Review - Pantomime by Laura Lam

Pantomime by Laura Lam

ISBN - 9781908844361  

Published by Strange Chemistry

Released  7th Feb 2013

Five out of Five stars *****

Well, where do I start?! I had no idea what to expect from this book. I listened to Laura read the first chapter at the Strange Chemistry launch. I was mesmerised and I knew this was a world I wanted to know more about!  I had received the first few pages in my goody bag from the launch, but decided not to read them, as it would be a while before I could get hold of the whole book. That was back in August.
I joined NetGally, last week, solely for this book. I was a bit worried before I started that I had hyped it up a bit to much in my mind, but I can honestly say, that is not the case. I LOVED this book!!! I say that a lot, lol, but I genuinely did :D I devoured every word, if I could have stayed at home to read it one sitting, I would have. Alas, I had to content my self with bus journeys and lunch breaks. It stayed with me during my day too. I found myself thinking of the characters throughout the day. What was going to happen to them? What choices would they make? Where were they going to end up? 

It's not often I get pulled into a world as completely as I did with the world of Ellada. The culture and people are reminiscent of the Victorian era, but with a fantasy twist. The Circus and all of it's inhabitants are a joy to read about, even in their darker moments. This book is a real character study of human behaviour and society in general. It's very insightful, without being in your face. I cannot wait for the second instalment! 

Here is what Goodreads has to say about Pantomime....

"R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada."

The characters in this book are so real and well developed, that your heart goes out to them. I was more than happy to follow them through the pages, to learn about them and from them. 

I know I'm being a bit vague, but trust me, when you're reading this book you will thank me for it. There are some pretty significant events and revelations that I am bursting to talk about, but I won't. You will just have to wait, and find out for yourself what I'm talking about! lol ;)  

I'll leave you with some words from Bryony Pearce, that I feel sum up my thoughts on this book;

"Micah is the most wonderful, complex, brave and contemporary teenage hero I've read, facing issues of identity and responsibility that will resound with any reader who has felt like an outsider. Pantomime is loving in it’s detail but hints at so much scope to come, it feels like the set up for an epic sequel. I raced through this book, desperate to know what happens next. ‘Look out behind you’ Robin Hobb…”

- Bryony Pearce, author of Angel’s Fury"

See you next post.

Kaylie :0)