Celia Bowen is an illusionist with Le Cirque des Rêves, the titular night circus; her performances in the circus are part of her competition with her fellow magician, Marco Alisdair. Celia met her…
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Marco Alisdair
Marco Alisdair works as the assistant to Chandresh Lefevre, the original organizer of Le Cirque des Rêves. He is also involved in a high-stakes competition with Celia Bowen, orchestrated by their guardians…
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Alexander / Mr. A.H.
Known to many of the other characters in the novel as the mysterious man in the gray suit, Mr. A.H. is a magician, as well as Hector Bowen’s greatest rival. He and Hector have…
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Hector Bowen / Prospero the Enchanter
Known publicly as Prospero the Enchanter, Hector Bowen is a magician who has made his living performing for audiences that do not understand that his magic is real, and not just a skillful illusion or…
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Chandresh Lefevre
Chandresh Christophe Lefevre is a successful theater producer who, in search of a new and exciting project, came up with the idea of a new kind of circus. He built a cadre of some of…
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Trained as a clairvoyant and fortune-teller, Isobel Martin becomes part of Le Cirque des Rêves via her relationship with Marco Alisdair. They meet for the first time in London, when Marco realizes that he…
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Tsukiko
A mysterious and very skilled contortionist, Tsukiko arrives unannounced at the home of Chandresh Lefevre to perform for the theater producer, and is immediately hired to join his new project, Le Cirque des Rêves…
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Friedrick Thiessen
Clockmaker Herr Thiessen was commissioned by Ethan Burris to design a dreamlike clock to stand in the center of Le Cirque des Rêves. Thiessen designs the clock without knowing where it will be used…
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Ethan Barris
An engineer and one of the original organizers of Le Cirque des Rêves, and one of the few people who know about the competition between Marco and Celia. In fact, it is through…
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Tara Burgess
Sisters and librarians who will only talk about their past when intoxicated, Tara and Lainie Burgess are original organizers of Le Cirque des Rêves, though their role in the project is unclear, beyond Chandresh…
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Lainie Burgess
Lainie is one of the original organizers of Le Cirque des Rêves, along with her sister, Tara. The sisters’ role in the project is somewhat hazy, though Chandresh Lefevre claims that they are…
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Widget Murray
Winston Aidan Murray and Penelope Aislin Murray, better known as Widget and Poppet, were born in Le Cirque des Rêves on opening night. The time and place of their birth somehow endowed them with supernatural…
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Poppet Murray
Winston Aidan Murray and Penelope Aislin Murray, better known as Widget and Poppet, were born in Le Cirque des Rêves on opening night. Poppet can see the future, as the time and place of the…
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Bailey Clarke
A young boy from Concord, Massachusetts, Bailey becomes obsessed with Le Cirque des Rêves and eventually becomes the new proprietor after Celia and Marco disappear into the bonfire and can no longer run the circus…
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Victor
A loyal fan of the circus and member of the rêveur community, whom Bailey meets at a train station while trying to catch up with the circus. Victor and fellow rêveursLorena and Elizabeth take…
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Elizabeth
A member of the rêveurs and a friend of Victor and Lorena’s, whom Bailey meets on the train to Boston. Welcoming him to the group, Elizabeth tells Bailey that a rêveur is simply someone…
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Minor Characters
Lorena
One of the circus’s many devoted followers, or rêveurs. Lorena and her friends Victor and Elizabeth warmly welcome Bailey into the rêveur community while in Boston, allowing him to feel like part of a family.
Madame Ana "Tante" Padva
Madame Ana Padva, nicknamed Tante, is a retired Romanian prima ballerina. She was close friends with Chandresh's mother. Madame Padva is a regular attendee at Chandresh's Midnight Dinners.