Erin Morgenstern's novel "The Night Circus" takes the reader backward and forward in time as it weaves a complex tale. The author frames her story with chapters at the beginning and ending of the book, told in the second person and the present tense. These chapters describe the reader's encounter with a circus that appears without warning or advertising, opening after sunset and closing before dawn.

Between these bookends, she tells two stories. One involves Bailey, a farm boy in 1902 Massachusetts. On a dare, Bailey sneaks into the circus during the daylight hours, where he meets and befriends a young girl and her twin brother.

The other story begins decades earlier. Rival magicians engage in a contest pitting their young proteges against each other. Hector Bowen (Prospero the Enchanter) pits his daughter Celia against Marco, an orphan adopted and mentored by Mr. A.H. (The Man in the Grey Suit). The elder magicians manipulate their young apprentices into a rivalry over which the youngsters lack control and understanding. The two young proteges join Le Cirque des Rêves, a mysterious circus, in which the workers never age, and true magicians disguise their craft as sleight of hand. The circus moves across Europe, developing a devoted group of followers who call themselves the "Rêveurs."

The earlier story jumps ahead in time with each chapter, as the young wizards grow up, attempting to learn their destiny. Eventually, the circus moves across the Atlantic to Concord, MA, and collides with the Bailey story.

I like the way that Morgenstern bounced between the two timelines, merging perfectly. Minor characters became major characters. Rivalries became romances. Mysteries unraveled layer by layer. The plot unfolds slowly, but she has a talent for building sympathetic heroes and callous villains. She favors character development and scene exposition over action. The primary character of this book is the circus, which exerts its power upon all who work in it or enter it. Her descriptions of the magic and illusion display the author's imagination.

"The Night Circus" is an enchanting story with an intriguing ensemble cast. After reading it, I count myself among the Rêveurs.