3.5 stars

I think lovers of Guillermo del toro films & the cult childhood classics like 'The secret of Moonacre" and "Inkheart' will find a deep love for this book.
This book reads much younger in my opinion than is mentioned.
Our main character is 17 but I could not picture him more than 12-13 at most, the story holds more of a whimsy charm to it than anything, which is not bad at all. I think it would have fit better to make him younger, working better with the story ideas and themes.

I did thoroughly enjoy this book, and besides the age not fitting, I would say my other other qualm is the pacing of the writing and story flow.
However, I do think this is a gem!

Aimed at a YA audience, The Harlequin’s Legacy is an engaging coming-of-age story surrounding three children: Pascal the dreamer, Paloma the leader, and Pierrot the ever-silent reader. Throughout the first installment of the series, the group must unveil the strange events happening in their orphanage and the growing number of children disappearing in their city, Pivot.

There is a lot to love in this book - a vibrant carnival aesthetic, interesting magical enemies to fight our heroes on their quest, a heartwarming found-family dynamic between the main cast, and an overarching plot that promises an exciting sequel. As well, the mini illustrations at the start of each chapter are beautifully drawn and incredibly useful for envisioning different settings and backdrops.

While the plot can sometimes steer into predictable situations and twists, I believe it suits the YA audience and did not diminish my reading experience. My biggest gripe with this book is a lack of focus on Paloma and Pierrot as main characters; Pascal’s backstory is largely intertwined with the overarching plot, but Paloma and Pierrot’s felt largely ignored (other than the occasional mention or use to justify their actions without substantial development). I hope to see their characters become more fleshed out in the coming installments.

I will absolutely be keeping tabs on this series as it continues to come out! Thank you to Netgalley and Red Moon Publishing for a copy of the book!

"The Harlequin's Legacy" by Andrés Rosas Holt is a compelling novel about identity and love, exploring how the past shapes our present. The characters and emotional depth make it an engagingly rich read.

The Harlequin's Legacy is a good-versus-evil adventure story with a heavy dollop of found-family goodness, but despite my overly simplified description, Andrés Rosas Hott adds a level of depth that surpassed my expectations.

The story revolves around three main characters: the friendly, positive and athletic dreamer Pascal; the streetwise but untrusting leader of a gang, Paloma; and the silent and sensitive, yet wise and instinctive Pierrot. The trio begin the book trying to navigate the social dynamics of life in an orphanage, trying to avoid trouble and handle the resident bullies, and ends with them fighting to save the world they know from the powers of darkness. I enjoyed both halves of the book, the slower-paced character study to build the world, and the rollercoaster ride after the proverbial "s" hit the fan throwing that meticulously-built world into chaos.

Andrés has a descriptive writing style that really helps to breathe life into the Orphanage and the town of Pivot, making them feel vibrant and lived in, instead of just a mere backdrop for the story. This level of description also extends to the characters, rounding them out into three dimensions, strengthening the connection that we as readers feel to not only the main protagonists, but also the supporting cast.

For me personally, this would be a four-star review because I enjoyed it a lot and was invested in the characters, but there were a few tropes and clichés that made some points a little too predictable. However, I'm not the target audience for this YA & Teen book, and taking that into consideration, I think this book solidly delivers for that market, and I've given it five-stars.

Will I read future books in this series to see how it progresses? You bet!

Thanks to Red Moon Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with access to the ARC to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

4.5 rounded up

A trio of teenagers embark on a quest of self-discovery: the acrobatic orphan Pascal, the petty criminal Paloma, and the ever-silent juggler Pierrot.

The land of Vale once believed in the wonders of magic, but now has fallen under the sway of logic and reason. Or triad of leads escape the bounds of their orphange in pursuit of adventure at the nearby carnival, a place where they can discover both where they came from and who they can become. Throw in a mystery revolving missing children, and we have quite the adventure on our hands!!

This is a really sweet tale that pulls imagery from Commedia dell'Arte theatre productions. Whimsy and magic and wonder fill the pages, as our leads set out to find a place to belong. Each has their own pains and traumas to overcome and unique experiences that color their reactions. Even when their similarities are at the forefront, each character still felt like themselves.

This story is a tribute to youth and the shift into adulthood, that tumultuous and exciting time when one discovers who they want to be. The writing is delightfully descriptive and whimsical, perfectly matching the tone of wonder this novel sets out to create.

Readers of all ages would get something out of this story, be it validation of present aging or a nostalgic reminiscing to one's own youth. While darker things do pop up in the book—like extreme poverty, -- and all manner of violence—younger audiences wouldn't be put off or alarmed. Horrible things happen to people of all ages, pretending that isn't the case causes far more harm than good.

Additionally, if you enjoyed the book <i>Inkheart</i> or the film <i>The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus</i>, I think you'd have a lovely time here.

This was a strong start to this series and I was invested in what was going on in the world. Andrés Rosas Hott was able to create a interesting world and characters that felt like they belonged in the story. I was hooked from the start of the book and it didn’t let go until the end. I was excited to read the next chapter once I finished this book.

So goodddddddd oh my God! Such a good book. I loved the experience of reading this amazing story. I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.

An absolutely stunning story! Fascinating characters and a richly designed world bring this tale of magic and horror to life beautifully, and left me excited to see what this author will do next! Thank you to NetGalley and Red Moon Publishing for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this story! It’s really refreshing to read such a well written adventure story with romance that isn’t in the gutter or with a love triangle. I enjoyed the worked building and the many different themes, also the whole way the story unfolded.

I will buy this book for my daughter if I see it in print.

This book was awesome! I grabbed it for the cover honestly, which is stunning, and found myself in a fun YA adventure. I loved our main characters so much and the journey they went on was great to read about. I would recommend this to fans of Percy Jackson and the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe.