ARC Review: Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

“MENAGERIE is dark and gruesome, a bit gory at times, but it’s a book that will keep you interested in the outcome of the story.”
~ Under the Covers

When I saw there was a new series coming out by Rachel Vincent I was extremely excited!  And then when I saw the circus theme I was even more because quite frankly I’ve found a fascination with it!  MENAGERIE is an adult urban fantasy that stands out from the rest.  The world is unique and complex, and it was interesting to try and figure things out.  My one issue with it?  I think for me this suffered a bit from first book syndrome.

The setup is that all kinds of paranormals used to live among humans until The Reaping.  A supernatural attack that killed a lot of the human population.  After that, humans have taken control again and paranormals have been exposed and stripped of their rights.  They are nothing more than animals in society.  Our heroine, Delilah, lived her whole life as a human without knowing any different.  Until one day she visits the Menagerie (a circus featuring all kinds of paranormals) and something in her triggers and she exposes herself as a cryptid.  This one instance changes her life into one of captivity.  One where all the things she used to have are stripped away and she’s left with nothing to protect her but her will power and her inner strength.

While in captivity at the Menagerie herself, she will find some of the most unlikely allies.  And with their help she will discover what she is.

While Ms. Vincent has to paint this world for us because it IS so different, and she does so in vivid detail, I found at times that it was TOO much.  I think a big part of this book sets up our understanding so we can move forward with the story and that is one thing that kept making me lose interest in the first half of the story.  Once passed that things picked up pretty decently and I kept wanting to know more.  More about Delilah, more about Gallagher, more about the rest of the creatures in the Menagerie!

MENAGERIE is dark and gruesome, a bit gory at times, but it’s a book that will keep you interested in the outcome of the story.  It is pretty dark for a fantasy story so you have to be in the mood for that to read it.  And while I had mixed feelings, after the events that unfold in the end I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in this series.

[about-author author=”Rachel Vincent”]

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