There is something inherently magical to me about running away to join the circus. Perhaps it was too many readings of The Runaway Bunny as a child? Either way, entering the Circus of Magic with Micah was as magical as it was intriguing.

All I wanted to do was give Micah a hug and tell him that everything was going to be okay. I loved the little interactions we got between him and the other performers, loved watching him learn who -and what - he was.

A few things do drop this from a solid 5/5 to a 4/5. There was an attempt at a found family trope I felt, but only really two of them were fleshed out enough to feel real. I also wanted more tie ins of the overarching plot - more places for Micah to use his magic - to make it feel less like a deus ex machina at pivotal moments.

Overall, a 4/5, and I will 100% be looking for the sequels.

I read this back in 2016 and loved the series then. I don't remember the plot though, so it's like rereading a new book! From my past review to my new review, I think L.R. Lam in the rewriting, did a great job smoothing out the kinks that were in the original book! Delighted to see this series republished.

Holy crap- I almost felt like too much of a peasant for getting to read this. It’s- amazinggggggg.

From the start, I was aghast with the way the author writes. It truly felt like I was getting thrown into a whole Time Capsule and world. So much respect for the author, the way they write is just so so good

What a whimsical, incredible, unique story with a main character who felt real and complex and well rounded. Lam's writing absolutely soars off the page and brings you in to such a lush and colourful world you cannot wait to explore more of.

A brilliant revision to the original story. Beautifully written, perfectly paced, and is absolutely my favourite book of the year.

So much of life takes place in grey areas, and so the surname that Micah chooses for himself is most apropos. Pantomime is very much a character driven story , which is not to say that the world and magic aren't vibrant and interesting, but the central character and their relationships and experiences guide the plot. We are treated to an interesting central character who runs away from an upper crust family to join the circus. Joining a traveling show may not be a unique plot device, but this character's story is quite original. I have read few books with an intersex central character and this adds a dimension, but this aspect does not wholly define Micah. In fact, what I enjoyed about this story is that Micah is still working on defining Micah. I know this story was previously published and is being reissues with some revision , and though I can see the perspective that some say that authors should move on and create new stories rather than rewriting the ones they have already written, I think this story brings to light some ideas that are being pushed into darkness in our times. The other advantage to this being a revised reissue is that the entire trilogy will be released in the space of a few months so anyone new to the series won't have long to wait to find out what comes next and those who were already fans of the series, perhaps waiting for the first publications with the usual delays between sequels can have a reread binge.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, DAW) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.