Playing the Piper: A Pied Piper Retelling

by Jes Drew

The Piper's tune comes with a cost . . .

Carina is a widow whose only focus is raising her young son. The last thing she needs is adventure. But when a mysterious bard comes to town, that is exactly what finds her. Because while he seems to hold the entire town in a spell, the Piper's focus is entirely on her.

Just because adventure is the last thing Carina needs doesn't mean it's not what she longs for. And whether it wants her or not, it is coming for her. Because where the Piper goes, danger follows . . .

Playing the Piper is a spooky sweet short story retelling of The Pied Piper of Hamelin set in the world of Constantinium featuring healing hearts, just kisses, and a very strange plague.

72 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2025

About the author

Jes Drew is the author of the Cursed Fae of Orphydice Manor Series, the Sunset at Dawn trilogy, The Samurai's Student saga, the Ninja and Hunter trilogy, the Howling Twenty trilogy, the Kristian Clark saga/The Man on the Run series, the Castaways trilogy, The Dystopian Takeover trilogy, Summers of Yesteryear series, The Clockwork Faerie Tale Novellas, the Legends of the Master Spy series, The New ESE Files series, Tales from Parallel Worlds, Genie and Serena, Accidentally on the Run, This Side of Heaven, and The Death of a Hero.


She has three degrees, including a Master of Arts in Behavioral Counseling. Also, she has about five million houseplants (and counting— the plants and not the degrees . . . unless she relapses). She is still debating if having a fae husband is worth the hassle.


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Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A somber yet different take on the Pied Piper story that I throughly enjoyed.

Both Carina and the Piper go through such hard, life altering things yet still keep going in a way that’s inspiring, especially in how they interact with Carina’s young son which was so sweet and wholesome. 🥰

The whole rat thing of the tale being tied to magic and the price that needs to be paid? SUPER creepy and perfect for a fall or Halloween read without being too overboard on the creep scale which as a sensitive chicken I appreciated, lol.

A wonderful short book I will definitely read again; I can’t wait to check out more books in this world!


‼️Content‼️

Violence: a rat is stabbed with a sword (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); rats are drowned in a river (not shown or detailed); a curse makes people magically dance

Sexual: a kiss (not detailed)

Other: magic; magical abilities and visions; death and grief; undead rats; a character is accused of using witchcraft (they’re not); children are magically “abducted”


****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****

[Luminea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming Pied Piper fairytale retelling is a sweet story of grief, magic, and second chances.

Carina is a widow struggling to make ends meet and care for her young son after her husband's death in a war. When a bard arrives in her village and takes an interest in her, Carina is understandably reserved; but Austein is determined to fulfill his promise to keep his friend's family safe.

Both Carina and Austein's lives have been touched by sorrow and hardship, so I appreciated that this was not a story about "insta-love." It takes time for the characters to establish trust and genuine connection, but what I found so touching is how their mutual love of children gave them common ground.

Lovers of slow-burn fantasy romance and fairytale retellings will enjoy this heartwarming novella!

Many thanks to the author and Book Sirens for providing me with a free copy of Playing the Piper. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Thoroughly Clean Indies]

{47 print pages}

Genre: Fantasy, fairy/folk tale retelling [of the Pied Piper]
Tropes: Fated love, he “falls” first, visions
Setting: Strasbourg
Writing style: Single POV except for a second in prologue, 1st person, present tense
Tone: Even
Character- or plot-driven: Hard to categorize

Romance: Yes
Clean level: Quick mouth kiss. A couple instances of tame innuendo. Someone asks someone about a “tryst” (it wasn’t one).

*There is a glossary of in-world terms at the beginning of the book.

A very original idea. In this retelling, the Piper is a hero rather than a villain. Unfortunately, the story moves very quickly, which ultimately detracts from its effectiveness. The relationship between the protagonists moves too rapidly to be believable. I would like to see the story expanded into a full-length novel, allowing for more natural pacing and deeper development of the characters and their relationship.

Favorite quotations:
• My son’s eyes are bulging with fascination just like his cheeks are bulging with sweet cake.
• “I beg your pardon!” “Consider my pardon begged.”


(I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)

[Moonburst · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Carina's husband passed in the war, she hasn't had time to think of anything but providing for herself and her young son. But when a mysterious minstrel comes into town, he seems fixated on Carina. The Piper has real talent, but his magical services have a cost. When the cost remains unpaid, Carina finds herself helping the Piper mitigate costs in unexpected ways.

Carina is a caring mother who hasn't completely gotten over the loss of her husband. Life is much harder now, and she's also grieving the life she would have had if her her husband hadn't died. She has a strong sense of justice, and while the Piper makes her uneasy with his claims and flirtations, she doesn't let that prevent her from lending aid. Her conflicted viewpoint gives an interesting depth and feeling to the story.

Playing the Piper is a short retelling of the Pied Piper that explores debts, healing, and following your heart. A fun, mildly eerie read perfect for the fall season.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet short story. While it was sweet and had plenty of romance... it was also sad.

This book is mild, even though it has darker themes (waar, death, plague). Nothing was descriptive and this made it very easy to read and digest.

This was a very short read and it matched the original tale well. This would be a great read if you are waiting for an appointment or want a short story to read on your lunch break/before bed/in limited spare time.

I really liked the Piper. I think adding visions to the story gave it aa unique twist.

Overall, I recommend this story to those who enjoy retellings

I received an ARC all thoughts are my own.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This goes back to the olden times story of the Pied Piper. Austin is the Piper and had met Carina’s husband, Everard, before he passed away. He has been ghosting Carina and they became close when the townspeople put Austin in socks and she got him out. Austin could tell something bad was coming, but had a hard time describing it, until the plague came and that was his bad news. Carina, her son Everard, named after Gigi’s dad Carina’s husband survived this horrible disease and left on Austein’s horse with him and going on adventures with him.

I received an early, free AR copy and am giving my honest, free and voluntary review

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the idea of this book and that the cover was so well done and that the concept was a Pied Piper retelling, I thought the story was really well done and worked as a original story. Jes Drew has a strong writing style and was engaged with everything that was happening with the characters. The characters were developed perfectly and was hooked from the first page. It was everything that I wanted and was glad I got to read this and thought it worked in the Chronicles of Constantinium series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always enthralled by diving into fairytale retellings, and Playing the Piper, while a short read, did not disappoint! Widow Carina has captivated the new and mysterious Piper who has come to town. His unique abilities has made a name for himself, but this magic comes with a cost. This is when Carina comes into play assisting him. This was an entertaining read, and with its mysterious and eerie nature, perfect for this time of year!

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read and how the author interpreted the classic tale. A factor that I especially liked was the way that grief is portrayed between the two MCs. Though it’s short, you can see how the characters grew with their loss in their own ways. But it’s not particularly dreary, there’s adventure and intrigue.


(Ps. In all the books I’ve read, this is the first I really felt compelled to say anything about online :))

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and sweet novella retelling of the Pied Pipper. I've always loved this tale when I was younger, and this retelling didn't disappoint.

The Piper's magic must be paid, or there will be consequences that he has no control over.

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ami Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great short, clean retelling of the Pied Piper! I loved this angle of the story, with its redeeming qualities! There was plenty of the original tale here, along with a few twists that made it new and refreshing. Death and grief were present, but there was also mercy, hope, and love. It was very well told! I received an ARC copy and this is my review.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice fantasy/fairytale retelling.. I liked it very much.. It is sweet and quick-to-read, with danger and suspense..

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet tale of the pied piper. There's not really much to say. It is short and sweet and follows the original well while also changing the perspective.

[Tami Willard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read spin-off the fairy tale The Pid Pipper.

Visions from his mother and playing the pipes from his father.

Everything has a price per the curse

[Tanvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique take on the Pied Piper Story, one which is both sad and beautiful.

This short story is well written and a good option for a quick read.