I'm so conflicted about this book. 
 On the one hand - the characters (secondary, more than main) and the circus (the circus!) had me enraptured. I adored the way the author strung words together and was eager to discover more about the characters I was introduced to and how each of their stories would unravel. The 'magic' of the world was fascinating and I flew through the book wanting to know more about how it worked and where it came from. 
 On the other - the constant jumping between years and months and characters was jarring. There were instances where I had to flip back a few pages to double-check where I was and who I was with and what year it was. I'd find myself really adjusting to and connecting with a character, pieces starting to fall into place and then suddenly I was whizzed off backwards or forward in time to another character. 
 By the end of it, it felt like very little had really happened, or as if I'd missed something that happened. The 'grand battle' between Celia and Marco never really happened (view spoiler)[though I really did like the way they built upon each other's creations, I grew tired of the 'I did it all for you' undertones to it (hide spoiler)] and though I can appreciate the sentiment of love triumphing over all, I was really hoping for some form of conflict between them. Alas. 
 Though I /did/ come to like them in their own ways, their romance never really seemed to click or make sense to me. (view spoiler)[Marco was aware of Celia's identity as his opponent for far longer than she was aware of him, but did they ever really actually interact properly and get to know each other before deciding they were in love? I felt Celia's relationship with Herr Thiessen was more compelling and developed than her relationship with Marco. (hide spoiler)] I cared less about them by the end of the book(view spoiler)[them ending up in some sort of 'magical' limbo was fascinating and tragic, only because it can be assumed that such a decision might eventually drive them to regret, and then eventually to dislike/hate one another (hide spoiler)] and more about the twins, or Tsukiko (view spoiler)[(I want to know more about her story, because it seemed like an interesting, though heartbreaking, one. Also: lesbians. I need to know more about them and their story.) (hide spoiler)] 
 (view spoiler)[I need to also say: Hector Bowen is an ass. A cruel, callous, physically and emotionally abusive ass. I haven't been so disgusted by a character in so, so long. Again: what an ass. (hide spoiler)] 
 Nevertheless - the world the author created was so vividly beautiful. It was, sometimes regrettably, easy to overlook any other issues I had because the circus always pulled me back in. I did enjoy reading this book, and I'll probably come back to read it again. I hope the magic is still there when I do.