Center Ring (Book 1 of Dark Circus Series) by Desiree DeOrto
Published by Anchor Group Publishing
Review by Dani Hoots
Fear runs rampant, horror comes alive, and an ancient curse comes to light in the Dark Circus. As the star of the show, Candace is trapped between what she knows and what her mind demands her heart to see. She was raised knowing that when it comes to the Circus, nothing is what it seemed, but even some things were too terrifying for her to believe. The cards are stacked against her, and the stage is set. As time begins to run out a new show arises, one that brings evil to life. When she steps into the Center Ring, Candace understands that she’ll never be able to turn back. The only certainty she holds is that she will die, but how is what the Tarot cards refuse to show. Thrust into solving the mystery of her impending death she knows that only The Fool would wait for someone else to save her. But when you don’t know who she can trust, how can she hope to save herself?
*Synopsis taken from Amazon.com
DeOrto did a great job blending together circus themes with mythological stories. I was hooked right away as our heroine deals with a new character that has fallen from the skies and into the tent of the circus. We are immediately wrapped up in tale that has gone back generations, one that I won’t spoil but urge you to read to find out.
I am a big fan of stories dealing with the circus. It fascinates me and while I have been disappointed in the past by some authors, DeOrto did not disappoint me. Her circus comes alive in these page and her characters all feel individual and each have a different personality. I do wish that there were a few more characters that we get to learn about and interact with, but I have a feeling the books to come will supply that need of mine.
The main character Candace is one complicated gal. Not only does she have a heat condition, one that could bring death upon her soon, she is also wrapped in this mythological mess, stuck in the middle of love triangle, and has to make her choice. Although in some areas I felt like she didn’t take a stand and was a little whiny, that was more just personal taste and I still found her to be a strong character lead.
I can’t wait to read more of the series and hope that you all will check this new series out. I give it a 4.5/5 as there were some areas that needed work, such as more description, more character interaction, and some spelling errors, but it didn’t take away from the entirety of the story. It was very enjoyable!
Dani Hoots
A Bibliophile's Reverie 