did have some flaws but they weren't major. I liked the flow of the book and the characters. I guess I just wanted more from it. I could totally see myself rereading this series over and over again.

[tellacnders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I READ THIS IN ONE DAYBEHCHSHFHSBS in fact i binge read this series in two days and now i'm sad because it's over, and it was amazing being able to step into the world of cirque american for the first time. im so glad i discovered this series and honestly it's so underrated and deserves a lot more love! now i don't know what to read next to follow up this spectacular book bc i'm not sure anything can follow such a stunning read. i loved everything about this series so so so much omg the author really did a wonderful job, 5/5 (AND THE COVERS ARE SO GORGGG)

[CeeMarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this better than OK but not by much. This is more 2.5 stars for me. I liked the stage magic settings, the characters of Moira and Dez, and the ending, but I didn't really care about much else.

I received a review copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed.
The first time I started reading this book (back when I didn't give a shit that there was a first book and read until page 100-ish before realizing that I probably actually do need to read it get a full idea of what was going on), I really liked it. I liked the idea of a girl who was in her father's shadow and wanted to be a magician and did everything in her power to get at what she wanted. I liked the flirting between Moira and Dez and I liked the magic tricks and I liked the circus, and everything was fine and wonderful.
And then, maybe it was because I took such a big break from this book to read the first books (took me a looong while to get hold of that, oops), but everything just went way downhill.

First off, the whole magic situation with the coin and the luck and the cup felt so forced. Like, I know I would've definitely preferred the book without any magic whatsoever, because just the setting of the circus is enough, but I still probably would've been okay with it if it had been more well-constructed. Which it wasn't. The whole 'having magic and it's like a cup and if you pour too much out you dieeeee' thing felt really random, like a very desperate attempt to create some kind of explanation for it that was original and made sense, which it really wasn't. And then all the other stuff about having a magic collection and coins and shit was just so utterly out-of-place that every time something like that popped up, I cringed.
On top of that though, who can forget the secret cult thing? The entire fucking concept of that was just SO laughable; like, oooooooh, here's these group of magical people from ANCIENT ROME (maybe not Rome, but like somewhere in Europe at least) who have a KING and a QUEEN even though it's modern times, and who want a MAGICAL COIN that used to be theirs (also, the origin story of the coin was completely altered from the last book? Apparently it's no longer and Garcia heirloom and is now, instead, a relic of ancient rome??????? All to create a reason for the Praestigae to want it back??? oml). Like, just tell me how stupid that sounds. And then tell me how much stupider it sounds to have that whole thing as the antagonist of what should be a circus story.

And then the characters. I don't know if it was simply because it's been a while since I read Girl on the Wire, but Moira and Jules felt like practically the same person. Someone pull up a checklist?
Wants paternal approval, check.
Is super-ultra-mega talented, check.
Has a hot boyfriend who absolutely means the world to them even though they literally just me, check.
Conveniently oblivious of all that's happening around them, check.
And then who can forget. Has a bland, typical, cardboard narrator personality? Check, check, check.
But honestly though, the blandness wasn't just Moira. It was, more or less, everyone in the book. It was like each person were only in the book to fulfill a specific duty, before backing out and letting Moira do her super special thing. Her mom was the mysterious, 'what's my motive?' one, and Rex was the pervy bad guy and Brandon was the annoying follower of the bad guy and her dad was the overprotective parent and Dez was the super-hot (we're never allowed to forget this) love interest who's only care in the entire universe is Moira and Jules and Remy and Dita were only in the book because of their connection to the last book. No one cared about anything besides the single thing they were made to care about, and no one really did anything too exciting or unexpected in the least.

Lastly, lastly, the fucking romance. Remember when I mentioned in the beginning that I liked the casual flirting between Moira and Dez? Ha. Hahaahahaahaaha. The casual flirting lasted for maybe fifty pages. The making out and the over-the-top romantic gestures and the love-declaring lasted for the whole REST OF THE BOOK. It was the most insta-lovey thing I have ever seen. Allow me to make a timeline:
Day 1: They meet.
Day 2: They flirt.
Day 3: Moira is madly and utterly in love, buuuuuuut she can't foollooowww her heart because Dez is suuuccchhhh a distraction.
Day 4: Eh, who cares if he's a distraction *making out occurs* *Dez is so incredibly cheesy that it makes me want to throw up*
Day 5: They are soulmates. They complete each other. They can never ever ever exist without the other because LOVE.
And that was it. There was little to no conflict, because Dez is a perfect human being and Moira is a perfect human being and they absolutely can't survive without eachother. It's horrible.

So yeah. That's about it.

I had such high hopes for this book. It should have been everything I never knew I wanted in a book: a circus as a setting, an ambitious runaway magician as the main character, a badass knife-thrower as the love interest, and whole ton of deception and illusion and wonder. What I got? A circus setting that was barely fleshed out, a reckless, rich main character who never really has to work all that hard for what she wants, a knife-thrower who completely forgets about his knife-throwing and becomes a goopy, moony-eyed hot guy, and an entire ocean of obvious plottwists and plottholes and cardboard characters.

(The only reason I'm giving it two stars is bc I still like the ideas and the parts where Moira was actually doing magic tricks were pretty cool.)

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eighteen-year-old Moira Mitchell grew up in the shadows of Vegas’s stage lights while her father’s career as a magician soared. More than anything, Moira wants to be a magician too, but her father is dead set against her pursuing magic.

When an invitation to join the Cirque American mistakenly falls into Moira’s possession, she takes action. Instead of giving the highly coveted invitation to its intended recipient, Raleigh, her father’s handsome and worldly former apprentice, Moira takes off to join the Cirque. If she can perform alongside its world-famous acts, she knows she’ll be able to convince her dad that magic is her future.

But when Moira arrives, things take on an intensity she can’t control as her stage magic suddenly feels like…real magic. To further distract her, Raleigh shows up none too pleased at Moira’s presence, all while the Cirque’s cocky and intriguing knife thrower, Dez, seems to have it out for her. As tensions mount and Moira’s abilities come into question, she must decide what’s real and what’s an illusion. If she doesn’t sort it out in time, she may forever remain a girl in the shadows.

Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: magical realism!; a stubborn, head-strong woman finds a way into her own; the snark and sass is spot-on; mystery, drama, and a flair for poetic prose; cute, realistic romance; a nod to female magicians through history; entertaining, quirky, and enthralling

HUGE thanks to Gwenda Bond, Skyscape Publishing, and Xpresso Book Tours for granting me early access to this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way changed my read of or opinions on this book.

The girls at the theater had warned me more than once about the danger of charm. Beware the smooth-tongued boys, the ones flattery comes easy to. There's nothing wrong with wanting to believe it, even with believing what they say is true--you are beautiful, you are smart, you are unique--but it's foolish to assume it means anything. Sweet nothings was an apt phrase. Taken seriously, sweet nothings became bitter regrets.

So, first things first: I LOVE anything to do with the circus. I blame this entirely upon The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern--she kicked up an obsession I didn't realize was lurking in the shadows, and I've been on a downward spiral ever since. So when I learned that Girl on a Wire was, in fact, NOT a standalone novel... I think I heard the book angels singing. There was a definite roaring in my ears. I rejoiced, screamed aloud, squealed a bit in the husband's ear...and then immediately fell into despair, because I NEEDED book two and I NEEDED it right that second. Imagine my delight when I discovered a book tour for said book. Imagine my sheer MANIA when I found out I'd been accepted to be part of said book tour! I might have broken the husband's eardrums a little bit more than they already were. Oops?

And this book? Brought the magic to life for me. I mean, obviously, it's set in the midst of a traveling circus. Jules and Remy, our pair from book one, make some pretty low-key appearances, which I adored. But the biggest thing? There's MORE magical realism than in book one, and that really helped to sway me to this book's side immediately. I was drawn into a world of shadows, mystery, drama and magical flair...and kept captivated, much like the audience of an illusion, until the very end.

All these layers of glass between us were like some metaphor I didn't care for in that moment. He might as well have been aiming for my heart.

He'd hit it.

Moira is a headstrong, stubborn, and sometimes foolish slip of a girl. She strikes out on her own to prove a point...and finds herself caught up in a fight for freedom, her life, and the love of a boy who doesn't seem to care about anything. And where Moira is impulsive, reckless, and still calmly poised... Dez is a ticking bombshell of witty humor and sharp edges. The girl who always runs away...and the boy who gives up too easily. It's an endearing, dangerous pairing--and I LOVED them together from the get-go. Of course, the rest of the characters easily stand on their own--and each has a role, even if minuscule.

The plot is, perhaps, just a smidge bit lacking in the dramatic flair department. There is a HUGE amount of focus dedicated to the world-building, the magical realism, and the nod to women magicians throughout the history of magic...but there are only a few truly "nail-biting" worthy moments. This is a soft sort of drama--a small blip here, a jump or two farther up the plot mountain there, before the final, HUGE moment. It is a quiet sort of action...but the prose is so poetic and gorgeous, I was captivated regardless.

"I'm afraid now. I never used to be, but now I am. And I don't know how not to be, how to make it feel like it used to, being up there. Like I didn't have to worry. Like nothing would go wrong. You can't fly and be afraid to move at the same time."

I really enjoyed this...continuation? Companion novel? Whatever it is--the journey was subtle, but full of magic. I love how much growth we see in Moira, her father, and Dez. I LOVE the "flowery" prose, the moments where wisdom was imparted, the fact that I had about ten different highlighted quotes to choose from for this review... Mostly, I love how much more magical realism played a part in this novel, in comparison with Girl on a Wire. I cannot WAIT to see what the rest of this series (if there is a rest of this series?! Or is it just a duology? Inquiring minds MUST know!) holds in store for us! I definitely recommend to lovers of all things circus, magical realism, and opposites-attract romances. Also, snark--because there's a LOT of it in this book!

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copy provided by publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Agh I hate when the concept is great but the execution falls just short of making it so, and I think Girl in the Shadows is one example of that. Magic and the circus? Yaaas sign me up! But I felt like it never really came off the pages. The circus world is there when convenient, but not really explored, Moira and Dez as characters are flat and their romance didn’t make sense to me, and the only interesting characters didn’t get enough screentime.

Girl in the Shadows is the second of Gwenda Bonds’ Girl on a Wire series, and features Moira Mitchell on a quest to prove to her dad that she is a good magician – so when an invitation to Cirque American falls into her path, she grabs the opportunity. Moira sets off on a 3-day roadtrip, from Nevada to Florida, to begin carving her own path as a magician. Her audition doesn’t go as planned, but she discovers she may actually be able to wield magic – and maybe she can finally find out who her mom is. But as Moira digs deeper into the mystery of her magic and her mom, she doesn’t expect to encounter secret societies, fight magic-wielding bad guys, and maybe along the way.. romance?

Honestly, I really do think Girl in the Shadows has an interesting premise – it’s just that it’s kind of flat. There were moments where I thought, hey this is kind of good, but those were in the beginning stages of this novel, and Moira was still focused on magic, rather than Dez and their fledgling romance. I don’t think the circus was used to its full potential as a setting – for a place where most of the novel took place it really is underutilized. I didn’t feel like I was in a circus – rather just a traveling show.

This was also a pretty slow-paced book, and with just a few pages short of 400, I felt like this could’ve been condensed into a much shorter page count. I think half of it was dedicated to Dez and Moira’s “romance”, which I didn’t get, and half of it dedicated to finding a coin whose significance isn’t really given an explanation until the latter part of the book.

Like I said earlier, I like the premise, it’s interesting, but it’s also kind of thin. It tries to add more substance by introducing the Prestigae and its secret society, but it doesn’t get fleshed out. The best explanation we get is from the Rex in the form of an info-dumping chapter, and all the fuss over the coin was a bit over the top. I don’t know if the coin was in the previous book, but in this book I didn’t get the furor over it at all.

I wish there was a bit more focus on magic, because the bits I like best are when Moira is performing her magic onstage and when she’s pulling off her illusions. Instead it’s part-mystery, part-romance, with magic as a quirky addition.

Moira isn’t my favorite character – her reasons are valid, and I get that she’s trying to prove to her father that she can be a magician like him, but I couldn’t get behind her all through the book. I don’t like the choices she makes – she leaves without a peep to her father who has raised her singlehandedly for 17 years, she’s with this guy that doesn’t do anything to defend her from his skeevy friend, she spends money that isn’t her own (isn’t that convenient though, her credit cards haven’t been cut off!). It all sounds so petty but again – I don’t know much about Moira. Or any other character in this book. Dez is basically a mystery – he’s nice, a perfectly acceptable hero, if only he didn’t come with Brandon. Brandon who is horrible, who says things like:

“Guess you found him! Walk of shame!”

This is after Moira walks out of Dez’ room after a night, and they didn’t do anything. There is also this gem:

“I can’t believe you fell this hard for a rich girl who’s into bondage.”

Seriously, this guy is disgusting. My note reads “Fuck this asshole seriously.” AND DEZ IS FRIENDS WITH HIM? Each time, Dez does nothing in defense of Moira or to reprimand his “brother” for the things he does and says. And Brandon’s actions aren’t even explained! He just hates Moira, for no apparent reason.

The only interesting characters here are Regina and Dita. Regina is an intriguing character and has a definite arc – she goes from disappearing mother, to powerless regent, to avenging queen. Dita, Moira’s roommate in the Airstream, has a bout with depression but gets through it and manages to get back on her feet and perform again.

The romance, which comprises about half of the novel, felt forced. I didn’t see the connection – the attraction, I could see, since Dez is apparently tall, dark, and handsome, but where is the pull? Moira even said it herself, she didn’t really know him. But here they are, declaring their love for each other as the novel ends. I gave up trying to see what they saw in each other, and just went with the flow of their relationship.

While the plot is interesting, everything else lacks: the execution, the romance, the characters, and truly, the devil is in the details. The writing is atmospheric though – it’s dark, and takes you to an appropriate place for a circus, just that when you get there, there’s no circus, just the bare building blocks of it.

I wish it focused more on the magic and the Prestigae, and less on Dez and Moira. Because magic is one of the biggest draws of this book, and it should’ve gotten a bigger spotlight.

TL;DR

Story/Plot: ✮✮✮☆☆
Interesting premise, but it doesn’t quite meet the hype it produces thanks to its summary. Magic is here of course, but don’t expect it to be pushed to the fore.

Characters: ✮✮☆☆☆
Meh. Some are good, most are bland, and there is one horrible person.

Romance: ✮☆☆☆☆
When one half of the couple says they don’t really know the other person, it doesn’t bode well. There is romance though, I just didn’t get their connection.

[Dani (Dani Reviews Things) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in a series. Read my review of the first book, Girl on a Wire, here.

In a sentence
Girl in the Shadows continues a year after Girl on a Wire with the same level of mystery and rich history that was so enjoyable in the first book.

In Girl on a Wire, we were introduced to the Cirque American and Jules Maroni, a wire walker. In Girl in the Shadows, we return to the Cirque American with Moira Mitchell, daughter of a world-renowned Vegas magician and aspiring magician herself. Banned from entering the profession by her dad, Moira ran away to join the circus and prove herself. Despite a rough start, she was taken in by Nancy Maroni, Jules’ grandmother, who recognised something special in Moira. Moira quickly discovered that the magic she wanted to practice was not so much a trick, and that she was part of something bigger that went back many generations.

Oh, and that damn coin caused problems. Again.

Technically, I received a digital copy of this book for review, but I ended up getting the audiobook on release day because I was enjoying the story so much and had to do a lot of driving recently, so listening to it was the best way for me to keep reading. That should say something. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both books in this series so far, with their mysteries, intriguing characters and rich worlds. I was once again kept guessing, and while some of my guesses were confirmed, the way in which they came to pass was completely unexpected.

Like Jules, Moira had a stubbornness that I can only imagine is necessary for a life performing. They were both determined to prove themselves and set themselves apart from their famous parents. However, Moira took stubbornness to a new level, resulting in carelessness that put her and others in danger. That being said, she did have to be a little ingenious to think up illusions, so I had to forgive her.

Where Remy had a quiet surety about him, Dez was charm itself. In a way, he was that cocky guy hiding behind bravado that girls often fall for in stories. He had all the lines, and Moira even tried to stay away from him because she recognised his “type”. But he was an actual sweetheart, proven early on by his grand gesture to me, if not necessary to Moira at first. He came a long way, but still had room to grow further past the end of the story, and I loved him for it.

It was hard to figure out who the bad guys were, and even by the end, there was some uncertainty. In fact, I think the story benefited from this, as life isn’t clearly delineated between Good and Bad. Actually, there was one person who was very clearly Evil at the end, and after what he did to someone (that made me freak out a little), I don’t feel at all bad about what happened to him.

One thing that bothered me is the role of Raleigh. I felt like he was almost positioned as a love triangle option, but nothing came of that. It felt like Bond wasn’t sure what to do with him other than the part he played in helping the story along, so she threw in at the beginning that he might be a possibility for Moira.

I mentioned a character possibly being bisexual last time, and she confirmed that she thought she was this time. I really appreciated that she was learning about herself, as while some people know their sexuality pretty easily and quickly, some people take time learning who they are. I also really loved that she was still working through her grief from the tragedy in the previous book.

It’s also worth noting that all of the main characters had very different and very interesting backgrounds. The Garcias were a Latino circus family, the Maronis were European (including Jules’ mom being Russian), and Dez was African American. This rich background was not overly stressed in the story (i.e. forced) but was natural, showing that it can be done. In fact, it added so much to the story itself. Diversity is NORMAL.

Once again, Bond showed how much research she did into the circus world and its history. I adored all the tributes to past performers and magicians, especially the women who worked with little recognition in a predominantly man’s world. (The women were typically shoved to the side as assistants.) These factual tidbits added a realness to the story.

I hope this isn’t the last we see of the Cirque American, as I am definitely impressed with what Bond has built up! This has been an all-round great couple of books so far, and I very seriously recommend them to anyone who has any interest in the circus. (Don’t worry, they’re fairly light on scary clowns!)

See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.

You can find me on Twitter and Instagram.

[Michelle Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little mystery and a little magic

Moira is an aspiring magician, her father is one of the greatest illusionists in the world. She wants to make her own way so she joins the circus. Adventure and new friends await her. Great characters, fast paced plot, and great illusion sequences

[JoLee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured on Intellectual Recreation.

Before I get started with my thoughts, why don't we just take a moment to appreciate the splendor of this cover! I love everything about it. I love the font and the colors and how it is all arranged, but I also love the little details of the mask, the playing cards, the knives, and the hearts, all of which are significant to the story. Bravo cover designers! Bravo!

Girl in the Shadows is a companion novel to Girl on a Wire, the first book in Gwenda Bond's Cirque American series, and my appreciation of this book was definitely that much greater because I had read and enjoyed the first book. The two books have different main characters, but the setting is the same, and, more importantly, the central conflict in each revolves around the same small magical object. Beyond that it was so much fun for me to visit some old characters, even if they weren't taking center stage this time around. (Hello, Jules! Hello, Remy!) And, I also enjoyed getting to know some of the side characters from Girl on a Wire a little better in this second book. (Dita, darling, you are swell.)

Last year we did a post on Intellectual Recreation featuring books set in circuses and sideshows. In putting together that post, I found that the circus is a setting that really appeals to me, and, I quickly rediscovered that love within the first few pages of Girl in the Shadows. I think I like how circus folk have a life that is so outside the mainstream, and that is definitely the case with Moira. She grew up traveling with her famous magician father and working behind the scenes at his Las Vegas show.

Moira wishes to become a magician herself, and her father is adamantly against this. So, feeling like she has no other option, Moira auditions for the Cirque American. Right away strange things begin to happen, and herein is another reason I enjoy circus settings--they present the perfect opportunity to mingle stage magic with the real deal. Moira's magic, its origins, and her estranged mother play a large role in the mystery of Girl in the Shadows.

Moira truly has a lot on her plate. There's the whole proving herself to her father thing (and who are we kidding, to herself as well), the issue of controlling her newly awakened power, and being on her own for the first time. As if things aren't complicated enough there's this knife-throwing love interest that the reader is not quite sure can be trusted for most of the book. Really, it's a pretty great time. Girl in the Shadows is all the sleight of hand and tricks of the film Now You See Me plus the magical underworld of White Cat. It's a book full of mystery, magic, and suspense.

Girl in the Shadows is out July 5th, 2016.

Review copy from NetGalley.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The coffin might sound morbid, but I wasn't planning to die in it. I was planning to live. Forget college or a normal future. I wanted to be a magician: The Miraculous Moira."

See reviews first on my blog


Moira has always wanted to be a magician just like her father, but he refuses to let her do it, or even be a part of his act. So instead she does what any young woman would do, sneak around and learn tricks on her own until she is sure they are good enough to show and prove to him that she can be a magician to.
Once Moira becomes a part of the circus and gets her act going though, she realizes that something isn’t quite right and that maybe she really does have magic. Along the way she makes friends, and even gets a boyfriend, who is a smooth talker and potentially into dangerous things.
"Beware the smooth-tongued boys, the ones who flattery comes easy to. There's nothing wrong with wanting to believe it, even with believing what they say is true-you are beautiful, you are smart, you are unique, these are good things to believe- but it's foolish to assume it means anything beyond pretty words. Sweet Nothing was an apt phase. Taken seriously, sweet nothings become bitter regrets.”
She also starts looking for her absent mother who she has always wondered about, but never had been told much of anything. This causes problems as well, and makes the story even more interesting because of what her mother is involved in.
I was a bit apprehensive about reading another circus book, after being disappointed in the night circus. This was so much better than that though. I loved the characters, it was an easy read, and nothing got confusing. Moira is a strong female character who takes insane risks in order to do her magical acts and somehow talks her boyfriend in to being her assistant even when it means doing stunts that could kill her if she doesn’t make it out in time. When she was doing those magical acts, I couldn’t wait to see if she was able to pull it off and I couldn’t stop reading until the act was done to see if she was hurt or not. Plus the mystery behind his friends and what exactly the boyfriend was involved in was a nice spin on the story to.
"I keep telling you, where I come from, it's not like wherever you're from, lovely Moira. We believe in fairy tales. Magic coins, fair ladies, evil witches, tyrant kings, and benevolent queens."
The ending where Moira figured out what to do was amazing as well. She brought everyone together, in order to stop something bad from happening, and in the process realized who she really was and what she really wanted out of life.
"Maybe we would fail miserably. But we would do it together. For once, I was in a situation that seemed truly inescapable."

Overall I loved this book, and will recommend it to everyone looking for a good circus/magic book. In the future I hope to read many more books by her, including the first one in this series/duology. I don't think it is necessary to read the first one though, because I was still able to understand who everyone was.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Bailey Loveless · Rating 3 out of 5]

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I had a moment of extreme cover love, which ultimately led me to requesting this book. Isn't the cover gorgeous?

Unfortunately, the cover is my favorite part about this book.

Girl in the Shadows is the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book, but I can say that it doesn't refer back to it in any major way, and the ending is clean.

Moira is the daughter of a renowned Vegas strip magician, dying to make a career in stage magic of her own. Knowing her father will never approve of her career choice, she gives him the slip and auditions for the Cirque American. Crazily enough, during the auditions, something completely unexpected happens, and Moira discovers that she truly has real magic.

There's also something about a magic coin that comes into play that everyone wants to get their hands on.

I liked the idea of this book. Is it totally original? Not entirely. A magical circus isn't a new concept. But I don't feel like I've read enough books on stage magicians so I enjoyed learning more about the history of magic and some of the methods behind performing magic and escapism.

However, the rest of the book was forgettable. It just didn't evoke any emotion out of me. It wasn't so good that I can gush about it and give it my full endorsement. But it wasn't so bad that it deserves a scathing review with a shake of my fist.

I didn't connect with any of the characters, who had minimal development, and I could not have cared less about what happened to them. The romantic elements were then rendered irrelevant; since I couldn't care about the individuals, I didn't care about them being together. Plus the whole romance was rather tropey anyway.

And despite having a great setting for a fantasy, the world building is pretty null. The author has a character info dump, and then that's just the way it is. And while magic is a rare gift in this world, all of the characters readily accept it, which I just can't believe.

If someone told me, "Hey, you have magic, and if you use too much of it, it would kill you" I probably would react a little differently than Moira, who was like, "But they told me magic wasn't real. Guess it is."

The dialogue was also absurd sometimes. I just can't imagine people talking like this:

"Sounds planish."

"It was cray annoying."

"Sorry. There's something...about you. Your eyes."

Folks, these are some gems of bad dialogue. I mean, who talks like that? Nobody I know, at least not in earnest.

I guess my final words about the book are, meh. But 5 stars to the artist of the cover! Please come illustrate one of my books if I ever finish one!

Tootle loo, darlings! Till next time!

[Alicia (A Kernel of Nonsense) · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, which does not influence my review.*

Gwenda Bond’s Girl in the Shadows, the sequel to her novel Girl on a Wire, tells the story of a girl who longs to be a magician like her father, but is destined for an even bigger stage. I haven’t read the first book in this series, so I was a little nervous going into this one, but this novel focuses largely on a different character and doesn’t necessarily require you to read the first. Moira wants more than anything to work magic for audiences, but her father has always been against the idea, despite the fact that he is a talented magician himself. I admire Moira’s drive, even with her father’s disapproval, she still continues to pursue her dream and becomes a gifted magician. One major drawback for her character though is her relentless need to take huge risks that didn’t feel necessary. She never seemed to learn from her past mistakes and even when another character pointed out that she didn’t need to take certain risks, she would inevitably do it anyway.

Moira’s love interest Dez was a character that felt largely incomplete and also graded on my nerves. When we first meet Dez, he’s exactly what you’d expect from a run-of-the-mill cocky, hot love-interest. His smiles are irresistible, his attention is flattering, and he’s hiding this softer side that only the female protagonist can see. What really annoyed me the most was that Dez was in constant need of reassurance. He continually would point out to Moira that he wasn’t good enough for her, that he didn’t deserve her, and they were too different. She in turn had to continually tell him he was worth it. This would have been fine if it happened once, but it felt like it kept happening over and over. I did not care much for their relationship, as it takes off rather quickly and really felt like it had no real depth.

There is an element of real magic to the novel that probably would have been more interesting if Moira had met someone with the same kind of ability she had, who was also an ally for her. Instead the protagonist must discover how to use her abilities on her own, with only vague clues to work with. The magical system felt very incomplete as a result. The adults were another part of this book that I didn’t like. Most of them seemed to be either infuriatingly passive or frustratingly overbearing. For the most part, they functioned as obstacles in Moira’s story and didn’t feel well-rounded enough. One saving grace for the novel is Moira’s dedication to her female role-models. Before every performance, she would take the time to dedicate her show to a real life female magician that she drew inspiration from.

[Marguerite · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars.

Girl in the Shadows delivered on cool magic acts, but fell down when it came to character development and the romance. In general, this book felt flat for me - I could see where the author wanted to go, but it just didn't come off. Okay, into the nitty gritty of the review.

Characters: Ah, the MC, Moira - on one level I understood her frustrations, and on another level I felt she went about it all the wrong way. Why did she just walk into that house? How stupid are you? Of course something bad was going to happen! Scope out the area, don't storm in! Why didn't she just grill Dez about it? He totally would have cracked... anyway, I digress. Because I felt Moira was really silly at times, I just couldn't relate or connect - I didn't feel invested and just felt 'meh' about her in general. Her one positive feature - she is aces at escape magic illusions, which were a blast to read! The other characters - Dez was alright, Brandon was a jerk, Raleigh was *shrugs* confusing really (did he like her or not? Or is he just slightly jerky in general?) and everyone else... blurred a little. This may be because they were established in the first companion novel (which I haven't read), so that may be completely my fault, but I didn't feel the friendships were as developed as they could have been with Moira. At times, there were just too many people and I forgot some of their names. Finally, I think that Moira's dad was just trying to do the right thing - she didn't have to go volcanic on him.

Setting: So cool! I loved the circus world - really well developed and enjoyable to read. The magic mythology only confused me and I didn't know what was going on - I got the gist, but I don't feel that I really got it. Like, who were the secret society really? If only one person - the queen- had magic, how does that work? Ah, it was just confusing.

Plot: The writing flowed well - I found it easy to read, but I never doubted that stuff wasn't going to work out. On reflection, though, I felt it was a little choppy? The magic illusions were fun, but apart from that, it snapped around a lot. The romance was so flat and sometimes, plain creepy to me. It was obvious from second one that they were going to end up together - where is the tensions? The gorgeous slow-burn? The obstacles? Nothing.

All in all, I found Girl in the Shadows to be a passable read - the magic was fun and that was it. I would recommend the series for people wanting to read magic illusion/circus books, because you might enjoy it more than me!

*Thank-you to Skyscape and Two Lions and Net Galley for this ARC. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review*