Pantomime is the excellent first novel in the gaslamp fantasy series Micah Grey, written by L.R. Lam, published by DAW Books. A story that explores concepts such as identity, gender, and belonging, all accompanied by a gorgeous writing style that perfectly captures the circus' world and the marvels of this Victorian-inspired world-building, serving as the perfect setting for Micah's journey.

Micah runs away from his home, joining the circus, while keeping two secrets: he was born intersex, and he may have powers last seen in mysterious beings from a forgotten age. In the circus, he discovers the joy of flight while also getting a strong bond with his trapeze partner, Aenea; but circus also has a darker side, and Micah's past is persecuting him.
Meanwhile, a strange woman with damselfly wings whispers Micah that he is the only way magic can return to the realm; but he needs to learn so much before catastrophic consequences are unleashed.

It's impossible to understand Pantomime without the figure of Micah Grey, a marvelously complex character who is discovering so much during the novel, from the world but also from himself. Micah has been all his life trying to fit a role that is not him, forced by his family: what we see once he joins the circus is somebody that finally has the freedom to accept who he is, even if there are harsher moments. Obviously, is not a rose path, we see how he experiences really cruel moments, but at the end, embracing what he feels he is becomes an integral part of why I loved this character; Lam has captured the struggles that many people suffer with gender.
But there's more to Micah than his identity, as this is also a coming of age story: we see him courting Aenea, and how he learns to trust others, especially Drystan, who eventually plays a key role in this story. The rest of the cast is a bit overshadowed by Micah's sheer strength, but all of them have moments that add more to the plot, especially as the secondary plots are played in the background and eventually gain importance in our story.

Lam's choice of alternating between two timelines works quite well: we get to understand why he decided to flee his old life while we see him finding joy in the circus. The worldbuilding is also remarkable, with that Victorian inspiration, but mostly putting the focus on the circus, that place that will become a home for Micah, his new life. 

Pantomime is an excellent novel, a perfect choice if you are looking for a book that reflects the difficulties and struggles that many people experience with gender, while also giving the reader a marvelous circus story. Can't wait to continue reading the Micah Grey Trilogy!