The Ladies of the Secret Circus
The Ladies of the Secret Circus book cover

The Ladies of the Secret Circus

Paperback – November 9, 2021

Price
$15.49
Format
Paperback
Pages
480
Publisher
Redhook
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0275954437
Dimensions
5.65 x 1.4 x 8.3 inches
Weight
14.2 ounces

Description

“Ambitious and teeming with magic, Sayers creates a fascinating mix of art, The Belle Époque, and more than a little murder.”xa0― Erika Swyler, author of The Book of Speculation "Axa0spellbinding historical fantasy....Fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus will love this page-turning story of dark magic, star-crossed love, and familial sacrifice."― Publishers Weekly (starred review) "At times decadent and macabre, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a mesmerizing tale of love, treachery, and depraved magic percolating through four generations of Cabot women."― Luanne G. Smith, author of The Vine Witch "Encompassing as many genres as a circus carousel has animals to ride, this is ultimately a story about love.xa0Highly recommended for lovers of timeslip fiction, readers who enjoy their genres very bent indeed, and those who have dreamed of running away to the circus."― Library Journal (starred review) "The novel’s massive network of connections—tactile and ethereal, physical and mystical—makes for a luxurious reading experience, like a rich tapestry. The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a book to get lost in.xa0Through beautifully orchestrated prose and careful, confident pacing, Sayers constructs a story that feels like sitting down with an older relative and slowly, over hours, getting all the family secrets in one juicy, enchanted package."― BookPage " The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a dazzling tale, laced with sinister magic, blood and beauty, love and loss. This is a book that will haunt you long after the last page is turned."― Alyssa Palombo, author of The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel "Romance, mystery, and a family curse — The Ladies of the Secret Circus has it all.”xa0― Popsugar “Spellbinding. The Ladies Of The Secret Circus is a dazzling, high-wire feat of storytelling."xa0― Catherine Taylor, author of Beyond the Moon Praise for A Witch in Time : "A sweeping story of magical, star-crossed love, as glamorous as it is romantic. Prepare to be dazzled." --Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger "A captivating tapestry of a tale."-- Gwendolyn Womack, bestselling author of T he Fortune Teller & The Time Collector "Fans of Deborah Harkness will devour this page-turning tale of love, reincarnation, and dark magic. A highly unique and enjoyable read!" --Hester Fox, author of The Witch of Willow Hall "Sayers cleverly twists the loves-lost-through-time motif....A smart, engrossing debut from a writer to watch." -- Kirkus "Sayers weaves a spell of love, lust, and magic to create a page-turner like no other." --Steph Post, author of Miraculum Constance Sayers is the author of A Witch in Time . A finalist for Alternating Current 's 2016 Luminaire Award for Best Prose, her short stories have appeared in Souvenir and Amazing Graces : Y et Another Collection of Fiction by Washington Area Women as well as The Sky is a Free Country . Her short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. She received an MA in English from George Mason University. She lives outside of Washington D.C. Like her character in The Ladies of the Secret Circus , for many years, she was the host of a radio show from midnight to six.

Features & Highlights

  • From the author of
  • A Witch in Time
  • comes a magical story spanning from Jazz Age Paris to modern-day America of family secrets, sacrifice, and lost love set against the backdrop of a mysterious circus.
  • Paris, 1925:
  • To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder—a world where women weave illusions of magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. Bound to her family's circus, it's the only world Cecile Cabot knows until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate affair that could cost her everything.
  • Virginia, 2004:
  • Lara Barnes is on top of the world until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. When her desperate search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother’s journals, Lara is swept into a story of a dark circus and ill-fated love.Soon secrets about Lara’s family history begin to come to light, revealing a curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations. A curse that might be tied to her fiancé’s mysterious disappearance
  • Praise for
  • The Ladies of the Secret Circus
  • :
  • "At times decadent and macabre,
  • The Ladies of the Secret Circus
  • is a mesmerizing tale of love, treachery, and depraved magic percolating through four generations of Cabot women." —Luanne G. Smith, author of
  • The Vine Witch
  • "Fans of Erin Morgenstern’s
  • The Night Circus
  • will love this page-turning story of dark magic, star-crossed love, and familial sacrifice." —
  • Publishers Weekly
  • (starred review)"Ambitious and teeming with magic, Sayers creates a fascinating mix of art, The Belle Époque, and more than a little murder.” —Erika Swyler, author of
  • The Book of Speculation
  • For more from Constance Sayers, check out
  • A Witch in Time
  • .

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(543)
★★★★
25%
(452)
★★★
15%
(271)
★★
7%
(127)
23%
(416)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Not engaging.

While the story line could be fun and draw the reader in, the somewhat verbose and sometimes tedious writing is neither fun to read nor particularly engaging. I feel like I am wading through a book written by an early twenty something. After about 80 pages I am putting this book aside.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Recommend!

I read this good so fast because it kept my attention so easily!
✓ Verified Purchase

Beautiful, intriguing story—unsatisfactory but ending

I was so immersed in this lovely, imaginative story. I loved everything about this book until the last. But that ending was rushed and left things unresolved in many ways. Without a follow up, I am left with too many unanswered questions and feelings I don’t know what to do with. In A Witch in Time, Sayers wrote a similar style ending but in that book, the reader had a firm understanding of what came next, even if it wasn’t explicitly stated. Not so much in this one.
✓ Verified Purchase

Good but too slow in the middle

I liked the book but it was really slow in the middle and I would give it a 3.5. A 4-5 rating requires me to keep reading and not put the book down. Through the middle I could put the book down easily.
✓ Verified Purchase

TAUT, THRILLING, ENTERTAINING

I was hesitant to begin reading this. I'd read "A Witch In Time" and enjoyed it and I thought this was a sort of sequel so, like I said, I was hesitant to read it. Once I did start reading it, I could not put it down. I literally stayed up all night to finish it. It thoroughly captivated me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes magic, romance, thrillers, and a plain good read. Two thumbs up ... but only because I only have two. If I had more thumbs they'd be straight up in the air as well. Kudos!!
✓ Verified Purchase

Beat Up

Book is readable, but battered. I have yet to read it so I can't vouch for the content, but the cover was torn up and overall just seems poorly put together. I'd spring for the hardcover if you like your new books to feel and look...well, new.
✓ Verified Purchase

Not what I expected

I really like magical realism, and I expected to like this book based on the reviews and synopsis. However, the synopsis and the title gave me a very different impression of the book than what it actually was. It is not exactly about couple of women running off to join the circus, fantasy or otherwise. The tone of the book threw me off, and I'm not sure if I will finish it.
✓ Verified Purchase

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I couldn’t put this book down. 10/10