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The Circus
With the old king gone and the kingdom restless, a traveling circus is sent through Liralind to calm the people.
Wherever it stops, someone dies.
As the killings spread through the Mountains of the Moon, Lord Paul Vane and his wife Alexandretta begin to see the pattern beneath the spectacle — a performance masking something far darker.
The Circus is a dark fantasy mystery about distraction, power, and the violence that follows when fear is dressed as entertainment.
Wherever it stops, someone dies.
As the killings spread through the Mountains of the Moon, Lord Paul Vane and his wife Alexandretta begin to see the pattern beneath the spectacle — a performance masking something far darker.
The Circus is a dark fantasy mystery about distraction, power, and the violence that follows when fear is dressed as entertainment.
- GenresFantasy
56 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2020
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 7, 2020
This is the second time that I review something by this author. This story was sent to me in exchange for an honest review and I loved it! Loving thriller and mistery a lot, this short story was perfect for me. It kept my eyes glued to the pages flying between the chapters.
This is a murder mystery set after "the first gate" (that you should definitely read as well) and it follows the story of Paul and Alex, husband and wife, who are trying to catch a killer while a mysterious circus is involved. Full of plot twist and beautifully written, I was immediately fascinated by it. The characters are well defined and not stereotyped at all; I genuinely cared about them and their stories. The ending wasn't obvious or something I've read before, very original and full of suspense. I hope there's a sequel coming very soon because I can't stop thinking about it. I really wanna say thank you to this fantastic author for giving me the opportunity to read another of his wonderful stories!
This is a murder mystery set after "the first gate" (that you should definitely read as well) and it follows the story of Paul and Alex, husband and wife, who are trying to catch a killer while a mysterious circus is involved. Full of plot twist and beautifully written, I was immediately fascinated by it. The characters are well defined and not stereotyped at all; I genuinely cared about them and their stories. The ending wasn't obvious or something I've read before, very original and full of suspense. I hope there's a sequel coming very soon because I can't stop thinking about it. I really wanna say thank you to this fantastic author for giving me the opportunity to read another of his wonderful stories!
December 3, 2020
*3.5/5
In the second installment of the Tales of Aeden series, we follow the Vane family.
While the rest of the kingdom tries to find the missing king, the lands of the Vanes are terrorised by a serial killer.
This time, the main character is Alexa, the wife of the local lord, Paul and we see the events through her eyes. We learn hers and Paul's backstory and view the gruesome killings through her eyes.
Paul and his twin brother Dimitri are set on to find the murderer and from there on, a journey starts.
My thoughts.
What I liked about this more than the first book was definitely the circus setting. I wish there were more scenes there. I liked how we were introduced to the performers and maybe I would have liked to see them on action or spend more time with them.
I also would have liked to see more scenes of both familiar and romantic love, given the fact that the three main characters are a couple and the guy's brother. But that's a personal preference thing.
I also liked how the author wasn't afraid to go down a dark route and ended a story in a way that's not really expected.
The problems of this novel are quite similar to the ones The First Gate had.
The plot and action were weak at some parts, it was suggested that Alexa had a deeper backstory but that didn't go anywhere, I didn't get what was so important and impactful of the 'who was the killer' twist and of course as I've said before, 60 pages are not enough for the development of a complicated story.
Overall, this was an easy and quick read, which in my opinion, is a plus. I am curious to know what is going to happen next.
If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care :) :) :)
I was kindly sent a free e-book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
In the second installment of the Tales of Aeden series, we follow the Vane family.
While the rest of the kingdom tries to find the missing king, the lands of the Vanes are terrorised by a serial killer.
This time, the main character is Alexa, the wife of the local lord, Paul and we see the events through her eyes. We learn hers and Paul's backstory and view the gruesome killings through her eyes.
Paul and his twin brother Dimitri are set on to find the murderer and from there on, a journey starts.
My thoughts.
What I liked about this more than the first book was definitely the circus setting. I wish there were more scenes there. I liked how we were introduced to the performers and maybe I would have liked to see them on action or spend more time with them.
I also would have liked to see more scenes of both familiar and romantic love, given the fact that the three main characters are a couple and the guy's brother. But that's a personal preference thing.
I also liked how the author wasn't afraid to go down a dark route and ended a story in a way that's not really expected.
The problems of this novel are quite similar to the ones The First Gate had.
The plot and action were weak at some parts, it was suggested that Alexa had a deeper backstory but that didn't go anywhere, I didn't get what was so important and impactful of the 'who was the killer' twist and of course as I've said before, 60 pages are not enough for the development of a complicated story.
Overall, this was an easy and quick read, which in my opinion, is a plus. I am curious to know what is going to happen next.
If you made it this far, congratulations!
'Til next time, take care :) :) :)
I was kindly sent a free e-book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2020
4.5 ✨
First I wanna to thank you Jonathan Hunter to give me the opportunity to read his shortstory 💕
I really like the covers of his books because they’re so different compared to covers in Germany…
And the story is so good too because there are so many changes that I didn’t expected… Every-time when I thought I know what’s going on than something else come into the story and changed the whole situation and this makes this story so exciting 😍
A thing that bothered me was sometimes the languages. I mean I’m not the best english speaker but sometimes some sentences are a little bit strange. And I read some other reviews and found out that I’m not the only one who recognized this… But for the fairness I’ve to say that this doesn’t make the story more bad because this hasn’t a such big effect on the storyline because Jonathan has a really good writing style …
Last I wanna to point out that sometimes I missed sometimes a intense description of things that happens but at the most time they’re there.
This little things are the reason why I decided to give the story 4.5 stars ✨ but the storyline was so amazing and I’m really happy that I could read the story 💕
First I wanna to thank you Jonathan Hunter to give me the opportunity to read his shortstory 💕
I really like the covers of his books because they’re so different compared to covers in Germany…
And the story is so good too because there are so many changes that I didn’t expected… Every-time when I thought I know what’s going on than something else come into the story and changed the whole situation and this makes this story so exciting 😍
A thing that bothered me was sometimes the languages. I mean I’m not the best english speaker but sometimes some sentences are a little bit strange. And I read some other reviews and found out that I’m not the only one who recognized this… But for the fairness I’ve to say that this doesn’t make the story more bad because this hasn’t a such big effect on the storyline because Jonathan has a really good writing style …
Last I wanna to point out that sometimes I missed sometimes a intense description of things that happens but at the most time they’re there.
This little things are the reason why I decided to give the story 4.5 stars ✨ but the storyline was so amazing and I’m really happy that I could read the story 💕
October 31, 2020
Disclaimer: I received this ebook from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Circus
Author: Jonathan Hunter
Book Series: The Lost Aeden Book 0.6
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers
Publication Date: April 1, 2020
Genre: Fantasy Short Story
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 56
Synopsis: King Alfred has disappeared. As the rest of the kingdom tries to hold itself together a serial killer starts threatening the lands of the Vane family.
*takes place 5000 years before Tournament of the Lost and a few weeks after The First Gate*
Review: Overall, this was a good book as well. The detail in such a short story is amazing and the character development is as well. The book also had an interesting premise.
However, it was super short and very fast paced. The book also didn’t have a very well defined plot in my opinion.
Verdict: It was good but short.
Book: The Circus
Author: Jonathan Hunter
Book Series: The Lost Aeden Book 0.6
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers
Publication Date: April 1, 2020
Genre: Fantasy Short Story
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, slight gore)
Publisher: Indie Published
Pages: 56
Synopsis: King Alfred has disappeared. As the rest of the kingdom tries to hold itself together a serial killer starts threatening the lands of the Vane family.
*takes place 5000 years before Tournament of the Lost and a few weeks after The First Gate*
Review: Overall, this was a good book as well. The detail in such a short story is amazing and the character development is as well. The book also had an interesting premise.
However, it was super short and very fast paced. The book also didn’t have a very well defined plot in my opinion.
Verdict: It was good but short.
May 1, 2020
4*
I want to thank the author who kindly sent me this short story in exchange for an honest review.
This is a second short story in this world that takes place a couple of weeks after The First Gate. I read this right after I finished the prior short story, so I was interested to see how will this one connect with that insane ending. I would say that this one gave a lot more mystery and crime-solving vibes than the first one, which is not all that surprising considering that the main focus is on Alex and Paul, married rulers, who are trying to solve a series of murders that have happened in their lands. Their already hard investigation gets a lot more complicated by the appearance of the Circus. I love it when a Circus is present in the fantasy bc there are so many possibilities with its members to give the story that extra edge and the author surely did not disappoint. Having many different, unique, and weird characters made guessing the identity of the killer even more entertaining since they all could have easily done it. Another thing that benefited the story was the love relationship between the previously mentioned couple. It was pure and wholesome and even though the setting was historical, the position of woman wasn't subordinate to the man, which I always appreciate. Once again the ending was shocking and gory, but it suited the story. For me, the best part of reading this story is getting the vibe of this universe as well as getting to know the writer's style. Like the previous one, this had some minor imperfections and I wasn't fun of the reveal in the end. I would prefer it if it had been left as a loose end, but that is just my personal preference. All and all, it is a really interesting story and I would highly recommend it to all the fantasy-mystery lovers.
I want to thank the author who kindly sent me this short story in exchange for an honest review.
This is a second short story in this world that takes place a couple of weeks after The First Gate. I read this right after I finished the prior short story, so I was interested to see how will this one connect with that insane ending. I would say that this one gave a lot more mystery and crime-solving vibes than the first one, which is not all that surprising considering that the main focus is on Alex and Paul, married rulers, who are trying to solve a series of murders that have happened in their lands. Their already hard investigation gets a lot more complicated by the appearance of the Circus. I love it when a Circus is present in the fantasy bc there are so many possibilities with its members to give the story that extra edge and the author surely did not disappoint. Having many different, unique, and weird characters made guessing the identity of the killer even more entertaining since they all could have easily done it. Another thing that benefited the story was the love relationship between the previously mentioned couple. It was pure and wholesome and even though the setting was historical, the position of woman wasn't subordinate to the man, which I always appreciate. Once again the ending was shocking and gory, but it suited the story. For me, the best part of reading this story is getting the vibe of this universe as well as getting to know the writer's style. Like the previous one, this had some minor imperfections and I wasn't fun of the reveal in the end. I would prefer it if it had been left as a loose end, but that is just my personal preference. All and all, it is a really interesting story and I would highly recommend it to all the fantasy-mystery lovers.
June 8, 2020
Circus is a short story just like The first gate. It's a sequel to The first Gate but different settings, different characters and completely different situation. Just like first Book this Book has mystery and thrill. This time the Book revolves around Alex and her husband Paul. Both of them want to solve the mystery of mass murder. Alex and Paul were really good together sometimes they work as a team and have faithful to each other. The mystery in each and every character was worth reading.
June 20, 2021
The second story from the world of Aeden takes place a few weeks after events that happened in The First Gate. This time it focuses on the life of Alex and Paul, who want to solve a series of mysterious murders. But it's not easy to find a killer, especially with the arrival of the Circus. It's a place full of creatures and freaks, where every single one of them could be guilty.
Although this was not my favorite story in Tales of Aeden series, I enjoyed it nevertheless. The murder mystery is gripping just as well as the writing style. There is no time to waste, this is a short story and that means there are no filler chapters or scenes, which gave great pacing to the story. The plot also had some horror aspects, but it's not comparable with The First Gate because both of these stories are on a completely different level. Overall, I would recommend this story to readers who are too afraid to try The First Gate (though you should!) and want to try a thrilling and quick read!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Although this was not my favorite story in Tales of Aeden series, I enjoyed it nevertheless. The murder mystery is gripping just as well as the writing style. There is no time to waste, this is a short story and that means there are no filler chapters or scenes, which gave great pacing to the story. The plot also had some horror aspects, but it's not comparable with The First Gate because both of these stories are on a completely different level. Overall, I would recommend this story to readers who are too afraid to try The First Gate (though you should!) and want to try a thrilling and quick read!
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2020
very good story, I would recommend myself
April 8, 2020
The Circus is a short story that takes place 5000 years before the book "Tournament of the Lost" and a few weeks after the short story "The First Gate"
We follow Alex and Paul, a couple that's trying to solve the mystery behind a series of murders commited on the lands they rule. As king Alfred has disappeared and the gruesome, mysterious murders keep happening, our main characters are faced with a complicated task of finding a killer. The task which is made even harder by the visit of the Circus, full of unusual creatures that could be the potential suspects.
This is a short and very entertaining read that, while having an emphasis on the murder-mystery, horror elements, still manages to keep the compelling, intricate atmosphere of the world of the book.
It's scary and chilling, but also has a small circle of characters you easily form an emotional bond with, so it leaves you wanting to follow more of their story once you are finished reading.
We are following the point of view of Alex (one of the two main characters), Paul's wife, who is very well written - she seems smart, loving and strong, and is definitely someone you want to read about more.
The Circus is a different approach yet one that doesn't lose the inital elements that draw you into the whole story.
These short stories, all together, could be a good introduction to the world, giving the reader a small glimpse of it, but are equally fun to read after you've read the first book, to give you a look at some of the earlier events in it's history.
Also...it's just really fun and creepy... and who doesn't like reading stories with these qualities
We follow Alex and Paul, a couple that's trying to solve the mystery behind a series of murders commited on the lands they rule. As king Alfred has disappeared and the gruesome, mysterious murders keep happening, our main characters are faced with a complicated task of finding a killer. The task which is made even harder by the visit of the Circus, full of unusual creatures that could be the potential suspects.
This is a short and very entertaining read that, while having an emphasis on the murder-mystery, horror elements, still manages to keep the compelling, intricate atmosphere of the world of the book.
It's scary and chilling, but also has a small circle of characters you easily form an emotional bond with, so it leaves you wanting to follow more of their story once you are finished reading.
We are following the point of view of Alex (one of the two main characters), Paul's wife, who is very well written - she seems smart, loving and strong, and is definitely someone you want to read about more.
The Circus is a different approach yet one that doesn't lose the inital elements that draw you into the whole story.
These short stories, all together, could be a good introduction to the world, giving the reader a small glimpse of it, but are equally fun to read after you've read the first book, to give you a look at some of the earlier events in it's history.
Also...it's just really fun and creepy... and who doesn't like reading stories with these qualities
April 7, 2020
𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙲𝙸𝚁𝙲𝚄𝚂 𝙱𝚈 𝙹𝙾𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙷𝙰𝙽 𝙷𝚄𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁
release date: March 31st 2020
genre: Fantasy
rating: ★★★★★
The Circus, even with this name, is a eerie story about a serial killer rooming the lands of the Vane family, killing both men, women and children. Jonathan's writing is as brilliant as ever. The story feels complete but in the end you still want more and more.
❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆.❞
After King Alfred disappeared, a serial killer starts threatening the peaceful lands of the Vane family. The High Lord Paul, his wife Alex and his brother Dimitri are trying their hardest on finding the murderer amongst the Circus that has arrived into their land. But finding a killer amongst the Circus freaks proves to be very hard, when everyone seems like a perfect suspect.
❝...𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏.❞
But what happens next will completely blindside you and leave you confused and speechless. This is the reason why I am truly in awe of Jonathan's writing.
❝...𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.❞
Overall, I am completely in love with this short story, and I would highly recommend it to everyone who like high fantasy and to those who have read any of Jonathan Hunter's books.
release date: March 31st 2020
genre: Fantasy
rating: ★★★★★
The Circus, even with this name, is a eerie story about a serial killer rooming the lands of the Vane family, killing both men, women and children. Jonathan's writing is as brilliant as ever. The story feels complete but in the end you still want more and more.
❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆.❞
After King Alfred disappeared, a serial killer starts threatening the peaceful lands of the Vane family. The High Lord Paul, his wife Alex and his brother Dimitri are trying their hardest on finding the murderer amongst the Circus that has arrived into their land. But finding a killer amongst the Circus freaks proves to be very hard, when everyone seems like a perfect suspect.
❝...𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏.❞
But what happens next will completely blindside you and leave you confused and speechless. This is the reason why I am truly in awe of Jonathan's writing.
❝...𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.❞
Overall, I am completely in love with this short story, and I would highly recommend it to everyone who like high fantasy and to those who have read any of Jonathan Hunter's books.
July 25, 2020
Again, a huge thanks to Jonathan Hunter for asking me to review his book.
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.
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“You know what they say if you dance to the Unknown Song whilst in love”
“That even in death our souls will find one another.”
.
.
.
Again, I finished this one in one go. It was shorter than the first but just as captivating! It was situated in the same world of Aeden, with magic and evil and tragedy.
This time it was from the POV of a Lady who was accompanying Lord Paul and his brother to solve a crime of serial murder.
Every page was full of suspense and the plot was fast rolling; hence not a moment of boredom.
I love this fantasy world and give this one another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It ends with Paul’s and his brother, Dimitri’s, death- and a curse befalling on the entire family for ‘almost’ being able to capture the villain.
This is set one generation after The First Gate.
Thank you for sharing such an amazing story with us Jonathan!
.
.
.
“You know what they say if you dance to the Unknown Song whilst in love”
“That even in death our souls will find one another.”
.
.
.
Again, I finished this one in one go. It was shorter than the first but just as captivating! It was situated in the same world of Aeden, with magic and evil and tragedy.
This time it was from the POV of a Lady who was accompanying Lord Paul and his brother to solve a crime of serial murder.
Every page was full of suspense and the plot was fast rolling; hence not a moment of boredom.
I love this fantasy world and give this one another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It ends with Paul’s and his brother, Dimitri’s, death- and a curse befalling on the entire family for ‘almost’ being able to capture the villain.
This is set one generation after The First Gate.
Thank you for sharing such an amazing story with us Jonathan!
June 9, 2020
Thanks to the author for kindly sending me an eARC of this book. That said, my review of it is unbiased and completely of my own.
The Circus is a pretty interesting dark fantasy that has you hooked from the very first chapter. I have a few qualms but overall, it's quite intriguing.
The characters, no matter how much history they were given, fell quite flat in my opinion. The story felt pretty rushed too, which left me a little confused at first. All this, I think, is excusable as it IS a short story.
It also contains a few grotesque creatures and people and even a few taboos (which I frankly LOVE) but it wasn't quite... Vivid.
However, despite all my nitpicking, the plot is super engaging and the writing was quickly able to soothe you into the world. With no filler chapters and quick build up, it was an enjoyable read!
The Circus is a pretty interesting dark fantasy that has you hooked from the very first chapter. I have a few qualms but overall, it's quite intriguing.
The characters, no matter how much history they were given, fell quite flat in my opinion. The story felt pretty rushed too, which left me a little confused at first. All this, I think, is excusable as it IS a short story.
It also contains a few grotesque creatures and people and even a few taboos (which I frankly LOVE) but it wasn't quite... Vivid.
However, despite all my nitpicking, the plot is super engaging and the writing was quickly able to soothe you into the world. With no filler chapters and quick build up, it was an enjoyable read!
April 23, 2023
The Circus:
Author: Jonathan Hunter
Part two: In the Lost Aeden series
After King Alfred has disappeared, the darkness seems to be expanding at a rapid pace.
The Vane family is startled by a mysterious killer who is rampaging across their lands. During these dark times, a circus arrives in the family's lands.
The circus staff consists of a mix of a particularly inhuman company. This ensures that they are quickly seen as suspects. It is the Vane family their task to track down the killer with all the consequences that entails.
The writer knows how to the build up the tension in this story. I am a big fan of circus stories especially if they have a creepy or mysterious touch. I would have liked to find out more about the circus staff their personalities and backgrounds.
Trigger warnings:
Violence/murder and horror elements
Author: Jonathan Hunter
Part two: In the Lost Aeden series
After King Alfred has disappeared, the darkness seems to be expanding at a rapid pace.
The Vane family is startled by a mysterious killer who is rampaging across their lands. During these dark times, a circus arrives in the family's lands.
The circus staff consists of a mix of a particularly inhuman company. This ensures that they are quickly seen as suspects. It is the Vane family their task to track down the killer with all the consequences that entails.
The writer knows how to the build up the tension in this story. I am a big fan of circus stories especially if they have a creepy or mysterious touch. I would have liked to find out more about the circus staff their personalities and backgrounds.
Trigger warnings:
Violence/murder and horror elements
May 3, 2020
The Circus is a short story that manages to catch your attention right away with mystery, magic and horror.
The Kingdom is trying to hold it self together after King Alfred’s disappearing, while the main characters, Alex and Paul are doing all they can to catch a serial killer on the land they rule. All of this combined with a circus with potential suspects gives us a suspenseful murder mystery.
I especially enjoyed the world building that manages to captivate the same incredible atmosphere as his other work Tournament of the Lost and The First Gate.
I wish that the ending with the revealing of the serial killer had been a little better. But it was an overall enjoyable read and I’m always excited to see what Hunter comes up with next.
The Kingdom is trying to hold it self together after King Alfred’s disappearing, while the main characters, Alex and Paul are doing all they can to catch a serial killer on the land they rule. All of this combined with a circus with potential suspects gives us a suspenseful murder mystery.
I especially enjoyed the world building that manages to captivate the same incredible atmosphere as his other work Tournament of the Lost and The First Gate.
I wish that the ending with the revealing of the serial killer had been a little better. But it was an overall enjoyable read and I’m always excited to see what Hunter comes up with next.
July 23, 2020
I would like to thank the author for sending me the book for a honest review in return. This book was a 3.75 stars for me.
This is the second short story in the Tales of Aeden series. I enjoyed the story and I liked the characters. The ending was quite a shock for me as I did not expect that to happen 😁. But personally, I liked the first story 'The first gate' more and I was expecting the same kind of horror feeling, but with this story, I just didn't feel it as much as I wanted to. There was also some punctuation issues which is normally not a problem for me, but when I read this book, I felt like that issue took away the vibe of the story.
Overall, still a nice story and I will definitely continue with the series.
This is the second short story in the Tales of Aeden series. I enjoyed the story and I liked the characters. The ending was quite a shock for me as I did not expect that to happen 😁. But personally, I liked the first story 'The first gate' more and I was expecting the same kind of horror feeling, but with this story, I just didn't feel it as much as I wanted to. There was also some punctuation issues which is normally not a problem for me, but when I read this book, I felt like that issue took away the vibe of the story.
Overall, still a nice story and I will definitely continue with the series.
January 15, 2022
The story follows Paul and Alex, a married couple, who are trying to solve multiple murders that happen in their lands. They realize that murders have happened in every town that had been visited by a mysterious circus. Along with their crime investigation, you get a glimpse of their romantic history and relationship, which makes a nice addition to the main plot. All in all, the story is very intriguing and has some dramatic plot twists. If you like to read murder mysteries with a hint of romance, this one’s for you.
June 3, 2020
Pet me tell you guys, I was captivated by this book since the beginning. I found it somewhat similar to a murder mystery and absolutely loved it. There are clues placed in plain sight yet you don't quite pick up on them immediately. I was lucky to have picked up on one, and even though I had a feeling I knew who had done it, I was still never really sure. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about reading it!
February 21, 2025
I thought this would be a lighter read in the Tales of Aeden series but I was wrong. The unspeakable beings that came through the circus to rejoice the coronation of King Theodore in Liralind. I liked the addition of Paul and Alexandretta's characters which added multiple layers to the storyline.
The murders happening through the stories were gory.
Anyone who enjoys dark fantasy will love this book.
The murders happening through the stories were gory.
Anyone who enjoys dark fantasy will love this book.
May 21, 2020
Whoa, where do I start? The story is amazing, full of twists and turns.
The Circus is about finding a serial killer who might very well be part of the mysterious circus that has come to town. Gruesome, ruthless murders are taking place all around and the main characters, Alex and Paul, are trying to figure out who's behind them. I love the world building and the turns the story takes, because you truly would never expect what happens. This is a mystery and wow that ending!
The Circus is about finding a serial killer who might very well be part of the mysterious circus that has come to town. Gruesome, ruthless murders are taking place all around and the main characters, Alex and Paul, are trying to figure out who's behind them. I love the world building and the turns the story takes, because you truly would never expect what happens. This is a mystery and wow that ending!
May 26, 2020
Let me start by saying that the visuals and plot for this story were very well done. However, it could have been a LOT longer. I felt that it was rushed and there were holes and backstory that could have been established a bit more. Also, I’m a bit of a grammar and spelling OCD freak and all of the errors in this story really distracted me from enjoying it. Feeling disappointed in this read 😔
June 19, 2020
Thank you to the author for reaching out and sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This short story, according to the author, takes place a few weeks after the events of “The First Gate” (you can find my review for that one as well).
The story starts off with the innocent joy of a child, hoping they will be able to go to the circus that’s come into town. But tragedy quickly follows, as all the members of their family is brutally murdered.
We follow the events of a group of people as they attempt to solve the mystery of the crime, as well as the other string of murders leading up to this one. We encounter various individuals in the circus, and any one of them could be the culprit.
But horror continues to ensue as more people die in quite horrible/horrific eats.
It was quite interesting to see how this story could’ve tied in with the previous one, and I’m very interested to see how both short stories tie in to the main novel, which they are a prelude to.
The writing style was good, and the suspense really had me on the edge of my seat. It definitely had the perfect air of horror and thriller.
Again, like with the first one, there were noticeable spelling & grammar errors often associated with self-published books, but all in all I’d say it was a very solid short story.
This short story, according to the author, takes place a few weeks after the events of “The First Gate” (you can find my review for that one as well).
The story starts off with the innocent joy of a child, hoping they will be able to go to the circus that’s come into town. But tragedy quickly follows, as all the members of their family is brutally murdered.
We follow the events of a group of people as they attempt to solve the mystery of the crime, as well as the other string of murders leading up to this one. We encounter various individuals in the circus, and any one of them could be the culprit.
But horror continues to ensue as more people die in quite horrible/horrific eats.
It was quite interesting to see how this story could’ve tied in with the previous one, and I’m very interested to see how both short stories tie in to the main novel, which they are a prelude to.
The writing style was good, and the suspense really had me on the edge of my seat. It definitely had the perfect air of horror and thriller.
Again, like with the first one, there were noticeable spelling & grammar errors often associated with self-published books, but all in all I’d say it was a very solid short story.
March 14, 2021
This one is my favorite! There’s a serial killer murdering people wherever the Circus is, Paul and Alex are trying to catch it. I loved those two together by the way, they have one of the best meet-cutes ever. It was super interesting to learn more about the Vane family and how the past affects the present.
July 29, 2020
I started with this short story and I really enjoyed it. It was small and i felt like I need more. This story contains mystery and a bit of horror. Would be a great tale and would love to share with my siblings coz hey like creepy things :)
December 26, 2022
This story left me breathless.
It’s completely different from anything that the author has written before, because, this time it’s simply unsolved murders paired with mystery.
The writing is outstanding, not that I expected anything less from him.
This might my favorite one yet!
Just amazing!
It’s completely different from anything that the author has written before, because, this time it’s simply unsolved murders paired with mystery.
The writing is outstanding, not that I expected anything less from him.
This might my favorite one yet!
Just amazing!
June 7, 2020
Taking place a few weeks after 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬 shows the Kingdom's struggle to keep itself together after King Alfred's disappearance. We follow the protagonists Alex and Paul as they try to catch a serial killer threatening their land. Add a circus with suspects to the mix and you've got a rather entertaining murder mystery.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 was just as good as 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞, I actually liked it better. It has such a good balance of mystery and horror but also warmth as the characters relationships are intricately illustrated. It was impossible not to form an emotional connection with them which further drew me in. The world building is so well done and captures the same creepy atmosphere as the previous short story but with a serial killer on the loose, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬's suspenseful plot can certainly hold its own.
Recommended for those who enjoy character driven stories and suspense.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞 was just as good as 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞, I actually liked it better. It has such a good balance of mystery and horror but also warmth as the characters relationships are intricately illustrated. It was impossible not to form an emotional connection with them which further drew me in. The world building is so well done and captures the same creepy atmosphere as the previous short story but with a serial killer on the loose, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬's suspenseful plot can certainly hold its own.
Recommended for those who enjoy character driven stories and suspense.
June 9, 2020
*3.5
This is the continuation story from The First Gate, with different side of the story and different POV.
The Circus is about finding a mysterious serial killer, a glimpse of the story for the book, Tournament of the Lost. It’s only 57 pages, yet the plot is well crafted.
I could not see the ending was coming.
I know that I might in no position to saying this, I found that the writing still needs to be corrected, it didn’t happen in The First Gate, though. I thought, it was just typo, but it was consistent till the end. I don’t know, maybe I got the unedited version.
However, despite I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The First Gate, this was still compelling and I would recommend this story to those who love to read grimdark book.
This is the continuation story from The First Gate, with different side of the story and different POV.
The Circus is about finding a mysterious serial killer, a glimpse of the story for the book, Tournament of the Lost. It’s only 57 pages, yet the plot is well crafted.
I could not see the ending was coming.
I know that I might in no position to saying this, I found that the writing still needs to be corrected, it didn’t happen in The First Gate, though. I thought, it was just typo, but it was consistent till the end. I don’t know, maybe I got the unedited version.
However, despite I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed The First Gate, this was still compelling and I would recommend this story to those who love to read grimdark book.
June 5, 2024
I love the mystery aspect of this one!
I liked the story of The First Gate better but what made me like The Circus was the mystery. I'm a fan of mysteries, puzzles, etc., and this story delivers! As the story progresses, you will continue to guess who the perpetrator is. Is it this person, or that person? Because each of them is a bit suspicious.
The atmosphere is not as gloomy as the first story but we can see a different part of the world. I like that the setting of Aeden is not only focused on one location.
I just hope we can solve the mystery together with the main characters. Maybe drop some obvious hints here and there and not just reveal them at the end. But overall I enjoyed it!
I liked the story of The First Gate better but what made me like The Circus was the mystery. I'm a fan of mysteries, puzzles, etc., and this story delivers! As the story progresses, you will continue to guess who the perpetrator is. Is it this person, or that person? Because each of them is a bit suspicious.
The atmosphere is not as gloomy as the first story but we can see a different part of the world. I like that the setting of Aeden is not only focused on one location.
I just hope we can solve the mystery together with the main characters. Maybe drop some obvious hints here and there and not just reveal them at the end. But overall I enjoyed it!
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