Of all the books I DNFed this month, The First Bright Thing was definitely the one I was most excited for. And I think a lot of people are going to love it! For very good reasons! But for me, it just didn’t click.

Alarm bells started ringing with the very first line of the book;

<The Spark Circus always arrived when no one was looking, early in the morning.>

It’s hard to believe that that’s not an intentional reference to The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, since the first line of that is

<The circus arrives without warning.>

That’s a pretty well-known line – I’ve seen it on prints, enamel pins, clothing, cups, journals, everything. It’s difficult for me to imagine a fantasy author – especially a fantasy author writing about a magical circus! – is unaware of The Night Circus. That book was a global phenomenon even outside the SFF community. So the first line of The First Bright Thing doesn’t feel like an accident.

I’m not accusing Dawson of plagiarism – that would be nonsensical, that’s clearly not what this is. It could be a respectful/happy homage to The Night Circus; it could simply be a nod of recognition to a book that did the Magic Circus trope before The First Bright Thing (but then, so did dozens if not hundreds or thousands of other books???); it could be a way of saying ‘yes, I’m walking in Erin Morgenstern’s footsteps’ (but then, again, also the footsteps of many, many other storytellers, so???) It might be that someone along the line suggested to Dawson that crafting a first line that echoed that of The Night Circus might help draw in fans of that book, might be a good idea.

I don’t think it was. I think it was a really, really bad idea. Why would you want readers immediately comparing The First Bright Thing to The Night Circus (any more than they already will, I mean, because Magic Circus)? It’s generally agreed that The Night Circus is an especially beautiful book, both in terms of prose style and imagery, and the nostalgia factor has gilded the memory of a book most fans probably haven’t reread in a while. That’s not something you want people measuring your book up against!

And besides, The First Bright Thing is different to The Night Circus in…almost every single way? They both feature magic circuses. That’s it. So if your goal is to draw in Morgenstern’s fans and make them hopeful that they’re going to get another book like The Night Circus…they’re not going to? And they will be disappointed? And more likely to judge The First Bright Thing negatively, because they’re (unconsciously, I’m pretty sure) now viewing it as a poor imitation of one of their favourite books, rather than judging it on its own merits???

Am I overthinking this? Quite possibly.

For me, that first line struck a sour note, both because I find it uncomfortable for a book to echo another book this way (I’m sure it’s not meant this way, but I can’t help but feel that it’s somehow rude?) and because the phrasing is kind of clunky (especially in comparison to the neat, simple elegance of ‘The circus arrives without warning.’)

The phrasing – writing – turned out to be my big issue with The First Bright Thing, the reason I quit before finishing it. It’s not that Dawson is a bad writer, but I would have sent this manuscript back for another round of polishing, because quite lovely lines are juxtaposed with very awkward ones that break the writing rhythm. The former make it clear that Dawson has the ability to be great; the latter just…grated.

Take this paragraph, which comes near the end of the first chapter;

<Some circuses didn’t allow audience members on the main floor after the show, but Rin liked to watch the crowd poke at the props and set pieces, trying to spot any tricks up the circus’s sleeves. It was part of the nightly ritual; to watch from the wings as the audience spilled onto the floor like the end of a baseball game, intoxicated and invigorated by what they’d just witnessed. Real magic was a strong drink to take in.>

See, I think most of that paragraph is great! The baseball game imagery works! I get what it means! …And then there’s that line at the end. ‘Real magic was a strong drink to take in.’ I think I understand what Dawson is trying to say, but it’s just phrased very clumsily, and I don’t think it mixes well with the baseball game imagery. It’s also unnecessary to getting the point of the paragraph across. I would have cut it, personally.

There are a lot of lines like that, lines that are clunky, and sometimes outright confusing or unclear. Usually, said lines are trying to express something very meaningful and poignant – and there are a good number of times when Dawson gets it right, and those moments pack punch! But it’s jarring when it goes wrong, and it goes wrong a lot, and it’s like listening to someone playing music when they keep hitting the wrong notes – I keep twitching, and I absolutely cannot relax and enjoy myself, regardless of how many boxes the book’s premise and description tick for me.

<No war, no Circus King would touch this. She could do this. She could protect them all. When Odette had met her, years ago, Rin had been nothing but hard armor. She’d tried so hard to let it go, to let them all into her heart, to believe no shadows would follow her. The world had carried on, and now, in 1926, people knew the future would be bright. It had to be. Nothing could be as bad as what had come before.>

This reads like it should be three separate paragraphs; we have a) Rin’s desire to protect, b) Rin’s difficulty letting people in – and then it jumps to c) the world having carried on. It jumps from topic to topic in a way that doesn’t work for me; it feels jerky and random, not smoothly flowing the way it ought to.

A few more examples, lines or images that didn’t make sense or didn’t work for me;

<“I can hold the weight I need to hold,” Rin said solidly. Like she’d formed cement bricks along her bones, burying whatever was beneath and fortifying her to move forward.>

Bricks along her bones?

<a man called Ford, who could change his voice to sound however he’d like.>

<the way the backstage crew worked like something between a ballet dance and a clock.>

You can see what is trying to be said here! It’s so close! The phrasing just needs tweaking.

<“Tonight!” she sounded. “Tonight you will see things you never thought you would live to see! You will realize that in this world, there are dreams that are only just out of reach.”>

That…is not the optimistic speech you think it is? What??? Why would you tell them about dreams that are out of reach? And ‘tonight you will see things you never thought you would live to see’…that would make sense if you were time-travelling from the future, I guess? Otherwise, I don’t understand???

<“This circus is a way to hide?” Jo said.

“No,” the Ringmaster said, calmly. “No, we do much good here. Empires have always underestimated artists. And it works in our favor. It makes us powerful. No one expects us to change teh world, and so we do.>

Amazing mission statement, but not at all an answer to the question? Is this a way to hide? No, we do much good here. Those two points aren’t related to each other. I think I see what the Ringmaster is trying to say, but it’s frustrating.

<He was one of many calcified children who had to grow up too fast. And Jo was one of many invisible girls trying to disappear into the cracks of the world.>

…I think I get what you’re trying to say here, but calcified anything can’t grow, and invisible people don’t need to disappear? Because they’re already invisible? What???

But then we get lines like this, which are simply *chef’s kiss*

<It made this downtown an industrial otherworld; one foot in progress and the other in prairie.>

I LOVE that! That is an amazing line! You immediately get what it’s saying, the image is fantastic, and I am an ardent fan of alliteration. Perfect!

<It was now time to add the pathos to the logos and ethos.>

Genius!

<This girl was sitting on a precipice and she could fall or she could fly. Maybe Rin could build her a bridge…>

Brilliant!

So while I was majorly frustrated by the clunky lines, there is a lot here for readers to like – and I know I’m incredibly picky when it comes to writing style, which is why I included so many examples; if the lines that make me twitch don’t bother you? Then you can, obviously, ignore that whole part of my critique.

I did have a few more problems with this book, though. Very quickly, we learn that the purpose of the circus – this particular circus, I mean – is to find people who ‘need something in their life’ and customise each night’s performance for that one visitor they foresee attending. And those visitors then walk away with hope or courage or resolve or whatever it is they needed.

I just…immediately didn’t buy that. Because I don’t see how even the most incredible circus could do that. A thing of beauty, including all kinds of performance art, can absolutely inspire, and fill people with powerful emotion. But the idea that every night, this circus changes someone’s life? What kind of performances are you giving? What are you doing? I mean in practical, literal terms, what are you doing? How do you change/edit/customise the acts so that this night, you will fill someone with courage they’ll carry with them forever, and the next night, hope? What do the clowns do differently on a courage night, as opposed to a hope night?

(In fairness, maybe there would have been more detail on this further on in the book – I stopped a third of the way through. But given how this entire explanation of their mission is info-dumped on the reader, I’m not betting on it.)

So the premise of the circus itself immediately didn’t make sense to me – I couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough, I guess – but there are also bits of the worldbuilding that made me frown, like the law that says Sparks and not-Sparks will just…leave each other the fuck alone. The government will happily use people with magical powers in war, and civilians will hand over their Spark kids or spouses to sanitoriums that allegedly try to cure them, but – look, I am extremely Tired of the idea that the government would want mutants/magic users/Sparks registered and tracked or whatever, but I find it impossible to believe that the government – the American government specifically – would decide that the best course was agreeing to mutual non-interference. Not kicking them out of the country, not conscripting them, not requiring them to be registered, not trying to kill them, just a ‘you do your thing and we will do yours and neither side will start trouble with the other’. Especially when we see how many non-Sparks really, properly hate and fear Sparks.

I don’t buy it. And – what does that mean? Are Sparks still citizens? Can they vote? Is there a separate legal system for them, are there Spark police who investigate crimes involving Sparks? Can Sparks enter into contracts with non-Sparks? I did not get answers to any of this in the first third of the book, and I got the vibe I wasn’t going to get any if I pushed through, either. (But who knows? I could be wrong about that.)

Finally, the descriptions of the actual circus acts – which should really be dripping in gorgeous descriptive prose – are very inconsistent, swinging between dull and mechanical

<Odette spun around right ways up, then did a figure-eight foot lock with a fan kick, arabesque, fan kick, arabesque, hold as she spun. Then Odette did a Russian climb and somehow even made that look both graceful and difficult.>

and something that comes close to what I wanted out of these scenes.

<She walked across a tightrope, grabbed one of her lyras, and balanced with the power of an athlete and the poise of a princess, her thighs and feet and fingers slowly turning and contorting around the circle high in the sky.>

That second paragraph – which comes right after the first! – is wonderful; it’s emotive, now I know what I’m supposed to be feeling, and I have something to picture. The vibe of wonder, which is absolutely necessary for a magic circus, is there! But the first paragraph? I don’t know what those terms mean, and even if I did, it’s such a dry way of describing what Odette is doing here. This beautiful, presumably very impressive thing is boring because the prose isn’t up to the task of conveying it.

Eventually, I just couldn’t take the see-sawing between bad lines and good any more. I got very tired of all the telling, and while I liked the characters individually, I didn’t believe in their established relationships with each other. The book makes major use of a kind of magic/supernatural ability I particularly dislike – the whole story hinges on it, really – the dialogue felt scripted, and poorly scripted at that…

Nope. This one just isn’t for me. Alas.

Every time I hear the words “queer magic circus book”, I am automatically compelled to try and get my hands on it as soon as possible. Naturally, when I heard J.R. Dawson’s THE FIRST BRIGHT THING described with these words, I knew I had to check it out. While inconsistent with its pacing at points, overall THE FIRST BRIGHT THING presents a deeply moving, often painful, ultimately cathartic read sure to captivate fans of historical fantasy.

Ringmaster, or Rin, leads a circus full of outcast performers; many of these performers have special magical abilities and are known as Sparks, which is often the reason they have been pushed to the fringes of society. Along with her wife Odette, Rin and the circus travel across the nation in the wake of World War I and offer entertainment to all who enter the Big Top. But no matter how far her time jumping can take her, Rin cannot outrun the shadows of her own past—including a rival ringmaster with a dark circus all his own.

THE FIRST BRIGHT THING offers lyrical prose and intricate structure from the beginning. Because Rin has the power to manipulate time, there are several interwoven time periods within the novel. For all the warmth, camaraderie, and support found in Rin’s circus and the novel as a whole, it is definitely not a light read. World War II serves as a prominent backdrop of this novel and all the atrocities thereof. In addition, elements of intimate partner abuse feature heavily, specifically intense and distressing levels of gaslighting.

Rather than talk too much about the plot which is best experienced as it unfolds, I will say the comps of The Night Circus and Addie LaRue do this novel justice; I could see strong elements of both in THE FIRST BRIGHT THING. Additionally, I would add in X-Men as a strong influence. The magical abilities and political ramifications of being a Spark are quite similar at points to some stories explored in the X-Men universe.

I loved how diverse this novel was. Rin is a Jewish, sapphic protagonist; both of these facets of her identity play an active, integral part in the novel. Though no specific age is given, it can be assumed Rin is middle-aged or older, which is exceedingly rare in the protagonist of a fantasy novel. Other prominent side characters such as Rin’s wife Odette, their mutual beloved friend Mauve, young hotshot Josephine Reed, and more are also a delight. Many, many characters have a queer identity and the found family element of the circus is an absolute delight.

If you enjoyed The Night Circus or The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, THE FIRST BRIGHT THING is definitely worth checking out when it releases on June 13, 2023. Rin and her extraordinary circus will sweep you up into a magical, sensational atmosphere and take you on an unforgettable journey.

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

I was initially concerned that this would be too similar to The Night Circus, however, I found it thoroughly enjoyable!
The time travel element was unique and well thought out. I absolutely love Rin as the female lead character, she is one of the most unique characters I’ve read in a book in a long time
Some of the time traveling and switching POVs was a little confusing however I would still highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys circus theme books

Step back in time to the 1920s with a traveling ,magical circus under the big top as Sparks share their magic to entertain audiences far and wide. Rin, the ringleader is an aging queer Jewish woman who has the ability to time travel and is married to the beautiful acrobat Odette. Together along with friend Mauve, they are essentially attempting to stop WW2 from happening all while fending off the evil circus King. Threads are literally woven throughout time as we meet Edward and his wife Ruth. We first meet Edward on the front lines of WW1. Intrigue, action, magic, strong character development, and a few predictable yet fun (also dark?) twists keep the reader engaged throughout. A little meandering and drawn out at times with a dramatic writing style kept me from a 5 star review but all in all a great enjoyable read!

The blurb I read that says this is for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Night Circus was spot on! I loved this book. I cannot wait to sell it in my store. It is magical, historical, sad, hopeful, and diverse and truly something many people are going to love.

This was a beautifully constructed novel, rich with lush visuals and cinematic showmanship. The Ringmaster, known as Rin, leads a ragtag group of magical individuals known as Sparks in a truly captivating circus. It's not all smoke and mirrors, though, for at the heart of the circus is found family, love, and acceptance.

Constructed as a dual timeline and dual POV narrative, I found the past timeline drew me in very thoroughly and although I could see and predict where it was going, I still found the big reveal very satisfying. The Jewish cultural elements were fascinating to me and the magic was well developed and interesting.

Thank you to Tor/Forge for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Under the big top of the Spark Circus the remarkable acts of fantastical gifted performers do more than entertain—they reach into the audience and offer targeted, intentional hope. And they do it all under the charismatic leadership of the Ringmaster—a magical, flawed, aging, Jewish, lesbian protagonist with shadows in her past.

Then those shadows come alive. The man who spent years using his own magic to reshape her and the world around them has found her. When he reaches his claws into the safe world she has built, the Ringmaster cannot stand against him alone. Her wife, Odette, their friend, Mauve, and the entire found family of the circus has to face the broken places in their past, present and future. Because having a Spark isn’t enough to stop the darkness that is coming, from both him and the next war looming on the horizon.

The vivid world of a magical circus is palpable in this Tim Burtonesque story. With a rich, visual tapestry of descriptions and sensory details that bring the flavors and scents off the page like an incantation, this book is a delicious experience. The emotional depth of each character, the pain that cracks through their tragedies and the way they pick each other up is a tender and real depiction of healing and hope. The story brings such nuance and thoughtful exploration to each character, even the antagonist, whose twisted view of the world leads so realistically to abuse. As the Ringmaster grapples with herself and the lies he has planted in her mind, she also struggles with the age old question of how to stop evil from happening in our broken world. The sheer overwhelming size of the WWII horrors that await are so hard to fight, but Rin and her band of misfits aren’t ready to give up. This story is for all the wounded ones, the lost ones, the not-quite-fitting-in ones, the ones who dream of weaving our pasts into a more beautiful future.

“If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today?”
I’ve read lots of really good books, but only a few that have grabbed my heart in the first few chapters and swept me up in the magic so thoroughly as this. It's a story of a magical train full of magical outcasts, time travel, found families and finding the light even in the deepest darkness. Gorgeous writing with characters that I fell in love with. I loved it even though I knew it was going to break my heart. So good!

Don’t compare books to The Night Circus. Don’t do it. It is never true. I’ve never read anything like The Night Circus.

THAT SAID - this is a circus book. It is doing its own thing, and that thing is WONDERFUL. The First Bright Thing is a gem of a novel, a scream of frustration at the things we can’t change about our broken world and a joyful embrace of the good in it all. It is found family and queer spaces and good people doing their best. It is broken and sharp in places, but it takes care of those broken places, too. Hard but rewarding, a revelation and a revolution.

But please stop comparing things to The Night Circus just because there’s a magical circus involved.

I wanted to enjoy this but was overly unimpressed with the relationships, the dynamic, and the plot felt convoluted.

I was provided the ARC for The First Bright Thing by J.R Dawson for free in exchange for an honest review.

The First Bright Thing is JR Dawson's debut novel that promises to be for fans of the Night Circus and Addie La Rue. Ambitious claims! I was very excited to get into it.

First off, there are a lot of storylines in this book. You have the ring master Rin trying to stop World War II while dealing with the injustice of the treatment of her people as both a Spark (magical individual) and being Jewish, and a cat and mouse game with the rival circus owner who used to control her, and a parallel storyline at the same time. The parallel and eventual converging storyline is Edward who finds out that he is a Spark and uses his power of suggestion to go the evil route. Like I said, a lot going on!

What I liked: There was a lot of diversity in this book, just a heads up that this is not a "no homophobia" world and it is a CW for the book. I thought Dawson did an incredible job writing Edward's emotional manipulator personality and drive, a high note on how delightfully frustrating this character was for me. It was an easier read and I managed to read through it in a day and a half on my Kindle.

What I think could use improvement on: there is a lot going on with this book, almost too much. There is way too many storylines and plot driving that don't seem to mesh well together. If you are a fan of the Night Circus and Addie La Rue for the lyrical prose of the book, I don't think this is on par with that. The world building and descriptions are not described thoroughly. It gives more Umbrella Academy or X-Men vibes mixed with the circus.

I think this will be a good book for magical realism fans but some of the plots need to either be reduced or tightened up a bit.

The First Bright Thing is a spellbinding debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.