This was the book that snapped me out of my reading slump. The Night Circus is the debut novel from Erin Morgenstern, who, I read somewhere else, is also an artist. It's no surprise given the detail and description of this book. The Night Circus is a work of art ... open to interpretation, mysterious and magical.

Briefly, The Night Circus is the story of two young magicians, one a "natural talent" and the other a "magical academic". Their respective talents and learning styles are pitted against each other in a magical duel to the death. Set amidst the vivid and haunting creation of The Night Circus, itself part magic and part reality, the two young magicians and the cast of circus performers are pitched in an epic battle of life and death, love and betrayal.

The description of the place and characters is truly wonderful. I would almost accuse Morgenstern of casting her own magic on this book. However, it's not perfect: the characters are a bit cardboard, some of the dialogue silly, the sound-bites too obvious, and the ending too tidy and neat.

All that being said, this was the book that snapped me out of my reading slump. I had put down the last five books I picked up. The Night Circus kept me up reading late into the night and risking motion sickness so I could read on the bus.

It may not be perfect, but it's damn good.