REVIEW: Suspended (Vagabond Circus #1) by Sarah Noffke

Pages: 250
Format: Kindle
Series: Vagabond Circus #1
Genre: Fantasy 
Publisher: One-Twenty-Six
Release Date: January 15th 2016
Buy The Book: Amazon - Amazon UK

When a stranger joins the cast of Vagabond Circus—a circus that is run by Dream Travelers and features real magic—mysterious events start happening. The once orderly grounds of the circus become riddled with hidden threats. And the ringmaster realizes not only are his circus and its magic at risk, but also his very life.

Vagabond Circus caters to the skeptics. Without skeptics, it would close its doors. This is because Vagabond Circus runs for two reasons and only two reasons: first and foremost to provide the lost and lonely Dream Travelers a place to be illustrious. And secondly, to show the nonbelievers that there’s still magic in the world. If they believe, then they care, and if they care, then they don’t destroy. They stop the small abuse that day-by-day breaks down humanity’s spirit. If Vagabond Circus makes one skeptic believe in magic, then they halt the cycle, just a little bit. They allow a little more love into this world. That’s Dr. Dave Raydon’s mission. And that’s why this ringmaster recruits. That’s why he directs. That’s why he puts on a show that makes people question their beliefs. He wants the world to believe in magic once again.  

My Thoughts:
Straight away I was excited to read this series. Not just because I’ve adored Sarah’s other stories, but also because it revolves around a traveling circus, something which has always fascinated me and is usually an exciting location for a book. 

Like with Sarah’s previous series’, this book is set within the Dream Traveler world. However, it is completely different to anything Sarah has written before. Told in third person, Suspended tends not to stay focused on one particular character, and instead gives us an insight into the various people and roles within Vagabond Circus.

Suspended starts when Finley joins the circus as its latest act. The other characters are wary about a newcomer appearing so suddenly and shaking things up, but ringmaster Dave Raydon assures them that this is what the circus needs. Profits are down and excitement is dwindling, and Dave believes that Finley can bring them the answer. 

Finley is paired with Zuma, one of the circus’ top performers, and their act together is like nothing anyone has seen before. I’ll admit, it took me a little while to connect to Zuma, but I grew more attached to her as we learned more about her. I did enjoy the relationship that formed between her and Finley. Also, the ending changed things between them dramatically, and I’m highly anticipating what this means for both of these characters in the future. 

Vagabond Circus was a fantastic setting for this story, and I adored learning all about it! Every character within the circus had an interesting and unique personality, and it's great that Sarah dedicated time to each of them. I loved Jasmine so much! Her attitude was awesome and I really hope we get to see more of her as this series progresses. The ringmaster himself, Dave Raydon, was also an intriguing character who I enjoyed getting to know.

Finley is interesting, but I feel like I want to know more about him and his time before the circus before I make my mind up on his character. However, I did sympathize with him not knowing much about his past and not really having his own identity. The scene in which he chooses his own last name was touching, and I adored the little reference to George Anders, a character from Sarah’s The Lucidites series. 

There are definitely questions I’d like answers to in the next book, and there are characters I want to see more of, but overall this was a hugely strong start to this exciting new series and I can’t wait to see what’s next. It’s a change from Sarah’s usual style, but it’s one I highly approve of! 

P.S. This was my 300th post on this blog! Yay! *throws confetti*

Royal Rating: