My fantasy-smitten friends, my fiction-revering peers, my writing-bound brethren, it is with the excitement of a four-year-old on a sugar high that I present to you "The Night Circus." Written by the majestic Erin Morgenstern, this book has a laundry list of elements that transform it from a typical YA fiction into a masterpiece of fantasy writing. As I attempt to choke down my incessant giggling, allow me to explain why this particular novel is a top contender on my list of favorite books.

It is almost hard to explain the setting and summary of the book in words as it is such a precarious balance of our reality and the fictional world of magic. The setting itself is a London that has never existed but is quite the same as our own where a traveling circus known as Le Cirque des Rêves or the Circus of Dreams, only open to the public after the sun sets and before it rises, has chosen to pitch its tents. As it turns out, the circus is the product of a centuries-old duel between two true magicians, Prospero the Enchanter and Mr. A.H.

However, they never use their own abilities to duel with one another but rather choose to fight vicariously through two pawns selected for certain unique traits. The pawns of this round of their ongoing skirmish, Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, are thrust into a world of magic and ever-growing possibilities. They know essentially nothing about their circumstances and have been fed only one thought: win. As the circus grows through Celia and Marco’s magic, they begin to discover more about themselves and each other as well as the circus family that forms around them. The duel rages on, but as time races with it, higher stakes are formed, priorities change, and everyone is forced to fight their way through a magic-imbued world of wonder contained within the well-named Circus of Dreams.

The story this book spins is every bit as enchanting as the world in which it is set. It creates a world of magic accessible to every reader, one that blends so well with real life that you cannot tell the difference; it earns its suspension of disbelief which masterfully accentuates the story. Layers of characters fill the plot, from the external puppet masters of Prospero and A.H. through their apprentices, Celia and Marco, past the circus performers linked to the pawns’ glorious creation and down to the circus-goers that have the privilege of witnessing real magic with their own eyes. To the first two, the whole world is a game board and every single player is expendable. Once this round has finished, they will prepare the next, and so on.

That perspective provides a very interesting contrast to that of Celia and Marco, for whom this duel and every person in it is their everything, and it conflicts the mind of the reader; the reader is aware of everything that happens and thus sits in the same position as the two magicians, and yet the writing forces you to fall in love with each character and his or her relationships, making the experience far more personal. It evokes a fierce desire for triumph, and yet it is unclear what triumph will mean depending upon who earns it. Morgenstern is fully aware of this conundrum and guides the reader to the only end possible: one that is not simply begrudgingly acceptable but utterly thrilling.

While the plot is a major component of why this book tops my lists, it is not only what is written but how it is written that captivates me so completely. It is transparently clear that Morgenstern chooses her words very purposefully, making sure that each noun is modified in such a way that it sends a vivid picture into your mind, each verb is so strikingly appropriate that it causes a reaction in you which demonstrates her characters’ purposes, and each description has your brain melting into a puddle of starlight.

Regardless of the picture that forms in your head of the sweeping expanse of the circus, the moonlit streets of London, or the workshops of the famous duelists, you’ll see a scene so unique that you’ll want to reread the same passage over and over to hold onto that one moment. The sentences jump straight off the page, investing the reader in every conversation, every movement, every location, etc.; the words almost seem alive which makes the story seem almost real. And honestly, who am I to say that it isn’t?

In fairness, this book may not hold for everyone some profound piece of applicable wisdom for everyday life. It is an incredibly entertaining read, if nothing else, and a wonderful story in which to get lost. But I hold this book in highest esteem because of the way Morgenstern is able to pair writing content with writing style so poignantly. It is what most if not all writers strive to achieve, and it deserves nothing less than the highest praise.

If I have not said so effectively enough in this review, I will state it here: I oh so very highly recommend this book.