Flicker of Defiance

by C.A. Lewis

The Magicae of Kamore are in hiding.
They have been since the night of the Uprising. The night when disaster struck, and the President of Kamore lost his head. Hunted and persecuted by the military, the Magicae must hide their magic to stand a chance of staying out of the clutches of a madwoman.
The show must go on.
The Circus was created to help save the Magicae marked by the power coursing through their veins, unable to stay hidden for long. The collection of Magicae and Mortals travel the country, searching for the oppressed while performing shows for the masses. They are living proof the two can live in harmony and become stronger for it.
The fire rages.
Rae is battling her guilt and anger towards the very patrons she must hide from. She struggles to keep her fire in check while she flies high on the trapeze.
Fear and defiance run rampant.
Tyee joined the Circus years ago as an equestrian performer but can’t seem to shake the memories of his past. He keeps the community and his feelings for Rae at arm’s length, clinging to his identity as a loner like armor.
Hope is wavering.
Nan is the resident fortune teller and story keeper for the caravan. She weaves words like the vines she’s connected to twine around a trellis. She can only hope they keep her people’s spirits alive during the darkest of nights.
Make the decision.
Duncan, the Ringmaster, treads water, keeping his head above water as the world he knows crashes around him.
After their unexpectedly brutal show season, the Circus heads north to their safe haven, far from the capital, for the winter. But change is in the air, and the only question left is what happens when hiding in plain sight is no longer an option?
Join the Circus… Join the Resistance…

Genres: Fantasy

341 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2022

About the author

C A Lewis grew up reading stories filled with dragons, swords, and adventure. Her books transport readers to other worlds where magic and fantasy reign. Her debut series, The Chronicles of Kamore, highlights themes of found friendship, defying the odds, and perseverance despite what life throws at you. She is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota with her husband, Labrador Retriever, and two cats.

Reviews

[Kate Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Proud to witness the start of a writing career! Congrats 🍾 I loved it and can’t wait to read more.

[M.L. Dunker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book at the Deep Valley Book Festival just last week. I came home with a stack of books and this was the first series I started. I loved the found family trope and I was very intrigued by the concept of using a circus as a subversive tool of the resistance against the intolerant.
The magic system is very wide ranging. Children can be born as Elementals (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water, Forgers or Herbalists, shapeshifters and those gifted with speaking to and animals, and Elven. The current government is against all magic however and as soon as a child displays gifts they are whisked away to the Capital, never to be seen again.
There are mortals who assist in hiding the gifted children and protecting those who have lost their parents to the magic haters. Thus, the circus. When the circus comes to town, the performers - magicked and mortal - put on a show while the "crew" seek out their contacts in the towns to take away the gifted children.
The story follows four aerialists very closely, Rae Freeborn, Zeke - her best friend (both found as very young children), Damien and Luc. We also get in the head of Duncan, the Ringmaster, and one of the trick horseriders, Tyee. So yeah, there is a fair amount of head hopping going on.
I had originally pegged this as a solid middle grade/young adult contemporary dystopian fantasy because the world-building was info-heavy and the actions and idioms of the characters are very American and very contemporary. But it is not urban fantasy - more alternate world. About a third of the way through, the story becomes much more adult in language, romance leading to sex, and definitely not middle grade. So maybe consider it, YA/NA? Or don't peg it at all and just enjoy the beginning of a unique series.
For fans of Kenneth A. Baldwin's Gaslight Trilogy (circus themed), Jami Fairleigh's The Elemental Artist series, Tamora Pearce's Circle of Magic series.

[Darren Boeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met a young woman who wrote some books as we sat next to each other at a book fair. I had the pleasure of meeting C.A. Lewis and learning about her books while meeting people who were possibly interested in both of our books. Before leaving, I picked up Flicker of Defiance. Well, it finally moved to the top of the pile, and I read it. Lewis writes about a traveling circus in which hide those hunted for their magical abilities. If you like circuses and magic, this book is a perfect fit as the author dives into the many details of their traveling circus life with the constant undertone of hiding magic and avoiding discovery. The book started off slow for me, but the author was building her world and I understood that. I stuck with it as we watched a group of friends, a larger group of family, and a love story all develop. If the story moves slowly, stick with it. The last part of the story starts to come into its own and by the end, it will leave you wondering and wanting to know what happened next. An honest review of this book for me is 4.5 stars, but of course, I always round up. Lewis is a good writer, and the book was well-edited. I’m glad I met C.A. Lewis that day and had a chance to read this first book in the series.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky/unlucky enough to read Flicker of Defiance before the second book was written. It was SO hard to wait to read book #2! Flicker of Defiance is a character-driven fantasy novel set in the unique world of Kamore. My favorite part of fantasy as a genre is the world-building, and this did not disappoint. The setting is immersive, and the characters are full of life. The history of Kamore and its people is interwoven through the story and the plot, which I found to be very engaging. I loved getting to know the protagonist and her story. There is romance in the story, but it is not the main focus, which works well for me! It was a sweet, slowburn type of build and it felt natural and kept pace with the rest of the plot. I grew to really love a lot of the characters and could not wait to see what happened next for them.

If you're into character-driven stories with great world-building, you'll love Flicker of Defiance and the Chronicles of Kamore!

[C.A. Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author, I'm a little biased when it comes to reviewing this book. However, the best advice I ever got in my author journey was to write the best damn book out there, because if you're not striving to write the best book, what's the point? If you're not satisfied with the books you're reading, write a better one.

So that's what I set out to do. I wanted to create a world that was magical and full of characters that were relatable despite their extraordinary abilities. I wanted to create something that was fast paced, but also made the reader feel something. The first part of the book spends time building the world, introducing characters, and the conflict. The last part is all action.

For lovers of fantasy with a hint of romance this is the book for you!