Circus Mirandus
#2694.08 adjusted 4.07 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 2015–2019 Reading commitment Low Cassie Beasley Last reviewed 2026-10-25
Overview
Cassie Beasley's Circus Mirandus books follow Micah Tuttle, who has grown up on his dying Grandpa Ephraim's stories of the magical Circus Mirandus, a centuries-old circus that children can only attend if they believe in magic, with its invisible tiger guarding the gates, a flying birdwoman and the most powerful magician of all, the Lightbender, the Man Who Bends Light. When Grandpa Ephraim reveals that the circus is real and that the Lightbender owes him a miracle, Micah sets out with his classmate Jenny Mendoza to claim it; the sequel follows him as he discovers the depths of his own magic. The first book was a New York Times bestseller and a Notable Children's Book of 2015.
Cozy fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
Circus Mirandus Cassie Beasley
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Circus Mirandus | 2015 | 1 | core | 4.08 (10,898 ratings) |
 | The Bootlace Magician; The sequel to Circus Mirandus (Dial, October 2019), in which Micah Tuttle begins to discover the depths of his own magic, per Kirkus. | 2019 | 2 | core | N/A |
Micah Tuttle and the magical Circus Mirandus.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Circus Mirandus? Circus Mirandus's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for Circus Mirandus? Publication order, starting with Circus Mirandus. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Circus Mirandus finished? Complete (2015–2019).
- How much reading does Circus Mirandus take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is Circus Mirandus ranked? #269 in this site's official ranking, based on 10,898 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #269?
Ranked #269 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.08 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (10,898 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #268, Rivers of London (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
One Core Canon book here doesn't have a recorded rating yet and isn't counted above: “The Bootlace Magician” (awaiting ordinary reader-rating data collection. It will be folded back into this universe's ranking once its rating is recorded.).
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 2 books · Complete · 11k ratings · Ranks #269 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment cozy fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- Circus Mirandus (2015)
- The Bootlace Magician (2019)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Children's Literature), 2016: finalist: Circus Mirandus
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.08 across 10,898 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. 1 additional Core Canon book hasn't been rated yet, so it isn't counted here. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon extension: The Inquisitor's Tale (Adam Gidwitz) and Circus Mirandus (Cassie Beasley) accepted 2026-10-25
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Reader list on the rating platform (rating with title) Tier 2
- Kirkus Reviews (Circus Mirandus) Tier 2
- Mythopoeic Society (final ballots) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25
Rule: Core Canon = Circus Mirandus (2015) and The Bootlace Magician (2019).