Sunday, April 25, 2021

Book Review: "The Mandevilles' Marvelous Marvels" by J.E. Miller

As the characters quickly learn in J.E. Miller's The Mandevilles' Marvelous Marvels, a job with a circus might not be all that it seems...

Janie has always been a bit of a vagabond, moving from place to place, doing odd jobs to make ends meet, and then moving on. When she meets Andrew she recognizes a kindred spirit, and after a while they start to make plans to travel city by city until they get to their ultimate destination—Fimaldi Hunu.

“Fimaldi Hunu was a huge place that had everything, the best of all worlds. It had city life, full of opportunity, ever changing and progressing.”

While on a train, Janie meets a man who is traveling to audition for a circus, The Mandevilles’ Marvelous Marvels. Apparently this show is quite renowned in the circus world, both for its spectacle and its mysterious owners. When Janie and Andrew hear that the circus travels all over the place, they decide to audition—he as a drummer with a gimmick, she as an aerialist.

After some good auditions (and with a little outside help), they land spots in the circus. They’re quickly taken in by the spectacle of it all and the camaraderie of their fellow performers, but there’s already things that make them—or at least Janie—feel uneasy. And when they stop in a strange city, the addition of a bizarre final act sets everyone on edge—and sets chaos in motion.

With, The Mandevilles' Marvelous Marvels, Miller has created a story that is part fantasy and part mystery. Her descriptions are so vivid and so fascinating that this is one story begging for a tv/movie adaptation. There are so many characters I can't wait to learn more about. And this is just the first part of a series—she definitely leaves you hanging and waiting for part 2!!

Thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!! She’s got me hooked!!

No comments:

Post a Comment