Photo: Mat SmithAuthor Elizabeth Macneal

You want what he got.

It’s only fair, right? Things should be equal, and you both know it. Unilateralism, tit for tat, totally equitability, and no favoritism, that’ll all keep the Green-Eyed Monster at bay. Jealousy is no fun but you want what he got, and in the new novel “Circus of Wonders” by Elizabeth Macneal, you’ll have it — or else.

Jasper Brown always got his deepest desires.

Whether it was a microscope when he was a boy, war as a young man, a new name, women, monsters, a Circus of Wonders, or his brother’s complete fealty, it was his for the asking. And that included the woman Toby had seen in the dirty little coastal village. The woman that, with the proper costume and a name to match the celestial birthmarks on her body, would get Jasper the invitation to London, and a performance for the Queen.

The first time Toby saw her, she had dived from a cliff into the ocean and he thought she was dead. He’d never seen a creature more captivating than the woman with speckles all up and down her body and her face; she confused him and he knew he wouldn’t speak of her to Jasper. If Toby dared tell his brother about the girl, the magic of her would disappear.

She knew what the villagers thought about her. Even her own father said Nell was a monster, that it was her fault the sea had risen and ruined the crop of flowers a season or two ago. They all thought it, though she might consider some of the townspeople as friends and she had her beloved brother to lean on.

She wondered what he’d said when he learned that their father had sold Nell to the showman named Jasper. And why didn’t he look for Nell, locked away in a carriage smelling of manure and sweat? Could she ever find her way back home?

Would she even want to, after she’d learned to love the art of the performance?

Don’t expect a lot of abracadabra inside “Circus of Wonders.” It’s not there, not in plot nor setting and it’s missing in each tormented character. Instead, there’s an irresistible authenticity in this book, a bit of circus history, romance, constant dampness, and a dark, troubled soul. Come to this novel for that, and stay.

Author Elizabeth Macneal keeps you guessing: many bad things can happen to her characters, but references to fairy tales hold hope that goodness might prevail. Still, multiple obsessions let you know that Happily Ever After is highly unlikely; add a bearded bird-caller, a blind albino child, a booming ringmaster who leans into insanity, mix it with a steampunk vibe, and you’ve got a tale that clinks and hisses and soars toward an ending that’s like a spear to your heart.

Fans of the three rings will enjoy this book, but readers who are captivated by shaded Victoriana will be happiest with it. If that’s you, then get “Circus of Wonders.” You want what it’s got..

“Circus of Wonders: A Novel” by Elizabeth Macneal, 368 pages, c. 2022, Emily Bestler Books, Atria $27.99.

• Terri Schlichenmeyer of The Bookworm Sez is a self-syndicated book review columnist. Schlichenmeyer’s reviews include adult and children’s books of every genre. You may contact her at bookwormsez@yahoo.com