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

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor Books (June 13, 2023)

Length: 336 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

“It’s not this book, it’s me” always seemed a bit of a cop out, but in this case, I feel that it must be said. Time travel—especially unexpected time travel—has a way of putting me on my guard because when it works, it works, but when it doesn’t, things have a tendency to fall apart pretty quickly.

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson opens on an alternate 1920s America where Sparks, the name given to those who are gifted with incredible powers, are mistrusted and feared by the general population. Think mutants in the X-Men. The story’s protagonist, Rin, also known as the Ringmaster on account of her role in leading the magical Circus of the Fantasticals, is able to not only teleport to different places but also jump to different moments in time.

Crewed by Spark performers, the circus charms audiences wherever—and whenever—they go, but there are more pressing reasons why they must stay on the move. Dire threats loom on two major fronts: first is the villainous Circus King, Rin’s nemesis who himself is a Spark possessing a dark power which he wants to use to control her. Second is of course the fast-approaching horrors of World War II. Having traveled through time, Rin is aware of what the future holds but has no idea how—or if she even can—do anything to avert the war.

What must it be like, to have an amazing superpower but is helpless to do anything with it at the same time? By all accounts, such a premise should hold nothing but despair and dreariness, but like its name, The First Bright Thing is surprisingly uplifting. While some things can never be changed, whether it be your past or the course of history, there are things you can do right now to improve your life. Rin has chosen her own family in her circus of misfits, with wife Odette by her side. When the adversity feels too overwhelming and challenges too great to overcome, it’s the supportive and loving relationships that form the heart of this novel.

But, as far as positives go, I’m afraid that’s where my praise ends. One prevalent issue that kept me from enjoying this book, even from the start, was the strained and sometimes clichéd writing which pushes what should be warm and touching moments into sappy, cringe-worthy territory. On top of that, the forced writing made it hard to connect with the characters, which might be why Rin always felt so flat to me. She conveys her thoughts in a rigid way that makes them feel unconvincing, and that extends to her relationships and feelings for those around her.

The time traveling aspect didn’t do much for me either. A lot of it felt needlessly convoluted and added little to nothing to the overall plot. Being unnecessarily complex also described the frequent time jumps which wore on my patience over time. The overall gist of the story boils down to trying to escape the Circus King and to stop WWII—two major points about stopping evil, which often converge. It needn’t have to be more complicated than that, and yet it was.

I wish I had a more favorable report, because the ideas behind The First Bright Thing are good, and fascinating, and tremendous. There’s a solid core here for sure, but ultimately the story’s different elements—writing, plotting, characterization—simply didn’t come together in a way that worked for me.