Maria V. Snyder’s Storm Glass is the first book in the Glass series. Taking place in the same world as the Study series, Storm Glass picks up only a few years after the events of Fire Study. Yelena is acting as the Liaison between Ixia and Sidria. Janco, Ari and Valek serve the Commander. Leif helps the Council of Sitria. Now, the story shifts to Opal, a young glass magician with developing powers.
Opal most unique trait is her self-confidence (or lack thereof). She is an amazing and unique magician with the power to infuse magic with glass. Her glass sculptors are used for instantaneous long distance communication and testing for magic. Unfortunately, her abilities are limited to glass, leaving her open to ridicule from her classmates. To make matters worse, she often disregards the praise of those who see marvel at her abilities, thinking she does not deserve them. Some find this characteristic relatable. Others find it annoying. Despite her lack of self-confidence. She has an undeniable strong will. Opal faces many hardships that challenger her mentally and physically. She bravely faces opponents and endures the pain without breaking. She may be shy, but she has a heart of gold.
Storm Glass is another great book by Maria V Snyder. The book picks up almost immediately and keeps the pacing up with new conflicts introduced throughout the story. The book contained a number of subplots that were quickly resolved before starting another one. While there are hints that the multiple plots are related, it makes for an odd story arc that some might find distasteful. It is a halfway mix between a meandering contemporary that narrates a year of a person’s life and an action fantasy with one overarching plot line. It leaves the story with multiple odd places where the pacing speeds up and then slows down. The awkward pacing does help with the world building. As Yelena already explored most of the Sitria, it is Opal’s job to reveal some hidden gems and show how things have changed. Many of Yelena’s friends make appearances as older individuals. Unfortunately, the new characters are also a mixed bag. Some are notable with fleshed out personalities that range from hinted at to fully explored. Other are bland without distinguishing characteristics or one dimensional. Another jarring aspect of the book is its love triangle. In both the Study series and the Healer series, the main leads fall in love with the first attractive guy they meet and these love interests are both similar in personality. In Storm Glass, Opal has two vying for her affection. Like many, I found the love triangle distasteful, though this mostly has to do with preferences of one boy over another. Despite all my complaints, the story is enjoyable and well written. It is a beautiful gift to those who love Yelena’s story, but a bit of a disappointment when compared to the standards set by Poison Study. I give this 488 page book 4.5 stars.
Glass Series
After Yelena's adventure that opened diplomatic relations between Ixia and Sitria, it is time for Opal Cowan's story.