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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
We get to return to the circus in the first of Laura Lam's short stories set in the same world as Pantomime. This one follows Drystan the white clown, in the days before he met Micah. It doesn't contain any spoilers for the novels but I still think you'll get the most out of it after reading Pantomime.
pewterwolf's review against another edition
4.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
In a prequel (of sorts) of [b:Pantomime|15797050|Pantomime (Micah Grey, #1)|Laura Lam|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348428535s/15797050.jpg|19161274] (if you haven't read it, Read it! It's SO GOOD!), we discover the events at R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic that happened before Micah Grey joined. The white clown, Drystan, acts like an idiot, but it watches. Behind the smile, is a man who knows and hides secrets. So when the leader of the clowns, Linden, steals something precious from the cruel ringmaster, Drystan finds himself caught in the middle and he must face a choice: betray Linden or have his own dark secret revealed...
Now, I loved Pantomine so I got excited to read this and, while it has been a while since I read Pantomine and it took me a good few clicks of my Kindle before I remembered who and who, I found this addictive reading and fun. It's Laura's making her world bigger - which is a good thing seeing as Pantomine's publisher, Strange Chemistry, is no more and Laura had always planned to write a third book in the series...
But with this four novella series, I think I need to read these and [b:Shadowplay|17797456|Shadowplay (Micah Grey, #2)|Laura Lam|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380492640s/17797456.jpg|24733611] very VERY soon. I mean, I have too! And so should you as this world that Laura Lam has created is one of the most unique I have read in quite some time.
In a prequel (of sorts) of [b:Pantomime|15797050|Pantomime (Micah Grey, #1)|Laura Lam|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348428535s/15797050.jpg|19161274] (if you haven't read it, Read it! It's SO GOOD!), we discover the events at R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic that happened before Micah Grey joined. The white clown, Drystan, acts like an idiot, but it watches. Behind the smile, is a man who knows and hides secrets. So when the leader of the clowns, Linden, steals something precious from the cruel ringmaster, Drystan finds himself caught in the middle and he must face a choice: betray Linden or have his own dark secret revealed...
Now, I loved Pantomine so I got excited to read this and, while it has been a while since I read Pantomine and it took me a good few clicks of my Kindle before I remembered who and who, I found this addictive reading and fun. It's Laura's making her world bigger - which is a good thing seeing as Pantomine's publisher, Strange Chemistry, is no more and Laura had always planned to write a third book in the series...
But with this four novella series, I think I need to read these and [b:Shadowplay|17797456|Shadowplay (Micah Grey, #2)|Laura Lam|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1380492640s/17797456.jpg|24733611] very VERY soon. I mean, I have too! And so should you as this world that Laura Lam has created is one of the most unique I have read in quite some time.
tellingetienne's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great slice of backstory for Pantomine and Drystan.
diana_sousa's review against another edition
4.0
It was delightful to go back to the world of Pantomime and Shadowplay, specially at Drystan's side. It was good to know more about him before Micah showed up, to have a glimpse at what he went through when he got to the Circus. To read his thoughts, his worries.
But there's also a darker streak in this short story. The way a Vestige is used gives us more depth to the backstory of certain characters, and as evil as this revelation was, I really liked how it was done, how it explains certain details to those who've already read the other books.
All in all, I think this is very much worth a read, and I can't wait to get to the other short stories.
But there's also a darker streak in this short story. The way a Vestige is used gives us more depth to the backstory of certain characters, and as evil as this revelation was, I really liked how it was done, how it explains certain details to those who've already read the other books.
All in all, I think this is very much worth a read, and I can't wait to get to the other short stories.
writingwwolves's review against another edition
4.0
I love it when authors write short stories or novellas to accompany their books but I always wish they were longer!! I was really getting into this story, & I was being reminded of how much I fancy Drystan, & then it finished so now I'm sad.
This was a fab little story though & really reinforced how I already felt about the characters! Sometimes I really wish I could escape to the world of this series because I love it so, so much.
This was a fab little story though & really reinforced how I already felt about the characters! Sometimes I really wish I could escape to the world of this series because I love it so, so much.
oftheabyss's review against another edition
4.0
6.5/10.
The pros: I really enjoyed this story. Drystan is one of the characters who has the most interesting backstory from the trilogy, so it was great to get a story about something that happened to him previously. It added more information about the vestige artefacts and about the magic and the world in general, behind the main story.
The cons: The only criticism I'll really have about any of these stories is that they're just too short to be fully invested in, but that's just my preference!
The conclusion: All of these little ebooks are a pleasant companion to read when you finish the Micah Grey trilogy!
The pros: I really enjoyed this story. Drystan is one of the characters who has the most interesting backstory from the trilogy, so it was great to get a story about something that happened to him previously. It added more information about the vestige artefacts and about the magic and the world in general, behind the main story.
The cons: The only criticism I'll really have about any of these stories is that they're just too short to be fully invested in, but that's just my preference!
The conclusion: All of these little ebooks are a pleasant companion to read when you finish the Micah Grey trilogy!
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
5.0
At 42 pages, this is a short story that takes place in the circus (R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic) that we see in the first book of the series, but set before Micah joins. This revolves around Drystan (a fan favourite to be sure) and the awful and unethical ringmaster Bil, but also introduces the reader to a couple of characters that are long gone before Micah's path meets that of the circus.
Reading about circuses is always infectious and this does an excellent job of spellbinding the reader - it must be hard to pull off the energy, magic and excitement of it all, but Lam certainly manages it. This is an excellent start to this mini-series, yet somehow it only gets better from here. Fans are lucky they can go straight from this to the first book in the series, Pantomime.
Reading about circuses is always infectious and this does an excellent job of spellbinding the reader - it must be hard to pull off the energy, magic and excitement of it all, but Lam certainly manages it. This is an excellent start to this mini-series, yet somehow it only gets better from here. Fans are lucky they can go straight from this to the first book in the series, Pantomime.
nancyotoole's review against another edition
4.0
The Snake Charm is the first in a series of short stories/novellas that tie into Laura Lam's Pantomime series. This story focuses on the character of Drystan before we meet him in Pantomime. One thing I really enjoyed about The Snake Charm was getting back into the circus setting. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the magic show aspect of Shadowplay just as much, but I still missed the circus. It was also nice to get to see Drystan pre-Micah, and to get into his head for a little while. Having already ready the Pantomime books gives you a pretty good idea about how certain things will turn out (in the beginning of The Snake Charm, Drystan is approached by a clown named Linden who wants him to get involved in a mutiny against the Ringmaster Bil), but I still found the story to be quite enjoyable. Perhaps being predictable is an acceptable flaw of prequels.
If you're a fan of the Pantomime series, picking up The Snake Charm is certainly worth your time in money. I look forward to future "Vestigial Tales" in the Pantomime universe.
If you're a fan of the Pantomime series, picking up The Snake Charm is certainly worth your time in money. I look forward to future "Vestigial Tales" in the Pantomime universe.
leah_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Laura Lam's Vestigial Tales are novellas that I've been meaning to read for the longest time. I'm a huge fan of Laura's novels so I was really looking forward to immersing myself further in her world. The Snake Charm is the first novella and it gives you more of an insight into Drystan, the White Clown and his life prior to Micah's joining of R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic. This was a quick and easy read but oh so captivating at the same time. I was instantly transported back into Lam's world and incredibly reluctant to leave.
This novella provides so much more depth and insight into Drystan's character. The Snake Charm holds some horrendous memories and I didn't see events like this coming. It explained a lot about his character. It's infuriating not being able to go into much detail about this novella because I don't want to spoil it for you guys! This story most certainly packs a punch and I'm really looking forward to reading more of The Vestigial Tales!
This novella provides so much more depth and insight into Drystan's character. The Snake Charm holds some horrendous memories and I didn't see events like this coming. It explained a lot about his character. It's infuriating not being able to go into much detail about this novella because I don't want to spoil it for you guys! This story most certainly packs a punch and I'm really looking forward to reading more of The Vestigial Tales!
emybookworm's review against another edition
4.0
It was great getting a glimpse back into the beautiful setting. It was also nice seeing Drystan again. I liked the little hints of the old cast. I missed the circus so it was lovely to hear about again. Lam has a knack at writing that is just addicting and consumes you. Also the beach with Frit. Almost heartbreaking.