A Book Obsession..: Review: Spectacle by Rachel Vincent

Review: Spectacle by Rachel Vincent

, by Kt Clapsadl

Spectacle by Rachel Vincent

Menagerie #2

When their coup of Metzger's Menagerie is discovered, Delilah and her fellow cryptids find their newly won freedom brutally stripped away as they are sold into The Savage Spectacle, a private collection of "exotic wildlife." Specializing in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors, the Spectacle's owner, Willem Vandekamp, caters to the forbidden fetishes of the wealthy and powerful. At the Spectacle, any wish can be granted—for the right price.

But Vandekamp's closely guarded client list isn't the only secret being kept at the Spectacle. Beneath the beauty and brutality of life in the collection lie much darker truths, and no one is more determined than Delilah to strip the masks from the human monsters and drag all dark things into the light.

In some ways, SPECTACLE felt a lot like the first book, but that's in no way a bad thing. The plot was very similar in the most basic of senses with the cryptids going from captivity to freedom, to captivity... However as atrocious as their conditions were in MENAGERIE, the horrors almost paled in comparison to the civilized predicaments they found themselves in Vandekamp's facility. They are fed well, in a clean and almost sterile environment, so their living conditions are better, and yet as I said more horrific. There's just something so extra terrifying about the atrocities they were forced to endure all while under a civilized facade caused by the control collars. At least previously their entire minds and bodies weren't actually controlled. Sure they were always caged, and controlled through pain, but at least the cryptids still had their minds.

It truly is a testament to Rachel Vincent's incredible skill that she was able to up the horror and stakes so much. After finishing Menagerie I would have never have guessed things could have gotten so much worse but yet she masterfully crafted a horrifically riveting story I just couldn't put down. You truly care for and root for the characters every step of the way, hoping against all hope that things will turn a corner soon, only to be shocked by the next horror. But even so none of the characters started to fade, holding strong, and making them truly admirable, which again is a true testament to the author's masterful skill.

If you are looking for a book and series that will stick with you long after you finish the last page, look no further than MENAGERIE and SPECTACLE. I cannot wait to see what's in store next!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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