It's told in a dual timeline, and the writing style for the 1917 chapters is soo much better than the 1926 chapters. The First Bright Thing had all the buzzwords that usually appeal to me, but for some reason, the writing was so stilted and slow I could not get into it. I have a rule of thumb, that if a book does not draw me in in the first quarter, I am no longer wasting my time on it. This was a really impressive book, especially considering it’s a debut novel! It was really impactful to see the events of the World Wars juxtaposed with the magic of the Circus of the Fantasticals. There were so many sad, horrible moments but also a lot of happy, beautiful moments.

The dichotomy of this story really hit me. I love when a group of perceived misfits and outcasts find their home with one another and that’s exactly what Rin’s circus gave to these characters. The found family feeling to this book was superb. The beginning of the book felt a little slow to me but the pacing picked up deeper into the story. It had an atmospheric quality to it that transported the reader right into the circus and the world of the Sparks. It was so very immersive and just added a lot of depth to the story itself. It was a really interesting mix of fantasy and historical fiction with a bit of romance sprinkled in.

Rin's circus has something he wants, and he won't stop until it's his.This was such a cool story! Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely emotional and deep but it was unlike anything I’ve read before. It takes the form of another circus, with tents as black as midnight and a ringmaster who rules over his troupe with a dangerous power. And Rin's past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow she can’t fully escape. The future holds an impending war that the Sparks can see barrelling toward their show and everyone in it. With the world still reeling from World War I, Rin and her troupe - the Circus of the Fantasticals - travel the midwest, offering a single night of enchantment and respite to all who step into their Big Top.īut threats come at Rin from all sides. And the circus they lead is a rare home and safe haven for magical misfits and outcasts, known as Sparks. Ringmaster - Rin, to those who know her best - can jump to different moments in time as easily as her wife, Odette, soars from bar to bar on the trapeze. 'This is the magic circus book that I have been looking for all my life.'―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway If you knew how dark tomorrow would be, what would you do with today?

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson