The Snake Charm

Vestigial Tales #1

by L.R. Lam, Laura Lam

Untold centuries ago, the Archipelago was ruled by the Alder—mysterious beings who vanished, leaving behind only scattered artefacts of unknown power, called Vestige. Sometimes, a person will be lucky or unlucky enough to discover that each piece of Vestige has its own tale to tell…

The Snake Charm

“To most, Drystan was just another buffoon in the collective of clowns. But behind the inane grin, he saw everything, keeping the secrets he discovered close, like precious gems to barter.”

Mutiny is brewing in R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic. When Linden, the leader of the clowns steals one of the ringmaster’s most prized possessions, Drystan, the white clown, finds himself caught in the middle. Tasked with retrieving the Lethe, he’s forced to betray Linden or risk his troubled past coming to light. But the Vestige artifact has its own history and its own power. Drystan will learn what it can really do, and who it can hurt.

Vestigial Tales are stories set in the world of the award-nominated Micah Grey series. Step behind the circus ring from Pantomime, the theatre of Shadowplay, and more…

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Young Adult, Magic, Ebooks, Novella, Fiction

37 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2014

About the author

Originally from sunny California, L.R. Lam now lives in cloudy Scotland. Lam is a Sunday Times Bestselling author whose work includes epic fantasy romance Dragonfall (The Dragon Scales Trilogy), the near-future space thriller, Goldilocks, feminist space opera Seven Devils and Seven Mercies (co-written with Elizabeth May), BBC Radio 2 Book Club section False Hearts, the companion novel Shattered Minds, and the award-winning Micah Grey series: Pantomime, Shadowplay, and Masquerade.

Their short fiction and essays have appeared in anthologies such as Nasty Women, Solaris Rising 3, Cranky Ladies of History, Scotland in Space, and more. Their romance alter ego is Laura Ambrose. Lam lectures part-time at Edinburgh Napier University and is Programme Leader of the Creative Writing MA.

*Please note I don't read my GR mail*

Reviews

[L.R. Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is now PERMAFREE on Kindle! Please give it a download if you fancy reading about a Circus of Magic.

This is the first in my series of short stories and novellas set in the same world as the Micah Grey novels. As with my other "reviews" on Goodreads, here's some pictorial hints...

It stars Drystan, the white clown from Pantomime & Shadowplay, but can be read even if you haven't picked those up.


It's set in R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic before Micah Grey joined


It features a Vestige artefact called a Lethe, which looks like a Snake Charm. Many other characters in the stories are serpents in other ways...


I hope you'll enjoy returning to R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic, or discovering it for the first time.


Images from my Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/micahgrey/

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can currently download this for free from Smashwords here or read it online via Wattpad here

I'm a huge fan of Laura Lam's Micha Grey series, she created such an interesting world where magic is no longer a constant thing but instead lives on in rare artefacts known as Vestige. These artefacts often have dangerous powers but you never know what will happen until you actually try to use one. Laura has created this spin off series to tell the stories of some of these Vestige items, some of the stories will feature characters we've already met in the main series while other stories will introduce new characters but I'm sure they'll all be interesting to read.

The Snake Charm is kind of a prequel to Pantomime, it's set at R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic and told from the point of view of the white clown Drystan who is one of the main characters in the series. It's set before Micha joins the circus and I really enjoyed seeing a different side to Drystan. While I do think you can still read and enjoy this even if you've not read the full length books set in this world I personally think you'll enjoy it much more if you've at least read Pantomime so are already familiar with the characters.

We already know that Drystan is keeping secrets but this shows what an impossible position those secrets put him in when he is torn between helping one of the other clowns or the circus ringmaster Bill. I'm not going to say more so you'll just have to read the story to find out what happens but I really enjoyed revisiting this world and I'm looking forward to reading the remaining Vestigial Tales.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another review of this said that you can read it without having read Pantomime and Shadowplay, but I'm not sure of that; I think I might've preferred to start with those two, after all. Still, it gives a nice taster of the world and some of the things that're out there -- and, I gather, some of the characters. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Drystan, and exploring this world more.

I did feel like I was at a disadvantage, though, not knowing the world already. You can pick up on the key terms/concepts -- Vestige, Lethe, Drystan being the son of some high-class family -- and maybe it's just my love of world-building, but I felt like I wanted to know more before reading this, to appreciate it more, and maybe how it fits in with the novels.

Ah well, definite impetus to get on with it and read Pantomime and Shadowplay!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you imagine a dwarf knocking out a mammoth? That’s what The Snake Charm is; small but packs a punch. You get sucked in right away with character descriptions that make you feel like you know them but that you have more to find out and more importantly leaving you wanting to find out more.

I still need to read Pantomime (I know I’m a bit behind right?) but was told this would stand fine on its own and even as a bit of an introduction and it’s certainly done that, leaving me wanting to get back to Pantomime soon.

You’ll not take two sittings to read through it, well worth your time.

[Michelle (Fluttering Butterflies) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first head about Laura Lam's decision to self-publish a collection of Vestigial Tales, I was incredibly excited. I love the world she created in Pantomime and Shadowplay. I loved the characters and Vestige and I couldn't wait to read more and find out every bit of new information about this world that I could...

And The Snake Charm did not disappoint. This story focuses on Drystan, the White Clown, before Micah Grey shows up at RH Ragona's Circus of Magic. It tells this story of unrest amongst the clowns and how Drystan finds himself in the middle of this fight between one of the other clowns and Bil, the ringmaster involving an incredibly powerful piece of Vestige.

I think what The Snake Charm does so well is that not only does it show us the dangers and consequences that come with owning this particular piece of Vestige but it also gives a bit fuller of a back story to a really well-loved character. Drystan has always been one of my favourite characters from Pantomime and Shadowplay and I loved that he gets the full spotlight in this novella. It was fun to see his role in the circus a little better and to see his perspective on some of the other key players in the circus before Micah Grey shows up.

I thought The Snake Charm was a wonderful addition to this world. It was a fun adventure and I can't wait to read the other Vestigial Tales, The Fisherman's Net, The Tarot Reader and The Card Sharp.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

*throws ALL THE STARS at it*

THE SNAKE CHARM IS SO GOOD. It's like a smaller scale version of "Pantomime", a quick read (maybe 2 hours) but with the same twists, turns, atmosphere and fight scenes.

It's also completely standalone, and if you haven't read Laura's "Pantomime" I'd read this first -- it adds even more depth to the circus members.

[J.B. Rockwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of 'Pantomime' and 'Shadowplay' will love this story and the chance to get some backstory and a standalone adventure involving one of the central characters of both books. And if you haven't read the books, you'll want to after you read this. Can't wait for the next 'Vestigial Tale' so I can gobble it up!

[Cordelia Cosier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Lam returns to the world of the Micah Grey series for this short tale about Drystan. It’s set before the first book in the series, during his time as the white clown at R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic. Lam created such a rich and vibrant world in Pantomime, so it was an absolute joy to go back and see all of these characters again (even if some appear for only the briefest of moments!) But don’t think this is just a nostalgia-fest - these characters are just as complex and nuanced as they were in the novel. Short though this tale may be, it still packs an emotional punch. It’s well worth your time if you’re a Micah Grey fan!

[Lucy-May · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Tom Loock · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly an event cut from Pantomime that was edited out for a reason. If it serves any purpose than it is a bit of background on Drystan, one of the main characters from the trilogy.
I have read and enjoyed the trilogy and had hoped the 'Vestigial Tales' would enrich the books, but this one was lukewarm and disappointing.
The other four volumes are apparently 20 - 78 pages long and I'm not tempted to spend (the current asking price of) £2 for them, sorry!

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'll need to read Lam's Pantomime to appreciate the skilled characterization and interplay in this short novella. Both are worthwhile.

[Ashley Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Pantomime and Shadowplay, and I was so excited to learn that Laura was writing a series of short stories to tell the background stories of some of the other characters! Especially since the first one, The Snake Charm, is about Drystan. He's my favorite character in the series so far, and I loved learning more about him!

The Snake Charm takes place before Micah joins the circus, so it introduces a couple of characters that weren't in the circus when Pantomime starts. It was fun to learn about them even if they don't make it to the books, and to see how the circus ends up the way it does. There are also parts of Drystan's past that are discussed that are not mentioned in the other books, and it totally makes sense why when you read this story.

I think my favorite part of this story was learning more about the Vestige though. They're kind of talked about in the books, but it's always very mysterious and there's never very much detail about any of the Vestige. I mean, there are a couple that play a huge part in the books. But the Lethe is by far the most interesting one so far! It's dangerous and aptly named, and I love that it looks like a snake charm since many of the people in the circus possess serpent-like qualities.

If you've read Pantomime and Shadowplay, I would definitely recommend this story to you. It expands the world of Ellada and the characters a little bit more and is short enough that you can read it fairly quickly. I'm looking forward to more Vestigial Tales to hold me over until the next book, and especially to learning more about the Vestige artifacts and some of the minor characters! Laura Lam's writing is absolutely gorgeous, and The Snake Charm is another example of her brilliant work. A 5/5!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Lam can write about a clown and make me not throw my Kindle away in fear. That, my friends, is a skill and a half.


Not only that, but with The Snake Charm (and indeed, with the first two full-length books in her Pantomime series, ifyouhaven’treadthemdoitnow) she’s given me that most lovely joy of joys – a character I love. Drystan Hornbeam won me over pretty much at once, and over the course of two books I’ve swooned, cheered and declared my grabby-hands desire for more of him. So, naturally, I grabbed this short story at the earliest opportunity and devoured it likewise.

Now I’ve got the bookish equivalent of a happy belly.

Everything I love about the Pantomime books, with the exception of their protagonist – this is a prequel story – is here. The circus setting, caught in some intriguing place between romantic and enthralling, and grimly realistic, swept me up just like it did the first time out. The Alder magic, in the form of a Vestige artifact called a Lethe – and if you know your magical lore, you can guess at what its power involves – is as wonderfully mysterious as ever. And then there’s the assortment of shady characters, most of them sympathetic in some way, but still managing to be the types you don’t want to meet in a dark alley or with a lot of money in your wallet. It’s a short story, but there’s so very much contained here, and Laura pulls it all together into a tasty reading treat that left me happy with what I’d feasted my eyes on, yet wanting more badly enough that I can’t wait for the next story!

And if there’s ever other purchasable merchandise made available, I dare say I will be all over that. *Raises hand* I am a fangirl.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf

In a prequel (of sorts) of Pantomime (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 Shadowplay 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.

[Nicole Field · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drystan is a man who is sure of himself, sure of his place within the circus and incredibly observant. He makes no enemies and he is trusted by other clowns in the circus, most especially Lindon and Jive.

When Lindon shares with them a plan to overthrow the current ringmaster, Drystan is intrigued until said ringmaster threatens him with his own past and his family. To escape that, Drystan goes to steal back the piece of Vestige from Lindon, except it doesn't go as he planned.

I went into this story without having read the full length novels that this story accompanies, but I had read an interview that describes what Vestige is. I feel that, without that knowledge, some of the significance of this story would have been lost.

Other than that, however, this story was gripping and self contained, with characters and motivations I cared about, but just a bit short for my liking. Frit was the surprising character at the end who blew the whole story open, although I wasn't quite clear if the Vestige called Lethe had somehow been what gave her memories back.

Drystan was a confident character who I can't wait to read more of, and he held the story very well.

[Nancy O'Toole · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Samina The Story Devourer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is no secret that I adore Laura Lam’s Pantomime Series. The Snake Charm is a novella set in the same world and revolves around a incident involving Drystan before Micah join R. H Ragona’s Circus.

This novella may be short but it packs a punch. It gives an insight in Drystan world before Micah appears in the scene. The original series is told in Micah’s view point but this novella is tell what Drystan is thinking and what kind of person he is.

I’ll have to hand it to Laura Lam that she has an uncanny ability to grab you by the throat and drag you straight into the Pantomime-verse with just a few sentences. A few paragraphs in and soon, I was overcome by pangs of longing to return back to the original book and experience it all over again.

A nice small dosage pf my beloved Drystan and a touch of magic from vestiges and the crazy world of the now long gone, R. H Ragona’s Circus.

Read more of my reviews on my blog, Escapism From Reality

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading “The Snake Charm"! Once again, Lam has transported me to the magical world of Ellada and the mysteries and intrigues of a circus set in this world. The short story can be read before or after reading the novel Pantomime. Either way, “The Snake Charm” gives an in-depth look at two characters, Bil, the greedy and unethical ringmaster, and Drystan, the white clown, who is one of my favorite characters in the Micah Grey series. “The Snake Charm” describes how Dyrstan becomes the leader of the clowns. The story also describes another Vestige magic artifact. All-in-all, this is an engaging story that intrigues and captivates the reader. I look forward to reading more about the world of Ellada.

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Diana Sousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 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!

[Emily Casella · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Dumpy Unicorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snake Charm is a short story set in Laura Lam's Ellada world prior to the events of Pantomime and Shadowplay.

Without giving too much away this is the story of how Drystan got to be the leader of the clowns in the circus of magic.

It is a compact story with a lot to add to the characters of Bil, Frit and the clowns.

I am really looking forward to the other Vestigal tales.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've read Pantomime (Also by Laura Lam) then do yourself a favour and pick this up. I wasn't sure what to expect as I don't read a lot of short stories but this provided more context to Pantomime while also being a great side edition to the world Laura Lam has created. It also completely gutted me. I cannot wait to read the other short stories.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snake Charm is one of the Tarot short stories by Laura Lam that goes hand in hand with Pantomime and Shadowplay. The Snake Charm is definitely a must read for people who've read and enjoyed all of Laura Lam's other works. We see a new piece of vestige and uncover an old plot that adds to the depth of the Pantomime characters.

[Sheila Averbuch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful writing from a master of language, but sorry, clowns creep me out.

[Carrie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really intriguing short about some of the characters, which fills in some gaps ... And opens others. Love the world, can't wait to read more.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but sweet.