Someone asked me today what this book was about, and I found myself at a complete loss of words. How can I possibly explain this story, except at the most basic level? It is about a circus. It is truly about so much more than that, but how can it possibly be explained to someone who has not read it themselves? It is about good and evil, and the shades of grey in between. It is about love and loss. It is about the past and the future. And, of course, it is about magic. 
 The story itself has no strict timeline. It jumps back and forth, starting at 1873, and finally concluding in 1903. It also jumps between a handful of characters. The downfall to this was that it took me a large portion of time to become genuinely attached to any of them. However, the intricacies of the story necessitated the various points of view, and I appreciated each and every one of them. 
 The story is truly in the details. The descriptions of scenes and scents place the reader in the front row. 
 I highly recommend!