I loved the magical, mystical concept of this book. The imagery is delightful, if a little dark. I kept thinking, as I read this, that it would make a great movie (which apparently is in the works), as there is so much that could be done in terms of cinematography. That said, as much as I liked it, the storyline didn't really capture my attention as much as I hoped it would. I didn't feel that compelled to keep turning pages, and as a result it took me about two weeks to get through. Though I understand why it was done, the fact that the story shifts constantly from one place in time to another was a little disconcerting, and interrupted the flow of the story for me. 
 I feel like the book itself is one of the performers in the circus, cloaked in mystery and magic. I liked it, but I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't love it. I am definitely looking forward to the movie.