Carnival of Souls
by Melissa Marr
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: September 4th 2012
Pages: 306 (hardcover)
Source: finished copy from publisher
Author's website | GoodReads

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.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

Carnival of Souls captivated me from the very first page. The author is a genius at creating intricate worlds of magic that are filled with darkness and intrigue. The writing is superb, and the reality of it all is so superb, it will frighten you to the core. Marr excels at making lush and macabre alluring.

The story is told in the three points of view of three uniquely different characters, namely Mallory, Kaleb, and Aya. The characters are each facing their own battles. They all have dreams and aspirations in their hearts to overcome their struggles, but the unexpected never ceases to occur. Mallory, Kaleb, and Aya are from different worlds and standings in life, but they have a lot more in common than they think.

I enjoyed reading about Aya and Kaleb and I really connected with them and felt for them. I still have a lot to learn about Mallory though, as much as she needs to learn about herself. I have to say that I hosetly thought that the 'love' between Mallory and Kaleb was incredibly empty to me. I rarely felt that they truly liked each other beyond their mutual attraction and interest. I cannot vouch for my understanding of daimon love though.

As for my favorite character, I would have to say that I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters more. Their backstory had more base and structure, and they were much more interesting in every sense. I particularly favor Kaleb's best friend Zevi and Mallory's adoptive father Adam. That doesn't mean that I hated the main characters though, they caught my attention and interest in their own ways. Each of their stories are interwoven throughout the story, which makes things incredibly exciting and unpredictable.

Carnival of Souls is set in two different worlds: The City; where the daemons rule the streets, and the human world; the place where the daemons banished the witches who once thrived and brought life to The City. At the heart of the city lies the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered for sale. The world building is ineffable, as any world that Melissa Marr creates. The City was described so vividly that I could see the beauty and horror of it with my own eyes.

The book was beautifully written in Marr's own distinct style and had a great solid plot that was uniquely interesting. The subject matter is extremely raw and dark but it's honest and never sugar-coats. This story is surrounded by secrets and lies. Everyone and everything is not what it seems. Melissa Marr has created yet another world unlike any other; filled with loyalty, family, love, evil, treason, and murder. This book serves as a prequel of some sorts, paving the way for interesting twists and turns and promises a new series straight from Marr's wicked imagination.

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