#j.r. dawson

[ace-artemis-fanartist]

My piece for @rainbowcrate’s June book box.

J.R. Dawson’s The First Bright Thing.

[torpublishinggroup]

Attentive readers might recall our Severely Unmoored Winter Holiday Quiz. 

Well.

New year, new us, and we’re going to keep these seasonally wild quizzes churning until the heat death of the universe (And maybe beyond. It’ll depend on engagement).

Take this drastically off-kilter quiz to find out what you should read this spring!

[stardustandrockets]

Do you like circuses? Or do you find them overwhelming and kinda creepy?

As I said in yesterday's post, I'm not usually a circus person because clowns terrify me, but this books about a magical circus and time travel(?) sounds super cool! The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson, an adult fantasy, was the trad pub pick for the @rainbowcrate June box.

Alternate cover art is by sam.spectre and, as always, the spoiler card art is by ace_artemis_fanartist

[bloodmaarked]

➸ reading list

just added:

pageboy: a memoir, elliot page

the human origins of beatrice porter and other essential ghosts, soraya palmer

the first bright thing, j.r. dawson

believe, leigh-anne pinnock

she's in CTRL, anne-marie imafidon

[gardenofbookworms]

august's monthly: from bee and rose

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

���︎ fantasy/historical fiction novel ▪︎

there are candle flames, flickering constantly, struggling to stay lit in their harsh environment. there are wildfires, raging on and burning down everything in their path. and then there are sparks. sparks create fire, whether it be the flickering candles or blazing wildfires or something somewhere in between.

no one knows where the spark came from or why, but it did, and it changed the lives of everyone who it touched. rin’s spark gives her the ability to jump to different moments across the plane of space of time. her wife, odette, can heal any injury. their friend, mauve, can see glimpses of the future as it is currently set to play out. together, the three women run the circus of fantasticals, a safe haven for those with sparks. they travel across the country, offering a single night of dazzling enchantment to those who step into their tent.

the world around them is still struggling to comprehend world war i: the great war, the war to end all wars, the war when the widely feared spark made its appearance. but at least it’s over now. there can never be a war greater than that one…right?

most people think so. but one night, while the circus of fantasticals is traveling to its next destination, mauve sees something terrifying: a possibility of another war, one that will destroy the fragile home they’ve built in the circus. at the same time, rin’s haunting past begins to catch up to her. the circus king has finally tracked her down, and now, he wants her back. there is no chance he will let her escape this time.

threats surround the circus from all sides—past, present, future. and although the threesome will try to keep their home standing and its occupants alive and well, there are no guarantees in a game that traverses the boundaries of time and space. there’s no way to know that they can stop the looming war and keep the circus alive. but they have to try. and sometimes, that means going back to where it all began…

▪︎

from bee

after skimming through this book for the first time in a while, i realized how much of a nightmare edward is. he can control you? huh? huh? huh? like, he could tell you to drop dead (and didn't that happen? or almost?) and you would, no questions asked. nothing’s more fucking terrifying than having your free will manipulated like that. it’s sort of haunting the way dawson takes quiet manipulation and spins it to the extreme with edward’s spark. there’s a lot of things that rin reverts to doing throughout the course of this book because of him—say what you want, but that’s completely justified.

anyway, onto a different (lighter) topic: a circus! the gays! the minorities! and they're all a family! seeing rin slowly try to do her best in the mother role is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. how do you parent a kid whose personality blazes so bright, like an uncontrollable fire? that’s what she has to figure out. and on a related subject: kell and charles are so fucking cute oh my god—seeing their relationship subtly progress in the background was probably my favorite part of this whole book. what do you mean he saw his face and crashed into a pole and a person? what do you mean he wanted to stay even if it meant dying? what do you mean—

from rose

the first two, three chapters of this book took me three weeks to get through. then, at some point, i ran out of other things to read, picked it up again… and holy shit, i’d underestimated it the first time. the first bright thing is set in a magical circus, which could easily make the whole plotline feel far-fetched and out of touch with reality. but dawson manages to take the people in that circus, and make them feel like any other group of people working together to try to achieve a common goal—in this case, show the audience the night of their lives. add that to the historical aspect, the forbidden romance, and the air of magic and mystery? boom, the deal is sealed for me.

and then, of course, we’ve got what bee just mentioned: the circus. not the magical part, but the complicated relationships, the gay panic, the ringmaster struggling to keep the whole thing together—they are a family. watching relationships develop and shatter, seeing each character figure out where they fit into the fabric of the circus, and all the stolen romantic moments… guys, this is what i live for. and yes, charles and kell are absolutely fucking perfect together.

▪︎

bonus: spotify playlist!

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The First Bright Thing | Author: J.R. Dawson | Publisher: Tor (2023)

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

Author: J.R. DawsonPublisher: Tor BooksReleased: June 13, 2023Received: NetGalley Goodreads | More Fantasy Reviews Book Summary: Rin, aka Ringmaster, is the best at what she does. She can jump between moments in time. More importantly, she (alongside her wife) can create a safe haven for circus folk. In other words, the people who don’t typically fit in with society. Unfortunately, not all…

[moviemosaics]

Haunted Mansion

directed by Justin Simien, 2023

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Haunted Mansion 2023

[piastrinorris]

“Family finds us, even if we're born in different places to different homes.” — J.R. Dawson

@stcreators event 02 • family

[will80sbyers]

“Family finds us, even if we’re born in different places to different homes.” ― J.R. Dawson

[fahye]

i’ve gotten a few book recs from your blog over the last few years so i was wondering, what new books are you looking forward to this year?

frantically answering this one on release day for some of the books on this list, scraping in under the wire, etc.

* asterisk means I've already read it because of the joys of ARCs.

*SOME DESPERATE GLORY by emily tesh. aspects of military sci-fi, aspects of [redacted for spoilers], aspect of alienfucking, protagonist with strong azula-from-avatar vibes (she's the worst, I would die for her). very queer and very clever and will rip your spine out and fill you up with emotions. it's gonna win a hugo and become a modern classic. guaranteed.

SOMETHING SPECTACULAR & MORTAL FOLLIES both by alexis hall. both are regency romances, one with genderfluid & agender protags, the other one is sapphic and involving fairies I think?? maybe witches?? don't know don't care, I'll devour anything alexis hall cares to serve me.

*THE FIRST BRIGHT THING by j.r. dawson. if you enjoyed the aesthetics of the night circus but wish it had more polyamory, sapphics, time travel, examinations of trauma, found family and post-ww1 americana: this is for you. it's such a wonderful, chewy, compassionate book. about magical circuses.

KNOCKOUT by @sarahmaclean. I love sarah's current 'hell's belles' historical romance series so much and this one is the romance with IMOGEN who is an EXPLOSIVES EXPERT, so I expect it to blow my socks off in several different ways. can't wait.

*STARLING HOUSE by alix e. harrow. southern gothic! feral gremlin girl meets house and is NOT impressed! feral gremlin girl meets glowering gremlin boy and is even LESS impressed! buried sins, the grind of poverty, terrible houses that want your blood. I read this in almost a single sitting and I had the time of my fucking life.

*THE DEATH I GAVE HIM by em x. liu. locked room murder mystery sci-fi hamlet retelling!! exactly as amazing as it sounds. another one that I flew through in a single sitting. features science, deception, transhumanism, and some unreasonably sexy AI-interfacing.

[elizmanderson]

okay, I know readers don't necessarily love or care about blurbs (as a reader, I'm mostly annoyed when they're on the back of the cover in place of an actual book description since I'd like to know what, y'know, the book is actually about),

but as an author...getting such lovely words about my book from some amazing authors is like. incredible

so here are some lovely words about my book from some amazing authors (and an actual book description below)

buy Kamilah Cole's So Let Them Burn: link to BookShop

buy Chelsea Abdullah's The Stardust Thief: link to BookShop

buy Amy Avery's The Longest Autumn: link to BookShop

buy J.R. Dawson's The First Bright Thing: link to BookShop

book description

In this mesmerizing, wonderfully moving queer cozy fantasy, an immortal ghost hunter must confront his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.

Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name.

After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to wander eternally far from home, with the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants.

Immortality means Peter has lost everyone he’s ever loved. And so he centers his life on the dead—until his wandering brings him to Harrington, Ohio. As he searches for a vengeful spirit, Peter’s drawn into the townsfolk’s lives, homes and troubles. For the first time in over a century, he wants something other than death.

But the people of Harrington will die someday. And he won’t.

As Harrington buckles under the weight of the supernatural, the ghost hunt pits Peter’s well-being against that of his new friends and the man he’s falling for. If he stays, he risks heartbreak. If he leaves, he risks their lives.

add The Keeper of Lonely Spirits to a TBR: link to theStoryGraph | link to GoodReads

preorder The Keeper of Lonely Spirits: link to BookShop

...or hold off on preordering for a minute, since I might be sharing something about signed preorders soon 👀

[stardustandrockets]

JUNE RAINBOW CRATE SPOILERS

I'm not generally into circus stuff because clowns absolutely terrify me, but I'm excited for this month's trad book.

The June 'A Spark of Magic' box includes:

• The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson with alternate dust jacket art by @sam.spectre (trad pub)

• Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves with alternate dust jacket art by @houda_belgharbi.art (indie pub)

• monthly collectible magnet inspired by Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar J. Perry

• rainbow bookshelf blanket designed by @crookedquilluk

Practical and useful items are always my favorite and you can never have too many blankets. Even when you live in swampy East Texas where winters are practically nonexistent.

More details on individual items coming later in the week as the @rainbowcrate June photo challenge continues on.

[kadoore]

June 2023 Queer Adult SFF Books!

TRANSLATION STATE by Ann Leckie 6/6/2023

nonbinary MCs

once human, Translators have been changed to serve as spokespeople for an alien race

but one Translator wants More, and sets off in search of their own life

adventures and mysteries ensue

THE FIRST BRIGHT THING by J.R. Dawson 6/13/2023

f/f

wives who circus together,

travel the midwest in an alt post-WWI world together

magical circus vs magical circus, but make it dark

THE SURVIVING SKY by Kritika H. Rao 6/13/2023

queer MCs in a m/f relationship

floating jungle city above a raging Earth

magical architects keep it afloat, until suddenly they can't

a struggling marriage, illegal magic, and misplaced reverence!

SAVAGE CROWNS by Matt Wallace 6/13/2023

enby and bi MCs

an ostensibly utopian nation has been exposed as anything but

now the rebels who would remake their country meet on the battlefield to decide its future

3rd in SAVAGE REBELLION series

THE GHOSTS OF TRAPPIST by K.B. Wagers 6/27/2023

queernorm world, queertastic cast

Coast Guard but make it spaaaace

ships are going missing and even the pirates are a bit scared

ghost ships and voices and mysterious songs - oh my

3rd in NeoG series

THE INFINITE MILES by Hannah Fergesen 6/20/2023

pan MC

her best friend disappears for 3 years only to return and demand they find the hero of a fictional TV show, who happens to be real,

strands the MC in 1971,

and then things get weird

[hythlodaeus-mynewoldfriend]

Mayncient Day 9: Family

“Family finds us, even if we’re born in different places to different homes” ― J.R. Dawson

A little something under the cut from Phobos pov that I wrote talking about the cups

My fingers gently lift one of the mugs, white with pastel flowers surrounded by dark magenta fleurons with the inside carrying the smallest hint of green. Hythlodaeus’ favorite mug, Anthea had gifted it to him following the autumn celebration on Elpis, so he could experience some part of it.[...]

A clear glass mug with little animals in an open meadow painted along the bottom and in quite a lot of detail. Deimos was so meticulous about it, wanting it to look beautiful as it sat in Anthea’s cupboard waiting for the next time he visited. A clear glass so he could watch as the pea flower tea changed color with the added splash of lemon. A small entertainment and one that made us seem so much younger than we were, something we paid little mind to as we’d sit at the table with our chin resting on our hands, eyes fixated on the slow swirl of the color shifting from blue to a pinkish purple. [...]

Plain black with a chipped handle revealing the white ceramic beneath. The cup smells of chamomile and hints of coffee that even with fresh thoughts still leaves my nose crinkling. Hades was the only one of us to have ever enjoyed the taste of it. Unlike his assistant he drank it seldomly and when there was cause for it, late nights at work or days he had things to do and had just arrived back from assisting us out in the world, and on days where he stayed for dinner he would make a cup to have with dessert. Anthea said he brought it from his home, but there was enough of a smile on their face to tell otherwise, we would find out later it was the best way Anthea could make Hades come over after work and get dinner so he wouldn’t be alone, “No one should eat alone when there are friends near.”.