{Story Diary} Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

Aug 24, 2020

Phantom of the Opera meets Moulin Rouge and The Night Circus


The stage is set

The spectacle awaits...



where dreams descend janella angeles book reviewWhere Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
Young Adult Fantasy
August 25, 2020 from Wednesday Books

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide

Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.



where dreams descend map
[Image Source]


Dramatis Personae


where dreams descend aesthetic


The Royal Families


There are four royal families in the fictional city of Glorian, each of whom represents the four suits of cards in a playing deck. ♤♧♢♡

Alastors


Fravardis


Vierras


Ranzas



Tropes / Themes


♠ High stakes magic competition
♠ Badass, ambitious female MC
♠ Slow burn romance
♠ Sunshine girl x broody grump
♠ Only one table
♠ Reluctant yearning
♠ Beautiful prose

Rep


♣️ Filipino-coded main character
♣️ Bisexual side character
♣️ Filipino American author

Content / Trigger Warnings


◆ Substance use (alcohol)
◆ Captivity
◆ Misogyny
◆ Trauma
◆ Blood
◆ Emotional abuse
◆ Mind manipulation
◆ Death of parent


where dreams descend moodboard aesthetic janella angeles







She hadn't run away to be stopped before the games had begun. She would show them.

--Janella Angeles, Where Dreams Descend



Make no mistake, I know I don't have to prove a single thing to them. What matters most is what I prove to myself. Giving up would be an insult to everything I know I'm capable of. And I've already come this far.

--Janella Angeles, Where Dreams Descend



To have had the glory of choice over the promise of power.

--Janella Angeles, Where Dreams Descend



It was wrong to justify what  sort of hurt mattered and what didn't. Anything that left scars came from hurt. Only now was she realizing the scars she bore and had trained herself not to see.

--Janella Angeles, Where Dreams Descend



"The names's Aaros. And yours, miss?"
He'd know soon enough.
This whole city would, by the time she was through with it.


--Janella Angeles, Where Dreams Descend



"The fools thought they could treat her like a flower-take away her sunlight and water so she would shrivel up and die. But she was more the stubborn plant, the kind that thrives anywhere if that's what it took to live."


--Janella Angeles, Where Dreams Descend


**Quotes are from an unedited advanced review copy and is subject to change in final publication**





Janella Angeles is a Filipino-American author who got her start in writing through consuming glorious amounts of fanfiction at a young age–which eventually led to penning a few of her own, and later on, creating original stories from her imagination. A lifelong lover of books, she’s lucky enough to be working in the business of publishing them on top of writing them. She currently resides in Massachusetts, where she’s most likely to be found listening to musicals on repeat and daydreaming too much for her own good. 

She is represented by Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. WHERE DREAMS DESCEND, Book 1 in her debut fantasy Kingdom of Cards duology, will be out June 2, 2020 from Wednesday Books.







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