DNF! I didn’t find the beginning of this book was pulling me in and normally I’d give it a good go go build the story but I did some reading on it ad found out there isn’t much of a romance subplot and what it did have in regards to romance was a love triangle. These things are negatives to me so combined with the lack of pull I was feeling to it I decided to DNF but for people unbothered by or who like these things it could well be a great read!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Pantomime is a beautifully written story that blends magic, mystery, and identity in a way that feels fresh and compelling.

Micah's struggle with not fitting into society’s mold is something that feels universal, and it gave the story a strong emotional core. The theme of belonging runs throughout the book, and I found myself really connecting with it. Lam’s writing style is lyrical and infinitely readable, one of those books you can just sink into. The dual timelines worked well, weaving together the past and present in a way that kept me engaged without ever feeling confusing.

The circus setting is wonderfully vivid and easy to picture. It felt alive, colorful, and just the right amount of strange. While I do wish Ellada as a whole had been fleshed out a little more, the circus more than made up for it as the main backdrop.

I'm so, so glad Lam was able to revisit this story. I can't wait to read more in Micha's tale!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of Pantomime.

<b>Review Summary</b>
Victorian gaslamp circus setting, a bi trans intersex protagonist, and mysterious magical relics from previous civilisations: what's not to love? I was so excited to read Pantomime.

While Pantomime is L R Lam's debut, they've reworked it for a 2025 release. In many ways, it still felt like a debut novel: the story was satisfying, but there was a tendency to tell rather than show and at times I wanted a little more complexity from the plot and relationships. This wouldn't put me off continuing the series, though — I can't wait to find out what happens to Micah in books two and three.

<b>The 2013 vs 2025 Editions of Pantomime</b>
This review is about the revised version of Pantomime, published in 2025.

In reworking their debut novel, L R Lam is following in the footsteps of several other novelists who were first published either as a teenager or in their early twenties.

At 296 pages compared to the original 400 pages, the revised edition is significantly shorter. Lam has also said that they made it a gentler, less edgy tale; aged up the characters; and improved the foreshadowing.

However, I haven't read the original to compare the two texts. This review is focused on the 2025 version.

<b>Review In More Detail</b>
Pantomime is entertaining and — despite the at-times dark topics in the book — sweet novel.

Like many, I grew up on stories of runaways who joined the circus and had enormous adventures. Pantomime delivers just that.

The characters and the mysterious magic were the highlights of the book for me. Micah is loveable, and Drystan is intriguing. I would have liked a little more depth from some of the other characters, but as this is a YA book, I'm okay with them being simpler.

It's worth noting that Pantomime touches on several dark topics, but it never goes as dark as it could be. In some ways, this is a welcome relief, but it does occasionally feel like the topics deserved a more serious and realistic treatment. There's a pattern of domestic abuse between secondary characters, for example, but it feels like we see the bruises but not the pain or fear.

I felt the same way about how the book handled the ethical issues of animals in circuses. Animal mistreatment and neglect is alluded to, but as readers, we don't really have to experience them. We're still encouraged to wonder at the otters and how they interact with Micah, and the other animals. We don't see any of the consequences or the animals in pain.

Since Lam has said that they made this a gentler tale, I wonder if some of the animal mistreatment and domestic abuse passages were removed in the editing. If so, it would be a shame. I'd rather the themes were either removed entirely or given the importance they deserve.

However, Pantomime is still a very enjoyable queer YA novel. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Did someone say gaslamp circus? Because I heard it and RAN.
This was an amazing book and everything fit exactly where it was supposed to go