Even more perfect than I remember it being, PANTOMIME is a piece of art that has stuck with me since I first read it and is now even better with the author's preferred changes.

Um…yes!
Pantomime was fantastic! I absolutely loved the first book in this series about Micah Grey!
The world building was phenomenal! I love a circus setting and this did not disappoint! The world Pantomime is based in sounds incredibly interesting and I can’t wait to read more about it and explore more of it.
The characters are wonderful! Micah is especially well written and their development is fantastic. Their relationship with Aeana felt a little rushed, but it had its place in the story. I am so intrigued by Drystan and I’m glad we’ll get more of him as the series continues!
The pacing of this book was excellent, the length was perfect, the world building fabulous and the character development spot on!

Rating: 4.25 stars

"Come one, come all. Ladies and gentlemen, and those who are both, between, or neither. Friends and foes, curs and skags, folks from near and far."

This book was SUCH a delight to read! It came at the perfect time when I was just itching for a circus-based, whimsical fantasy read, and boy did it deliver. The book follows our protagonist Micah Grey, a young intersex fellow who's escaped his old life to join the circus, and that's really only the start of his troubles. At R.H. Ragona's Circus of magic, Micah finds new purpose, friends, lovers, and a mysterious magic that seems to be following him. What happens when centuries-old mysteries and fairytales start to unravel before him?

I loved so much about this book - the world was vibrant and mysterious, the characters lovable and interesting, and of course the circus itself was as lively and whimsical as I'd hoped. I also really loved the way the book was structured so that we could slowly put together Micah's past while still seeing him move forward in the present - honestly, this was probably my favorite part of the book. This is also my first time reading a book with an intersex protagonist, which was incredibly interesting and eye-opening!

I will say that at times the worldbuilding was a little clunky/exposition heavy, and the magic system is still incredibly unclear to the point where it was sometimes difficult to fully understand the stakes of certain scenes. However, I do believe that this is part of the mystery that will continue to unfold over the next two books, and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Thank you so much to NetGalley and DAW publishing for the opportunity, and I look forward to the rest of my time with Micah Grey!

Yeh no… it looked a good premis based on the book blurb. Didn’t gel for me, not enough depth of characters nor action and twists and turns. Others have really liked it. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This was an excellent, enjoyable and empowering read. The plot flowed well and kept me eager to read. Micah's character was extremely likeable and I loved to see the journey around gender authenticity.

It was a feel-good read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A really strong start to the trilogy! A kind of coming of age story where our main character runs away from home and starts a new life in a circus with secrets to hide.
The circus atmosphere was very unique and interesting, a few more characters could have been more fleshed out those we got all felt very different from each other.
Loved seeing the different aspects of circus life and showing how Micah dealt with all the challenges.
Lots of queer characters as well as some other perspectives we don't see in fantasy (I'll keep it vague for a minor spoiler sake)
Some hints of romance with a tension plot in the background I'm very excited to read more of this series!!

Could be good for fans of Pinocchio retellings in my opinion, or just a fans of circuses!

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.