Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Step Right Up
SERIES: Carnival of Mysteries
AUTHOR: L.A. Witt
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo & John Solo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 6 hours and 17 minutes
RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2023
BLURB:
Jason Richards is ridiculously in love with his friend and coworker Ahmed Kazimi. Unfortunately, Ahmed is a package deal—he has a boyfriend who, as far as Jason is concerned, needs to be launched into the sun.
Then, a mysterious carnival rolls into town, and Jason and Ahmed can’t resist going. Not even if Ahmed’s boyfriend can be depended on to make everybody miserable.
When Ahmed wins a strange prize from an even stranger carnival game, weird things start happening. First, a mishap with a friend’s newly purchased love potion. Then, a cascade of steadily worsening bad luck starts to rain down on every corner of Ahmed’s life. Though he doesn’t believe in the paranormal, he can’t help but wonder if his prize is cursed. Just to be safe, he throws it away.
But it comes back. And it keeps coming back.
Upon learning about the prize that won’t go away, Jason suggests the only solution he can think of: return it to the place it came from.
Now, Ahmed and Jason are on a mission to get rid of the cursed prize, assuming they can find that game again.
Step Right Up is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains some long overdue friends to lovers, a strangely insightful caricaturist, and a little magical realism.
REVIEW:
Jason and Ahmed are nurses and coworkers at a clinic. Jason has been secretly in love with Ahmed for some time. But Ahmed has a long-term boyfriend, Mark. Mark doesn’t even pretend to like Ahmed’s friends and co-workers but they bite their tongues around Mark because they like Ahmed so much. He also doesn’t like for Ahmed to go anywhere with his friends without him, so Ahmed either has to bring him or he begs off himself. The group has decided to go to a carnival in town and Mark and Ahmed go along as well. There are some interesting things at the carnival including a caricaturist who seems to capture what each person is hiding and some games that provide interesting prizes. The one that is most interesting though is a picture that Ahmed wins.
Everyone leaves the carnival and then Mark and Ahmed get into an accident on the way home. The tire is blown out and maybe an axle is broken? As they are waiting, no cars come along. They don’t have phone signals and they get in a huge fight. Finally they are able to get through but it’ll be hours for a tow. Ahmed is able to text Jason who volunteers to come get them and take them home. Mark blows up and basically breaks up with Ahmed. He also accuses Ahmed of cheating with Jason – which is patently untrue and really pushes Ahmed over the edge.
Nobody who knows Ahmed is sad about Mark being out of the picture. But both Ahmed and Jason keep having weird bad luck – particularly with their cars. And this picture seems to be the common element. No matter how they try to get rid of it – and there are some very novel ways they try to do it – it just keeps showing up like a bad penny. Finally they return to the carnival and try and try to find the game to give it back. It takes a few tries and some doing though 😉
This was a interesting story! A completely different take and tone on this magical carnival in this multiauthor series. The constantly reappearing painting and the bad luck that Jason and Ahmed continue to have until they return to the “scene of the crime” was a twist to this magical world. The caricatures that revealed the hidden desires/issues for each person was also a cool magical element 😉 I honestly thought there was a little bit of scope creep with the other folks at the carnival that detracted a bit from the story as it just wasn’t necessary – the potential substance abuse issue, a love potion that I never did figure out the purpose of, etc. just didn’t add to the narrative here. Overall enjoyable and I liked how Jason and Ahmed were able to enjoy time together and realize that they worked well as a couple. Mark was a jerk and I was not sorry to see Ahmed move on after changing himself to try to make Mark happy which was never going to happen anyway.
John Solo and Michael Ferraiuolo are two veteran narrators who know how to bring a story to life. i thoroughly enjoyed this dual narration of the alternating POVs of Jason and Ahmed. Both of these gentleman are quite adept at imbuing their characterizations with the full range of emotions and reactions. I particularly loved how they performed the disbelief when the picture that seemed to be cursed with bad luck just kept reappearing despite repeated attempts to lose, destroy or otherwise get rid of it! When it finally does it’s job and helps them move their relationship to the next level, it’s really a sigh of relief for everyone. I believe the performance here absolutely elevated this story for me. Recommended.
RATING: 
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