Where Dreams Descend (Kingdom of Cards #1)
Janella Angeles
Wednesday Books
Published August 25, 2020
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads
About Where Dreams Descend
In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.
As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.
The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost
The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told
The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide.
My Review
This might be the best book I’ve read all year. I feel like I keep saying that, but honestly, there have been so many great books this year! WHERE DREAMS DESCEND is definitely near if not at the top of my list.
I loved Kallia. She’s a take no prisoners, driven, smart, savvy lady who never gives up. I loved her relationship with Aaros, the thief she takes under her wing to be her magician’s assistant in the competition. And of course, I loved DeMarco, too. (Fun fact– DeMarco was my great-grandmother’s name.)
This story hit so many perfect notes for me. The moral dilemmas. The mysterious dangers lurking throughout the competition and some characters’ pasts. The forbidden romance. The angsty magicians. The strong sisterhood of performers coming together to support one another.
The beginning started out a little bit slow for me, but once the competition began, I was completely hooked. I couldn’t wait to read every page, and I dreaded reaching the final chapter, too, because then it would be over.
WHERE DREAMS DESCEND is one of those books I’m going to want to read again like next week just to savor it all over again. I feel like I can’t even say enough how much I loved it. Seriously, if you can only buy one more book this year, pick this one!
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 13 up.
Representation
Kallia has brown skin and curly hair.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Profanity used somewhat frequently. (Approximately 35 times.)
Romance/Sexual Content
Intense kissing and desire between a man and woman. Some sensual dancing.
Spiritual Content
Some characters possess magic. At least one character is not human/mortal. Shadowy shapes seem to pursue some characters, possibly intending harm.
Violent Content
Situations of peril. One scene shows a monster. In another scene, characters are showered with broken glass.
Drug Content
Some scenes show characters drinking alcohol at social dinners and a bar.
Note: I received a free copy of WHERE DREAMS DESCEND in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.
About Janella Angeles
JANELLA ANGELES is a Filipino-American author who got her start in writing through consuming glorious amounts of fanfiction at a young age—which eventually led to penning a few of her own, and later on, creating original stories from her imagination. A lifelong lover of books, she’s lucky enough to be working in the business of publishing them on top of writing them. She currently resides in Massachusetts, where she’s most likely to be found listening to musicals on repeat and daydreaming too much for her own good. Where Dreams Descend is her first book.