Whispers Undergound - Ben Aaronovitch

The third instalment of such an exciting series of books takes us beneath the streets of London this time, through the underground stations and the secret labyrinth of tunnels interconnected, revealing a whole new clandestine world beneath our feet.

It is so hard to predict exactly where the author is heading with the overarching story of wizardry and mayhem, as the sub-world of magic and mysticism, goblins, ghosts and the ever present gods and magnificent goddesses grows with each book. And my enjoyment grows with them.

These are essentially fantasy novels, but deliver so much more. The ongoing collisions between the real world and the 'alternate' forces that struggle to coexist alongside us mere mortals covers so many  different genres of fiction. The crimes taking place and the detective strand, alongside the gothic presence of the Folly and its Practitioners, together with the magical creatures and entities they encounter, mixed up with the comedy and calamity that takes place, all underpinned with the historical facts and folklore of London itself each contribute to the enjoyment of every book.

These novels are pure escapism at it maddest! See All Things Bookish for an article about my recent conversation with the author.

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
There has been a lot of hype over this book since it was published and further promotion through the Richard and Judy Bookclub encouraged me to find out what I had been missing.

The story revolves around a magical (truly magical!) circus that travels the globe mysteriously appearing amid fervent rumour rather than organised publicity. And it only opens at night. Two children are chosen from an early age, trained in the art of magic and pitted against each other in a competition established by their manipulative rival mentors.

The descriptions of the circus itself are incredibly vibrant - it becomes a character in its own right around which everything is suspended. It’s a very sensual place, where the enchanting sights are compounded by the equally bewitching smells, sounds and tastes that come together to create such an incredible experience to all who visit. The circus seems to live and thrive with an almost unearthly heart of flame that resides at the centre and is constantly alight. The plot that accompanies all this however didn't deliver the same magic.

The story is essentially a romance, with a ’Twilight-esque’ edge to it which made it feel disappointingly like a teen fiction as opposed to a mature novel. It is a pure escapist novel, with elements of fantasy and fairy tale that I enjoyed to varying degrees and I can appreciate how it has appealed to most people. This just wasn't for me!