Review: Storm Glass

Title: Storm Glass
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy
Pub Date: May 2009, MIRA Books
Paperback, 488 pages
Book Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Synopsis

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

My Thoughts

This may be a dangerous comment to make, but it seems like Maria V. Snyder is incapable of writing a book that I don't absolutely love! It's almost scary, but every book I've read from her--all three of the Study series and now this first of the Glass series--has received a 5-star rating from me. Once again, Storm Glass was a book that I did not want to put down, and was fortunate that I only had to once while reading it.

Set in the same incredible fantasy world that Snyder created in the Study series, this book focuses on Opal Cowan, who is known to many as the Glass Magician. Opal is a very different heroine when compared to Yelena, and I enjoy how that changes the perspective of the story. Again we have a strong cast of characters, many of whom have secrets to uncover--including Opal, herself. While some people dislike Opal for her lack of self-confidence, I find it well in keeping with who her character is supposed to be and where she has come from. To me, it makes it all that much more amazing as we discover the full scope of her powers.

With respect to Snyder's world of Sitia, we learn more about the different clans and lands that make up this great land, which is a testament to her incredible talent of world-building. Again I find Snyder's depiction of magic to be fascinating in Storm Glass. Not only do we learn more about the possibilities with magic with respect to glass, but we also learn about the Storm Dancers and their powers. And of course we have a touch of romance in this book and yes, Opal has a choice to make (will it be fellow glass maker Ulrick or storm dancer Kade?), but I have to admit I knew all along what that choice would be. I personally enjoyed this book very much and look forward to starting the sequel, Sea Glass, very soon.

My Rating:

Other reviews of Storm Glass:

Em's Bookshelf ~ Fantasy Book Critic ~ The Written World

YA Reads ~ Reading Rocks ~ Bitten By Books ~ Poisoned Rationality

Drey's Library ~ The Book Muncher

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