Fresh Fiction Reviews | MENAGERIE: Stunning Start to a New Urban Fantasy Series

~ Reviewed by Debbie Wiley

A traveling carnival displays a whole host of cryptids, from minotaurs to oracles to werewolves. Humans fear cryptids, and anyone deemed to be "not human" is stripped of all of their human rights. Delilah Marlow's boyfriend surprises her with tickets to Metzger's Menagerie, never knowing that his gift would turn Delilah's world upside down. Now, Delilah finds herself on the other side of the cages of the MENAGERIE. Will Delilah succumb to captivity as she struggles to understand who or what she is?

Rachel Vincent kicks off her new series with a dark, sometimes quite disturbing tale that paints a picture of a divided world imprisoned by fear. The world building is spectacular, almost too well done in fact, as it is at times difficult to read through some of the brutal tortures the cryptids must endure. The violence isn't gratuitous, however, as it's imperative to show us the harshness of captivity and the stark divide between humans and cryptids.

Delilah has skyrocketed to my list of top heroines! Her inner strength and fortitude in the face of such horrors is nothing short of heroic. I raged in anger at the sheer injustices right along with Delilah as Rachel Vincent carefully draws the reader into this dark and fearful world before showing us a glimmer of hope. Delilah doesn't back down, even when her own well-being is at stake, and I love seeing her challenge the status quo as she refuses to judge based on genetics or appearance alone.

And oh, the mystery of Gallagher! Gallagher is one of Delilah's jailers but he seems very different from the much crueler Ruyle. I love how Rachel Vincent drops little hints and clues as to the underlying story as the unveiling is simply brilliant.

MENAGERIE is stunning! Rachel Vincent crafts a bleak, forbidding, and downright disturbing world and shows us the hope that transcends the darkness. I can't wait to see how the Menagerie series progresses as Rachel Vincent once again shows us why she's one of the best writers out there! I admit I was a little skeptical about a book focused on a traveling MENAGERIE, but Rachel Vincent has made a believer out of me! I highly recommend MENAGERIE if you like your stories on the dark side.

Also Read Make Kay's review of MENAGERIE

About Rachel Vincent

A native of the dust bowl, Rachel Vincent is the oldest of five siblings, and arguably the most outspoken of the bunch. She loves cats, devours chocolate, and lives on flavored coffee. Rachel’s older than she looks—seriously—and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

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About MENAGERIE

From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent comes a richly imagined, provocative new series set in the dark mythology of the Menagerie…

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite- ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions"—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale.

"Blood Bound offers a little something for everyone: a convincing magical system for urban fantasy fans; for romance readers, a love that time and distance can't break; and a twist-and-turn plot for mystery buffs. Readers looking for a light and fluffy ride should go elsewhere."