Review Detail

FEEDBACK
This book was everything I wanted and more. It begins with Kallia and her performance. It quickly descends into her escaping the house and finally going to the city after discovering that there will be a magical competition. After a dazzling, and controversial, audition, Kallia becomes a competitor. Female magician’s are not very popular nowadays and Kallia begins to realize that between the judges and her fellow competitors. The story escalates quickly with mysterious disappearances and shadowy images. It’s really hard to give a good review of the plot without causing any spoilers, and this is one book I don’t want to spoil for anyone. It was so much fun reading and trying to predict what was going to happen next in the story. There were some situations that were easily predictable, but others that were not. One of the worst things about getting this in advanced is now I have to wait even longer for the second book and Janella leaves us with a doozy of a cliffhanger. The one thing that was phenomenal about this book was the atmosphere. I could easily imagine this desolated town trying to make a comeback. The tension between everyone was undeniable but also the beauty in the magic that was being presented. Overall, the pacing was fantastic. Honestly, I was kind of expecting more but this novel really presented the world and the characters. While doing so, a lot of action couldn’t be made. I have a feeling I’ll get everything I wanted in the second book though.

The book is told in 3 point of views. Kallia’s point of view dominates the novel, which isn’t a bad thing at all. I loved reading about this passionate young woman who is trying to become something. She knows she’s going to be someone important someday and I loved reading about her overcoming every obstacle. The one thing that really drove me to Kallia was her determination but also her weaknesses. Her mask was almost always in place but as a reader, her other sides were shown. Demarco was amazing! Throughout the whole novel, he held a huge secret in why he didn’t practice magic anymore. I actually read this with a friend who also received an advanced copy and it was so much fun coming up with theories. While I guessed only a part of it, the rest I did not see coming at all! That ending is really going to throw you for a loop. Jack’s point of views were different. They were told in short bits and as “The Master”. The reason why I liked this point of view is because it brought a darkness to the novel that just fit. Each character really brought something to the story all being told in a different point of view. Along with the main characters, I loved the side characters. Whether it was from the annoying mayor to the fire-eater Canary, they fit so well with every part. And if anything, and I mean ANYTHING, happens to Aaros — I will riot.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles was an absolute success. I was really worried about reading this novel at first because I was so excited for it, but it met every expectation and more. This story was unbelievable and so much fun to read. There isn’t much in action for this novel but it really sets the tone of the story and the characters. Each character was so well established and I loved them all. Everything fit so well together and the ending was not what I expected at all. I cannot wait for the next book. I highly recommend this book if you like magic, competition, and memorable characters that will stick with you for a while.