Review: The Mechanical Minotaur - 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 Mechanical Minotaur

Evander’s father locks him in the cellar on his twelfth birthday. Their house in the Emerald Bowl is cold and empty, far from the warm home in Imachara where he lived with his parents back when his mother was alive. Yet down in the dim, dark cellar is a trunk with Evander’s name on it, and within is an automaton that says it can lead the boy back to his mother . . .

Vestigial Tales are stories set in the world of the award-winning Micah Grey series. Step behind the circus ring from Pantomime, the theatre of Shadowplay, and the court magic of Masquerade.

Note: This story is best read after Masquerade, as a cap to the Micah Grey series.

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
The Mechanical Minotaur is the 5th of Laura Lam's Vestigial Tales but where most of these short stories can be read at any point in the Micha Grey series this one really should be read after Masquerade if you want to avoid spoilers.

This is the story of a young boy called Evander who has been treated terribly by his father ever since the death of his mother a year previously. Then on the night of his 12th birthday Evander receives an unexpected gift that makes him question everything he thought he saw the night his mother died. Now Evander is on a quest, with the help of a vestige mechanical minotaur, to uncover what truly happened that night but it won't be an easy journey.

I don't want to say much more about the story but this was a nice addition to the Micha Grey world and I really liked Evander's character. This does tie into the main series but you don't really figure out how until nearer the end of the story so I'm not going to spoil things by saying how. Evander was a really sweet boy and I think I'd have liked his story even more if it had been a little longer, as it is I don't think it was a particularly necessary addition to the series but it was worth reading if you want to see a bit more of this world.

Source: Received as part of a preorder giveaway from the author

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: Masquerade - Laura Lam

The gifted hide their talents, but dare they step into the light?

Micha's Chimaera powers are growing, until his dark visions overwhelm him. Drystan is forced to take him to Dr Pozzi, to save his life. But can they really trust the doctor, especially when a close friend is revealed to be a spy?

Meanwhile, violent unrest is sweeping the country, as anti-royalist factions fight to be heard. Then three Chimaera are attacked, after revealing their existence with the monarchy's blessing - and the struggle becomes personal. A small sect decimated the Chimaera in ancient times and nearly destroyed the world. Now they've re-emerged to spread terror once more. Micha will discover a royal secret, which draws him into the heart of the conflict. And he and his friends must risk everything to finally bring peace to their land.

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
I first fell in love with Micha and Drystan way back in 2013 when Pantomime was first released so I went into Masquerade with mixed feelings from the excitement that we were FINALLY going to get a conclusion to their story to the sadness that the journey was nearing an end. I still don't feel quite ready to say goodbye to this world or these characters but I do think this was a fitting end to the series and it did answer all of the biggest questions that had been raised in previous books. Some things possibly tied up a little too easily but overall I was happy with the way it ended and I'm very glad I invested the time to read the series.

Micha has been such a wonderful character from the very beginning, all of his struggles to become the person he was born to be and to find people who will accept him for who he is have paid off and now he has created a wonderful family for himself with Drystan, Cyan, Maske and more. I loved that his brother Cyril has supported him through everything and it was nice that Cyril had a larger role to play in this story too. Drystan has always been a character full of secrets and I was a bit disappointed we didn't get to dig further into his past but he's also been on quite a difficult journey and this book sees him facing his biggest temptations yet. I was worried for a time that he would fall completely apart but it was nice to see Micha support him in his hour of need when the tables turned.

I don't want to go into much detail about the plot but this story focuses much more on the political unrest in Ellada, the Foresters have been growing in power since the beginning, people are becoming more and more paranoid and tensions in the general population are high. For Micha and the other chimera the stakes have never been higher but you'll have to read the book for yourself if you want to know more than that. This book had less of the magical performances of the previous one but probably more intrigue and investigation, more secrets and bigger betrayals. The pace felt a little slower but not in a way that stopped me enjoying it, in fact I probably appreciated the urgency more because of the way events unfolded.

Masquerade was a fitting end to the trilogy but I'm still kind of hoping Laura Lam will decide to revisit this world in the future. I'd be very happy to spend more time with these characters or even explore other parts of the world and perhaps see some of the minor characters have a chance to shine.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Card Sharp - 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 Card Sharp

“He always mourned that moment, when the high began to fade. It was like he moved from who he wanted to be to having to face the reality of who he was. He’d rather feel supernatural. More than Drystan Hornbeam, a seventeen-year-old-boy who had made a lot of foolish mistakes and didn’t seem to be changing his habits anytime soon.”

Before Drystan became the White Clown of R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic, he was a Lerium addict struggling on the streets of Imachara. When a mysterious woman gives him a chance at a new life, he takes it, even if it means falling even deeper into the dark underbelly of the capital of Ellada. Drystan knows that selling Lerium to the powerful men and women who bet at the high stakes card tables is perilous, especially when he still battles his own addictions. Yet when he meets a man who can help him learn to cheat at cards and swindle them out of enough money to start a new life, he dives headfirst into more danger.

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

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
The Card Sharp is the fourth of Laura Lam's Vestigial Tales set in the world of her Micha Grey series. Its technically a prequel as it shows events from before Pantomime but because it features a character not introduced to the series until Shadowplay I think you're better off reading it after that book when it will have more meaning to you.

This is the second chance we've had to delve into Drystan's past but this takes us back to events before The Snake Charm and before Drystan ever became the white clown in Ragona's Circus of Magic. The story starts not long after Drystan ran away from home and takes us through his struggles with his lerium addiction and how his life hit rock bottom. It isn't pretty reading but it does end on a more hopeful note as Drystan works hard to escape the life he fell into and move on with his life.

Obviously if you've read any of the main books in the series you'll already know where life takes him beyond this point but I enjoyed seeing more of his background and learning how he first met Maske. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point but it's a great addition for fans of the series who want to know more about Drystan.

Source: Received as part of a preorder giveaway from the author

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: The Tarot Reader - 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 Tarot Reader

“Cyan didn’t want to read fortunes.”

Cyan Zhu is the best tarot reader Riley & Batheo’s Circus of Curiosities has ever seen. Too good, some say. She reads the cards, but she can also tell more about her customers than they could ever suspect. Two people walk into Cyan’s cart to have their fortunes told and change her life forever: Oliver, a sailor with a pretty grin, and a mysterious man with a blurred face, who sends her terrible visions that might come true.

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

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
The Vestigial Tales are short stories set in the same world as Laura Lam's Micha Grey series. They give readers a bit more insight into the Vestige artefacts that were left behind when the Alder retreated from the world. The Tarot Reader actually gives us a bit more insight into Cyan, a character we were introduced to during Shadowplay. Although events in this story occur before Shadowplay I actually think you'll enjoy it more if you read it afterwards, Cyan's character is a bit of a mystery during the book and I enjoyed unravelling her secrets alongside Micha but it was great to go back now and fill in some of the details.

The Tarot Reader was my favourite of the Vestigial Tales so far, I loved getting to see more about Cyan's life when she was working for Riley & Batheo’s Circus of Curiosities. How her secret ability helped her so much with her Tarot readings and what happened when her parents found out about what she could do. We also get to see her first meeting with Oli and watch their romance blossom. This was a really sweet story and it left me excited to see more of Drystan's past in The Card Sharp.

Source: Received as part of a preorder giveaway from the author

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: The Fisherman's Net - 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 Fisherman’s Net

A humble fisherman in a village of the coast of the island of Linde buys a trinket at the market, which he discovers is Vestige. The poor man soon becomes the best fisherman in the village and marvels at his newfound wealth. One day, he ensnares a most unusual catch: a Chimaera sea maiden that isn’t meant to exist. And he’s not sure if he can let her go.

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

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
Laura Lam's Vestigial Tales are short stories set in the same world as her Micha Grey trilogy and give us some insight into some of the Vestige artefacts that were left behind when the Alder vanished. The Fisherman's Net doesn't feature any characters from the other series so works well as a standalone and can be read at any point wether you've read the Micha Grey books or not.

This was a much shorter story than The Snake Charm but as it's told more like an original fable the shorter length worked really well. The Fisherman's Net is the story of a man who finds a magic net that helps him become the wealthiest fisherman in his village. You'll have to read it for yourself to find out whether he puts that wealth to good use or if greed takes him down a dangerous path.

This is the kind of story that Micha and Dustin would have had read to them as children and I really enjoyed getting a further glimpse into their world.

Source: Received as part of a preorder giveaway from the author

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: The Snake Charm - 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-winning Micah Grey series. Step behind the circus ring from Pantomime, the theatre of Shadowplay, and more…

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
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.

Source: Downloaded for free from Smashwords

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Kindle:

Review: False Hearts - Laura Lam

To save her twin, she must take her identity

One night Tila stumbles home, terrified and covered in blood. She's then arrested for murder, the first by a civilian in decades. The San Francisco police suspect involvement with Verve, a powerful drug, and offer her twin sister Taema a chilling deal. Taema must assume Tila's identity and gather information to bring down the drug syndicate. The police may then let her sister live. However, Taema's investigation raises ghosts from the twins' past.

The sisters were raised by a cult, which banned modern medicine - yet as conjoined twins, they needed life-saving surgery to replace their failing heart. And with help from co-conspirators, they escaped. Taema now discovers that Tila had found links between the cult and the city's criminal underworld. The twins were once unable to keep secrets, but will learn the true cost of lies.

False Hearts Series:
False Hearts
Shattered Minds (2017)

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
When her twin sister comes home covered in blood and is promptly arrested for murder Taema is convinced that there must be some kind of explanation. She is sure that Tila must be innocent no matter how much evidence is stacked against her. With the police determined to press charges there is only one thing standing between Tila and the death penalty and that's Taema. The police offer her one chance to save her twin's life, if Taema goes undercover as her sister and helps them bring down a drug syndicate they claim Tila was involved in then Tila's life will be spared. Taema will do whatever it takes to clear her sister's name but the deeper she digs into Tila's life the more she starts to realise that she never really knew her sister at all.

False Hearts is Laura Lam's first foray into the world of adult sci-fi thrillers and what a great start it is. As a huge fan of the author's Pantomime series I had high hopes for this one but the genres are so different that I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Laura Lam has created a believable futuristic world full of completely believable advances in technology. Even people's dreams can be monitored and there are drugs that allow people to live out their fantasies in dreams that feel so lifelike that they never want to leave. Crime rates have fallen considerably and Tila is the first person arrested for murder in 10 years because violent personalities are able to play out their dark fantasies in dreamscapes rather than reality.

Conjoined twins Taema and Tila were born in an isolated commune that had no access to all the technology the rest of the world take for granted. They'd still be living in Mana's Hearth now if they hadn't started suffering with health issues. When their heart started to fail their only option was escape and it was at this point they were successfully separated and for the first time ever they were able to lead their own lives rather than spending all their time together. It was so interesting to see how they went from knowing every little thing about each other to keeping so many secrets from each other. Tila was the outgoing twin who found it much easier to adapt to being separate, she had a large circle of friends and was the life and soul of any party. Taema on the other hand was shyer and more reserved, she'd built a successful career for herself but was more isolated than her sister and found it harder to fit in.

Their completely different personalities made it so much harder for Taema when she went undercover as her sister but playing a role actually really helped to build her confidence and it was great to see her blossom as she became more sure of herself. I don't want to say too much about the direction the investigation takes her in but it definitely kept me guessing. The story is told across two different plot threads, Taema talks of the present and shows her fight to clear her sister's name while Tila writes about the past from her prison cell working forward to show how she ended up in her current situation. Gradually the two narratives come closer together and we find out exactly what is going on in their world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, I loved the characters, the world building was fantastic and the plot was brilliantly woven together. I'm so glad that Laura Lam is writing another book set in this world, even though it will feature different main characters, and I'll definitely be picking up Shattered Minds as soon as it's released.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Shadowplay - Laura Lam

New UK Cover

Old magics are waking, but will the world survive their return?

Micha Grey almost died when he fled the circus with Drystan - now he and the ex-clown seek to outrun disaster. Drystan persuades his old friend Jasper Maske, a once-renowned magician, to take them in. But when he agrees to teach them his trade, Maske is challenged to the ultimate high-stakes duel by his embittered arch-nemesis.

Micha must perfect his skills of illusion, while navigating a tender new love. An investigator is also hunting the person he once seemed to be - a noble family's runaway daughter. As the duel draws near, Micha increasingly suffers from visions showing his real magic and future terrors. Events that broke the ancient world are being replayed. But can Micha's latent powers influence this deadly pattern?

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
I loved Pantomime when I read it last year, it had the most wonderfully diverse characters that I completely fell in love with and I couldn't wait to catch up with them in Shadowplay. The story picks up immediately where we left off with Micha and Drystan on the run and desperately needing a place to hide out after what happened to them. Drystan takes them to the run down Kymri Theatre and his old friend Jasper Maske agrees to let them stay. After helping them find disguises Maske also agrees to teach them magic to give them a new way to earn a living now they can no longer perform in the circus.

I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when I realised that this story was going to have a different setting. I loved the circus in the first book, from the crazy eccentric characters we got to meet through to the tales of the performances and Micha's adventures on the high wire, it was just so much fun to read. Although I could understand why a change of scenery was necessary I was still worried that the story would lose some of the magic. Thankfully that isn't the case and although this story is very different it was just as good as the first book. We are treated to a new kind of magic in the form of illusions and seances that was just as exciting to read about and I'd quite like to have magic lessons with Maske myself.

The much smaller cast at the theatre allows us to get to know the different characters so much better. Micha is one of my favourite fictional characters ever, he has been through so much in such a short amount of time and has grown so much since we first met him. I loved seeing Micha become more comfortable in his own skin and accept both sides of his personality. It was also wonderful to see him open up to Drystan as they grow closer. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love Micha and Drystan together, the way their friendship develops and slowly starts to blossom into something much more is just delightful to see and I can't get enough of them. They are both struggling to deal with the emotional fallout of previous events but it was great to see them lean on each other and get through it together. I also really enjoyed getting to know Maske and Cyan, both characters have their secrets and hidden talents so it was great to start uncovering them even though I'm sure we have a lot more to learn.

Another thing Shadowplay does is really start to give us a bit more information about the world Laura Lam has created outside of the circus and the theatre. We get to learn a lot more about the history of Ellada and of the chimera which I found really interesting. There are definitely exciting things to come on that front and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book to discover more! If you enjoyed Pantomime you're going to love Shadowplay just as much. If you haven't started the series yet then it's one I can't recommend highly enough. If you want a YA series with a wonderful fantasy setting full of magic and intrigue along with incredible and boundary pushing characters who you will immediately fall in love with then you need to pick up Pantomime today!

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
Cookie's Tasty Reviews
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Original UK Cover

Paperback / Kindle:

Shadowplay Blog Tour: From The Circus Tent to the Magician’s Stage by Laura Lam

I absolutely LOVED Laura Lam's debut novel Pantomime when I read it last year (you can read my review here) so I'm thrilled to be taking part in the blog tour for the sequel Shadowplay. If you've already read Pantomime you are going to enjoy Shadowplay even more, I'll be posting my full review later today but trust me this is a series you don't want to miss. I'm going to be handing over to Laura in a minute so she can talk about changing the setting for the second book but first let me give you a bit more information about Shadowplay. I've also included the cover and blurb for Pantomime just in case you've not read that book yet.

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass —remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

********************

The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus—the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he's perfecting . . .

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Laura Lam

Author Bio:
Laura Lam was raised near San Francisco, California, by two former Haight-Ashbury hippies. Both of them encouraged her to finger-paint to her heart’s desire, colour outside of the lines, and consider the library a second home. This led to an overabundance of daydreams.

She relocated to Scotland to be with her husband, whom she met on the internet when he insulted her taste in books. She almost blocked him but is glad she didn’t. At times she misses the sunshine.

Pantomime was released February 2013 through Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint of Angry Robot Books. The sequel, Shadowplay, will follow in January 2014.

Website: http://www.lauralam.co.uk
Pantomime page: http://staticsplit.wordpress.com/pantomime/
Shadowplay page: http://staticsplit.wordpress.com/micah-grey-2-shadowplay/
Twitter: @LR_Lam
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauralamauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/micahgrey/
Tumblr: http://lauraroselam.tumblr.com/

********************

From The Circus Tent to the Magician’s Stage – On Changing Settings

by Laura Lam

In retrospect, it was risky to change settings between one book and the next, but that’s what happened with this series. In Pantomime, most of the book is set in R.H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic, the most magical circus in Ellada – or so it claims to be. Rising from seedy beginnings, it’s become one of the biggest traveling circuses in the country. My main character, Micah Grey, joins the circus after eavesdropping on the performers and works his way up from the lowest rung of the ladder—basically cleaning up after the elephants and nearly having his hand chewed off by the big cats—to one of the circus’s rising stars. But, for reasons I won’t go into for then we go into spoiler territory, Micah Grey leaves the circus. The second book, Shadowplay, is set in the Kymri Theatre, a grand, dilapidated building which is home to one shamed magician unable to practice his craft: Jasper Maske.

Aenea & Micah on the trapeze
Image linked from Laura Lam's Pinterest page, CLICK HERE to see more of her circus pictures

Changing settings was tricky. In the theatre, there’s a much smaller cast of characters than all the secondary characters in the circus which brought the book alive and at times brought some much-needed comic relief. There’s not as much of a contrast between the stage performances and personas and life on the back lot. The aspects of performance were different, moving away from the physical feats of trick equestrian riding, fire eating, and the trapeze to the more delicate machinations of sleight of hand, séances, and grand stage illusion.

Yet at the same time, I liked the change, too. It was a fresh setting and form of theatre for Micah to explore. He’s changed in this book from how he was in the circus. Wiser, a little more cautious. Older. And there’s so much that’s exciting about magic. I touch on both illusion and aspects of spiritualism, contrasting what people get out of both types of performance. The empty theatre is creepier, and the themes of pulling the strings behind the scenes works perfectly for the main themes of Shadowplay.

Magician - could this be Jasper?
Image linked from Laura Lam's Pinterest page, CLICK HERE to see more of her magic pictures

Obviously, there’s the chance that people might be disappointed. They perhaps picked up Pantomime because they love circuses, and then the sequel only mentions them in passing. But at the same time, there’s so much to love about stage magic as well, so I hope that people are as enchanted with the magician’s stage as they were with the circus ring.

********************

Thanks for a fabulous guest post Laura! As much as I loved the circus in Pantomime I really enjoyed visiting the theatre in Shadowplay. It was great to see Micha trying to fit into a different setting and learning new skills & I can't wait to see where the story takes us next!

Have you read Pantomime and / or Shadowplay yet? What did you think of the change of settings? If you enjoyed spending time at the circus in the first book are you looking forward to learning about magic at the theatre in the second one?

Review: Pantomime - Laura Lam

New UK Cover

In a land of lost wonders, the past is stirring once more.

Gene's life resembles a debutante's dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. Then she displays unwanted magical abilities - last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age. Matters escalate further when her parents plan a devastating betrayal, so she flees home, dressed as a boy.

The city beyond contains glowing glass relics from a lost civilisation. They call to her, but she wants freedom, not mysteries. So, reinvented as 'Micha Grey', Gene joins the circus. As an aerialist, she discovers the joy of flight - but the circus has a dark side. She's also plagued by visions foretelling danger. A storm is howling in from the past, but will she heed its roar?

Micha Grey Series:
Pantomime
Shadowplay
Masquerade

Vestigial Tales:
(Series of short stories set in the same world as the Micha Grey series)
The Snake Charm
The Fisherman's Net
The Tarot Reader
The Card Sharp
The Mechanical Minotaur

Visit Laura Lam's website for more information.

Review:
It is really difficult to know where to start with this review, I'm going to have to be incredibly careful about what I tell you because there is no way I want to spoil the shocking twist in Pantomime. Honestly, this has to be one of the most unusual YA books I've ever read and it is an incredible debut from Laura Lam. I want to go out and start placing copies of Pantomime in people's hands because I think everyone should be reading this book. In fact, I NEED everyone to read this book and then I need them to contact me so that I can discuss it with them without having to avoid spoilers!

Pantomime is an atmospheric debut that captures the essence of life in the circus and makes you feel like you're right there alongside Micha learning how to perform on the trapeze. Micha is new to the circus, still trying to find his place with the other performers who aren't happy to have a stranger in their midst. All Micha can do is work hard and hope that people will start to accept him and stop playing tricks trying to make him leave. At the same time we are getting to know Micha we are also introduced to Iphigenia (or Gene as she prefers to be called), a young girl who hates the restrictions placed on her by society. She is constantly forced to dress and act like a proper young lady but she'd much rather be climbing trees and having fun with her brother and his friends. Gene and Micha's lives couldn't be more different but their paths cross in a very surprising way that will change everything.

As much as I loved the circus setting for most of the story Pantomime's biggest strength by far is it's characters. I really, really adored Micha right from the start, he was so brave in the way he fought to be accepted in the circus and he never even considered giving up. He's the kind of person you'd want to have in your corner, someone who is loyal to his friends and who desperately needed to have that friendship and loyalty returned. Life has taught him some very difficult lessons but I was happy to see him come to accept himself for who he was. I also really liked Gene, she was a feisty and fearless tom boy who hated the fact that people only saw her as a young lady who should do as she was told, wear pretty dresses and try to find herself a good husband. She wanted more for herself but it seemed like everyone was against her apart from her brother who was incredibly protective and supportive.

The story is a fantasy, set in the fictional land of Ellada and has a very historical feel to it. If it weren't for the mysterious Penglass monuments and talk of an ancient vanished race called the Chimaera I would have thought I was reading a historical novel set in Victorian times. If there is one thing that I was slightly disappointed with it was the fact that I wanted to learn more about the Chimaera and the history of Ellada, we were given some information and I'm sure it will be expanded upon in the next book but I'd have liked to know a little more now. Especially since the story is so focused on world building and introducing the characters and there is very little action until the end. The ending was fantastic edge of your seat stuff though and it left me desperate to find out what happens next. At Pantomime's heart lies a very big secret, one I have to confess I'd guessed well before it was revealed but one that I still absolutely loved. Laura Lam may be a debut author but she isn't afraid to take risks and that is something I really appreciate, I'm definitely adding her to my list of authors to watch out for and I'm predicting big things from her in the future.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Original UK Cover

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