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Bacchanal
Evil lives in a traveling carnival roaming the Depression-era South. But the carnival’s newest act, a peculiar young woman with latent magical powers, may hold the key to defeating it. Her time has come.
Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge.
Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers.
Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.
Abandoned by her family, alone on the wrong side of the color line with little to call her own, Eliza Meeks is coming to terms with what she does have. It’s a gift for communicating with animals. To some, she’s a magical tender. To others, a she-devil. To a talent prospector, she’s a crowd-drawing oddity. And the Bacchanal Carnival is Eliza’s ticket out of the swamp trap of Baton Rouge.
Among fortune-tellers, carnies, barkers, and folks even stranger than herself, Eliza finds a new home. But the Bacchanal is no ordinary carnival. An ancient demon has a home there too. She hides behind an iridescent disguise. She feeds on innocent souls. And she’s met her match in Eliza, who’s only beginning to understand the purpose of her own burgeoning powers.
Only then can Eliza save her friends, find her family, and fight the sway of a primordial demon preying upon the human world. Rolling across a consuming dust bowl landscape, Eliza may have found her destiny.
351 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2021
4091 people are currently reading
15386 people want to read
About the author
Veronica G. Henry
13 books544 followersVeronica G. Henry is the author of Bacchanal, The Quarter Storm, and The Foreign Exchange in the Mambo Reina series.
Her work has debuted at #1 on multiple Amazon bestseller charts, was chosen as an editors’ pick for Best African American Fantasy, and shortlisted for the Manly Wade Wellman Award.
She is a Viable Paradise alum and a member of SFWA and MWA. Her stories have appeared, or are forthcoming, in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and FIYAH Literary Magazine.
Her work has debuted at #1 on multiple Amazon bestseller charts, was chosen as an editors’ pick for Best African American Fantasy, and shortlisted for the Manly Wade Wellman Award.
She is a Viable Paradise alum and a member of SFWA and MWA. Her stories have appeared, or are forthcoming, in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and FIYAH Literary Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 967 reviews
January 29, 2021
If you took the Night Circus and viewed it through the gaze of a young Black woman in the Great Depression, you might get Veronica Henry's Bacchanal. Demons, lies, and secrets. This book is not an easy read, by turns uncomfortable and demanding that readers meet it partway. The journey is worthwhile.
May 16, 2021
1.5*
there's a really good story in here somewhere, but... this reads like a first draft. awkward, clunky, switching between rushed action and laboriously slow sections where nothing happens, over and over. also, the romance was pretty gross and entirely uncompelling, with liza seemingly having no respect for herself, and both her and her two love interests acting like children. a lot of storming off and avoiding each other and forced miscommunication. and a lot of pretty distasteful sexism/enforcement of gender roles, that just... wasn't interrogated, at all?
there's a really good story in here somewhere, but... this reads like a first draft. awkward, clunky, switching between rushed action and laboriously slow sections where nothing happens, over and over. also, the romance was pretty gross and entirely uncompelling, with liza seemingly having no respect for herself, and both her and her two love interests acting like children. a lot of storming off and avoiding each other and forced miscommunication. and a lot of pretty distasteful sexism/enforcement of gender roles, that just... wasn't interrogated, at all?
June 8, 2021
I was enjoying Bacchanal at first. It follows a cast of characters working at a carnival in the 1930s. But this book was trying to crossover many genres and just wasn't hitting hard enough for me. It didn't have enough dark fantasy or horror elements to intrigue me. Much of the story is just following the characters through daily carnival life. Liza has a gift that allows her to speak to spirits and animals and she's learning to balance that. I had problems with the pacing in that in some areas it went too fast and in other areas it moved too slow. I liked some of the more creepy moments when the spirits exposed themselves at the carnival but it wasn't enough to make the story memorable for me.
May 29, 2021
"Welcome to Hell!"
DNF @ 36%
This book whispered to me like something evil and creepy lurking in the dark. It called to me and captured me in it’s clutches. An evil surrounding a traveling carnival, an abandoned child with weird powers, and a devilish pact only she can break. It offered so much darkness and it was a book that I knew I needed to read.
Depression-era in the sweltering heat of Louisiana, a young woman is left behind by her family only with a photograph and an amulet. Her powers frighten some and others welcome her gift. She has the gift to communicate with animals and it comes in handy as she learns to survive on her own.
The traveling carnival known as Bacchanal comes into town and the owner spots Eliza and her special gift. He offers her a spot as an oddity and she accepts. This is finally her way out of dirty jobs and the South.
As she sinks into the routine of Carnival life and lives among the other carnival folk, a demon is slithering her way through the innocent souls of the townsfolk. Hiding in a disguise and feeding on their souls.
Now it’s Elizas time to grasp her destiny and try to save all she knows and loves from this demon. Will she be strong enough to succeed? Or the will demon drain the souls of the innocent forever?
It started off a lot slower that I usually want in a book like this. Parts got interesting as the demon made her appearance and made a devilish deal but not much happened in the pages that I’ve read. It was very slow paced and the writing style was kind of boring. It made for a very agonizingly slow read where there was zero connection to the characters.
Bacchanal had a lot going for it but it wasn’t executed properly. This could have been my favorite book of the year but it’s going to end up on the bad list. It really pained me to say that because it had a lot of amazing things going for it. It was just moved at a snails pace and I lost interest.
DNF @ 36%
This book whispered to me like something evil and creepy lurking in the dark. It called to me and captured me in it’s clutches. An evil surrounding a traveling carnival, an abandoned child with weird powers, and a devilish pact only she can break. It offered so much darkness and it was a book that I knew I needed to read.
Depression-era in the sweltering heat of Louisiana, a young woman is left behind by her family only with a photograph and an amulet. Her powers frighten some and others welcome her gift. She has the gift to communicate with animals and it comes in handy as she learns to survive on her own.
The traveling carnival known as Bacchanal comes into town and the owner spots Eliza and her special gift. He offers her a spot as an oddity and she accepts. This is finally her way out of dirty jobs and the South.
As she sinks into the routine of Carnival life and lives among the other carnival folk, a demon is slithering her way through the innocent souls of the townsfolk. Hiding in a disguise and feeding on their souls.
Now it’s Elizas time to grasp her destiny and try to save all she knows and loves from this demon. Will she be strong enough to succeed? Or the will demon drain the souls of the innocent forever?
It started off a lot slower that I usually want in a book like this. Parts got interesting as the demon made her appearance and made a devilish deal but not much happened in the pages that I’ve read. It was very slow paced and the writing style was kind of boring. It made for a very agonizingly slow read where there was zero connection to the characters.
Bacchanal had a lot going for it but it wasn’t executed properly. This could have been my favorite book of the year but it’s going to end up on the bad list. It really pained me to say that because it had a lot of amazing things going for it. It was just moved at a snails pace and I lost interest.
February 18, 2025
This story was right up my proverbial alley. I loved the circus and magical realism aspects. The main character was great and I enjoyed her dynamics with the other characters.
My only real problem with this book was that I really struggled to keep track of the timeline of events, I was never quite sure how much time separated each event so the progression of the characters relationships often seemed odd.
My only real problem with this book was that I really struggled to keep track of the timeline of events, I was never quite sure how much time separated each event so the progression of the characters relationships often seemed odd.
June 13, 2021
This took a little while to get into as there were so many POV's to follow and a lot of activity thrown around all at once. However, I enjoyed it enough to finish the book and I really liked the ending!
May 21, 2021
On my blog.
Rep: Black mcs
CWs: gore, violence, self harm, child deaths
Galley provided by publisher
If you find yourself looking for a creepy historical paranormal mystery, Bacchanal is going to be the book for you. Set in a carnival, it follows Liza, who has the ability to communicate with animals, and who is also searching for her family. But all is not as it seems at this carnival and, in its wake, it leaves a trail of missing children.
The book is very atmospheric, which is a good thing, because it’s also quite slowburning. The plot doesn’t exactly move quickly — although when it gets going towards the end, it really gets going. It spends a lot of time building up the creepiness of the carnival. Which is fine, but I found myself a tiny bit bored and skimming at points.
I suppose this is where it didn’t help that much to have multiple POVs. I find this a lot with me and mysteries, to be fair. If I know more about what’s going on than the nominal protagonist does, I get impatient. In all fairness, though, this book did a good job of keeping me interested besides. There was plenty for the protagonists to find out that other POVs didn’t know either.
In all honesty, this is a difficult one to review, I’m finding. Because I did like it, but I also wanted more from it. From the premise, from the very concept even, it felt like it should be amazing. But in the end, not a whole lot of it sticks in my mind, besides that concept. For all that I did enjoy it, I also found it a little bit forgettable.
But if the premise interests you, I would highly recommend giving this one a go. It’s a book I enjoyed reading and, to be honest, that’s enough.
Rep: Black mcs
CWs: gore, violence, self harm, child deaths
Galley provided by publisher
If you find yourself looking for a creepy historical paranormal mystery, Bacchanal is going to be the book for you. Set in a carnival, it follows Liza, who has the ability to communicate with animals, and who is also searching for her family. But all is not as it seems at this carnival and, in its wake, it leaves a trail of missing children.
The book is very atmospheric, which is a good thing, because it’s also quite slowburning. The plot doesn’t exactly move quickly — although when it gets going towards the end, it really gets going. It spends a lot of time building up the creepiness of the carnival. Which is fine, but I found myself a tiny bit bored and skimming at points.
I suppose this is where it didn’t help that much to have multiple POVs. I find this a lot with me and mysteries, to be fair. If I know more about what’s going on than the nominal protagonist does, I get impatient. In all fairness, though, this book did a good job of keeping me interested besides. There was plenty for the protagonists to find out that other POVs didn’t know either.
In all honesty, this is a difficult one to review, I’m finding. Because I did like it, but I also wanted more from it. From the premise, from the very concept even, it felt like it should be amazing. But in the end, not a whole lot of it sticks in my mind, besides that concept. For all that I did enjoy it, I also found it a little bit forgettable.
But if the premise interests you, I would highly recommend giving this one a go. It’s a book I enjoyed reading and, to be honest, that’s enough.
Read
August 17, 2023DNF I made it to 70% and found myself dreading picking it back up. I usually love carnival stories. This sounded great but it went on too many tangents, had too many characters and POV's, and don't even get me started on the love triangle. This wasn't at all for me.
If you don't like me adding me DNF's you probably don't want to follow me because I'm gonna die before I get all of these books I want to read finished and more of them keep coming out every day and we are all running out of time! So I have decided to start being ruthless. And yes, for me 70% read is ruthless. Baby steps, lol.
If you don't like me adding me DNF's you probably don't want to follow me because I'm gonna die before I get all of these books I want to read finished and more of them keep coming out every day and we are all running out of time! So I have decided to start being ruthless. And yes, for me 70% read is ruthless. Baby steps, lol.
November 30, 2024
Time of death: 75%
It started so good, and became ridiculous.
It started so good, and became ridiculous.
May 21, 2021
Amazing Story
I am still trying to figure it all out. A demon who owns a carnival! On the one hand, it is a charming and even exciting tale that kept me turning the pages. I was rooting for Lisa, and wondering where it was going. But it was such a fun and different read that I almost didn't even worry about how it would end. But once we got there, it was thrilling, but confusing to me in parts. I had to remind myself who certain characters were, a thing that rarely happens to me. I still have questions in my head but I am at peace with the ending. If you want to try something very different but captivating, pick up this book. You may like it or not, confused by it or not, but I promise you it is a thoughtful, entertaining, and even fun read. This author, who tells us she came to writing late in life, really had a story to tell! And I, for one, am so very glad she wrote it down.
I am still trying to figure it all out. A demon who owns a carnival! On the one hand, it is a charming and even exciting tale that kept me turning the pages. I was rooting for Lisa, and wondering where it was going. But it was such a fun and different read that I almost didn't even worry about how it would end. But once we got there, it was thrilling, but confusing to me in parts. I had to remind myself who certain characters were, a thing that rarely happens to me. I still have questions in my head but I am at peace with the ending. If you want to try something very different but captivating, pick up this book. You may like it or not, confused by it or not, but I promise you it is a thoughtful, entertaining, and even fun read. This author, who tells us she came to writing late in life, really had a story to tell! And I, for one, am so very glad she wrote it down.
February 17, 2023
Eliza is a black woman living in the deep south in the 1930s. But after using her magic to save a man she finds herself in a tricky situation. One that means she needs to get out of town. She joins a travelling carnival and moves from town to town wending their way towards the end of the season in Oklahoma.
But something about the carnival is off and nobody seems all that interested in finding out what. Nobody but Eliza. A demon is hiding among them and it is Eliza's mission to master her spirits and destroy it.
This is a meandering, challenging, difficult, uncomfortable book. It's brilliant but requires a commitment. Not something I normally read but it's well worth the effort.
But something about the carnival is off and nobody seems all that interested in finding out what. Nobody but Eliza. A demon is hiding among them and it is Eliza's mission to master her spirits and destroy it.
Trigger Warnings....so many.
– Child death and mistreatment.
– Animal death.
– Racism and Racial violence.
This is a meandering, challenging, difficult, uncomfortable book. It's brilliant but requires a commitment. Not something I normally read but it's well worth the effort.
May 18, 2021
3 star is a solid, I really did enjoy the theme of the story. However, the story timings were just off.
We started off at an OK pace, we then took 100 pages unnecessarily to build up an inbetween story which the foundation was just wasn't needed. It was extremely slow. I then felt the interesting details during the ending and after were just sailed over.
Feel like the writer evolved Liza whilst writing and didn't clearly understand what she was or wanted her to be till she was mid book which made it a little jumbled.
The significance also of delving into some of the secondary characters back stories also felt lost as they were just stuck in at times I don't feel held too much significance.
Overall I did like the theme of this work and It was easy to read. I would read something by Veronica again. I could imagine the carnival and could easily lose in the setting.
We started off at an OK pace, we then took 100 pages unnecessarily to build up an inbetween story which the foundation was just wasn't needed. It was extremely slow. I then felt the interesting details during the ending and after were just sailed over.
Feel like the writer evolved Liza whilst writing and didn't clearly understand what she was or wanted her to be till she was mid book which made it a little jumbled.
The significance also of delving into some of the secondary characters back stories also felt lost as they were just stuck in at times I don't feel held too much significance.
Overall I did like the theme of this work and It was easy to read. I would read something by Veronica again. I could imagine the carnival and could easily lose in the setting.
Did not finish
July 2, 2021Reads like Tamora Pierce trying to be Stephen King. Nothing wrong with either one, but this is a terrible mismatch of genres that never found its footing. And of course, there's a love triangle. *sigh*
DNF @ 62%
Narrator was good but read too slow, had to increase speed to 1.30 times and the story was still creeping along.
DNF @ 62%
Narrator was good but read too slow, had to increase speed to 1.30 times and the story was still creeping along.
August 8, 2021
If I wasn't buddy reading this book, it probably would have been a DNF. The beginning had promise; it started off strong with a good pace and interesting writing style. Things quickly became inconsistent and sloppy. If it stuck with Liza's POV instead of jumping around it would have been much better. The plot often lost footing, going into too many different directions, the point of the story too often thrown aside. The idea was original but the execution left much to be wanted.
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**Check me out on Bookstagram/Instagram! I'm @Iheartya311
**Looking to make new book friends? Join LiterALLy BOOKiSh on Facebook to read reviews, play games, join discussions and more!
May 15, 2021
this story follows a traveling carnival going around the depression-era south. when the newest act comes in, the evil plaguing the carnival might finally be defeated.
this book had beautifully descriptive writing. i thought it had a cool concept that was executed very well. it had the same vibes as the night circus, but personally i liked this one better.
this book had beautifully descriptive writing. i thought it had a cool concept that was executed very well. it had the same vibes as the night circus, but personally i liked this one better.
June 19, 2021
SPOILERS * SPOILERS * SPOILERS * SPOILERS *
Up until about the last 50 pages, I was going to round this up to a 3-star book. Slow, but with a few interesting bits that would make it worth while for a YA audience. Then I got to the end of the book and I was completely and utterly over it. At first I was disappointed in it but then I got angry at all the wasted potential of the story. Below are my major issues with it, there will be plenty of spoilers ahead.
1. Liza is irritating and not very interesting as a protagonist. For the longest time, I thought she was just a petulant 16 year old. NOPE! She's in her mid-20's and acts like she's 14! Almost every scene with her involved her getting into a childish little snit over absolutely nothing and either storming off or mouthing off. Even as her friendships and romantic relationships evolved, she didn't for the most part.
2. Her powers have almost no use in the story. Oh, she can talk to animals? Sweet! So she'll have like an animal army or can call on them to protect her in her hour of need or maybe just an animal companion that she works with the solve issues? What do you mean, no?! So she mostly just kills animals with her thoughts until almost halfway through the book when she throws together an animal show with two animals who play no further part in the story and drop off the story entirely just after she cobbles said show together? Her monkey companion just sort of hangs out in her pocket being cute and doesn't do much else...mmmmkayyy.
3. Until they do! So, in the last 40 odd pages, she can suddenly call on spirit guides who let her shapeshift, use healing magic, fight, and can then become POSSESSED BY THE SPIRIT OF THE GODDESS OYA! Where was all this earlier in the story when it would have been both useful and interesting. She could have been doing more than killing opossums with her mind this entire time and you cram it all in at the end because...uh...spiritual reasons. Yeah, that's it, she's...ummmmm...passed her spiritual tests now...
4. Why are they here? This book is just littered with absolutely useless and superfluous side characters. Autumn? Other than being her roommate and occasional sounding board, she did nothing and her chapter was just filler. Stephanie St. Clair? We could have had gangsters in this book but nope, she's just there to summon a demon and then visit her nephew working at the carnival. There were just so many side characters whose stories and actions came to nothing.
5. More demon, please! Ahiku was, without a doubt, the most interesting character in the entire book and there just isn't enough of her and her scheming. Honestly, if she had been in this more, the rating would be higher. After her lunch with the demons, I was way more interested in what they were doing that what was happening at the carnival.
6. Not enough murder. What got me hooked early on were the murders, disappearances, and general supernatural mayhem that was being offered up. I needed more of it to both create some suspense or peril for the other characters.
Up until about the last 50 pages, I was going to round this up to a 3-star book. Slow, but with a few interesting bits that would make it worth while for a YA audience. Then I got to the end of the book and I was completely and utterly over it. At first I was disappointed in it but then I got angry at all the wasted potential of the story. Below are my major issues with it, there will be plenty of spoilers ahead.
1. Liza is irritating and not very interesting as a protagonist. For the longest time, I thought she was just a petulant 16 year old. NOPE! She's in her mid-20's and acts like she's 14! Almost every scene with her involved her getting into a childish little snit over absolutely nothing and either storming off or mouthing off. Even as her friendships and romantic relationships evolved, she didn't for the most part.
2. Her powers have almost no use in the story. Oh, she can talk to animals? Sweet! So she'll have like an animal army or can call on them to protect her in her hour of need or maybe just an animal companion that she works with the solve issues? What do you mean, no?! So she mostly just kills animals with her thoughts until almost halfway through the book when she throws together an animal show with two animals who play no further part in the story and drop off the story entirely just after she cobbles said show together? Her monkey companion just sort of hangs out in her pocket being cute and doesn't do much else...mmmmkayyy.
3. Until they do! So, in the last 40 odd pages, she can suddenly call on spirit guides who let her shapeshift, use healing magic, fight, and can then become POSSESSED BY THE SPIRIT OF THE GODDESS OYA! Where was all this earlier in the story when it would have been both useful and interesting. She could have been doing more than killing opossums with her mind this entire time and you cram it all in at the end because...uh...spiritual reasons. Yeah, that's it, she's...ummmmm...passed her spiritual tests now...
4. Why are they here? This book is just littered with absolutely useless and superfluous side characters. Autumn? Other than being her roommate and occasional sounding board, she did nothing and her chapter was just filler. Stephanie St. Clair? We could have had gangsters in this book but nope, she's just there to summon a demon and then visit her nephew working at the carnival. There were just so many side characters whose stories and actions came to nothing.
5. More demon, please! Ahiku was, without a doubt, the most interesting character in the entire book and there just isn't enough of her and her scheming. Honestly, if she had been in this more, the rating would be higher. After her lunch with the demons, I was way more interested in what they were doing that what was happening at the carnival.
6. Not enough murder. What got me hooked early on were the murders, disappearances, and general supernatural mayhem that was being offered up. I needed more of it to both create some suspense or peril for the other characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2021
Sadly I enjoyed this book less as it went on, it started out well but I’m afraid our protagonist Eliza was the main cause for me losing enthusiasm. She started out as a hard working honest person who I was cheering on but then as we got to know her there were aspects of her character I really did not like; she seemed selfish and self centered and her attitude towards others was staggering, how could someone with so many personal troubles themselves judge others harshly when they are troubled also. Lastly she seemed a bit dim at times, purely I am sure just to keep the story at the pace necessary to make it a full book, not a novella. It resulted in a frustrating read at times.
If you can look past Eliza and take in all the characters then we had quite a mixed bunch here, lots of very different people all brought together in a fantastical way which made for an exciting and varied read. We also had a good dash of animals, spirits and demons - which for me all added to the fun of it.
There was also magic within this travelling carnival which we follow on its winding although at times it also felt like an historic drama set in America during the late 1930’s.
Overall a good story, a lot of interesting and lively characters and an easy read too, nothing very taxing for the brain cells here, and I enjoyed the magical element. This isn’t perfect, hence the score. The writing isn’t brilliant but it wasn’t bad either.
I suppose I would sum this up as a story about family and love and who we really are, including our own demons and spirits. I wanted to love this book so I feel disappointed now.
3.5/5 is far I think but I am rounding down because the ending was predictable, and the epilogue unnecessary for me.
If you can look past Eliza and take in all the characters then we had quite a mixed bunch here, lots of very different people all brought together in a fantastical way which made for an exciting and varied read. We also had a good dash of animals, spirits and demons - which for me all added to the fun of it.
There was also magic within this travelling carnival which we follow on its winding although at times it also felt like an historic drama set in America during the late 1930’s.
Overall a good story, a lot of interesting and lively characters and an easy read too, nothing very taxing for the brain cells here, and I enjoyed the magical element. This isn’t perfect, hence the score. The writing isn’t brilliant but it wasn’t bad either.
I suppose I would sum this up as a story about family and love and who we really are, including our own demons and spirits. I wanted to love this book so I feel disappointed now.
3.5/5 is far I think but I am rounding down because the ending was predictable, and the epilogue unnecessary for me.
Read
June 9, 20212.5??? - *scratches head* Sooo here we have a conundrum. This had a nice prose, the cast was eclectic and diverse, and the plot plops African demons and spirits and general mythos into southern U.S. Cool stuff! But everything was so...strangely low stakes? And it never gave me space to emotionally connect with most of it.
Kind of feels like I ate an entire cake and only realized at the end that the middle was completely hollow.
Kind of feels like I ate an entire cake and only realized at the end that the middle was completely hollow.
November 1, 2021
3.5 stars
Bacchanal follows Eliza Meeks is gifted with the ability to talk to animals, and she's also searching for her family. She soon joins the carnival and slowly integrates into the carnival life while honing her talents. But not everything is what it seems in the carnival, a demon is hiding in disguise and preying with the souls of the townsfolk.
Will Eliza be strong enough to own her destiny and save all that she loves from this demon?
Bacchanal is an atmospheric and slow read. Set in the Depression era, it mixes magical realism with historical fiction and horror elements. The setting, plot, and the African-inspired magic system are original and refreshing. It has a diverse cast of characters, the carnival is composed predominantly of blacks. The characters are okay. It was hard to connect with them, and they were a bit underdeveloped.
The writing style is my favorite. It's beautiful and descriptive which is perfect for the atmospheric setting. The explosive ending made up for the slow pacing although it felt rushed.
Thank you to 47 North and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
Bacchanal follows Eliza Meeks is gifted with the ability to talk to animals, and she's also searching for her family. She soon joins the carnival and slowly integrates into the carnival life while honing her talents. But not everything is what it seems in the carnival, a demon is hiding in disguise and preying with the souls of the townsfolk.
Will Eliza be strong enough to own her destiny and save all that she loves from this demon?
Bacchanal is an atmospheric and slow read. Set in the Depression era, it mixes magical realism with historical fiction and horror elements. The setting, plot, and the African-inspired magic system are original and refreshing. It has a diverse cast of characters, the carnival is composed predominantly of blacks. The characters are okay. It was hard to connect with them, and they were a bit underdeveloped.
The writing style is my favorite. It's beautiful and descriptive which is perfect for the atmospheric setting. The explosive ending made up for the slow pacing although it felt rushed.
Thank you to 47 North and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
May 3, 2021
Thank you to the publishers 47North for granting my request to read this as an E-ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The premise of this book sounded so cool! Set in a carnival in the American South - so mysterious. However, the book left me very confused as to what it was actually about. I only finished it because when publishers grants my requests to review something, I feel obligated to finish through as a thank you, but that leaves me with little to say about this book.
It is about a young woman called Eliza Meeks who ends up at this carnival after being jailed. Turns out Eliza can "talk" to animals (she sends them pictures that they respond to - cool concept!). She slowly gets integrated with the other people working at the carnival.
I think there's a storyline with possession and demons, but I honestly couldn't understand much of it.
The premise of this book sounded so cool! Set in a carnival in the American South - so mysterious. However, the book left me very confused as to what it was actually about. I only finished it because when publishers grants my requests to review something, I feel obligated to finish through as a thank you, but that leaves me with little to say about this book.
It is about a young woman called Eliza Meeks who ends up at this carnival after being jailed. Turns out Eliza can "talk" to animals (she sends them pictures that they respond to - cool concept!). She slowly gets integrated with the other people working at the carnival.
I think there's a storyline with possession and demons, but I honestly couldn't understand much of it.
May 20, 2021
It's such a brilliant concept that's so badly executed. Nothing within this book is fully developed, it reads like a draft. This had such potential to discuss so many issues and ideas bit just doesn't.
May 29, 2023
4.5 stars, 5 for Goodreads because I've never read anything quite like this before.
I've always been a fan of Great Depression stories, but so many of the ones that I read are from the white mainstream perspective. Bacchanal offers something completely different to the narrative in the form of a successful all-black traveling carnival run by unseen paranormal forces.
I'm always surprised when I realize how much black history, especially Southern black history, beyond slavery and the Civil Rights Movement that I really don't know about. Especially when it comes to Afro-Caribbean influences and religious or spiritual practices. Bacchanal provides a window into a different narrative. I know a little bit about vodou and spiritual practices in the Black South from the (very whitewashed) Princess and the Frog movie, but I've never seen anything like this.
The characters in Bacchanal were phenomenal. Even though you get POVs from each and every one of them, everything that each of them does and thinks about still comes as a shock, especially nearing the end. It takes the "not knowing who to trust" trope to a whole new level when every character is an unreliable narrator of their own story and the rest of the stories in the book. I don't think I've ever read a multiple POV book with so much unreliability before. It's not a style I would seek out, but it worked really well in Bacchanal.
I think my biggest qualms were with the ending of this book. While a lot of it was what had to happen in order to keep the paranormal and unreliable elements of the story intact, it's still one of my least favorite ending tropes, and it definitely came up too quickly. I feel like stories that have an (unnecessarily?) long beginning always have a rushed ending, and that was definitely the case with Bacchanal.
Bacchanal is definitely a book I could see myself rereading. I have a feeling it has a lot more to offer the second or third time around. I'm glad I chose this one for my Amazon Prime First Reads pick when it was available.
I've always been a fan of Great Depression stories, but so many of the ones that I read are from the white mainstream perspective. Bacchanal offers something completely different to the narrative in the form of a successful all-black traveling carnival run by unseen paranormal forces.
I'm always surprised when I realize how much black history, especially Southern black history, beyond slavery and the Civil Rights Movement that I really don't know about. Especially when it comes to Afro-Caribbean influences and religious or spiritual practices. Bacchanal provides a window into a different narrative. I know a little bit about vodou and spiritual practices in the Black South from the (very whitewashed) Princess and the Frog movie, but I've never seen anything like this.
The characters in Bacchanal were phenomenal. Even though you get POVs from each and every one of them, everything that each of them does and thinks about still comes as a shock, especially nearing the end. It takes the "not knowing who to trust" trope to a whole new level when every character is an unreliable narrator of their own story and the rest of the stories in the book. I don't think I've ever read a multiple POV book with so much unreliability before. It's not a style I would seek out, but it worked really well in Bacchanal.
I think my biggest qualms were with the ending of this book. While a lot of it was what had to happen in order to keep the paranormal and unreliable elements of the story intact, it's still one of my least favorite ending tropes, and it definitely came up too quickly. I feel like stories that have an (unnecessarily?) long beginning always have a rushed ending, and that was definitely the case with Bacchanal.
Bacchanal is definitely a book I could see myself rereading. I have a feeling it has a lot more to offer the second or third time around. I'm glad I chose this one for my Amazon Prime First Reads pick when it was available.
September 12, 2021
Can someone, anyone, PLEASE re-write this book?
I wanted to like this one so bad because the idea of it is still awesome but I just couldn’t bring myself to actually enjoying it and had to force myself with all my might to continue reading it and not just skimming through the pages. As many reviews said before, it feels as if there was a great story somewhere in the back of the author‘s mind but she just couldn’t quite tell it. I always felt like I got what she intended to convey and I even had the mental image of the scene in my mind but it was written poorly, a bit like she was in a haste finishing it and just wanted to get it over with. Like a draft that would have needed some time and definitely more work to really make it a book.
The worst though was, in my opinion, the painfully boring, shallow and unlikeable protagonist and her completely inexplicable relationships with her fellow carnies (and especially the two men in her life). Why did anyone in the carnival even like her? It doesn’t make sense. I enjoyed most scenes involving the (kind of) mysterious and evil Ahiku (that’s what the 2 stars are for) and some of the others (Eloko had more character and motif than Liza) but dreaded every chapter revolving around the main character. That’s not good.
All in all I sadly would not recommend this book to anyone, even though the cover image is cool.
I wanted to like this one so bad because the idea of it is still awesome but I just couldn’t bring myself to actually enjoying it and had to force myself with all my might to continue reading it and not just skimming through the pages. As many reviews said before, it feels as if there was a great story somewhere in the back of the author‘s mind but she just couldn’t quite tell it. I always felt like I got what she intended to convey and I even had the mental image of the scene in my mind but it was written poorly, a bit like she was in a haste finishing it and just wanted to get it over with. Like a draft that would have needed some time and definitely more work to really make it a book.
The worst though was, in my opinion, the painfully boring, shallow and unlikeable protagonist and her completely inexplicable relationships with her fellow carnies (and especially the two men in her life). Why did anyone in the carnival even like her? It doesn’t make sense. I enjoyed most scenes involving the (kind of) mysterious and evil Ahiku (that’s what the 2 stars are for) and some of the others (Eloko had more character and motif than Liza) but dreaded every chapter revolving around the main character. That’s not good.
All in all I sadly would not recommend this book to anyone, even though the cover image is cool.
June 16, 2021
Thank you 47North for my review copy.
I’ve always been a fan of carnivals and loved the tv show ‘Carnivale’ so it was a no brainer that I wanted to read about an all Black traveling carnival. We are introduced to Eliza, who is a young girl that has a gift when it comes to animals. She is the town outcast until they need her help. 😒 I did feel the story was slow at times and there was too much day to day with Eliza and her inner dialogue began to become repetitive. The pacing in this story was too off balanced for me. Some parts were slow and others were fast. I felt the story really didn’t pick until the last ten chapters of the book and that the ending was a little rushed. This is a debut novel and all authors have to start somewhere and I wouldn’t be against reading another novel by this author.
Triggers: Death, Racism.
I’ve always been a fan of carnivals and loved the tv show ‘Carnivale’ so it was a no brainer that I wanted to read about an all Black traveling carnival. We are introduced to Eliza, who is a young girl that has a gift when it comes to animals. She is the town outcast until they need her help. 😒 I did feel the story was slow at times and there was too much day to day with Eliza and her inner dialogue began to become repetitive. The pacing in this story was too off balanced for me. Some parts were slow and others were fast. I felt the story really didn’t pick until the last ten chapters of the book and that the ending was a little rushed. This is a debut novel and all authors have to start somewhere and I wouldn’t be against reading another novel by this author.
Triggers: Death, Racism.
July 8, 2021
1.5 ⭐️
The cover is stunning and the description is really good, but the book overall did not give the same vibe. I thought it was going to be a spooky read but I never felt it. There wasn’t anything I found engaging, the characters I couldn’t connect with and the plot dragged on a lot. The characters there was nothing that got me to connect with them and made me want to follow their story. As for the plot I didn’t find it that intriguing and there were so many moments where nothing happens. Also, the characters storming off and their struggle with communicating felt forced and didn’t seem realistic.
The cover is stunning and the description is really good, but the book overall did not give the same vibe. I thought it was going to be a spooky read but I never felt it. There wasn’t anything I found engaging, the characters I couldn’t connect with and the plot dragged on a lot. The characters there was nothing that got me to connect with them and made me want to follow their story. As for the plot I didn’t find it that intriguing and there were so many moments where nothing happens. Also, the characters storming off and their struggle with communicating felt forced and didn’t seem realistic.
July 22, 2021
I liked the setting - a creepy/paranormal carnival that travels around in the deep south in the 1930s - and the book had a great set of characters. However, I thought the plot moved way too slow. The final ~50 pages are action packed and a blast to read, but the first 300 were sort of a slow slog to get through. The love interests were also poorly done and added nothing of value.
It's not an awful or unredeemable book, but I agree with some of the other comments here that it reads somewhat like a first draft. If you trim 50 pages off the book and speed up the plot a bit I think it would be a much better read.
It's not an awful or unredeemable book, but I agree with some of the other comments here that it reads somewhat like a first draft. If you trim 50 pages off the book and speed up the plot a bit I think it would be a much better read.
December 16, 2022
I don’t know how to explain this book because so much was happening … nothing really tied together well. My issue was the fact that everything was revealed early on and we just followed this character along waiting for her to figure things out and act on them.. which made the book feel so damn long.
The pacing was weird, the writing was .. also odd overall not what I was expecting at all. I enjoyed her magical abilities because it was tied to animals and I also enjoyed the sinister carnival setting.. for the most part. The cover is nice as well. That’s all.
The pacing was weird, the writing was .. also odd overall not what I was expecting at all. I enjoyed her magical abilities because it was tied to animals and I also enjoyed the sinister carnival setting.. for the most part. The cover is nice as well. That’s all.
May 6, 2021
I got this book from Amazon Prime free. It's a joy to read, I thought. Maybe not for everybody, but if you liked Dexter or the Sookie Stackhouse series, I think you'd be like me and think this is a great book ... that maybe could have been tightened up a little bit. Most of the time I thought this is great writing of a great story, but once in a while I wondered how far I could skip ahead and still understand. Thank you Veronica Henry, and much success to you.
October 4, 2021
I was invited to do a liveshow with a fellow booktuber Jessica and below is the link to our thoughts about this book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP6XY...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP6XY...
September 23, 2024
This had such potential. Slow and meandering for 80% of the book then crammed all the action into the last few chapters. The characters needed more development. The pace needed evened out. There is an amazing story in the plot, but it was drug around for so long by the slowness that by the time it had started to take off I was exhausted from trying to keep going. I really wanted to finish this, and I did, but I got little enjoyment for my efforts. I'm going to blame the editor on this one. I think with some rewrites this could have been an amazing Historical Fiction / Horror with a mostly POC cast. Oh well...
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