Whether it is on the silver screen or in the big top, these two fantasy novels both feature strong female characters taking center stage.
The First Bright Thing
by JR Dawson
The First Bright Thing is Dawson’s first novel. It is set in Post-WWI America where Rin is a Ringmaster of a wildly unusual circus which can appear in places where railroad tracks don’t run. Like most circuses it is populated with a found family of misfits, but these have a range of powers referred to as Sparks which allow them to do everything from healing any wound to traveling through time. But now a dark threat is approaching and it will test all of their powers and strength of will to turn back the darkness that looms out of Rin’s past, which is slowly revealed in flashbacks. Those who enjoyed Erin Morgenstern’s Night Circus or the streaming series The Nevers, will find wonder in The First Bright Thing. The novel handles Rin’s experience with being abused and recovery in a respectful way, but readers who are sensitive to the issue should be aware it is a reoccurring topic throughout the novel. The novel features LGBTQ characters as well as individuals from a variety of racial backgrounds; also inclusionary is Rin’s connection with her Jewish heritage, something I have rarely seen referenced or depicted in works in the Fantasy genre. I received an advanced reader copy of The First Bright Thing in order to provide an honest review to our patrons and blog readers.
Siren Queen
by Nghi Vo
I read Siren Queen for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May with the Hoboken Library’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group. Luli Wei, a Chinese American, borrows her sister’s name and becomes an actress after stumbling upon a film set near Hungarian Hill where her family owns a laundry business. Vo brilliantly chronicles Luli’s experience infusing her struggles with racism, sexism, and homophobia in the movie industry and the wider society of 1920’s America with magic which is both real and also metaphorical in a manner similar to what you expect from magical realism or folk-tales. If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman or Sarah Addison Allen this novel should appeal. The predatory film directors are literally monsters and the silver screen can bring fame but at a cost. The novel is written as a memoir and occasionally includes an interjection from her current partner, Jane, which gives it a feeling of warmth despite Luli’s cool depiction of herself. Siren Queen is Nghi Vo’s second novel after her fantastic retelling of The Great Gatsby, The Chosen and the Beautiful. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook version narrated by the talented Natalie Naudus.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 
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