Festive title notwithstanding, traversing the complicated, shallowly rendered world of this exposition-heavy fantasy is a dreary slog, like reading a gaming manual cover to cover. Years after the Witch Wars exiled witches to the human world, daimons remain in possession of The City. (Daimon attributes include retractable talons, fangs and, under stress, berserker temperament.) Encroaching on the overcrowded, brutal City is a beast-ridden wilderness, a parting gift of the witches, power-hungry, magically gifted humanoids. For City residents outside the ruling caste, career options are limited: assassin, thief, con artist, prostitute or, once a generation, combatant in deadly gladiatorial games. For entertainment, there's the eponymous Carnival and the Night Market (see career options). As heirs of daimon rulers rarely survive childhood, Mallory, daughter of City ruler Marchosias, has been hidden in the human world, raised by her adoptive witch dad. Kaleb, the daimon sent to kill her, is smitten instead. Drably generic Mallory is ignorant of her heritage, but it's revealed early to readers, leaching the story of suspense. Characters frequently pause the action to muse on what they and readers already know. Vaguely orgiastic, sadomasochistic sex and violence stand in for genuine emotion. Only the violence, delineated in bloody detail, is graphic. Marr fans will be happy to learn this is a series opener. (Paranormal romance. 13 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 9 Up-Marr's new series introduces readers to a world very different from that of her previous novels. The Carnival of Souls is the epicenter of The City, inhabited by daimons. There has been enmity between daimons and witches for centuries, and most of the witches have been banished to the human world, where they live undetected. The City has a rigid caste system in which one's fate is determined by birth. Once every generation, Marchosias, the leader of the daimon ruling caste, holds a competition open to all of the castes, in which contestants fight to the death, with the final winner allowed entry to the ruling caste. Aya has rebelled against social norms by being the first ruling-caste girl to enter the competition, instead of marrying and breeding as is expected of her. In contrast, Kaleb, born into the lowest rung of the daimon social ladder, fights to escape the constraints imposed upon his caste. Mallory, the daughter of Marchosias, was taken from The City as an infant and raised among witches in the human world. She believes herself to be human and has been taught to hate daimons. The destinies of Mallory, Kaleb, and Aya are intertwined, and each one will play pivotal roles in the power struggle between daimons and witches. Marr's world-building is complex and masterful, and through skillful plotting, she builds intrigue and suspense, with plenty of romance as well. Her fans, as well as readers of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Little, Brown, 2011), will devour this, and will eagerly await the next installment.-Francesca Burgess, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kicking off a new series, Marr (the Wicked Lovely books) introduces a pair of worlds whose fates are intertwined. In "our" world, witches secretly run corporations and spread their influence. In "The City," daimons reign supreme, plotting and scheming, and anything can be found in the sinister Carnival of Souls. A bloody competition to determine who will rise up to help rule the City draws close to conclusion, with several contenders vying for the last slots. Aya is a high-caste daimon, who must win to survive; Kaleb is a low-caste assassin willing to risk all to succeed. And in the mortal world, 17- year-old Mallory has been raised by a witch, Adam, and trained to fight dai-mons. When their paths cross, it sparks revelations and a dangerous change in the status quo. Marr's trademark blend of dark romance, fantasy, and action is on full display, but while Marr makes Mallory strong and independent, those qualities are undercut somewhat (in this installment, anyway) by the multiple brain-wipes she receives from Adam, what amounts to a forced marriage, and an abrupt ending. Ages 13-up. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writer's House. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Marr's latest title combines gladiator-like games, a strict caste system, and magical feuds between witches and daimons. Seventeen-year-old Mallory has been raised in our human world by her adoptive father, the powerful witch Adam her mother abandoned the family long ago. Adam and Mallory are constantly on the run, staying one step ahead of the daimons she's been trained to fight. Then stunningly attractive daimon Kaleb shows up and whisks Mallory away to another world, where young men and women fight to the death for the right to help rule the City. Here Mallory learns hard truths about her true parentage, and Marr sets the stage for at least one more title. There's a lot of stage to set, and historical explanation is balanced with action-filled battle and magic scenes. Binding circles, handfasting, and teen prostitutes of both genders are plentiful. The fast pace, feisty female warriors, and themes of social justice bear more than a small resemblance to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, but Marr's many fans from the Wicked Lovely series won't be disappointed. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Marr established her supernatural bona fides with the best-selling Wicked Lovely series (which is currently being major motion pictured). Look for this new series to pull in even more fans.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2010 Booklist