<b>Wonderful</b> . . . Glitters and gleams with the grimy stories of a travelling circus . . . <b>Utterly beguiling</b>

Daily Mail

<b>Spectacular</b> . . . A <b>brilliantly involving story, vivid </b>with the sights and sounds of Victorian England. <b>A fantastic read</b>

Daily Express

Exhilarating . . . shows the same rich imagination Macneal revealed in her debut novel, <i>The Doll Factory</i>

Sunday Times, Books of the Year

An <b>absolute triumph</b>. <b>Exquisitely written, intensely satisfying</b>

- Stacey Halls, author of <i>The Familiars</i>,

<b>Dark but tender</b>, <b>evocative and compelling</b>. I loved it

- Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of <i>Blood & Sugar</i>,

An equally <b>satisfying exploration of some of the odder corners of Victorian life</b> . . . a novel that again highlights Macneal’s <b>rich imagination and vivid prose</b>

Sunday Times Ireland, Historical Fiction Book of the Month

A<b> fantastical, absolutely immersive gem</b> of a read

Red

Macneal’s complex characters allow her to question <b>how society treats difference, the price of power and vanity, and the pursuit of self-determination</b>. At turns dark, joyous, frightening and heartbreaking, <i>Circus Of Wonders </i>makes for an absorbing read

Independent

A <b>tremendous </b>read. <b>Richly imagined, vividly rendered</b>, each scene is like an old painting in which light gleams off the detail . . . The story is full-bodied and <b>addictive </b>from the outset, told with pace and verve but never compromising style . . . <i>Circus of Wonders</i> displays in abundance everything readers loved about <i>The Doll Factory </i>. . . an <b>ambitious, enlightening</b> novel

- Emma Stonex, author of <i>The Lamplighters</i>,

<b>Deliciously vivid</b> . . . every bit as <b>atmospheric</b> as you’d expect . . . A hopeful story of a girl taking charge of her destiny

Woman & Home

Set in the same Victorian London as her <b>stunning </b>debut, <i>The Doll Factory</i>, Macneal's second novel is <b>both thrilling and humane</b>, bringing to life the brutal world of the freak show

Mail on Sunday

You can’t help but be drawn into <b>the exciting and sometimes macabre world of the circus</b>, with its <b>colourful cast of characters</b>

Good Housekeeping

Another <b>seductive slice of Victorian noir</b>

Sunday Times Scotland

<i>Circus of Wonders</i> is <b>confident and beautifully written</b>

- Sarah Vaughan, author of <i>Anatomy of a Scandal</i>,

A <b>glittering</b>, begrimed tale of love and self-determination <b>flush with richly detailed prose</b>. <b>Sumptuous</b>, macabre, <b>enthralling</b>; <b>a perfect slice of Victoriana.</b>

- Jane Healey, author of <i>The Animals at Lockwood Manor</i>,

Elizabeth Macneal's novel is <b>spectacular </b>- <b>a book of wonders</b>!

- Alix Nathan, author of <i>The Warlow Experiment</i>,

A <b>beautifully told and immersive</b> look at <b>a complex dance between exploitation and empowerment</b>, and the question of what it really means to have control over your own life. I adored its characters, <b>I was utterly gripped throughout</b>, and I loved having my eyes opened to the troubling yet fascinating world of Victorian circuses

- Naomi Ishiguro, author of <i>Escape Routes</i>,

<i>Circus of Wonders</i> is <b>a soaring, tumbling, whip-cracking book</b>. Elizabeth Macneal has brought an<b> extraordinary</b> group of characters together in these pages; the result is a <b>glittering </b>world, a story<b> as moving as it is deeply entertaining</b>

- Daniel Mason, author of <i>The Piano Tuner</i>,

<b>Expansive and tender</b> . . . it really pulls you into this <b>fascinating </b>world.

- Beth Underdown, author of<i> The Witchfinder's Sister</i>,

I loved <i>The Doll Factory</i> and I loved <i>Circus Of Wonders</i> just as much . . .An <b>intriguing and beautifully written love story</b> as well as an exploration of the journey from rejection to adoration . . . Elizabeth Macneal explores the nature of exploitation, pride and vanity through her<b> vibrant and believable</b> characters

- Jenny Quintana, author of <i>The Missing Girl</i>,

At turns <b>dark, joyous, frightening and heartbreaking</b>, <i>Circus of Wonders</i> is <b>an absorbing read</b>

Sunday Life

A <b>glittering, soaring, magical </b>exploration of showmanship, voyeurism and storytelling, <i>Circus of Wonders</i> is also a <b>wonderful, sumptuously-written love story</b>. Visceral & cerebral. I loved it.

- Caroline Lea, author of <i>The Glass Woman</i>,

Engaging and enjoyable

Scotsman

<b>I loved it</b>. <i>Circus of Wonders</i> is a <b>terrific successor to <i>The Doll Factory</i></b>. I adored the <b>vibrant cast of characters </b>- they are tenderly drawn yet <b>dazzle </b>off the page

- Rachel Hore, author of<i> Last Letter Home</i>,

I was <b>dazzled </b>by it from beginning to end. What a <b>fabulous, riveting, engrossing</b> story! There's such <b>a creepy undercurrent of dread</b> and violence running just beneath the surface of everything she writes, yet there's humanity and kindness, a palpable love for Nell and the other circus performers that makes all the characters come to life

- Whitney Scharer, author of <i>The Age of Light</i>,

An <b>enjoyable and engrossing</b> novel, which <b>captivates from beginning to end</b>

Historical Novel Society

The <b>gritty glamour of the circus</b> and the horrors of war. Macneal’s <b>characters are finely drawn</b>, their entwined stories playing out against the backdrop of the big top

Daily Mirror

<b>Wonderful</b>

Woman's Weekly

The author of<i> The Doll Factory </i>returns with <b>more high Gothic Victoriana</b>

i newspaper

<b>Deliciously vivid . </b>. . every bit as <b>atmospheric </b>as you'd expect

Woman's Own

The kaleidoscopic world of the Victorian circus, <b>at once enchanting and grotesque, is vividly brought to life </b>. . . <b>a gripping tale</b>

Northern Echo

Fantastic

Psychologies

Packed with atmosphere

Prima

Wonderful

My Weekly

I loved this story for its plot, its characters and its beautiful writing. The author engages all our senses to explore illusion versus reality, keeps us on a tightrope of emotions and presents us with a<b> truly dazzling </b>show

NFOP Magazine

A <b>gripping exploration of fame, love, hope, friendship </b>and whether we can ever own our own stories

New European

[Macneal's] <b>great strength is in imagining vivid inner lives and narratives for people usually sidelined</b>, who in the historical great-man theory merely provide delicacies and amusements for the rich

Catholic Herald

<b>Brilliantly involving, vivid </b>with the gritty glamour of the circus and horrors of war.

Sunday Express