Storm Glass

I enjoyed the previous books in this world quite a bit and was eager to learn more about it and follow a character introduced earlier. However, if I had not read the books from the first trilogy, I would have been completely lost. That should not have been a problem at the start of a new trilogy.

Also, I found myself bored about halfway through it. I could barely get through it, though I was happy to have made the effort. I like the main characters and would like to see this trilogy continue.

Since I can't recommend this new series without the reader having read the earlier trilogy, I can't really recommend it. A book needs to stand alone. Especially a book that begins a new trilogy - and isn't say for instance the second book in a trilogy.

After having just finished Snyder's Study series, I continued on with the first Glass book. Overall, I like Snyder's writing. This review is going to sound mostly negative because I tend to focus on the things that stick out, but I did enjoy the book. Please understand that, first and foremost.

Storm Glass is technically the first in a series. However, it takes place in a world Snyder is revisiting, and a lot is left unsaid about the world. For all the time Snyder spends rehashing in excruciating detail what we know about the main character, Opal, she doesn't explain a great deal to the new reader about the world of Sitia and Ixia. Just enough to facilitate the plot, but not enough to make the world feel lived in. This really should be regarded as Study book #4. Which is ironic, considered one of the big problems in the final Study book was too much rehashing of the past when it was safe to assume you were retaining old readers.

In spite of lacking on some global backstory, it's also a fair bit longer than Snyder's previous works. The Study books were approaching 400 pages. This one was almost 500. Nothing wrong with that, except the plot feels completely disjointed. Each of the plot points is unconnected from the others in general, until Snyder brings them together at the end. Some things are a little too coincidental, and it's uncanny how much trouble Opal can get into. In fairness, Snyder's works seem to generally work that way, and she didn't lose me on her previous trilogy, but at least I understood why Yelena was getting herself into constant trouble. Her backstory and present circumstances from less-than-benevolent support characters lent itself to that. The people in Opal's life are generally nurturing and supportive, but she seems to repeatedly get cast into hostile circumstances.

Opal's magic is limited to working with glass, in ways that are never really made clear at all. Ultimately, the understanding of some of her capabilities are pretty cool, but they come across as being whatever Snyder needed to advance the story. And this story is incredibly centered around the art of glassmaking, describing the process in exquisite detail, but sometimes I just wanted to shove a punty rod up Opal's glory hole when she went on about it yet again. Opal is also an incredibly tortured soul; the past we already knew about seems to get repeated when she gets captured more frequently than a Final Fantasy heroine and is often subjected to physical or mental harm. Even the situations she gets out of quickly on her own cause psychological anguish. If I were Opal, I would have broken down long before the end of the story.

However, honestly, all of this isn't that bad. Snyder's an engaging enough writer that I'm willing to shut up, hold on, and go along for the ride. The one glaring flaw in the book is when the ride is over. The story leaves the main crisis of the current events resolved, but leaves some other serious background issues unaddressed. One of Opal's two love interests is either captured or has betrayed her in a far-off location and she needs to go rescue him some time after the book ends. The fight with the bad guys to conclude the story results in a revelation that is going to leave Opal unwelcome and probably reviled by her people, to which Opal goes "tee hee, we'll deal with that when I get home." We still don't really have any understanding over her powers, her relationships with the other characters, or her future. We're certainly well set-up for a sequel, but I do feel like there were far too many loose ends.

In Snyder's first trilogy about Yelena, we were met with a smart, bold, survivor mentality girl who stood up for herself. In this book, we follow Opal, the girl who traps magic into glass animals. Opal is intriguing because she's NOT your typical strong female type... she has a lot of inner strength but she also has many self-doubts that hinder her ability to come to full potential. I love it; her self-doubts are believable and not annoying.

This is a solid addition to her line, and I'm absolutely salivating for the next book.

Maria V. Snyder has given us another amazing book. Set in the world of her "Study" books (starting with the spectacular Poison Study), this book follows Opal, a minor character in previous books. The detailed description of the art of glass blowing is fascinating and her world creating is second to none. This book grabs you from the first page and never lets go. I highly recommend all her books!

I like the previous three books in the series, but this one just didn't break new ground. The main character is another Yelena, minus poison, plus glassmaking. I loved the focus on glassmaking; it was a neat addition to the book and made it more engrossing for me. Didn't like yet another female character being sexually and physically abused. Can we have female protagonists in fantasy who don't get raped and tortured?

While I was entertained the whole book, I felt there were too many Too-Dumb-To-Live moments on Opal's part. She made so many decisions that left me going, "What?! Why!" that I had a hard time connecting with her.

That being said, if you enjoyed the Poison Study series you will likely still enjoy this one.

Storm Glass trys to fit into the category of fantasy that favors developing relationships between strong characters over large scale world-building. Yet, the characters are one-note wonders - flat as pancakes. The story comes off as Opal's search for the perfect man where she waffles between two choices untill the plodding thing comes to a halt. Setting isn't developed and plot and pacing have been simplified to a nauseating extreme. Some reiverers mention that Synder throws a lot of character at the reader, but they do nothing to add to a coherent story and can be forgoten without much regret.

The audience for this book is stated as "Young Adult", but I don't think even an average reader should subject themselves to this torture when their are so many other great young adult books available.

Try Sabriel [SABRIEL] [Mass Market Paperback] by Garth Nix for a heroine that's both dynamic and actually accomplishes something.
Also look at Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1) or Trudi Canavan's Black Magician Series

Cheers

I read Maria Snyder's Poison Study, Magic Study, Fire Study and loved them. I couldn't put them down and couldn't wait for the next book to release. I enjoyed Storm Glass a lot, and I am glad that it was a continuation of a character from her previous works. Overall a great read. I look forward to Sea Glass! Thanks for helping me escape my everyday b.s. much appreciated.

Entertaining enough, although, at some points during the reading I kind of didn't care anymore. Then after reading a little more it picks back up. The main character made some really stupid mistakes, but yelling at books is something I'm used to. An easy read and the book has personality.

After loving Poison Study, thinking Magic Study was alright and then downright skipping pages in Fire Study, I did have hopes for this new trilogy. Alas, I was disapointed....

Very choppy, with terrible descriptions of the characters and action that would lurch foward with no rhyme or reason.

The main character, Opal Cowen, had interesting magic but a major victim's complex. She truly believed by the end that she was at fault for other people's antaganism towards her!

Probably won't read any of the rest of series, unless compelled by severe boredom.