A little girl taken from a park in northern Italy.
A boy taken from a playground in Slovenia.
And now a girl from Budapest.
No one had put it together except Rurik. No one realized that each child had vanished on the day of the final performance of the Zorka Cyrka.
Rurik is chief of security at the Zorka circus. With his lightning-scarred face and body he's often mistaken for a monster himself, but he knows the real monster is hiding among the circus performers. And he's determined to stop them before another child is taken. But he doesn't know who he can trust. And other things at the circus keep going wrong.
Then there's Sylvie Dinescu. She's one of the bloodwalking women of the Skomori Clan. She knows there's death and danger at the circus, but she has no idea how she can help find the killer, not when she's just been married off to a stranger. Besides, she knows no one is going to want the help of a Bloodwalker, especially not one who's been cursed.
There's a lot to like about this one! The writing. The circus setting. The characters. The suspense. The strange traditions of the Bloodwalkers. The mystery itself and the horror at the end. I thought it was an entertaining read. And Rurik and Sylvie? I liked them both. All in all, I'd give this one 4 stars.
Happy Reading!
P.S. And no, there aren't any vampires in this one.
The circus is such a cool setting!
ReplyDeleteIt is, isn't it? Always makes me want to read the book. :)
DeleteI'm always intrigued by books with a circus setting. There's something mysterious about them that I couldn't describe. This book sounds fun!
ReplyDeleteI like a circus setting, too. :D
DeleteAre Rurik and Sylvie married to each other or is she married off to someone else? This sounds pretty good!
ReplyDeleteSylvie gets married off to someone else.... I'd say more about her and Rurik, but I'm trying not to spoil the ending. ;D
DeleteWoah this looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed it a lot.
DeleteOh, my! This one has a lot going for it!
ReplyDeleteIt's fun and it's different. And I thought it was very well-written. :)
DeleteI feel like circus/fairgrounds settings are the perfect settings for creepy stories. Glad to hear it was a good one!
ReplyDeleteThey do make the perfect settings for creepy stories! :D
DeleteSounds really good. Circus settings, that whole little self-contained world it creates, are about perfect for good crime novels because of the unusual array of characters that fit in a circus book. I'll have to take a look at this one.
ReplyDeleteCircuses really are self-contained worlds, aren't they? That and all the unusual characters within them are why I like reading books with circus settings so much. :)
DeleteI seem to be unusual in that I don't like circus settings and I 'really' don't like stories that involve the snatching of children. *But* I'm intrigued by the Bloodwalking thing and I do love books set in that area. I shall keep this one in mind.
ReplyDeleteAny books that deal with children can be hard to read sometimes. This one focuses mostly on the two main characters, and not on the children.
DeleteThe plot sounds ominous. The cover, which also looks ominous, is awesome. It is so atmospheric.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that a great cover? It's why I picked the book up in the first place.
DeleteHi Lark, Sounds like a really interesting novel and what I also like is that Rurik and Sylvie sound like they have been ostracized by others, Rurik because of his facial scars and Sylvie because she is a member of the Bloodwalker clan but these two are heroes trying to save the children.
ReplyDeleteYou're right! They definitely have that in common. I think it's why I liked them so much.
DeleteSounds like a really good read!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun. :)
DeleteI love reading books set at the circus. They're so great for creating creepy and haunting atmospheres. Plus, they're always full of such great and interesting characters.
ReplyDeleteI think that's why I like reading stories set in a circus so much, too. :)
DeleteThat is one creepy cover!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great?
Delete👍👍👍
ReplyDeleteI don't know why but I'm always drawn to books that have a circus setting. I'm glad you enjoyed this one. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm always drawn to a circus setting, too. Maybe because when I was little I always wanted to be in one. ;D
DeleteThis sounds a bit different from the usual story and I like the sound of it!
ReplyDeleteI think that's one of the reasons I liked it so much; it's different from what I've been reading. :)
DeleteOMG! I need this in my life. I'm so glad you shared it.
ReplyDeleteI was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. I wish the author would write another book about Rurik and Sylvie.
DeleteThat does sound intriguing.
ReplyDeleteIt was different and fun! :)
DeleteSounds a bit intense!! I've just finished my intense book for the year (A Woman in Berlin). No more in that vein for a while!
ReplyDelete:D The ending of this one does get a bit intense. But I like those kinds of reads. I'll have to check out A Woman in Berlin.
DeleteI'm glad you clarified about there being no vampires. Bloodwalking could make one think there was. :-) Not that I mind a good vampire story. It's still good to know. I am glad you enjoyed Bloodwalker. The circus setting is sure a draw for me.
ReplyDeleteI thought that about the title, too. But the bloodwalkers in this book are not vampires.
DeleteI must admit, I find circuses in general to be creepy. They same way some people don't like clowns. Though, I've never been to one. Sounds like this is a good but scary read. :D
ReplyDeleteClowns are definitely creepy! But the other parts of the circus I find intriguing. I really wanted to go see the Ringling Brothers Circus when I was growing up, but never got the chance. And now they're not even around.
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