Review: Glamour in Glass - Mary Robinette Kowal

The second book in the Glamourist Histories is every bit as good as Shades of Milk and Honey, and in some ways even better as Jane is integrated into a lifestyle much more suited to her tastes and talents. The regency words and manners are still there, but we have hopped from England over the channel, and into a very war-torn Belgium (then known as the part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands). Napoleon has abdicated and gone into exile, but there is still tension brewing and if you know your history, there would soon be an outbreak of fighting. The issue is that our newly-wed couple, Jane and Vincent, have gone to Belgium to stay with an old glamourist friend of Vincent's, and suddenly they find themselves in a very serious situation.

Historical fiction is made even better when it directly affects historical events. In this particular story, I love that the events during the Napoleonic Wars directly affect our protagonists, and I love how they, in turn, get involved with the events nearing the end of the wars. This all lends an air of time and place that was never fully realised in the first book.

Marriage and trust are huge ideas in the book, as is the pushing of boundaries for women. I love the way that the manners displayed in Belgium directly juxtapose those displayed in England, and I love the way that Jane's character grows as a result of this; in being shown that she does not have to act in a certain way, and that a woman's opinion does matter. The fact that Jane even becomes the hero of the tale, despite many obstructions is very admirable. She fights for her husband no matter what others may think of her, and her determination, cleverness and ideas make her a slightly more contemporary heroine than her Austen-styled rivals.

The ending is superb; a lot more life-threatening than in the first book and with far more action and tension. What begins as a seemingly everyday regency-style novel with threads of magic woven in becomes a tense and fairly thrilling read. Admittedly, there was a part of the end I could see coming a long way off, and it did feel slightly rushed, but really most of the end was quite unexpected.

Glamour, spies and Napoleon all come together to a surprisingly good effect, therefore it gets a 9 out of 10.

Kyra_x

The Reading Pile #2

I have so, so many books to read!

Recently I've had three new purchases, but I thought I'd also share with you a couple of books on my Kindle that I'm also dying to read:

The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton
This book was recommended to me by a colleague, and then I heard all the hype and decided I might go for it. I finally did when I spotted it in Tesco for £3.85. Then I looked to the right and saw...

Half Bad - Sally Green
Yes, this was also in Tesco for £3.85, but because I bought these two together they only cost me £3.50 each. Considering the RRP on them is £9.99 and £7.99, I think I've got a really good deal there. I've been reading a fair bit on the blogosphere about this one, and although it kind of reminded me of Beautiful Creatures (as a heads up, I've only seen the film so this could be incorrect as I know the film differs a lot from the book), I think it will stand up on its own.

Glamour in Glass - Mary Robinette Kowal
The sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey, which I utterly devoured. This was a Kindle Daily Deal, so I snapped it up sharpish. I hope this is as subtle and calming as its' predecessor.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Apparently this is being made into a film? I have no idea whether that's true or not, but if it is the case, I need to read it ASAP. Again, this has had a lot of attention and so It automatically went on my radar.

The Maze Runner - James Dashner
It's been on my Kindle for a little while now because once again it was a Daily Deal, and if it's on my wishlist, I have to buy it while it's cheap. Another book I have to read before I see the film. It's no good seeing the film if you can't compare it to the original in my opinion.

Have you read any of these books yet? What did you think?