Theatre of Marvels is quite an impressive debut! While I came in expecting an interesting historical mystery, what I got was so much more impactful. Zillah is one of the best literary women I have encountered all year; she's so wonderfully written and developed, built with a complexity and care that's a rare gift. The world itself is also well-built - as someone with some familiarity with the 19th century London theatre scene, all the attention to detail was so lovely. The book explores some pretty hefty themes in a way that feels both graceful and deeply thought-provoking. The pacing was good for most of the book, but I feel like the final stretch got a little rushed and slap-dashed. Everything made sense, and worked out well, but! I think it would have benefitted from the breathing room more pages could have offered.

It was a truly lovely surprise to see how much more there was to this book than what meets the eye. Lianne Dillsworth is a skilled storyteller, and Theatre of Marvels is a wonder itself. As always, read the content warnings. This book gets intense.