The First Bright Thing

(Paperback)

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A spellbinding historical debut for fans of The Night Circus and The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. 'This is the magic circus book that I have been looking for all my life' - Seanan McGuire, author of the Wayward Children series When darkness descends, expect sparks. After the First World War, a select few wake up with frightening magical abilities. Rin can jump through time. Her wife, Odette, can heal the unhealable. And their friend, Mauve, sees what others can't. Alone, afraid and exiled from regular society, the trio create a haven for Sparks - people like them - a circus housing those who are powerful and lost. Now it's 1926 and Rin runs the Circus of the Fantasticals. It travels across the States, spreading enchantment and joy to those who need it. Rin hopes their performances leave the world brighter than before. But new threats loom that even circus lights can't vanquish. Another devastating war is barrelling across the world. Worse still, Rin's past creeps closer every day, a malevolent shadow she can't fully escape. This takes the form of a rival circus, with tents as black as midnight. Its leader has dark powers and even darker desires as the Sparks have something he wants - and Rin knows he won't stop until he has it. 'A masterpiece of the fantastical and the human' - Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light *Longlisted for Best Novel at the British Science Fiction Association Awards 2023*

Reviews

This is the magic circus book that I have been looking for all my life. It's compelling and brilliant, and made me cry on a public street -- Seanan McGuire, author of Every Heart A Doorway
This book takes the reader on an audacious, bittersweet journey, underpinned by the magic of theatre and the alchemies of grief and love. A masterpiece of the fantastical and the human -- Freya Marske, author ofA Marvellous Light
J.R. Dawson welcomes us to a time-traveling circus of magical outcasts, forged by love into family. A celebration of artistry and wonder as essential talismans we wield against despairand with which we triumph against it . . . I, for one, am here for the show -- Travis Baldree, author of Legends and Lattes
Mesmerizing and magical, The First Bright Thing gives friendship, love and found family top billing, puts the audacity of optimism on center stage and delivers a voice with artistry and flair worthy of the Ringmaster herself -- Rowenna Miller, author of Torn
If this circus were real, Id be in the front row; its the found family so many of us crave. Richly imagined and vividly depicted, The First Bright Thing shows both the joys and costs of power -- Sarah Pinsker, author of A Song for a New Day
This magical novel will invite you into an astounding circus and carry you along on its wild journey through time . . . The cast of colorful, endearing characters will make you glad to know that, as the Ringmaster says, Circus people never say goodbye -- Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
The First Bright Thing will break your heart and stitch it back together . . . It is a wonderful tale of hope and heart and perseverance -- Rita Woods, author of The Last Dreamwalker
Fans of gentle, uplifting speculative fiction will find much to enjoy in this heartfelt celebration of difference -- Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

J. R. Dawson (she/they) is a writer and educator who has published shorter works in places such as F&SF, The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy and Lightspeed. She lives in Omaha with a loving spouse and three dogs. Having earned a BFA from the Theatre School at DePaul and an MFA in creative writing from Stonecoast, Dawson works as a teaching artist. Her clients include assorted Midwestern nonprofits that teach kids the power of performance and storytelling.