The Ladies of the Secret Circus Review

This book has a strong first few chapters, then seems to languish in the middle. I wish Sayers had committed to the magical aspect of this story — as it is now, there is not much actual magic. I kept forgetting that this book even had a fantasy element until something small happened — like the main character Lara magically undoing a zipper — and jolted me back into the realization that it was a fantasy book.

It takes too long for the reader to be introduced to the titular circus, which then feels lackluster when it finally appears on the page. There is some discussion of contortionists and circus performers, but the circus part of the story focuses mostly on the backstage drama between sisters which reminded me of Velma and Veronica Kelly in Chicago. The only part of the circus which remains memorable to me is the monkey that houses the soul of Benito Mussolini (yes, really).

The characters are equally forgettable, with a few exceptions (Mussolini is one, for sure), and I did not feel any motivation to care about them. The writing style was very fluid and readable and that saved this book for me. Even though this story fell flat for me, I am looking forward to reading Sayers’ other work. It is also noticeable that Sayers did meticulous research to make her historical world believable. I did feel like I was in 1920s Paris while reading those parts, which is commendable. While I thought this book was okay, I do think other readers might enjoy it more than I did.