eBook Review - The Card Sharp

MY FIRST READ OF 2017!!! And because of how I schedule my posts, am only putting it up now! My first read (a novella, truth be told) of 2017! And my first story for the British Book Challenge 2017! GO ME!

Anyway, The Card Sharp. The fourth novella in the Vestigial Tales collection, a collection of short stories set within Laura Lam's Micah Grey trilogy, this follows Drystan before he became the White Clown at R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic. Here, he's a Lerium addict struggling on the streets of Imachara. But when a mysterious woman gives him a new life, Drystan jumps at it without a second thought. But when he did, he fell into the dark underbelly of the capital, Ellada, where he has to sell Lerium to powerful men and women while battling his addiction. But while at a high stakes card game, Drystan sees something no one else did: a man cheating the cards...

I forgot how much I enjoy this world. It's been a while since I read Laura Lam (though I do have her adult novel, False Hearts, on my TBR) and I forgot how much I like the world of Micah Grey. And this felt like returning to a very old friend. While I don't remember all the details of Pantomime, it was nice to revisit characters (well... a younger version of Drystan).

This isn't a must read if you are reading the Micah Grey trilogy. Like with the other Vestigial Tales, it gives you some behind-the-curtain backstory on characters and stories within the Micah Grey world, but you could read the Micah Grey trilogy (Pantomime, Shadowplay and the upcoming Masquerade) very happily without reading the novellas.

Because this is a novella, it is a fast read (I took my time and read it over a course of three days, starting on New Year's Day). But because it was a novellas, there were elements I wish were exploded further (maybe they are in the novels but I haven't read them yet!) or felt a little too easy. For example, the novella takes place over a course of several months, maybe a year, but Drystan's addiction felt skimmed over. It was there but we didn't look too deeply into it. Maybe this will be looked at in Shadowplay or Masquerade - like I said earlier, I haven't read them (I was going to but the first publisher of the series, Strange Chemistry, went busted and it took some time before the Laura got picked up by her current publisher, Tor, for not only this series but her adult series).

Perfect short for Micah Grey fans to tie them over till Masquerade comes out later this year...

GoodRead - The Fisherman's Net

I had fallen into a bit of a reading slump in the past few weeks. I have picked up several books and then always put them down again. I just can't seem to click with anything. So, out of sheer "what the heck", I looked for something short to read. Something that could kick start my reading again.

And this is what I picked.

In this, The Fisherman's Net is a fable set in the world of Laura Lam's Pantomime. In this fable, a fisherman buys a trinket in the market. It is only several days later that he realises its true wealth and soon, he becomes a wealth fisherman. One day, he catches something that shouldn't exist. Something that begs to be released. Something he's not sure he can let go...

Ok, I love Laura Lam's Pantomime and I have every intention to read Shadowplay (which is sitting angrily on my kindle) so reading the second short within the Vestigial Tales, I knew, was more for world building.

And this was world building short. It is a fable parents tell their children. Even though, at the start of the story, it warns us that every person that reads it comes away with a different morale, which I found huge intriguing. If anyone else read this, could you let me know what you thought the story's morale was. I would love to compare.

It is short, which is ok. It is a fable (notice that this word is being repeated a lot in the post) so they should be short. But for some reason, I wish it was a tad longer (yet I have seen reviews that say it was the perfect length). I think it's because quite close to the end, it introduces a character that intrigues me greatly. Maybe if I ask nicely, Laura might write something about this character/creature on her blog...

While this isn't necessary story to read with the Micah Gray series, it's was a nice addition, which you guys could probably read within 10 minutes (I took longer - reading slump). I think this has got me a little more excited over reading Shadowplay and the Vestigial Tale that is on my kindle, The Card Sharp (don't own the third story, The Tarot Reader, as this has a character that is introduced within Shadowplay and I don't want to read that till after Shadowplay).

PS - sorry if this review isn't as helpful compared to my others, my reading slump has kinda knocked my reading/reviewing out of me. Which sucks. But I will get back into the swing of things. Just you watch me...!

GoodRead - The Snake Charm

I should have written my review/thoughts and feelings for The 100 by Kass Morgan that a bunch of bloggers and myself are reading together. But I decided quite earlier on that I wouldn't be writing my review (or recording. A warning, Bookish Brits. A scary warning indeed) till I have read the sequel, Day 21.

But after reading The 100, a few of us agreed to take a tiny break before diving into Day 21 (which I hope to start reading tonight/tomorrow!), I decided I wanted to read something small and fast. And, on pure impulse (and the fact I go this free! FREE!), I went straight to The Snake Charm, the first eNovella in the Vestigial Tale series by Laura Lam, the author of the amazing Pantomime (if you haven't read this book, go! Read it! Here is my review but, trust me, get your hands on this!). 

In a prequel (of sorts), 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. 

GoodRead - Pantomime

I have ACTUALLY no idea how to review this for you guys. Absolutely none! Will explain why in a tick, but let me tell you how I got my copy. I got it from Vivenne from Serendipity Reviews who was my UKYABB Secret Santa. She gave me this (and a hardback of The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross) and I actually got excited. I have been drooling over this book since I first heard of it. It just sounded right up my street! Fantasy? In a circus? PERFECT!

So, Pantomime. In Ellada, R.H. Ragona's Circus of Magic is the circus. Nestled within the blue Penglass - remnants of a civilisation that has long since vanished - the circus is the place where anything is possible. And the perfect place to hide...

Gene is uncomfortable with her life in corsets and dances. She would rather prefer climbing a tree. Micah Grey is a runaway. He joins the circus to escape the dangers of the street. Both have secrets. Both have a balancing act to perform, and one wrong move could spell the end...

Now, I see you guys reading that and go "and your problem in reviewing this book is...?". Well, Pantomine is a book of secrets. There are so many secrets in here - and there's one that I'm pretty certain will shock/surprise/have you rereading the previous paragraphs going "What? What?! Where did THAT come from?!". And because of this, writing this review with spoilers is going to be a nightmare! I always let something slip when I write reviews so this is gonna be interesting challenge for me.

Anyway, the book. I loved it! I loved how Laura wrote the life of the circus and all the characters within the Big Top. How she made each character have layers that, when you first meet them, you didn't think they had. Laura write circus life as hard word (like any other job) but she adds depth to this gaslight fantasy/steampunk world that she's writing (and the fact there is a sequel makes me very happy!).

Though this is very fantasy, you read about relationships and sexuality, and Laura writes these moments well. There were times I wondered (and still do) if I thought I saw moments of a bisexual love triangle (something which I haven't read in YA ever!) and that's what makes this book so brilliant.

This book is unlike anything I have ever read. It is so different and so unique, I don't think I can do it justice in a review without spoilers. So, am going to stop this review now and just say the following: I want the sequel. I want the sequel now!