This was an interesting book. The author kept my interest but I kind of hated the ending - it just ended leaving me wanting more. Glad there’s more books coming out. ( )

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jodie Lynn Zdrok creates an interesting POV of a young woman navigating Paris during a Jack The Ripper-esque series of murders. The time period was charming, the setting was thrilling and made me nostalgic for my own time spent in Paris, and the plot had me at the edge of my seat. The magic world-building could have used a bit more meat to it, but was overall enough to become immersed in Nata’s situation.

That all being said, the story ended quite oddly. The last couple of chapters didn’t seem to fit the hidden gem I thought I had found in Zdrok, and what could have easily have been a fantastic stand alone was quite awkwardly posing for a sequel. The ending was a bit anti-climactic in the way that there was no connection between Nata and the killer, their identity was seemingly random. A random killer with no surprise twist could have been forgiven, but Nata didn’t even have a ‘final showdown’ so to speak with the Dark Artist or his ‘accomplices.’ What felt like a strong debut novel seemingly collapsed before the finish line. ( )

I read this book because I wanted something new, something original, and from a perspective that I wasn’t used to reading. Spectacle hit it out of the park on all fronts while also creating an amazing world that was simultaneously grounded in reality and was fantasy realism. The characters are in the forefront, we absolutely care about Nathalie and her journey, both in the normal sense and in the supernatural sense. ( )

A huge thank you for the opportunity to read this book early thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge approval on Netgalley of the e-ARC.

I am....conflicted? I was originally going to say bothered but that didn’t seem like the right word. I honestly can’t think of the word that would fit for how I feel about this book.

The details are INTENSE. Prepare to be constantly looking over your shoulder for creepy murder people.

Spectacle is not my usual go to genre. Murder mystery with vivid descriptions make it hard for me to sleep at night to say the least. Ha!

It started off very quickly and I thought maybe I could really end up liking this story, but it almost immediately took a turn for the slow. I am grateful for the slow moments as it made it easier to get through without having an anxiety attack after each chapter, but some of the detailed explanations of her walking up the street I could do without. I will admit that I understand why it was necessary for what I am sure you will see.

Though it was not for me, I do recommend this book for fans of historical murder mystery with a somewhat magic twist. The explanation, while it took FOREVER to get to, for the power was quite different than just the “Oh everyone has powers secretly! Or some people just have powers and some people don’t *shrug*.”

The ending did make me want to pick up the next book, but I can DEFINITELY wait patiently for that one to release and just listen to the audiobook instead. Now I’m off to read something nice and fluffy to help me sleep, as it is 4 am and unlike Nathalie, I can remember the last three days of reading this creepy little tale. ( )