What Happens at the Circus

           The book centers around a competition that two magicians have every few decades. One magician goes by Alexander and the other goes by Prospero. Alexander practices magic with discipline and wields it with control which allows him to live among the normal people undetected, a subtle glamour if you will. Prospero on the other hand wields his magic with flair, pizzazz, and for entertainment as he travels the world putting on shows that he passes off as “simple magic” shows. Prospero only seems to use true magic when in his home to complete some of the monotonous tasks like moving trunks.

For this competition both magicians must train and teach a disciple to compete in the arena of the night circus know as Le Cirque de Rêves. Prospero volunteers his daughter, Cecilia, and Alexander trains and orphan that calls himself Marco, but unbeknownst to the competitors they are fighting for their lives as the victor is the last one standing. Cecilia travels with the circus as an illusionist. Marco helps run the circus from behind the scenes. Both of them create attractions within the circus, in an attempt to one up the other in the fight. During the course of the battle they inadvertently fall in love with each other and try to escape their fate of death or of killing the one they love.

Bailey, Poppet, and Widget represent the possible future for the circus. Bailey is a country boy that treats the circus as his world of opportunity and possibility. Poppet and Widget are twins that were born on opening day of the circus and have their own set of magical gifts. In the end it is Bailey, Poppet, and Widget that save Celia, Marco, and the circus.