Review: Carnival of Souls

Jul

2012

Summary: In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures–if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father–and every other witch there–fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it’s only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

My Thoughts: This was very, very good. The worlds are amazing and the story is rather compelling. My favorite part, though, is the characters. I’m especially fond of Aya, Kaleb, and Mallory. I think Kaleb is my favorite so far. He’s ferocious, but he has heart. He’s sweet and intelligent. And he’s loyal. Sure, he’s a daimon, which makes his character that much more interesting. Especially when you pit him against the witches, who appear to be more human – aside from magic and longer lifespans, they definitely seem to have more in common with humans. But, it seems they might have less heart than some of the daimons in the book. Of course, given the history between the two – species? – I suppose it’s not illogical. Still, I found most of the witches, despite their not participating in the fighting at the Carnival, seem to be quite ruthless.

There are several other – more minor, or at least with less time in the book – characters who I really liked, but apparently not enough to remember their names. (I no longer have the ARC, so I can’t look them up.) Each and every one of them are interesting and very well developed. And I suspect many are more important than they seem at this point. While I can’t find official word anywhere, I’m guessing this is going to be the start of a new series; it ends with a whole lot yet to come! I can’t wait for more! (And, yes, this furthers my resolve to read Wicked Lovely!)

I would highly recommend Carnival of Souls, especially if you’re already a fan of Melissa Marr! This is on my Favorites shelf on Goodreads, and just might be another book I make sure to get on my own shelf at home.

Source: Received through Around the World Tours for review.

Read It: Carnival of Souls is scheduled for release on September 4, 2012. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

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FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own. Any exceptions to this are clearly noted in the appropriate posts.

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