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

4.0

(Find the original review and more at Jellyfish Reads.)

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

The Snake Charm is a little prequel story to Pantomime. It stands well on its own, so you can read it even without reading Pantomime first, but you'd probably be able to enjoy it a lot more if you have read both Pantomime and Shadowplay.

I liked this a lot! You all know how much I loved Pantomime and Shadowplay, and the universe of these books. This was an interesting look at a powerful and potentially terrifying Vestige artefact (I think it's pretty cool that these tales are all going to be centred around different Vestige artefacts, because they're fascinating and I can't wait to learn about other artefacts!), and I liked getting to know Drystan a bit more. What he was like at the circus, before Micah came along; the touch of loneliness in him. The way he quietly observes, and always keeps his true self hidden. It makes me all the happier that I got to see him the way he was in Shadowplay, so much more open, all the trust he showed in Micah in that book (and the trust that Micah showed in him!).

I also liked the glimpses of Frit that we got in The Snake Charm. If you know her story from Pantomime, you'll know that it is a very sad one, and that's the case here too, somehow sadder for the hint of hope that still lingers in her.

I only wish this story had been longer! I really want to spend more time with Drystan. I just am not very used to reading short stories most of the time and I feel like with a short story of this length, by the time I'm really getting into it, it's already over. I like to have more stuff to sink my teeth into. The Vestigial Tales are going to be of varying lengths though, and some will be longer, so I'm really looking forward to the rest of them!