Gaaah! I loved this. It was dark and magical; the whole feel and the vibe of the circus flooded my senses as I lost myself in the story and setting. 
 At first I was expecting something kind of like the movie The Prestige, but it really was very different. In fact, it's absolutely nothing like The Prestige at all, so if you're now thinking that, stop thinking it this instance. 
 This book was flowy, confusing, painful, and wonderful. The words flitted around, and seemed seamless.The characters were mysterious, alluring, naive, and simple by turn and depending. There was uniqueness, magic, and trickery- all pleasant to read about. 
 The setting was marvelous. A black and white circus- but more of a magical theatre than a circus at all. A place where illusionists turn handkerchiefs into birds, a place where dreams and senses are captured inside of bottles, carousels on real, breathing, but wooden animals, and people who never age. 
 The book is, at first, confusing. The different story arcs take place in different years and the story isn't chronological all the time. You have to watch the chapter headings to see if you're in 1886 or 1902 or a different time period. This took me a while to get used to, and even longer for me to appreciate it, but by the end I decided that I liked the way the story was told back and forth through the ages. 
 The plot is dazzling. Two magicians pitted against each other by competitive mentors. The entire circus and everyone in it who revolves around the game, and the tragedies that unfold because of it. It is exciting, surprising, frightening, and alluring. The mystical feel was definitely one of my favourite things about this book. 
 I'm not sure what I'd say against this book actually. I just feel like something was missing. There was a little thing I can't put my finger on. I think it probably had to do with the main characters and the romance plot, but I'm not sure if it a problem on the book's behalf, or just me personally. 
 Anyway, I recommend this book. It's marvelous.