Circus of the Dead: Book 2

Circus of the Dead #2

by Kimberly Loth

Samuel deserves to die a thousand deaths.

I was so close to going home and then he ruined it all.

Now, I have to focus on how to survive because I don’t think I can go home.

And to be honest, after a few more nights with Benny, I’m not sure I even want to. Plus, the more I learn about the circus, the more intrigued I become. I discover that I have abilities I couldn’t have even dreamed of if I’d stayed in California.

But, if I’m to survive, I might have to embrace dark magic.

Can I do that without losing myself?

Or am I destined to become evil?

Genres: Paranormal, Horror, Ghosts, Fantasy, Supernatural, Young Adult, Magic

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2021

About the author

Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. Currently, she lives in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and two kids.

She is a high school math teacher by day (please don’t hold that against her) and YA author by night. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. Kissed is her first novel.

Reviews

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samuel is now definitely showing his true colours and at times he almost seemed to have a split personality.
I couldn’t believe how far he actually sunk here his actions totally surprised me.
But there were times you almost got a glimpse behind the mask of someone else trying to break free from his darkness.
And Callie is not the best at making decisions every time choosing wrong and unintentionally worsening things.
She’s also embracing the dark arts which is probably going to come back and bite her on the but.
Benny well he’s trying his hardest to protect her and he’s such a sweetheart and I loved the addition of Callie’s bird protectors.
Finally, that finish total shocker like mouth open what a finale.
This one for me wasn’t quite as good as its predecessor but I still enjoyed it a lot.
This series is so incredibly different and I’m interested in seeing where it goes next.


Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crows. So I won't say this book was as good as the first, but it was still really good. A lot is happening by the end of this book and with that ending, I'm dying to know what happens next.

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unpredictable and cunning! This book kept me guessing the whole way through! I can’t wait to discover what will happen next to this dark and deadly circus!

[Lydia · Rating 1 out of 5]

The writing is just bad. And the main heroine, trite and whiney.

[Agustina Zanelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENGLISH:

Thank you so much to the author for the book!
I received this ebook in exchange of a honest review.


Callie is dragged back to the island and this time she doesn't have any hope of escape. Samuel has become much more dangerous now that she has betrayed him, and he won't stop at anything until she's dead, condemning her soul to spend her days trapped in the circus, slave to each one of his whims and desires as a ghost destined to kill. To avoid this terrible fate, Callie needs to find a way to defend herself in order to stop him. But her only option is to learn to use magic, following a dark path that can lead her to lose herself forever.

I liked Callie a lot more in this book. She has become a stronger and braver character, much more powerful and dark. Her use of magic was fascinating, this new gift has made her much more interesting, and it has given her more presence. I really want to discover how this new talent will evolve in the rest of the series.

I also liked Benny much more in this book because he has become a very sweet and protective boy who has helped Callie all the time and has fought against his darkest instincts to protect her, sending even the birds to take care of her. I actually loved Callie's relationship with the birds. I liked how they defended her, how they accompanied her daily. I became very fond of them, especially of her faithful ibis, Raptor, who is so cute and gave a really sweet touch to the story.

On the other hand, Samuel was much more interesting in this book. He finally has removed all the masks and now we know his true intentions. He no longer pretends to be a good boy and shows the true villain behind all his charm and that made him much more interesting. He has many secrets, which made him a very mysterious and intriguing character. I just couldn't have enough of him! There are also really special and intriguing secondary characters that I liked a lot.

The plot of this story is very interesting. It hooked me from beginning to end because new things happened all the time, things that left me completely surprised. It was a light and changing reading, with very good twists and turns that changed absolutely everything. I loved the mystery in this story, the intrigue and secrets that were slowly unveiling, generating new questions with each page. There is also a lot of drama and shocking scenes that left me screaming.

This book is full of adventure, with lots of action and adrenaline, as well as a touch of sweet romance. And fantasy. I loved the subject developed in this book, related to voodoo, black magic and the circus, it was really fascinating and it completely hooked me in an absolutely addictive reading. I loved the setting and creativity from the author to create this world so special and dark with intriguing characters and a story full of secrets. I loved it so much!

And the end was so shocking! It left me rethinking absolutely everything I had read in these last two books and drawing theories to try to decipher the truth. I liked this book a lot more than the first one and now I'm dying to read the third book to know how this beautiful story will continue.





ESPAÑOL:

¡Muchísimas gracias a la autora por el libro! Recibí este ebook a cambio de una reseña honesta.


Callie ha sido arrastrada de vuelta a la isla y esta vez ya no posee más esperanzas de poder escapar. Samuel se ha vuelto mucho más peligroso ahora que ella lo ha traicionado, y no se detendrá ante nada hasta terminar con su vida y condenar su alma a pasar sus días atrapada en el circo, esclava de cada uno de sus deseos y caprichos como un fantasma destinado a asesinar. Para evitar este terrible destino, Callie tendrá que hallar un modo de defenderse para poder detenerlo. Pero su única opción es aprender a utilizar magia, siguiendo así un oscuro camino que puede llevarla a perderse a sí misma para siempre.

Callie me gustó mucho más en este libro. Se fue convirtiendo en un personaje más fuerte y valiente, mucho más poderoso y oscuro. Su uso de la magia fue fascinante, todo este nuevo don la ha vuelto mucho más interesante, además que le ha otorgado más carácter y personalidad. Tengo muchas ganas de descubrir cómo este nuevo talento irá evolucionando en los siguientes libros.

Benny también me gustó mucho más en este libro porque se ha convertido en un chico muy dulce y protector que ha ayudado a Callie en todo momento y ha peleado contra sus instintos más oscuros para protegerla, enviando incluso a los pájaros para que la cuiden en todo momento. La verdad es que amé la relación de Callie con las aves. Me encantó cómo la defendieron, cómo la acompañaron a diario. Me encariñé mucho con ellas, especialmente con su fiel ibis, Raptor, que me dio mucha ternura y le otorgó a la historia un toque muy dulce y simpático.

Por otra parte, Samuel se volvió mucho más interesante en este libro. Finalmente se ha quitado todas las máscaras y conocemos sus verdaderas intenciones. Ya no pretende ser un chico bueno y muestra al verdadero villano que hay detrás de todo su encanto y eso lo volvió mucho más interesante. Él tiene muchos secretos y eso lo convirtió en un personaje muy misterioso e intrigante del cual quería saber más y más. También hay unos cuantos personajes secundarios muy peculiares y especiales que me dejaron llena de curiosidad.

La trama de esta historia es muy interesante. Me enganchó de principio a fin porque no paraban de pasar cosas nuevas que me dejaban completamente sorprendida. El libro tiene un ritmo ágil y cambiante, intervenido por muy buenos giros argumentales que lo cambiaron absolutamente todo. Amé el misterio que hay en esta historia, toda la intriga y los secretos que se van develando lentamente y los nuevos interrogantes que van surgiendo con cada página. También hay bastante drama y escenas shokeantes que me dejaran gritando indignada.

Este libro está repleto de aventuras, lleno de acción y de adrenalina, además de un toque de romance muy dulce. Y fantasía. La temática desarrollada en este libro, relacionada al vudú, al circo y a la magia negra, me pareció realmente fascinante y me atrapó por completo en una lectura absolutamente adictiva. Amé la ambientación y la creatividad de la autora para crear este mundo tan especial y oscuro que tanto me gustó con personajes intrigantes y una historia llena de secretos.

Y el final fue de infarto, me dejó replanteándome absolutamente todo lo que había leído en estos últimos dos libros y sacando teorías para tratar de descifrar la verdad. Este libro me gustó mucho más que el anterior y es por eso ahora estoy muriendo por leer el tercer libro y saber cómo continuará esta hermosa historia.

Reseña completa













-----------------------------------------

PRIMERA EDICIÓN:

Me encantó este libro. Callie va aprendiendo nuevas habilidades, elementos que la vuelvan una protagonista mucho más poderosa y oscura, lo cual me gustó mucho. Samuel se vuelve más peligroso, lo cual lo hace más atractivo a mis ojos porque amo a los villanos jajajaja. Y Benny es cada vez más dulce y hermoso. Tengo que decir que me gustan mucho los personajes de este libro, como así también amé a las aves que siguen a Callie a todas partes. La historia se va haciendo cada vez más compleja e intrincada, lo cual estuvo genial. Van apareciendo nuevas revalaciones y secretos que plantean aún más interrogantes, construyendo la intriga y el suspenso de una manera alucinante. Tiene muy buenos giros argumentales este libro, partes que me dejaron completamente sorprendida y en shock. También hay magia y aventuras, acción y mucha adrenalina, con un toque de drama y romance. Y un final de infarto. Estoy muriendo por leer el siguienge libro. Me encantó.

Pronto traigo la reseña :)

[Nerdy Housewifey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

Okay so this is my third try of a Kimberly Loth series. I made it 50% of book 2 (which is further than the other two series) now her books are not poorly written. She is obviously a talented writer and has a good editor unfortunately there’s a pattern at least for me of unlikable mc’s. In the djinn series the male Mc is a murderer of young girls and the fmc doesn’t seem to care, which weirdly enough is basically the exact issue here. Ben who I’m guessing is the ultimate love interest murdered a lot of people... like a lot... but he’s changed? So we’re okay with it 🤷🏻‍♀️. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy villain/anti hero novels (Lothaire my heart only beats for you) but they’re bad people and we love them for it, this is like ‘I’m magically not a bad person anymore and all my bad stuff is okay now’ if you want to write a serial killer as your male lead go for it but don’t pussyfoot around it make him a killer, look at Dexter he killed.. a lot! And we ate it up and asked for more.

Trying to make ‘good guys’ out of irredeemable asshats doesn’t work and I’m not here for it. I can’t suddenly see a nice/good lead in a guy that’s murdered teenagers for years with no remorse. I don’t know maybe I’m too old for this crap now because all I want to do is slap them around a little and tell them to grow up, like you’re a bad guy own it.

[Samaria LeBlanc · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is May come off as kinda brutal, not something I make a habit of doing in reviews
Why is the bad guy threatening to essentially rape the teen character for the rest of their life? WTF? DNF at 44%. I like darker stories stuff but this story is going nowhere fast. I still have more questions then answers, no real character development. Main character update can conjure fire still stuck in the same back and forth game, no real development from her uncle, other bad guy sent birds to protect her. I’m glad this book was a KU read or I’d be highly disappointed in the fact that I wasted money and time.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You are the first person who came to the island and challenged me. You’re tenacious as hell, and I never know what you have up your sleeve.”
OMG, I cannot believe where this story is going and I am hopping on the boat to take me there! Are there any other takers?
The story picks up from where book one ends and it is not a standalone. Callie is back and doing what she can to figure out how to get off the island but you know what they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Benny is around to lend an ear or whatever else Callie may need. Samuel is his dominating self and trying to get Callie no matter what. In order to fight Samuel, Callie decides to delve into learning magic but it leads to a different outcome than she expected. Can Callie best Samuel? Will she be able to escape the island? This is one series that you will not be able to put down. In some ways it is written like an Agatha Christie whodunnit that just captivates from the onset. It does end in one heck of a cliffhanger and all I can say is I want book three now! I highly recommend this series. I volunteered to read an advance copy of this book.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the way Book One ended, I knew I needed to dive right into Book Two!
This series was not what I originally expected, but it turned out to be so much more.
Book Two continued on with the suspense of the first book and had me feeling a range of emotions as I continued to read. I felt so strongly about many of these characters. It was truly a testament to Loth's storytelling skill that she had my head spiraling in these ways.
My irritation and anxiety over Samuel continued throughout this story, and I felt so trapped alongside Callie. Loth's words created such a powerful response in me as a reader. It was rather addictive.
As the book went on, it was a true race against time and the odds as the islanders worked together to defeat Samuel. But taking down the deal-maker, with all of his "fine print" terms, was proving to be more difficult than originally expected. Watching everyone bring their skills and ideas to to table with each plan had me on the edge of my seat. And the more I read, the more I was growing to despise Samuel. There was so much at stake and I couldn't wait to read more and see what would happen.

[C. Erani Kole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible character without the growth

2.5 is my rating...

If she’d learned from all her lessons in this book, this would’ve been three stars, but instead I had to deal with her making dumb, ridiculous decisions and not get any growth. Instead it ends on a high note like what she did was okay. It wasn’t. And I wanted some closure before the book ended, because now I have to read the next book, and I don’t like reading if it’s less than three stars.

Around 44% is when her idiocy ruined the book for me and I suffered through the pages. I hate oblivious characters, or young characters portrayed as dumb. And there was no reprieve for it. If she didn’t make such decisions I didn’t agree with, I could grow to like this book. The idea is so fun and some of the characters are good. It’s all brief with the fast pacing but the heroine is just too much.

[Alesandra: banter_or_bust · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this book lacked balance. Samual is 99% ick and 1% pretty. His character and his impact on the island so off balanced it made it difficult for me to care about the story. Vinny and his birds are great throughout. Most of the side characters, including Elias coming out of left field with his 4 languages, are also interesting. With Samuel being the main focus though, this book just wasn’t my fav. I still have books 3-4 included on my hoopla borrow, making me committed to finish. If I didn’t, I’d ditch the series after this one.

[Ksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

AHHHHH!!!

Another amazing novel from Kimberly Loth!

This one builds on the last one (as it should!) and makes the anticipation for the next installment almost unbearable! There were twists that shocked me, and moments that were horrific and made me want to scream. I really cannot wait for the next one.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

[Natalie Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obeah woman

I loved the first book of this series and I loved the second even more.

You find out more information on Samuel and what made him be the person he is now. It ends on a cliffhanger which leaves you anticipating the next book.

I highly recommend this book

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twist!

I loved the twist and never saw it coming! I love this series and can’t wait to see what happens in the 3rd book! And Benny! I’m dying to see what happens with him.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than book 1!

This book was great! Kept me enthralled the whole time! I can’t wait to see what happens to the characters in book 3 now!

[TXreader Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fast paced, i love it. Heading into book 3 ...

[Tiffany Spencer]

Circus Of The Dead (Book Two)
Callie wakes up back on the island in Samuel’s bed. She leaves vowing she’ll never be his. She decides to go to Lorna to ask her what happened but finds Lorana using her magic to kill and de-gut a rabbit. In disgust, she returns to her own boat. Callie writes to Mattie but decides to tone down this letter. She says she thinks someone spiked something (she ate or drank), but she’s fine now. She says the circus is creepy but cool, and that she learned to fire dance.

Next she goes to see Juliet. Callie notices Juliet’s crib is niiice! It’s all decked out like the life styles of the rich and famous. She says part of the deal with Samuel is she wanted to be spoiled in return for being a clown. Callie says she’ll make his life hell and then maybe he’ll send her back. Juliet says good luck with that. He just might kill her instead. Callie says couldn’t get anyworse. Callie invites her to go see Luke’s but she says she’s going to see Lorana about her headache. On the way, she runs into Luke again. He tries to make conversation with her but she brushes him off. She gives him an empty threat -about wishing he never brought her back-. He says he doubts that and she pushes him into the water.

Luke doesn’t have any ideas but just says stay away from both Samuel and Benny. On another day, Callie tells Samuel she’s not performing that night. He seems unphased by it. Samuel sees Callie with Benny and gets jealous. Benny says he’s cool with keeping this up but if she really wants to make him pay she should learn to use magic. After this, Benny invites Callie to see a show. He introduces her to Sarah the sword thrower who says he hasn’t brought a girl by in a while. The last one he was with got killed by his own hands. When they’re alone, Callie questions him about this and he says Sarah lied. She brings up him killing Luke’s friend and he says he’s changed. He assures her he won’t get bored with her or kill her. She finds out it’s not the worse he’s done and makes it clear there’s no chance for them. Then she goes back to her own boat. Callie doesn’t know at this point who she can or can not trust.

Lorana doesn’t make it secret she doesn’t think that Callie has magic, but starts her off with a protection spell. Callie sees it doesn’t work when she gets a smack from Lorena. (We can note that there might have been a possible history between Lorena and Samuel because before this she was a little too interested in what happened between him and Callie). Juliet comes over and while she’s giving her something for her headache, Lorena gives Callie another spell to try (lighting candles). Nothing happens! So, she gives her a book and tells her to read it and they’ll try again the next day.


The book is about the history of magic and doesn’t take long for Callie to read. At the end are some basic spells. She keeps coming back to the one with fire, but after practicing for two hours they only thing that happns is her hands get hot and she might have seen a small wisp of smoke. That5 or a hallucination When she gets home, Samuel is there and has found the book about magic. He offers to teach her magic, but she says she’s not interested. Then he tries to come on to her and rape her. Benny again comes to her rescue and yanks Samuel out the door. After this, a flock of birds appear and Callie can hear them on the roof. She tries magic again and is able to produce a blue flame. (Two important things. Samuel says he wants to turn Callie isnto one of the circu’s most vivious killers and Benny

Callies sister writes to her again and tells her she wants to come there and visit. She’s jealous! But Cassie tells her she’ll be home at the end of the summer. She tells her about her confusion over almost kissing Benny and about the birds he gave her. Also about her new pet. ).


The next day, there’s a flock of birds outside Callie’s boat. One finds it’s way inside. Juliet names it “Rapture” (because of it’s resemblance to a dinosaur). She heads to Lorna’s and sees Samuel is there. They’re having an argument but Callie can’t hear what it’s about. After he storms off, Lorna tries to put Callie off but she shows her what she can do. Lorna looks scared and says what Callie has is “dark magic”. She hands her a bunch of books and tells if she’s going to practice dark magic she might as well know what she’s going into. Callie says she knows it might change her but she’d rather that than Samuel raping her. By Saturday she can conjour water and wind also and silence the birds. Tho she still can’t do a protection spell. Lorena tells her she’s worried about her. Callie says using dark magic won’t change who she is. Lorna asks her can’t she get rid of the birds. She says she doesn’t won’t too but she probably could. She sees Samuel watching her.


On the night of the full moon, Benny stops by and despite the fact that he could kill her, she lets him in. Callie thanks him for the birds. He tells her the story of how the birds came to him. There was a man who did a bird show.. He allowed the birds to peek his eyes out. He took him after his wing. After he died, they followed him around =. Samuel seems to be afraid of them. After posing the question if he wants to kill her or kiss her, it seems like he’s going to kiss her but he disappears. The next day, Callie tells Juliet and Amy about what happens. Juliet says Benny attempted to come by her house three times (before he actually did). Callie tries to tell them there’s nothing between them. Their just friends but neither Juliet nor her mother (Amy) believe her. They compare him to Edward in Twilight (signs BOOK I TOLD U NOT TO GO THERE!)

Callie tries to practice more spells. She tries a spell that restricts people from entering her “house” and tries it on Elias but it doesn’t work. She then goes to Lorana to get some ingrediants to make a vodo doll but she turns her down. Someone tho gives her all the supplies to make the voodoo doll. (I don’t think it works tho). Callie tells Benny the next time she sees Benny she only wants to be friends and he says ok. But he also says he’ll just wait until she wants to kiss him again. Samuel tries to make a deal with Callie. For a year she’ll be his companion while making it appear to everyone else they are a couple. In exchange he’ll offer her his protection. Callie about to accept the deal until she finds out about the restriction of not being able to be friends with Benny. He says without it Benny will kill her and she won’t have the same freedom. She’ll spend her days as his sex slave. When she thinks about it like this she accepts but then he goes back on it and says he likes the other option better.

Callie tells Lorana about Samuel’s deal and she sayt there might be a way to get her off the island. It involves a spell that will kill him. In the meanwhile she has Callie study a spell that will trap someone. When she successfully does it on Juliet she returns to Lorana. Lorena gives her the bad news that in order to kill Samuel she has to sacrifice an animal that she loves. She refuses at first but then when she sees Samuel and he makes a crude comment about seeing her naked, she knows she’ll have to kill Rapture.

Callie is able to trap Samuel but he tells her that if she kills him this will free the other ghosts and they’ll go on a murder spree. He says if she’ll stay on the island he’ll offer his protection of her and the others. She agrees to sign the contract, but wonders if she’s done the right thing. Callie tells Lorna who becomes furious and tells her she doesn’t know what she’s done. She also tells Benny. When she gets back to her boat, Juliet is sitting there in the shadoes. She’s stiff and Callie realizes she has vampire bites. She’s dead. Yet, she drags herself over to the swamp and tosses herself in.. When she goes to Samuel for answers, he tells her any time someone tries to harm him (or kill him) everyone else’s contracts are void. So, they’re no longer protected. To keep this a secret she agrees to “be his friend”. After the funeral, Callie finds out from Amy (in order to protect her and understand the new contracts Samuel will get the others to sign) that she made a deal with him to have kids after she found out she had infertility issues. The deal was she could have as many as she wanted and her children could leave when they were 18. What she didn’t know was that the cost was taking her husbandd’s life. She says she gets to see him tho twice a month. He’s the flame eater (Tyson). People were saying that whatever her contract was caused Juliet;’s death, but she tells Callie she could never do that.


Because of her guilt, Callie stays on her boat for some days. Amy comes to get her and takes her to a gathering of the people on the island -a bbq-. They all consider themselves family but Callie doesn’t think they’d think of her the same if they knew what she did. Callie realizes that now that the contracts are void the others can leave the island. Samuel tells her if she kepts this a secret he’ll draw up new contracts. Only when she has dinner with him, he’d added something to benefit himself. He gives them all jobs to “service” him. Sexually and non. Callie wonders if ther’s a spell that will let her take his power.

Luke suggests Callie find a distraction like his cubs or Lorana’s magic or Ruth’s medicine. He says eventually he’ll probably move on. Callie tho says he won’t. He’s in love with her. Luke wants to know what deal she’s made with him but she says she’d rather not say. Luke says he was in love before with Lorana but when she came he moved on. Callie realizes this is probably why Lorena likes her. She ends up going to Samuel to use his library but she has to agree to give him a kiss. He’ll let her use the library for an hour and pick three books-that she doesn’t have to tell him what they are-. While in the library she finds a secret compartment and a book on how to rap souls. The night of the full moon, Juliet reappears. She isn’t mad at Callie in the slightest. They both head to the vampire’s show. We find out that Victor’s girlfriend Veronica killed her. She and Juliet get into a cat fight while Callie escapes with Benny.

We find out Benny has also made a deal with Samuel not to move on. Yet, he can’t kill. Although he can kill Callie. He gives her a book about the Obeayah. (She wasn’t able to read Samuel’s books because their in Creole). Bascially what it says is if his army of 13 ghost is taken down, he’ll become powerless. At first, the people on the island are hesitant but then they agree to the plan. They’ll mess up the ferry and then get some across. Then they’ll each distract a couple of the ghosts so they can’t kill. They’ll meet in small groups to plan and not attract Samuel’s attention. Amy has dinner with Samuel to distract him. She finds out that Samuel didn’t review Benny’s contract so he’ll move on after the full moon. She sees the signal and takes off. Shortly after, Samuel finds out the boats are messed up and then realizes he’s been tricked.

As other islanders come to the circus, they have to figure out a way to keep them from the ghosts. So, they get all 77 to come to a “sexy” show (where the girl is locked in a cage with a lion). They then lock all of them in cages. Only one little girl is left out but they’re able to get to her before a ghost does and then it’s dawn. Samuel calls a meeting and says he’ll renew their old contracts on two conditions (realizing he went to far). One is that they won’t do anything tp [revemt jos ghosts from killing and two if Callie will marry him. Callie says no way in hell and the people turn on her and says if he wants they’ll hold her down while he consummates the marriage. Samuel says it’s not necessary. She’ll do it willingly. Samuel then throws Callie under the bus and the crowd jumps on her. She doesn’t even fight back. Then she hears birds.

It's decided Callie will stay with Lorena. One night when she’s walking back to her boat, she’s “Tar and feathered” by Edward and his friends. Samuel tells her his offer still stands when she’s ready. She decides now that the only think to do is surrender to dark magic in order to beat Samuel and end the circus onece and for all. As promised, Elias teaches Callie Creole and she’s able to find a spell that involves making a voodoo doll of Samuel. To do the spell Callie needs some ingrediants that Lorena doesn’t have (the shrunken head of a Obeyah man, an alligartor live). Lorena has the alligator liver. She finds out that the birds will bring her whatever she needs and they bring her the rest. She only needs Samuel’s hair and blood. But she has to make it look like he provoked her and they were just protecting her. The plan works. Callie ends up burning the doll and transferring Samel’s power (and the control of the ghost) to her. He thanks her and says now she’s the new puppet. Someone else was in control of him but now that’s over. Only he dies and doesn’t say who.

My Thoughts
The end slightly saved this, only because I’m interested in seeing “Dark Callie”. Tho sadly I don’t think she’ll be much more different from regular Callie. We will see tho. This is just Book 2 and I already see that this series just won’t be for me because this is what I’m going to give a new made up term a “RO HO” book. What’s a “RO HO” book you ask? It’s my definition of when a series claims its “horror” but it’s really “Romance”. The “horror” is just “background noise” and the romance takes center place. So a “RO HO” series is a deceptive mask. And if you like YA books about teenage love and drama its all well and good, but frankly I’m over series where I’m expecting a good, gory, plot and NOTHING! Instead I get a sappy romance novel. The title of this series is THE CIRCUS OF THE DEAD! There were “elements” in book one. In this one NADA! I can only hope it gets better but my expectations after the first two are very low! I did like that she took his power at the end. And I am interested in knowing who the one was that held power over Samuel. I’m really kind of glad he’s gone because I was trying fed up with him. Now if we could just kill off Benny, turn Callie full dark, and make this a real “Murder Circus” then maybe..
Rating: 6

[Laura Metz · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off these covers are freaking gerogous. I can't wait for book 3. This cliffhanger is going to kill me until I find out what Samuel was talking about. These books are incredible. I'm so in love with them.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Circus of the Dead: Book Two is the continuation of Kimberly Loth’s new series. The author left readers on the edge of their seats with Callie’s attempt at escaping Samuel and getting back to L.A. and her family. This book books up where things left off and proceed from there. Clear your schedule because you’re not going to want to put this book down as Callie’s story continues and she finds herself slipping farther down the rabbit hole than she would have ever expected.
Circus of the Dead: Book Two is just as engaging if not more so than the first book in this series. When I picked this book up I was pulled into and before I knew it I was halfway through and it was 1 o’clock in the morning. I didn’t want to put this book down….but I had to, but only for a few hours. The first chance I got I grabbed it back up and absolutely devoured it. The twists and surprises that the author writes in this book are absolutely fantastic. Piece by piece the author brings together a storyline and a variety of characters that almost makes you believe you could go out into the bayou and find a circus like this and meet these characters for real. It’s absolutely fantastic.
Unfortunately, for me, Callie becomes less than fantastic in this book. Now, there may be some spoilers ahead but I will do my absolute best to not spoil anything or keep them to a bare minimum…just fair warning. This is a YA fiction novel, I fully understand that, but Callie seems to take a truly selfish and self-absorbed turn in this book. Weighed against the many on the island she essentially puts herself 100% first. She won’t inconvenience or imposition herself for the others not even in the slightest. She comes off as more selfish in this book and it annoys me. So many end up suffering because of her choices, but she wants everyone to feel sorry for her. So when things take a less than favorable turn for her a couple times I don’t really feel that much sympathy for her.
This book is darker and has some elements in it that might make some readers feel uncomfortable so be forewarned of that and possibly prepared when you cross it. The author doesn’t focus heavily on these elements so hopefully, it won’t be too distracting. I felt that some scenes were a bit overplayed so that they would go in the main character’s favor. I’d have liked if she had faced a couple more setbacks to her plans, but all-in-all, the book is pretty good.
That being said I am rating this book 4 out of 5 stars. In this book, I walked a fine line of dislike and like with Callie. Too often for me, I crossed off that line into the “dislike” category because of her attitude and behavior. The cliffhanger on this book…INSANE! I nearly shrieked. LOL! I absolutely HAVE to know what happens next so I will be chomping at the bit for the next book. If you read the first book in this series and enjoyed it then I encourage you to read this book. It’ll leave you begging for more.

[Marayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I know he's the villain, but why in the everliving crap does Samuel threaten to tie a 16 year old to his bed for eternal rape time? *what*
I'm all for some yandere, but what in the pedophile humping hell is going on, Kimberly Loth?


And since the other books aren't on Goodreads, what 17 year old can afford to live in another continent from their family with a shop and a house/apartment with a balcony in a major city without saving from so much as a part time job before that point? I mean, yes, this is fantasy, but some things just go too far. That's downright unrealistic.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
I didn't like this book as much as the first one. Callie seemed to jump back and forth in her feelings even more so now. Also, she knew Samuel couldn't be trusted, yet she continued to trust him anyway.
The continued forced sexual relations and threats of sexual assault were ridiculous, redundant, and repulsive. The story could have done without them.

[Topsues · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Astonishing creation of this theatrical series continues giving you so many visual highlights in your mind’s eye. However now Callie needs to start fighting dirty and as underhand as she can as Samuel leaves her no choice, well he does, but not with any choices Callie could live with. I was once again transported to this magical deadly island with it’s unreal but totally believable characters that kept me chewing my nails as chapter after chapter was revealed. Book.2. Reveals more secrets and devastating consequences to Samuel’s clandestine controversial rules over the island’s inhabitants. Callie decides that she not only wants to save herself but all of her friends and even the unsocial characters tied to the Island. Foolishly she thought she was signing an air tight contract which devastated her and everyone on the island. Offering them a way to fight rally’s the troops until secrets she kept are revealed as Samuel turns them all back against her...I’m babbling right ! It’s because there is so much to tell but I can’t leave any spoilers. So grab book.2. Of the Circus of the Dead then shout and stamp your feet when once again we are left with a shocking cliffhanger. Book.3. Can’t come soon enough

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up right after Book #1. Callie tried (and failed) to escape her life on the island and the Circus of the Dead. However, Samuel has proved to be too powerful and too evil for her to escape. However, she is determined that she will loosen his hold on her and the other islanders. But, at what cost? "I'm afraid you'll turn dark and evil even if you don't want to."

After the death of one of her best friends, mostly due to her trying to get away from Samuel's control, she is afraid of what might happen if she continues her quest. "The truth is I have no idea who I can trust or really if I can even trust anyone. Maybe, in the end, they'll all betray me."

This book is full of voodoo, zombies, ghosts, magic, and so much more. Ms. Loth has created a world that is intriguing and troubling at the same time. Her characters are wonderful and the story moves at a fast pace. I can't wait to see what happens next (or who the author decides to kill next!). This book is not a standalone and ends on a huge cliffhanger. But, that's OK, because I know that Callie's further adventures are waiting to entertain me!

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a total flop for me. After the ending of the first book I couldn't wait wait read what happens next. I was dropped right where I was left and thrown into a mystery of what happened to Callie, why didn't she make it?

I couldn't finish this book and lost complete interest in the story. The entire time it felt like a constant who can one up the other between Samuel and Callie. Who will get ahead and what price will the other pay. I found it boring. I gave 2 stars because I was interested st the beginning and the mystery of what happened was good enough but it so quickly dwindled down to barely a want to know for me.

SPOILERS BELOW STOP READING HERE

The entire scheme of trying to kill Samuel, Callie wanting to learn magic and then ending up signing a contract with him was just plain awful. Some things were not fully explained. Others were given too much detail that wasn't necessary. I stopped reading after Callie discovered the cost of her signing a contract with Samuel instead of killing him. The entire story about the island and its magic lost me. I had hoped for more and got way less. Not a series I recommend. Maybe a young preteen or early teen would enjoy it more.

[Allie Angi · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What a cliffhanger!!! I was glued to my kindle from start to finish. If Book 1 was captivating, this book was ensnaring and bewitching! In Book 2 Callie finds that her plans to escape the island are futile and finds herself back to square one, literally. Benny and Callie start to develop a budding relationship but Callie is on and off about Benny. Callie’s animosity for Samuel starts to gain momentum, as Samuel is clear about his intentions with Callie, that he will have her under his dominion no matter what it takes. Callie starts to accept that she is stuck on this magical island, and starts to become more familiar with how the magic works. She becomes obsessed with Samuel and his power over the islanders. She has a plan to not only escape the island but to free the islanders as well. However there is a price to pay for this coveted freedom and fooling Samuel is no easy feat. Will Callie have what it takes to take Samuel down or will the price be too high? I absolutely LOVE this book and cannot wait for Book 3. I am hooked on Loth literary candy :D

[Jamie Gogocha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely love the premise for this series. The writing has a good pace and keeps you in the story, and the setting and details are interesting and atmospheric. But the main character. Oy.

In the first book, I didn't care much for her because she was a little on the whiny, woe-is-me side. But the story was awesome, so I hung in there. This time, the story was awesome, but I was irritated through the last half of the book.

Callie seems like a clever girl, but she is so impulsive and doesn't consider her prior poor decisions before making the next one. Even if she realizes the stakes in the third book, it'll be too late. I figured after she learned more about her talents and the story of the island, she would stop and consider things. Look at it like chess and anticipate as many of the possible outcomes as she can come up with. But instead it's as though she's thinking "I don't know what'll happen, but #yolo." . The stakes are too high for your petulant teenage shenanigans!

[EPendleton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m here because I’m pot committed to this first 4 books because I bought a box set. As such, I am wading through these Iike molasses.

Callie, now realizing there’s nothing to be done about leaving, has made a complete mess of everything. Gets her friend killed, gets herself tarred and feathered, and somehow manages to become the Obeah Woman of the island. Good for her. At least she tenacious about her pursuit to best Samuel. And of course, in her short sided pursuit she has fallen into more sh*t.

I struggle with her being 16 and it all being believable. I also have an issue with the underage sexual acts by Samuel that no one seems to be in upheaval about. I state, again (as my last review for book 1 contains) I don’t like the normalization of these minor attracted characters or actions - I get it’s a book and sometimes books have reprehensible acts in them, but generally they are met with some type of reproach, either by characters or the events following. This just feels like, accept it, normalize it, no biggie. Yeah, no thanks. And yes, this includes all this “sizzle” and “relationships” with Benny and Samuel too.

This book is plagued by the same issues as the first book. Poorly executed and poorly written. Good bones, bad follow through.

Well, here’s going into book 3 - where maybe things might get better? I’m sure this is like wishing for snow in Hell.

[A. King · Rating 5 out of 5]

For being what it is, I can give it the five-stars it deserves, but I will say that it does not hold my interest any further than that. Possibly because what I read on a normal basis is far more adult, and a lot darker than any of this has turned out to be.

While the story continues with Callie attempting to find a way to best Samuel, things take a turn when she attempts to k*ll him, only to end up signing a deal with him instead, which ends up getting Juliette k*lled in the process. Granted, at least Juliette gets to come back as a ghost on the nights that the circus is open for business. But it also means that the old deals are out for everyone on the island, and new deals are put into place. Deals that favor Samuel far more and he's taking advantage of it in a lousy way. Things all come to a head when Samuel outs Callie for the fact that it is *technically* her fault that the deals have fallen out, and everyone begins to hate her, leading to her taking even more drastic measures in an attempt to overthrow him.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoilers

So Callie is determined to best Samuel. She asks Lorena for help in killing Samuel, but in the end she can't do it because she has to kill her pet Raptor and she just can't bring herself to do it. By not killing him though she breaks all of his former contracts leaving everyone vulnerable. He spins the story that she knew everything and it was her fault everyone had to renew, but Amy is furious because her daughter dies when the first contracts are nullified. Callie is turned on by everyone in the circus, even after they agree to help her on a quest. That all ends and she finds a new way to get to Samuel. The ending has given me more questions than answers though. Does she stay on the Island, does Benny stay on the island? Do the islanders change back to liking her. And what happens to the ghosts.

[Kiranna Travellyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, this series is amazing. Just when I think it can't possibly get any better, it absolutely does. The storyline is very unique, I've never read anything quite like this. This island is shrouded in so much mystery, there are somethings you will see coming. But it's the things you don't see coming that make this so jaw dropping, I'm not one for the circus as clowns creep me out. Still reading this, has it's jump scare moments. The characters are so well written, that even the bad guys steal your heart. Callie is stubborn and headstrong, but lacks confidence. She's definitely a great main character, and Samuel and Benny are very interesting. This book ended with a cliffhanger, that has left me totally reeling. This is a series that is definitely worth reading, and will possibly become a top favourite for most people.