Where Dreams Descend: A Novel (Kingdom of Cards (1))

Magicians young and old gather in the odd city of Glorian to compete for the top spot in the Conquering Circus. Kallia has long dreamed of running away and rising to the top in this world. Although she has the talent, there are many things standing in her way: judges set on not accepting her, a new world to explore, and more than anything, Jack, her mentor, who has kept her away from the world. As the stakes grow higher and relationships blossom, Kallia has to learn who she can trust, who she can’t, and to never trust what she sees in the mirror.

Dark, romantic, and set on the stage, Where Dreams Descend is one of my favorite reads of this year. The cast isn’t large and the book focuses only on the characters who are important, to the extent that the main characters note that they don’t remember the names of other characters. The romance is a bit over-dramatic, all based on miscommunication, which makes sense due to their personalities and the plot, although it felt a little lazy to keep them apart. There is a lot left hanging and unexplained that will hopefully be explained in the next book in the series.