This is a welcome reissue for Pantomime, the first volume of Laura Lam’s sparkling and original fantasy trilogy. Set in a world not unlike our own 19th century it tells the story of Gene a teenager who runs away to join the circus. Lam weaves something very special from this familiar set-up. She takes chances, embraces the point of view of the outsider, the different and is not shy of leaving mystery to the reader. Gene comes from a wealthy and noble family but chafes at the roles open to her, for she feels herself to be an outsider. Gene is both male and female and lives in a world that isn’t ready to deal with such an ambiguity so she runs away and, posing as a boy, employs her climbing skills to join a travelling circus. Keeping her secret she can nevertheless draw comfort from the society of others who don’t quite fit. The world of the circus is richly and warmly described by Lam, though not sentimentally - this is no escape from a wider harshness. The world the circus moves on is one of harsh class divisions and great want. It contains relics of a lost civilisation and as Gene travels she learns more about the past, more about the possibility of an actual magic and more about the fears for a dark future. Evocative, strange and full of empathy, this is a novel about identity and the celebration of difference. It’s perfect for lovers of Angela Carter and Erin Morgenstern. ~ Simon Spanton
| Primary Genre | Fantasy |
| Recommendations: |
In a land of lost wonders, the past is stirring once more ...Gene's life resembles a debutante's dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. Then she displays unwanted magical abilities - last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age. Matters escalate further when her parents plan a devastating betrayal, so she flees home, dressed as a boy. The city beyond contains glowing glass relics from a lost civilization. They call to her, but she wants freedom not mysteries. So, reinvented as 'Micah Grey', Gene joins the circus. As an aerialist, she discovers the joy of flight - but the circus has a dark side. She's also plagued by visions foretelling danger. A storm is howling in from the past, but will she heed its roar?
Pantomime features in the following genres: Fantasy, eBooks of the Month, Fiction, Recommendations
Pantomime is available in Paperback, Hardback
Pantomime was written by Laura Lam and published by Pan Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Pantomime has 388 pages
Yes it is part of The Micah Grey Trilogy series
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