As a turbulent and change-filled century draws to a close, there has never been a better time to alter your fortune. But for a beautiful young woman of limited means, Eliza's choices appear to lie between the stifling domesticity of marriage or a downwards spiral to the streets - no matter how determined she is to forge her own path.
One night at a run-down theatre, she meets the charismatic Devil Wix - showman, master of illusion, fickle friend. Drawn into his circle, Eliza becomes the catalyst of a change for his colleagues - a dwarf, an eccentric engineer and an artist - as well as Devil himself. And as Eliza embarks on a dangerous adventure, she must decide which path to choose, and how far she should go when she holds all their lives in her hands.
I got this book a little while ago and didn't read it until recently, but I'm really glad I did. It starts off a little slow, but that helped build up the characters and the story. The characters are real. They have realistic flaws and relationships.
The story is told from two points of view, firstly Devil Wix, magician trying to make it big, then Eliza who is a great, strong, feminine character who is the best possible type of female protagonist. She isn't some rebel leader, or warrior, but she is a pretty awesome feminist in the setting of Victorian London.
The actual story is just great. It's not really fast paced, but it develops and grows through the story.
Marks out of 10?
8. Really good read, but took a little bit of time to get into.
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