Sixteen-year-old Jaco knows what it means to not belong. An orphaned outsider, he struggles to get by in a town that rejects everything foreign and unknown. But when a traveling circus arrives, it seems to have found a world where being different is not a flaw. However, dark secrets lurk behind the colourful façade. An enigmatic clairvoyant, a charismatic magician, and a woman imprisoned in a cage draw Jaco deeper into a web of lies, power, and hidden truths. What begins as a welcome refuge soon becomes a trial that forces him to confront his past and a future more perilous than he could ever have imagined. The Laughing Man is a captivating young adult novel full of suspense, emotion and surprising twists with dark fantasy elements. It is a story about courage, power, and the price of freedom.

R. Landolt's novel is set at the intersection of adventure, fantasy, and the coming-of-age genre. At the heart of the story is a young outsider who must find his place in a harsh and often hostile world while confronting social prejudices and power structures, and searching for his origins and identity. Recurring themes include alienation, freedom, responsibility and the question of one's place in the world.