A review by nancyotoole
The Snake Charm by L.R. Lam

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.