Circus of Wonders is a soaring, tumbling, whip-cracking book. Elizabeth Macneal has brought an extraordinary group of characters together in these pages; the result is a glittering world, a story as moving as it is deeply entertaining — Daniel Mason, author of The Piano Tuner

I loved The Doll Factory and I loved Circus Of Wonders just as much . . .An intriguing and beautifully written love story as well as an exploration of the journey from rejection to adoration . . . Elizabeth Macneal explores the nature of exploitation, pride and vanity through her vibrant and believable characters — Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl

A glittering, begrimed tale of love and self-determination flush with richly detailed prose. Sumptuous, macabre, enthralling; a perfect slice of Victoriana. — Jane Healey, author of The Animals at Lockwood Manor

A tremendous read. Richly imagined, vividly rendered, each scene is like an old painting in which light gleams off the detail . . . The story is full-bodied and addictive from the outset, told with pace and verve but never compromising style . . . Circus of Wonders displays in abundance everything readers loved about The Doll Factory . . . an ambitious, enlightening novel — Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters

I was dazzled by it from beginning to end. What a fabulous, riveting, engrossing story! There’s such a creepy undercurrent of dread and violence running just beneath the surface of everything she writes, yet there’s humanity and kindness, a palpable love for Nell and the other circus performers that makes all the characters come to life — Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light

Elizabeth Macneal’s novel is spectacular – a book of wonders! — Alix Nathan, author of The Warlow Experiment

A beautifully told and immersive look at a complex dance between exploitation and empowerment, and the question of what it really means to have control over your own life. I adored its characters, I was utterly gripped throughout, and I loved having my eyes opened to the troubling yet fascinating world of Victorian circuses — Naomi Ishiguro, author of Escape Routes

Expansive and tender . . . it really pulls you into this fascinating world. — Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder’s Sister