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The Night Circus is a much more artistically written book that I usually like, but I adored it none-the-less.

It is definitely a unique experience, Morgenstern's imagery is amazing. She painted a vivid picture of The Night Circus that really makes you feel like you're there. The prose is lyrical without being overly flourished or bloated.

The book follows two story lines. The first focuses on Celia and Marco and starts in 1873 and progresses to 1902 throughout the course of the story. Intertwined with the story is that of Bailey which takes place mostly in 1902. These two stories are interspersed throughout the book. I don't normally like stories that jump back and forth through time, but it worked for me in this book (even though I did revisit previous chapter headings to make sure I knew when certain events were happening). Everyone in this story plays a role - big or small, consciously or unconsciously - in the circus, everyone is connected to it. I think that intertwining the story lines reinforced that interconnectedness.

Parts of the story are rather vague. The magic isn't completely fleshed out, the characters aren't overly deep. Not usually something I enjoy, but again it worked for this book. The Night Circus is an enigma in and of it self, working these qualities into the story cloaks it in an air of mysticism that reflects this.

The book does suffer from a bit of false advertising. The description promises a fierce competition and a deep love. These things do happen, but they are beneath the surface. The story is really more about how the game affects the outside world - the performers, the patrons, the twins born the day the circus opens and a young boy with an undecided future.