Saturday 1 September 2012

#143 Book Review: Carnival of Souls [ARC]

Carnival of Souls [ARC]
Release Date: September 4th 2012
Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: Harper Collins Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Fishpond | Booktopia
More Info: Goodreads
Summary from 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.
Cover:
My copy doesn’t have a final cover but I like the mask on the US cover and how it’s surrounded by fire. It matches the theme of the book and the black background also supports it.

Story:

Enter the Carnival of Souls, a violent place full of beauty…

After reading Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series last year, I was in love with her writing. Marr’s writing is gorgeous and there’s an ethereal beauty within her story. When I found out that Marr is writing a new series, I was ecstatic. The moment I started Carnival of Souls, I’ve stepped into yet another gorgeous world Marr has created. From the very first word, I’ve entered the carnival

Reading Carnival of Souls once again reminds me of Marr’s writing. Wicked Lovely series was written in different points of view and so is Carnival of Souls. The story begins with a prologue, which leads to one of our heroines, Mallory. The setting of this book is entrancing and I like how there are 2 different worlds; the human world and The City. The City is a place filled with violence, where people, or shall I say daimons fight to death for status and power. Masks fill the Carnival of Souls and behind those masks are dangers and troubles. In this book, Marr introduces us to a world of witches and daimons. The ending leaves me unsatisfied because I needed more explanation. There are so many things left unanswered but I do understand that this is only the beginning to a gorgeous story readers will enjoy. 

Characters:
I really adored all of the characters, starting from Mallory (a girl who thought she is human but who might just be more), Kaleb (a daimon who likes Mallory), Aya (a half-witch and half-daimon), Belias (Aya’s betrothed), Zevi (Kaleb’s pack) and also Adam (Mallory’s ‘father’). These characters together create a powerful story and even though they each lead their own lives with secrets, their lives all become intertwined. I really enjoyed reading Mallory and Kaleb’s growing relationship, Aya’s strength and stubbornness and Aya’s relationship with Belias. I definitely look forward to know more about each of them in the next book, since there are still secrets about each character yet to discover!

Overall:
Would you enter the heart of Carnival of Souls, The City, and be surrounded with violence masked in beauty? Melissa Marr is back with a compelling story of witches and daimons, set in a striking world with splendid characters. The beauty of Marr’s writing will transport you into another world full of secrets, waiting to be discovered. Fans of Wicked Lovely series will love Carnival of Souls!
4 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Carnival of Souls!
  Thank you Harper Collins Australia for the review copy!

Check out the book trailer below!

16 comments:

  1. I'm glad you enjoyed this, I did too! Aya was one of my fave characters, such a strong woman!

    Great review, Cel!

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  2. Melissa Marr writing about witches and daimons. DO I NEED ANYMORE CONVINCING THAN THAT?! No, but then you go and write an amazing review and make me a hundred times more squeefully excited to get my hands on this!! So excited to enter this dark new world of Melissa's, the mythology especially intrigues me and I'm loving the sound of the characters! SO happy you enjoyed it!

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  3. Yay, I'm glad you liked this! I really enjoyed it too, which was a bit of a surprise for me as I've only ever thought her Wicked Lovely books were okay. It was definitely a striking world that she created here and I can't wait for the next book. Brilliant review, Celine!

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  4. Melissa Marr's writing sounds so lovely. I've got to get one of those gorgeously written books of hers! Thanks for the heads up, Celine <3

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  5. i have never read her books . i think i should fix than starting w/ carnival of souls. hoping soon. i love amazing new places
    did you know the trailer was filmed in the nederlands. sweet

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  6. I agree you with you - her writing style is fantastic! I can't wait to get my hands on this book the cover and the trailer are so awesome!

    Great review. =)

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  7. Wonderful review!(: I'm looking forward to reading this one when it releases in a few days and it sounds remarkable! I've heard great things about it, so thank you for this enticing review! You've definitely made me much more eager to get my hands on it than I was before! :D

    ~Keertana
    Ivy Book Bindings

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  8. This would be my first book from Marr and I can't wait to read it. It sounds amazing. I like the characters you described. And yes, I want to be surrounded by the violence :p Thanks for the amazing review!

    & Roro, that's cool! In my country :D

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  9. Ahh, this book sounds AMAZING! I've never read anything by Melissa Marr before but I'm so in love with the idea of this. It sounds so unique with great characters. Lovely review, Celine x

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  10. I have this up on my blog tomorrow. It was a good solid read, but I hated the cliffhanger. Still I really loved the characters especially Kaleb and Aya!

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  11. So glad to see you enjoyed this one too, Celine. I think I liked this more than her Wicked Lovely series. I loved Kaleb, of course and Aya and Belias relationship. Great review. :)

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  12. Lovely review, Celine. :) I'm pleased that you enjoyed this book so much, and were a fan of the character and writing. I disliked Wicked Lovely and am not too keen about reading Carnival, but maybe I should reconsider that since your review is so positive. :) The premise is intriguing, to say the least...

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  13. Hi sweetheart!!

    I agree about the characters and the way their stories intertwine together. I really liked this book. I read two WIcked Lovely novels but didnt enjoy them as much as this one.

    The world is fascinating and as you said, it transports you!

    Great review mydear =PPP Im glad you got to read it before it comes out. Your wait was shorter yay! this book really deserves to be read asap ^_^

    I hope you are doing awesome:)

    take care!! XOXO

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  14. I have this on my blog today and I agree I really enjoyed the characters, too, especially Aya and Kaleb! The world building is fun, too! Glad you enjoyed it as well!

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  15. I have this coming to read. I do enjoy Melissa's writing, with Wicked Lovely series. The cover is what stood out for me . I watched the trailer first, that was all a bit big budget:D I didn't realize it was a medievil ( darn how do you spell that word?) type of book. Glad you 4 forget me not it:D I skimmed your review :D

    MIchelle

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  16. I LOVE Wicked Lovely and I am so SO excited for this... and AGH! YOUR REVIEW! You go and make me even MORE excited! Wonderful review, Celine! ♥

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