Mystic Caravan Circus is heading to the West Coast, and while everyone is happy for the change of scenery there's a pall settling over the group. Poet and Kade are in a good place and planning for a change, but it's something Poet can't focus on because she feels as if someone is watching … and whoever it is has evil in his or her heart. The festival location is different, and instead of space, the circus denizens have festival workers and artisans on every side. They're open and exposed, and hiding their secret has never been more important. When one of their own goes missing, Poet is determined to figure out exactly what's going on. The answers won't be easy, though, and there are all different types of evil. A fight is coming, and the enemy is different from anything they've ever faced. They're outnumbered and might find themselves outmaneuvered. Who will survive? More importantly, who will be lost to something even worse than death? Sometimes death really is better.
When I was a kid, I was torn between whether or not I was going to grow up and be the Incredible Hulk or Wonder Woman. I flirted with being a Jedi Knight for awhile, but I wasn't up for the intense travel associated with the gig. In my teens, I settled on being a writer -- although I had no idea the effort that would entail. Not only am I a writer now, but I'm a writer in several different mediums. I'm a longtime newspaper reporter, an avid reader and a voracious science fiction fanatic.
I don't think there are words to properly portray what I thought of this book. No matter how I say it the words are not enough but I will try to explain to the best of my knowledge. So here goes: I think this book has been the most intense and completely captivating. It was totally mesmerizing and had me at the edge of my seat. I couldn't put this book down. I absolutely loved it. The circus lands in Washington where they are situated smack dab in the middle of several other stalls, like a fairground. Difficulties arose due to the close proximity of others in relation to setting up the dreamcatcher and discussion of all things supernatural. Young girls are going missing and no-one knows anything about this whereabouts. Things get mysterious when a young girl dead body is discovered on the beach with some very suspicious marks and wounds on her. When a member of the circus goes missing, things become more intense. Poet deals with some teenage angst with Melissa. I am enjoying the bourgeoning friendly relationship between Poet and Raven. I love the snark between them. Some of Poet past experiences are touched upon and the abilities of other members of the circus are displayed. What was shocking was the person who was doing this and the reason behind it. I thought this person might have been involved in some way but not solely responsible. I think this book held a mention of the winchester witches too when discussing the nature of witches and that there are witches who spend a lot of time cursing each other and that they are very well known. I would give this book more than 5 stars if I could.
This one is one of my favorite. Everyone hopes that they can get back to normal (it not going to happen).The spot for the Caravan is out in the open,and they're not by themselves there's festival and Artisan workers on every side,so hiding what they are is the upmost important. Poet sees posters of missing women and girls ,some have been missing for years all were young ,she researches the town past,decades of missing woman and girls .She set out to solve the mystery ,but someone is watching with evil in their hearts,someone is so much more powerful, something they've never seen before or fought.Someone from the circus goes missing eager to find the missing person and solve the past,Poet must conquer her fears of the creepy dolls.
Don't you just love a story that can scare the beejesus out of you without being a horror show...lol Freaky Places hit the spot for me I'm pretty sure I'll never sleep again. thank goodness I have loads of books to read.
Poet, Kade and the circus gang are back again for another excitingly freaky adventure, full of supernatural mystery, loads of magic and plenty of freaky hijinxs with a scantily dressed clown, creepy dolls and missing girls.
Can Poet save the day with the help of her friends?? let's hope so.
A brilliantly written terrifying nightmarish mystery
This circus is really starting to develop. I loved the addition of Poet’s fears into the story line but would have loved to have a bit more interaction with the demon dolls in the battle. Other wise love the book. Cannot wait for the next.
As Mystic Circus pull into the new venue they realise that things are going to be difficult from the very start. Squashed into space between areas set up for food stands and craft stalls it might be difficult to even set up the dreamcatcher.
A trip to restock supplies and Poet see's masses of flyers for missing girls. What is going on? She can sense something is off but what is it?
Melissa has a teenage rebellion.. will she buck up or ship out? After a traumatic experience with a doll as a child Poet is taken back when she sees a stall selling dolls that appear to follow her with their eyes.. can she get over her fear? Kade's on a mission to move in with Poet all they need is a new trailer.. can he persuade Max to buy it?
Most importantly will they be able to solve the issue of the missing girls?
Exciting, freaky, creepy, it'll put you off dolls for life..
Poet Mystic Caravans resident psychic and troup leader has a nightmarish phobia concerning dolls, especially porcelain ones, it stems from a childhood trauma of which Poet will not speak. Now the Caravan is in a new venue, a craft fair and carnival show, Utah something evil is lurking underneath the friendly atmosphere. There are signs up in town young women are going missing at an alarming rate, at least a hundred with only three bodies being found there is not a lot to go on and most cases are dismissed as runaways. Poet, Raven and Nixie know differently they can sense evil in the atmosphere around the fairground. There is also an artisan selling his handmade dolls, the dolls creep Poet out but something about him strikes Poet as wrong too and he has a daughter who seems to not know she is a born witch, the daughter Paige does not like the members of the Caravan except for Melissa whom she quickly befriends. Paige and Melissa are similar in age so friendship between them is not unusual except Paige seems to be a bad influence on Melissa who suddenly starts acting out, back talking everybody staying out late and drinking. Poet is very worried about Melissa but can only watch as events unfold she's just too busy trying to find out what the evil is that's preying on the areas young women.
Hey freaky urban fantasy with a great cast of characters. A group of monster Hunter’s traveled the country in a traveling circus caravan. Some of them are supernatural some of them are human some of them are clowns. The supernatural group during the day entertain the masses and at night they track down evil supernatural beings. This time they are up in the Seattle area and running to a freaking mess. They must battle their way through to figure out who is kidnapping local girls and still keep their secrets hidden from the public. I will only say one thing that is a possible giveaway. Dolls. Check it out you won’t be disappointed
This may be my new favorite in the series. I love it when they use their magic, and I can't wait to see a certain someone's explored in future books. Poet is terrified of dolls , stemming from something that happened in childhood. Her worst nightmare comes to life in this book. Kade is ready to take his relationship with Poet to the next level. In their next stop in Seattle, they notice quick lot of missing girls flyers. Poet and the crew set off to figure out what's happening . It will take everyone working together to defeat the new evil .This book is funny, snarky, exciting, sweet and a little bit scary.
Seriously, haven't we all felt dolls were creepy, even before the advent of Chucky? Well this book goes a big step beyond...into, well, let's just say the expression, "You're a living doll" won't seem quite so complimentary anymore! New character Melissa, from the previous volume gets into more than her fair share of mischief and Poet and Kane become surrogate parents, even as Kane makes peace with Max. All your favorite antics continue, and Nelly even dresses, err, down in jeans and a button-down shirt. I know, weird, huh? A solid A+ once again. Bravo!
The gang heads to Washington and ends up in the middle of a big Fair and finds out there are lots of missing women.
What I enjoyed: * Interesting seeing a slice of Poet's childhood * Happy to see more of the gang getting featured * Kade and Poet are getting along and growing their relationship * super creepy *
What could have been better: * I don't understand the town
In Freaky Places, the Mystic Caravan gang is visiting the Pacific Northwest. They are part of a festival, which means they have a lot of people around all the time. This is not so great for our circus/monster hunters. While it makes the real work of Mystic Caravan more difficult, it seems like a golden opportunity for Melissa to meet a few people her own age and have a little fun. Not surprisingly, there is a healthy dose of danger stalking young women fitting Melissa's profile. Will Melissa be safe? Will Poet, Kade, and the rest of Mystic Caravan be able to solve the mystery of the missing girls without losing any of their own?
I have to admit, the cover put me off. I'm not actually averse to clowns, it just... it was kinda chuckie-esque. And also, I'm pretty sensitive and can't take any kind of horror or serious suspense. Really, I can't. I can't even look at the book *covers* or watch trailers for horror/thriller movies.
But the synopsis intrigued me, and stuck with me, and finally one night (admittedly, I was down sick from a covid booster reaction and running a fever), I decided to try it. And OMG I'M SO GLAD I DID!
I'm now to book 6, and going strong, and hoping she'll have written more by the time I get to the end of what's published as of January 3rd, LOL. I can't imagine NOT wanting to read more! I am loving this seriously funny family. I even love Nellie! Admittedly, it took a bit... we were in the third book when I finally gave in to his charm. And Raven's come around nicely, she and Poet honestly make a terrific team.
For others averse to horror like me: There's some, but it's not the *focus* of the books, and the details aren't gruesome, and the scary part is limited. Like, I can't watch murder/horror, but I love the hell out of my CSI shows, because the focus isn't on the gruesome part, it's on the solving-the-mystery part. There's enough, of course, to gently raise the hair on the back of my neck, but not enough to make me afraid to turn out the lights. It's a balance... and the author does it beautifully!!! I even felt so sorry for this wendigo who... oops! Spoiler, can't say!!! mwahahaha!
Sometimes it annoys me how many questions Kade asks. They need to start tutoring him or something because while the off-topic banter is funny and entertaining, Kade's questions and timing are irritating. I guess I'm glad they finally hinted at Kade having powers. That will definitely make the story more interesting. I hope they will start educating him more and as I write this I realize that his annoying question also helps educate us so I guess I'm a little less irritated. Also, I miss all the Poet and Luke time. Kade and Poet are cute and sweet but I'm not getting any smut or details so I'm not really rooting hard for them. They were oddly drawn to one another and I question why? I enjoyed that I got more of Melissa. She joined and then we didn't really see a lot of her, almost making me forget that she was even there. The whole child-adult situation was very relatable. I also enjoyed seeing a bit more of Max. I'm sort of annoyed by his cowardes, especially since he is supposed to be super powerful and the leader. I think that Kade's attitude towards Max when he first found out was annoying but I've come to enjoy the slow makeup progress that's happening.
Man this book was creepy as heck. You think clowns are creepy. Wait till you read this book. Dolls will haunt your dreams...look out Chucky there’s a new terror in town.
Poet and the gang are in a new location and glad to be out of Vegas. But with the new stop comes a new location. A location that feels off from day one.
When Poet discovers hundreds of missing young girls, her senses immediately go on high alert. She I’d determined that something is causing this and her fears are confirmed when a girl’s mother comes to them for help.
Will Piet solve the puzzle before it’s too late?
This book had me addicted from the very first page, as all of them in this series has done. This book was creepy AF though and had me on the edge of my seat the entire read.
Overall this book is a steady paced read. It has unique characters and a creepy mystic vibe. The books are twisted and adrenaline packed. They grab the readers attention from the very first page. I can’t wait to read more.
This was better than the last one. Raven has definitely matured. Not sure about Kade and Poet; their maturity regressed in the last book. I don’t get why Kade is threatening to fire Melissa - Poet is her boss and Kade is head of security. Melissa is immature and annoying. Her attitude does need to be checked but, Kade and Poet don’t seem mature enough to handle it b/c they are pretty immature themselves. I’ve also switched to listening to the book so, I can have it while I work. The narrator has problems pronouncing words like derisive. I do like the narrators Raven voice. I just wish narrators had to pass a test pronouncing words from the book before they get the job. I am glad that Goodreads doesn’t make reviewers pass any grammar tests before we can post. (:
Poet & the Mystic Caravan are back with all the action, suspense, & evil I have come to expect & love from this series. This was so riveting I could not put it down - reading it from beginning to end in one sitting. While there is snark & humor, & even romance (as Kade & Poet become closer) I found this book to be darker & scarier than all its predecessors. However, these could definitely be because Poet & I share the same nightmares about those creepy ceramic dolls!
As always Amanda Lee has brought the snark, the humor, the mystery, the romance, and the suspense together to create another book in this series that is just as hard to put down as the first. I can't wait for the next book to come out. I'm looking forward to reading it already. I tell all my friends that they must read this series and I would recommend this book and this series a long with all Amanda M Lee books to anyone who like to read. They are an enjoyable to read and suitable to be read from teens and above.
The creep factor in this book is amped up, enjoyably so. Another mysterious and deadly paranormal for the Mystic Caravan Circus to deal with. I had a suspicion early on about a character and it was good, but never what I thought it would be.
Still... the snark triangle between Poet, Luke and Kade are very similar to the Aisling Grimlock series and that’s hard to live through again, at times. The paranormals and circus setting makes me like this series more. At least Poet doesn’t end up injured as often as Aisling did.
Another fun and interesting story with the Mystic Caravan. This story was very exciting with lots of action. I have enjoyed having the other characters play more of a role in the action as they talk about being a team. The narrative about the book led me to believe Max was going to be more prominent in the story and although he was present more than other books, it was still pretty minimal. I’m excited to see what’s going on with Kade as his power was mentioned a couple times but never followed up. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
My sister in law turned me on to this series, and it is very addicting! I love the traveling circus who happen to be monster hunters (both supernatural and human) as they move from one place to the next. I also like how the characters are fleshing out and evolving through this series. This one deals with Poet’s doll nightmares, and missing girls in Seattle. Plus, they are sharing the spotlight with plenty of other vendors in a festival. Lots of tension, surprises, humor and romance make this series quite a page turner!
For any fans of the series, this entry finally starts diving into the powers of others who haven't shown it yet and also more deeply develops some other series regulars. We learn more about Raven and Naida especially, as well as Made. Don't be surprised if you get slightly annoyed at how well Amanda writes teenager angst, and attitude, from Melissa! This book gave me the creeps a little bit but reinforced my faith in the strength of the Mystic Caravan crew.
The Mystic Caravan has a two fold mission: entertain the town's people and catch evil monsters. Actually, the circus is more of a cover for the monster hunting, but is also a legitimate business. This time, dolls are the enemy. Fueled by a witch who uses live girls to keep her youth. She adores dressing them all like dolls and controls them like marionettes.. This is her army and she is using them to try to take over two of the most powerful supernaturals in the circus. She's in for a surprise.
I think if something from my past came back to haunt me like that damn possessed doll I would turn tail. Melissa was such a pain in this book. She wanted all the benefits of being an adult with none of the responsibilities. I am sorry not sorry about the harm that befell her when stupidity got the better of her on several occasions. Hurrah for Raven for putting Melissa in her place. I am glad she cleared that mess up about their working relationship vs. Friendship. Now I am wondering when he is going to acknowledge his gifts and start training to use them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Post isn't alone in her feelings about dolls! I was cringing the whole time! This story made up for the last book. I knew who the culprit was right away, but enjoyed the unraveling. Laughed when Poet walked in on Raven and Percival and smiled at the small developments between Kade and Max. I am excited by the idea of Kade having some power. I am also SUPER pumped for Freaky Witches! Bring it on, Amanda!
Amazing! I love Amanda, she is one of my favorite authors. I love all her characters and their snarky retorts and bonds. Just FABULOUS! Can’t wait for the next one, I hate I read them so fast. Love you Lady, you are THA BOMB! I chose five stars because ten was not an option, the humor, the characters, the storyline everything flows and comes together for a dynamic read. Please keep up the great work and keep them coming!!!!
I love all of Ms. Lee's work. The Mystic Caravan Series is well written combining mystery and the occult with a little romance. Poet the main character comes from a difficult background. She was orphaned at age16 and ultimately spent a few years on the street. She has found a new family with the circus. All the books are stand alone stories, but I think you'll enjoy them more read in order.
One of the more intriguing stories so far form the mystic caravan bunch but I felt it was very easy to see what was going to happen next. The characters are also a little grating at times, although my favourite has to be Raven, consistency snarky and fun, she is worthy of being the star of the show at times. It's nice to see a little more of Max as well. Definitely atmospheric and I can almost smell and hear the circus at times.
I have read all the Avery Shaw mysteries and most of the Mystic Caravan series. Lee's books are fun and fast-paced. The characters are unique and engaging. In the Mystic Caravan series, the bad guys are absolutely diabolical. I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys a good mix of humor, suspense, good character development, and just a little (non-mushy) romance.