Where Dreams Descend (Kingdom of Cards, 1)

Where Dreams Descend constantly stole my breath away with the lush and beautiful prose, exquisite world building, and deeply woven character building. It's a story that has glitter in every corner and magic breathing from the pages. A plot rooted in darkness and power, with characters that are bound to steal your heart. This was a book I could not put down.Kallia will quite literally steal the show (she is the main character, after all), as she enters a dark and brutal magical world. She's brewing with confidence and bravery; she's a character that, in my opinion, is not easily despised. There were times where she happily surprised me and it made me love this story even more. And her relationships with some characters (Jack, Daron, Aaros) made me love her even more. I loved how each character had a secret, something that made them fascinating to read about.And the romance. Oh my, it is the definition of swoon worthy. Trust me, this is a romantic book through and through (of course, with magic and adventure and dark deceit). This book is overflowing with tension and I loved every bit of it. I was there for every scene, every conversation; I was, without a doubt, enchanted.The author's writing is beautiful and I can see how much heart went into this story. Angeles has created a world that is not easily forgettable. It's a world filled with mystery and dangerous (and sometimes deadly) interactions. And her characters are wonderfully flawed, yet crafted in a way that made them feel so real. I enjoyed her elegant prose and how she created a world with vivid imagery. I felt like I was transported to this world, standing next to each character. It was a magical reading experience.Where Dreams Descend is a magically, deliciously captivating story you will not want to miss. Brimming with love, deception, and dazzling writing, it's a story that will captivate you at every turn. And I know this will be a story I will continuously recommend.

This might be the best book I’ve read all year. I feel like I keep saying that, but honestly, there have been so many great books this year! WHERE DREAMS DESCEND is definitely near if not at the top of my list.I loved Kallia. She’s a take no prisoners, driven, smart, savvy lady who never gives up. I loved her relationship with Aaros, the thief she takes under her wing to be her magician’s assistant in the competition. And of course, I loved DeMarco, too. (Fun fact– DeMarco was my great-grandmother’s name.)This story hit so many perfect notes for me. The moral dilemmas. The mysterious dangers lurking throughout the competition and some characters’ pasts. The forbidden romance. The angsty magicians. The strong sisterhood of performers coming together to support one another.The beginning started out a little bit slow for me, but once the competition began, I was completely hooked. I couldn’t wait to read every page, and I dreaded reaching the final chapter, too, because then it would be over.WHERE DREAMS DESCEND is one of those books I’m going to want to read again like next week just to savor it all over again. I feel like I can’t even say enough how much I loved it. Seriously, if you can only buy one more book this year, pick this one!Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I liked it so much I bought a finished copy.

It's so disappointing to have to leave a negative review for a book that started off with so much promise, and also to admit it was a DNF for me. I gave up at 67% because I just couldn't keep going.I think the critical flaw is that the author starts us off in a setting, and with characters, who fascinated me. Jack/The Master and Hellfire House were so interesting. I wanted to be there. I wanted to learn more about Jack and Kallia's history, what their push/pull toward one another was, what secrets Jack was hiding. But the author takes us from that world and takes us to Glorian, a place that's never fully described to the point that most of the setting is a giant blur, and leaves us there for what amounts to the entire middle of the story. The part that made me want to purchase the book is completely dropped, and I'm left in what could be a love triangle but isn't really, but maybe is, but maybe isn't. It got irritating to try to figure out what Kallia and Demarco's deal was, and I got tired of being constantly confused and trying to skip through endless exposition, desperately looking for some kind of action to move the story along. In addition, Kallia has no depth whatsoever. She acts like a petulant teenager for most of the book, and if that's genuinely how she is the author should at least say why, or have someone call her on it. Anything to give me a reason to like her, or at least empathize with her situation.I hate writing this because it's obvious from the author's Instagram posts and stories that she's in love with her characters and the world she created. I think the fault here is bad editing. Someone should have told her that if you're going to write a mysterious story, you can't leave your reader in a constant state of "what the hell is going on" and "didn't I read this part already"? I do need to add that I wrote this review after coming here and seeing if anyone had a similar experience. It seems that others have. I hope the author has better guidance on finishing the second book in the series, which I'm sorry to say I won't be bothering to buy.

En cuanto al envío llegó en excelente estado y antes de tiempo, aún no he leído el libro pero a simple vista es hermoso y espero que el contenido también lo sea