Celia Bowen is born with an innate ability and grows up moving through a series of theaters under the watchful eye of her father. He pushes her to earn money as a spiritual medium, despite her dislike, insisting she needs the practice for a greater challenge ahead. It is not a contest of skill but of endurance, one that binds her for nearly thirty years.
Her opponent, Marco Alisdair, is trained in secrecy. Like Celia, he masters manipulation and illusion, yet he must remain hidden. Years of preparation shape his life, but when he finally encounters Celia, certainty gives way to nerves and confusion. Both are groomed for a clandestine game, Celia performing in public while Marco works from the shadows. Everything proceeds according to plan until they begin to fall for one another.
At the center of their rivalry stands a mysterious circus that opens only at night and vanishes by dawn. With its black and white tents and dreamlike atmosphere, the circus travels from place to place, enchanting devoted visitors who long for it once it disappears. Even its performers sense secrets lingering beneath the spectacle.
Chosen as part of the circus, Celia must prove her strength and outshine her rival. Yet over time, she and the other performers begin to feel bound to something that demands sacrifice. The novel is richly magical, with breathtaking world building and lyrical prose. As someone who prefers fast thrillers, I found the pacing slow but pleasantly so. The ending feels simple yet fitting, closing the story with quiet inevitability. 4.5⭐