Night Circus / Erin Morgenstern / 387 pages

This book is truly magical in many ways....rich, sensual language, intriguing characters, good vs evil, dreams and illusion.  Two ancient magicians set up a magical challenge between two of their proteges...a challenge to the death but the story is not violent; instead each magician creates more and more illusions until they can barely manage the strain of keeping the illusions viable.  The venue for the competition is a mysterious monochromatic circus that appears only at night in various cities all around the world and draws people like moths to flame.  The story, set in the late 19th century and early 20th century, centers on the two magicians who complicate matters when they fall in love and also the widely varied cast of characters involved with the circus.  It really is mesmerizing and brings into question the power of story, love, illusion, reality and dreams.  What is real?  It's a book that will stick in your head for days, and weeks and months.  The book itself is like magic, with one fantastic scene following another.  Read it and let me know what you think!