Miraculum by Steph Post

Polis Books, 2019

ISBN-13: 978-1947993419

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

If readers haven’t yet discovered the magic of Steph Post’s enthralling writing, Miraculum is a fine place to start. This novel should put her on the map. Post’s style falls somewhere between Gillian Flynn’s and John Connelly’s, yet she has carved out a mark all her own.

Who doesn’t love a carnival? Pontillar’s Spectacular Star Light Miraculum  comes to a town on the Louisiana-Texas border, where snake-charmer Ruby, the daughter of the owner of the Miraculum, lives out a curious existence. Ruby has been tattooed in a manner that leaves her a bit of an oddity even in the freak show,  but doesn’t talk of the strange backstory of the wonderful, yet twisted, markings on her flesh.

One night, after a tragedy, a strange man joins the crew as a “geek” (don’t ask – just read). Daniel seems to be anything but the typical carnie type: well dressed, well-spoken, and with something a bit askew about his origin. Also joining the group is Hayden, the only man who ever held Ruby’s heart. A muralist and roughneck, he aims to find his place in a world away from the one that has shunned many members of the carnival. Both men play a crucial role in Ruby’s life as the carnival begins to unravel, the Big Top caught up in a storm brewing from a place darker than the patterns drawn onto Ruby’s body.

Post has drawn both Ruby and Daniel as exquisite characters who are not who they seem to be. They have important parts to play in humankind’s history, even though only one is aware of that fate. Ruby left home after her mother died mysteriously, and emerges from the shadows of New Orleans with her disguise in tattoos in a manner that would cause Ray Bradbury’s Illustrated Man to blink and wonder. She trusts no one, and for good reason, but gravitates towards January, a dancer, Samuel, the mysterious right hand man of her father, and of course, Hayden and Daniel.

Post unfurls Daniel’s secrets like sleight of hand trickery: hia character wields such a power that Daniel keeps it hidden like an ace up his sleeve. He slips into most carnies’ graces, charming the staff, while the few who suspect otherwise and aim to peek behind the curtain encounter an unexpected darkness. To say more would ruin the story.

Miraculum is a pure wonder, both of story and style. It’s deceptively dark Gothic yet also draws from genres of horror, fantasy, and thriller. Steph Post guides the mark(the reader) into the midway’s shadows, leading them by the hand into a world that feels both familiar and fresh.  Darker than pitch, Miraculum has a heart that, while damaged, still beats, resulting in a read that is sure to be one of 2019’s best.

Reviewed by Dave Simms