Review: Ring Ghost by Jane George

RING GHOST

The Enchanted Circus of Jules Compere,

Book Two

by Jane George

Beeswax Books

YA Paranormal

322 pages

Wally never wanted to join an enchanted circus. Working as the cook was supposed to be temporary. He wants to form a band. He wants to find his mom. Except, thanks to a major, magical screw-up, he can never go home again.

Now the circus is cursed, haunted. The Ringmaster is in peril. Everything’s falling apart.
If there’s no more circus, Wally might be free. But Circus Lunastrata means everything to the beautiful, beguiling bareback rider—and his possible soul mate—Evangeline.

It’s a no win situation. Can Wally find a solution while there’s still a ghost of a chance?

MY TIDBITS

This book switches gears, allowing Evan's boyfriend, Wally, to move into center ring. The circus is on the move as a new 'recruit' falls into the Ringmaster's sights. Unfortunately, bad luck clings to the circus like glue and the new recruit has a history which is going to bring them all into danger.

After enjoying Wally's character in the first book, it was refreshing to now continue the adventure more from his point of view. He carries many scars of his own, but has a heart true as can be. It's easy to sympathize with him as he faces his own demons and is forced into a role he doesn't really want. There's a lot to love about Wally, and this book gives even more reason to root for him and Evan as well as the rest of the circus.

The magic and the reasoning behind it deepen and become a bit more complicated. There's a definite shadow side to all the positive aspects of the circus, which add a perfect amount of tension. The evil aunt of the ringmaster is a delight to hate, although it would have been nice to have gotten to know her a little more personally. 

Like in the first book, there's never a dull moment as the characters land in one sticky situation after the other. The array of characters really shines in this second book, and several side ones become especially likable. The ending is packed with twists and turns, and although some explanations got a little foggy, the tension doesn't let up until the very end making it hard to put this book down.

Review: Ring Rider by Jane George

RING RIDER

The Enchanted Circus of Jules Compere

Book One

by Jane George

Beeswax Books

YA Paranormal

292 pages

A teenage, trailer-park runaway is offered a place to live and work in a struggling, one-ring circus. But nothing at Circus Lunastrata is what it seems, especially not the young circus cook, a guitar-playing, Edgar-Allan-Poe-quoting guy intriguing enough to be dangerous to her off-limits heart.

Soon, she’s risking not only her heart, but her life, as she dares to enter this magical and treacherous new world.

But it’s the only world she’s ever wanted to call home.

Warning: The book you will read is the product of many magical transformations. You may have seen it in its previous stages, most notably as The Mumbo Jumbo Circus. But while lovers of this book's former mysterious mayhem may recognize characters and scenes, Ring Rider most definitely contains enough new twists to keep magic circus lovers turning the pages. But those more faint at heart, who may cover their eyes at the sight of swearing, violence, and mild sexual situations, may want to find a tamer circus elsewhere.

MY TIDBITS

Like a magical dream, this story draws in with calliopes, mystical ju-ju and never ending adventure.

Evan is a trailer-park teen on the run from abusive foster parents. When she runs into a clown, who offers her the perfect escape, it seems to good to be true. Soon Evan finds herself in a circus, where magic overshadows reality and danger lurks in the shadows.

First off, this book does include swearing, violence, and hits upon difficult topics such as child abuse and 'cutting'. Still, the material is not handled tastelessly, haphazardly or without care, but rather concentrates on the difficulties of dealing with and healing from such situations.  I'd recommend it for readers ages 14+. 

The first chapter dives  into Evans harsh life, making it impossible not to feel for her and immediately start rooting for her. Her past hangs like a dark fog much of the way through, but it's her determination which really makes her an inspiring character. The change from an abusive reality to the mystical magic of the circus allows uncertainty and doubt to keep the tension high. It's a lovely mix, which captures hope and dreams along with shadowy nightmares.

The characters in this are as colorful as the big top and have very distinct stories of their own. All are 'damaged' in their own way, making it difficult to discover with whom the real danger lies. There are layers of intrigue and treachery mixed in with the mystery of the magic, which is an intrigue all of its own. It's simply a delightful world to dive into.