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Glass #1
Storm Glass
Award-winning author Maria V. Snyder brings readers into a world of molten magic, where storms can be captured within a glass orb and a magician's powers can remain hidden…until challenged by enemy forces.
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowan understands trial by fire. 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 from happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic. Yet 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 her powers…powers that could lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowan understands trial by fire. 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 from happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap into a new kind of magic. Yet 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 her powers…powers that could lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.
488 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2009
About the author
Maria V. Snyder
71 books17.2k followersWhen Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting...at all. Bored at work and needing a creative outlet, she started writing fantasy and science fiction stories. Over twenty novels and numerous short stories later, Maria’s learned a thing or three about writing. She’s been on the New York Times bestseller list, won a dozen awards, and has earned her Masters of Arts degree in Writing from Seton Hill University, where she is now a faculty member. Her favorite color is red. She loves dogs, but is allergic, instead she has a big black tom cat named…Kitty (apparently naming cats isn’t in her skill set either). Maria also has a husband and two children who are an inspiration for her writing when they aren't being a distraction. Note: She mentions her cat before her family.
When she's not writing she's either playing volleyball, traveling, or taking pictures. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it's not working as a meteorologist.
Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.
When she's not writing she's either playing volleyball, traveling, or taking pictures. Being a writer, though is a ton of fun. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study marital arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and attend Astronomy Camp and call it research? Maria will be the first one to tell you it's not working as a meteorologist.
Readers are welcome to check out her website for book excerpts, free short stories, maps, blog, and her schedule at http://www.MariaVSnyder.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,721 reviews
May 22, 2012
So I picked up this book because reading the author's name made me think of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.....
That's it!
Unfortunately, it was nowhere near as awesome as Wesley Sneijder.
Opal Cowen is a glassmaker and magician-in-training. Unlike most other magicians, she only has one talent, and that is to trap magic within glass. Storm Glass is her story. Though it might as well be Yelena's by the way she's mentioned incessantly all throughout the book.
Having never read any of Snyder's other books, I keep finding myself wondering who the blazes is this Yelena woman and why the heck are you telling me all this crap about her?? If I wanted to read about Yelena, I would've read the Study series.
But back to Storm Glass. I'm going to list out what made me give this book two stars, starting from
The Plot
I can't give you a plot overview. Not because I'm afraid of spoiling it, but because I honestly don't know what it was. There were just too many things going on, and yes I have the faintest comprehension that they somehow tie together (because of course it's all correlated, what kind of a series would it be if it's not?), but that connection was not evident even until the last page of the book.
So instead of a plot, let me give you a brief outline of what I like to call "Quests." It makes me think of a cheesy RPG, but hey, so does this book (warning, may slightly spoil).
**Quest One**
Saving the Stormdancers from doom by fixing their sabotaged crystal orbs.
Mini-Quest One. Investigating into the sabotage.
**Quest Two**
Distinguishing fake diamonds and real.
Mini-Quest One. Discovering the source of said fake and real diamonds.
Mini-Quest Two. Investigating the plot to overthrow Councillor Moon.
**Quest Three**
Be coerced by Devlen into helping him find his mentor's glass-prison.
So apparently, this imprisoning-evil-Warpers-into-glass-prisons shit was something that happened from Snyder's previous books (dunno which cause I didn't read them---and DON'T PLAN TO thankyouverymuch), so when I came across it in Storm Glass I'm thinking wtf? It just didn't seem coherent with the rest of the "Quests".
There is no encompassing structure to the entire book. Even Chrono Trigger made more freaking sense. All the events in Storm Glass were rendered to nothing but mini-plots; no great climax, no great resolution. The ending resolved nothing. NOTHING! I understand it's a series, but really... NOTHING!
The Characters
Actually, there is nothing spectacularly wrong with the characters. It was kind of hard distinguishing between main characters and secondary characters. There were important people we were introduced to earlier on in the book, who then disappeared either completely or made an appearance way back towards the end.
I don't actually know that much about any of the characters. Except Mara is a Mary-Sue, Leif is ... childish and obsessed with food? Yelena is some kind of more powerful Mary-Sue; Kade is the tortured, byronic hero; Ulrick is the possessive stalker-like boyfriend; and the villains I have no idea.
But the character I had most complaints of would be Opal.
Do you know what she reminds me of?
Urgh I'm so ugly in this picture!
That. Except she doesn't have any confidence in herself at all, which in fact makes her worse than your average annoying-facebook-girl. Opal constantly underestimates herself, downplays her abilities, and disregards her achievements.
In psychology we call this cognitive distortion, which could be a sign of depression (in which case I sincerely worry for you, Opal).
Opal constantly needs other people to boost her confidence. To give her little pep-talks;
I mean for goodness sake woman! You invented what may as well have been the equivalent of our telephone and you're still complaining about being a "One-Trick Wonder"?!
PLUS it does NOT come across as modest, it's simply extremely low self-esteem. ffs.
Pet Peeves
Now these are minor, but for me it does detract from the reading a bit. There were some bad editing going 'round; missing or/and improper words or/and punctuation, just a few examples:
Also, there's a lot of expository infodumps presented via thinking-out-loud tags. There's some serious crappy soap-opera/telenovela dialogues going on there. This reminds me of A Tale of two Castles by Gail Carson Levine but at least Levine was writing for children.
So there'd be scenes where Opal fills us in to what's going on by literally thinking it out loud, because, you know, we're too dumb to figure it out ourselves:
Now these sort of dialogues/scenes just make me cringe and pull me out of the story -- no matter what book I'm reading. I mean really! Do people really talk out loud to themselves like that when figuring something out? I mean, asides from evil villains cooking up their brilliant mastermind plots high up in their dark, secluded castles?
But to wrap up. I would give this three stars if it just ended with the whole Stormdancer shenanigans. The rest of the book really detracted from it. It became progressively worse the longer I read. So, two stars.
That's it!
Unfortunately, it was nowhere near as awesome as Wesley Sneijder.
Opal Cowen is a glassmaker and magician-in-training. Unlike most other magicians, she only has one talent, and that is to trap magic within glass. Storm Glass is her story. Though it might as well be Yelena's by the way she's mentioned incessantly all throughout the book.
Having never read any of Snyder's other books, I keep finding myself wondering who the blazes is this Yelena woman and why the heck are you telling me all this crap about her?? If I wanted to read about Yelena, I would've read the Study series.
But back to Storm Glass. I'm going to list out what made me give this book two stars, starting from
The Plot
I can't give you a plot overview. Not because I'm afraid of spoiling it, but because I honestly don't know what it was. There were just too many things going on, and yes I have the faintest comprehension that they somehow tie together (because of course it's all correlated, what kind of a series would it be if it's not?), but that connection was not evident even until the last page of the book.
So instead of a plot, let me give you a brief outline of what I like to call "Quests." It makes me think of a cheesy RPG, but hey, so does this book (warning, may slightly spoil).
**Quest One**
Saving the Stormdancers from doom by fixing their sabotaged crystal orbs.
Mini-Quest One. Investigating into the sabotage.
**Quest Two**
Distinguishing fake diamonds and real.
Mini-Quest One. Discovering the source of said fake and real diamonds.
Mini-Quest Two. Investigating the plot to overthrow Councillor Moon.
**Quest Three**
Be coerced by Devlen into helping him find his mentor's glass-prison.
So apparently, this imprisoning-evil-Warpers-into-glass-prisons shit was something that happened from Snyder's previous books (dunno which cause I didn't read them---and DON'T PLAN TO thankyouverymuch), so when I came across it in Storm Glass I'm thinking wtf? It just didn't seem coherent with the rest of the "Quests".
There is no encompassing structure to the entire book. Even Chrono Trigger made more freaking sense. All the events in Storm Glass were rendered to nothing but mini-plots; no great climax, no great resolution. The ending resolved nothing. NOTHING! I understand it's a series, but really... NOTHING!
The Characters
Actually, there is nothing spectacularly wrong with the characters. It was kind of hard distinguishing between main characters and secondary characters. There were important people we were introduced to earlier on in the book, who then disappeared either completely or made an appearance way back towards the end.
I don't actually know that much about any of the characters. Except Mara is a Mary-Sue, Leif is ... childish and obsessed with food? Yelena is some kind of more powerful Mary-Sue; Kade is the tortured, byronic hero; Ulrick is the possessive stalker-like boyfriend; and the villains I have no idea.
But the character I had most complaints of would be Opal.
Do you know what she reminds me of?
Urgh I'm so ugly in this picture!
That. Except she doesn't have any confidence in herself at all, which in fact makes her worse than your average annoying-facebook-girl. Opal constantly underestimates herself, downplays her abilities, and disregards her achievements.
I thought of the day (...) when I helped Liaison Yelena capture those evil souls. She had done all the work, I was merely a conduit.
pg. 8
"(...) There are hidden perks when you save someone's life."
"But I didn't."
pg. 19
"(...) plus you solved our problem."
"With the orbs?"
"Yes."
"I didn't solve it. My father did."
pg. 146
"Thanks, Opal. You saved her life."
"Inadvertently."
pg. 256
At which point I just want to scream Yes you are an ugly twat but the world's unfair like that. Now stfu!
In psychology we call this cognitive distortion, which could be a sign of depression (in which case I sincerely worry for you, Opal).
Opal constantly needs other people to boost her confidence. To give her little pep-talks;
"Pah! It's one of the most important discoveries of recent years. Stop being so modest."
pg. 11
"But look at you now." Ulrick gestured. "Tula's animals might be sought by collectors, and Mara sought for her beauty, but you're a famous glass magician."
pg. 244
"Opal, your animals provide a service to all of Sitia. You're important."
pg. 245
I mean for goodness sake woman! You invented what may as well have been the equivalent of our telephone and you're still complaining about being a "One-Trick Wonder"?!
PLUS it does NOT come across as modest, it's simply extremely low self-esteem. ffs.
Pet Peeves
Now these are minor, but for me it does detract from the reading a bit. There were some bad editing going 'round; missing or/and improper words or/and punctuation, just a few examples:
The others rushed us, but when they reached Blue Eyes' side, they were immobilized, as well, coming no closer to us.
pg. 30
(Hello little comma, wachoo doin' 'ere?)
With her long golden curls and curvy figure, she had the complete opposite of my [sic], with my straight hair and athletic build.
pg. 38
Also, there's a lot of expository infodumps presented via thinking-out-loud tags. There's some serious crappy soap-opera/telenovela dialogues going on there. This reminds me of A Tale of two Castles by Gail Carson Levine but at least Levine was writing for children.
So there'd be scenes where Opal fills us in to what's going on by literally thinking it out loud, because, you know, we're too dumb to figure it out ourselves:
"A rogue who decided to leave and start his own group of dancers. (...) Why would the rogue sabotage their orbs?" wheels turned in my head as I followed the logic. "to make them give up the recipe!"
pg. 190
Omfg you guyyyyyth I'm a friggin' geniuthhhhh!
(Note: was not actually part of the quote.)
"Why would he care?" Putting myself in Frisk's place, I tried to see the situation from his point of view. "His customers are getting conned, which brings suspicion on the Helper's Guild. (...) Fisk could lose business."
pg. 263
Now these sort of dialogues/scenes just make me cringe and pull me out of the story -- no matter what book I'm reading. I mean really! Do people really talk out loud to themselves like that when figuring something out? I mean, asides from evil villains cooking up their brilliant mastermind plots high up in their dark, secluded castles?
But to wrap up. I would give this three stars if it just ended with the whole Stormdancer shenanigans. The rest of the book really detracted from it. It became progressively worse the longer I read. So, two stars.
May 8, 2009
An overnight read. I was so thrilled when I got my hands on this book. I read right through dinner, second dinner, and midnight snack. And was extremely annoyed when I needed to use the potty.
I love this world! Maria V. Snyder commands your attention. Poison Study fans are really going to like this one. Just like with the poisons, we learn about storms and glass with the same meticulous (and entertaining) attention to detail. Can't wait for the next!
I love this world! Maria V. Snyder commands your attention. Poison Study fans are really going to like this one. Just like with the poisons, we learn about storms and glass with the same meticulous (and entertaining) attention to detail. Can't wait for the next!
March 4, 2015
“The piece’s core glowed as if lit by an inner fire.
My one magical trick – the ability to insert a thread of magic inside the glass statue.”
This was an entertaining YA fantasy, and I really liked Opal.
Opal was a lovely character, she cared for other people, she didn’t boast about her magic, and she did what she could, even when she felt vastly underpowered compared to the other magic users around her. It couldn’t have been easy for her to have been known as a one-trick-pony so it was good that she finally found something she was good at!
The storyline in this revolved around Opal and her glass-making skills, as well as the magic that she possessed when it came to glass. I found the storyline about the fake diamonds a little odd, but overall I liked the story.
There was a little bit of romance, although that had a bit of a sting in its tail towards the end!
The ending to the story was probably the slowest part for me, and seemed to drag a bit. When I went back to it a second time it seemed a bit better though, and I enjoyed it. I also really liked Opal’s new talent that she discovered! Very interesting indeed!
8 out of 10
My one magical trick – the ability to insert a thread of magic inside the glass statue.”
This was an entertaining YA fantasy, and I really liked Opal.
Opal was a lovely character, she cared for other people, she didn’t boast about her magic, and she did what she could, even when she felt vastly underpowered compared to the other magic users around her. It couldn’t have been easy for her to have been known as a one-trick-pony so it was good that she finally found something she was good at!
The storyline in this revolved around Opal and her glass-making skills, as well as the magic that she possessed when it came to glass. I found the storyline about the fake diamonds a little odd, but overall I liked the story.
There was a little bit of romance, although that had a bit of a sting in its tail towards the end!
The ending to the story was probably the slowest part for me, and seemed to drag a bit. When I went back to it a second time it seemed a bit better though, and I enjoyed it. I also really liked Opal’s new talent that she discovered! Very interesting indeed!
8 out of 10
June 20, 2016
My fantasy cravings are off the charts right now! So a Maria V. Snyder book seems only fitting.
I've read just now that I have to finish the Study series first before reading this series. But I'm still gonna read this. Ha. Why not? I'M A REBEL!
POST-READING
4 STARS
This was a very fast-paced and action-packed read. I liked the first half better because our MC, Opal, wasn't torn from her feelings on any guy which was a surprise for me because, normally, I would already ship the main female character to the first swoon-worthy guy introduced and plan their wedding in my head like I did with Snyder's other books. That's the normal me but in this book I feel like the romance was unnecessary.
To say that I was not a big fan of the romance was putting it mildly. I think it was poorly executed and a bit rushed. I was rooting for the first guy right from the start and it didn't happen until the last few chapters and when it did happen I didn't feel giddy at all. But I still ship them. I would still ship all the ships in this world.
The plot was amazing as expected with Maria V. Snyder. It was engaging. It enthralled me right from the beginning. I liked the idea of Stormdancers. I want to be one! I hope we'll see more of them in the next two books.
This book has a lot of crossovers which made me miss Yelena and Valek. Especially Valek. Janco and Ari's names tickle my brain! I feel like I should know them. I think I'll be picking up the Study series sooner than I planned.
This was a book I truly enjoyed but did not loved as much as Touch of Power or Poison Study. But it was still really good. I am still excited about the sequel. I am still gonna read it with passion. This series would still go straight to my top fantasy reads.
POST-READING
4 STARS
This was a very fast-paced and action-packed read. I liked the first half better because our MC, Opal, wasn't torn from her feelings on any guy which was a surprise for me because, normally, I would already ship the main female character to the first swoon-worthy guy introduced and plan their wedding in my head like I did with Snyder's other books. That's the normal me but in this book I feel like the romance was unnecessary.
To say that I was not a big fan of the romance was putting it mildly. I think it was poorly executed and a bit rushed. I was rooting for the first guy right from the start and it didn't happen until the last few chapters and when it did happen I didn't feel giddy at all. But I still ship them. I would still ship all the ships in this world.
The plot was amazing as expected with Maria V. Snyder. It was engaging. It enthralled me right from the beginning. I liked the idea of Stormdancers. I want to be one! I hope we'll see more of them in the next two books.
This book has a lot of crossovers which made me miss Yelena and Valek. Especially Valek. Janco and Ari's names tickle my brain! I feel like I should know them. I think I'll be picking up the Study series sooner than I planned.
This was a book I truly enjoyed but did not loved as much as Touch of Power or Poison Study. But it was still really good. I am still excited about the sequel. I am still gonna read it with passion. This series would still go straight to my top fantasy reads.
February 6, 2010
"Poison Study" was such a great book that I almost feel guilty for feeling like the quality of the books has gone down with each sequel. It doesn't help that the protagonist of this new series isn't that interesting. Yelena had such a spark to her that I expected Opal to have a real personality. Unfortunately, she was just kind of a null. She dithers. She questions herself. She makes poor decisions. Worst of all, she never really grows as a person; her magical abilities increase, but her true self is never revealed. I realize this is the start of a series, but when I don't care about what happens to the character in the first book, chances are poor that I'll continue all the way to the end.
To top it off, I really didn't understand what was happening in a lot of the scenes. She's in the glass, she's through the glass, she's all over the place. I felt lost in the descriptions - particularly those that defied physics.
The worst part was that, following the most obnoxious of romance novel traditions, Yelena shows up in this novel as a wise and settled friend to everyone. Seeing a beloved character reduced to two dimensions - everyone loves her! - was simply depressing.
This is a bit nitpicky, but I noticed more than a few glaring editing mistakes while reading. Since when does "nonplussed" mean something like "unimpressed" rather than "confused"? This is not the first book that I've seen it used that way and it throws me for a loop every time. I've even checked dictionary.com a few times to see if maybe the word evolved while I wasn't looking, but...no.
I'll probably get the next book and see if it's better, but Snyder's books just got downgraded from a "must-buy" to a "meh" in my mind.
To top it off, I really didn't understand what was happening in a lot of the scenes. She's in the glass, she's through the glass, she's all over the place. I felt lost in the descriptions - particularly those that defied physics.
The worst part was that, following the most obnoxious of romance novel traditions, Yelena shows up in this novel as a wise and settled friend to everyone. Seeing a beloved character reduced to two dimensions - everyone loves her! - was simply depressing.
This is a bit nitpicky, but I noticed more than a few glaring editing mistakes while reading. Since when does "nonplussed" mean something like "unimpressed" rather than "confused"? This is not the first book that I've seen it used that way and it throws me for a loop every time. I've even checked dictionary.com a few times to see if maybe the word evolved while I wasn't looking, but...no.
I'll probably get the next book and see if it's better, but Snyder's books just got downgraded from a "must-buy" to a "meh" in my mind.
August 29, 2016
Will Maria Snyder ever stop letting her MCs get kidnapped and/or tortured on an almost weekly basis? (Probably not).
The Glass series plays in the same world as the Study series and even involves some of the same characters. But there are key differences between the two series that I'm still discovering.
1. As an MC, Opal has a very different personality than Yelena's. At the beginning of Storm Glass, she is insecure, whiny, and easily cowed; nothing like strong Yelena who hits the ground running in Poison Study. However Opal demonstrates some remarkable growth as the book progresses and realizes her flaws, even takes steps to correct them.
2. There are so many choices of love interests! I was very happy with just Valek for Yelena, but Opal has three men after her. We've got:
3. Leif is no longer a dick in this series! What a refreshing change.
4. Yelena is now a nation-wide hero and ambassador. I'm glad she gets a break from being chased around the globe by villains and the government.
On the other hand some things haven't changed since the Study series. The Council of Sitia remains an incompetent, useless array of morons. Here's their latest act of idiocy, which possibly takes the cake: Remember Cahil, the murderous, violent traitor who released Ferde from prison, conspired with Daviian Warpers, and nearly got Yelena and others killed many times? Not to mention he's a constant threat to Ixia, an uncertain ally of Sitia?! The Council decided to MAKE HIM A GENERAL. WHAT THE HELL.
In my opinion, Storm Glass deserves a solid 4 stars. Opal undergoes much development along her journey and learns valuable lessons. While the plot felt too cluttered with obstacles - there were at least 5 separate problems presented along the way for Opal to solve - at least I never got bored. The romance was fun to keep up with, especially watching Opal juggle her feelings for various men. I will definitely continue with the series.
The Glass series plays in the same world as the Study series and even involves some of the same characters. But there are key differences between the two series that I'm still discovering.
1. As an MC, Opal has a very different personality than Yelena's. At the beginning of Storm Glass, she is insecure, whiny, and easily cowed; nothing like strong Yelena who hits the ground running in Poison Study. However Opal demonstrates some remarkable growth as the book progresses and realizes her flaws, even takes steps to correct them.
2. There are so many choices of love interests! I was very happy with just Valek for Yelena, but Opal has three men after her. We've got:
Ulrick: Essentially everything I wouldn't want in a man, and yet Opal spends a lot of the book with him. Ulrick comes from a glassmaking family and decides Opal is a sweet little damsel he needs to protect. By "protecting" her he means shadowing her all day and even sleeping in her room because he doesn't trust her to take care of herself for one second.
The worst part is that Opal doesn't even see an issue with this. Stand up for yourself, girl!
Kade: A much better choice. Kade is a super broody but powerful magician who can harness the power of storms. He's like Storm from XMen except, you know, without the boobs.
He has rare moments of humor or happiness that are funny and adorable. Besides that, he makes the greatest storm analogies to his life and eventually learns to make glassmaking analogies from Opal. "This calls for a glass analogy. Life is like molten glass. It flows, it's flexible, it can be molded and shaped and... what do you say? Ah, yes. It holds potential." I just wanted to cuddle him in those moments.
Devlen/Blue Eyes: Here's where I need therapy because I'm actually rooting for Devlen.
Devlen is a blood magician and he kidnaps, hurts, and threatens Opal multiple times. So why do I keep swooning when his blue eyes are mentioned? I had a mini heart attack when So yeah, I feel bad for shipping Opal/Devlen because he's EVIL but what can I say? He gives me butterflies.
3. Leif is no longer a dick in this series! What a refreshing change.
4. Yelena is now a nation-wide hero and ambassador. I'm glad she gets a break from being chased around the globe by villains and the government.
On the other hand some things haven't changed since the Study series. The Council of Sitia remains an incompetent, useless array of morons. Here's their latest act of idiocy, which possibly takes the cake: Remember Cahil, the murderous, violent traitor who released Ferde from prison, conspired with Daviian Warpers, and nearly got Yelena and others killed many times? Not to mention he's a constant threat to Ixia, an uncertain ally of Sitia?! The Council decided to MAKE HIM A GENERAL. WHAT THE HELL.
In my opinion, Storm Glass deserves a solid 4 stars. Opal undergoes much development along her journey and learns valuable lessons. While the plot felt too cluttered with obstacles - there were at least 5 separate problems presented along the way for Opal to solve - at least I never got bored. The romance was fun to keep up with, especially watching Opal juggle her feelings for various men. I will definitely continue with the series.
October 5, 2009
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was nice to see a fantasy heroine not using her magical brawn all over the place, instead being a craftsman. The book had a slightly Young Adult feel to it, dunno if that was intended, a little "soft" so to speak? Not a bad thing, just tone-wise.
EDIT:
Was corrected, this IS a Young Adult book, so there ya go! I'm...smart. If you liked "Graceling" you'll really like this book, both enjoyable!
I LOVED Poison Study, it's one of my fave Vaginal-Fantasy books out there, so this author is a must-read for me. Not quite as in love with THIS book as PS, but definitely will pick up the next to see what Opal has in store for her!
EDIT:
Was corrected, this IS a Young Adult book, so there ya go! I'm...smart. If you liked "Graceling" you'll really like this book, both enjoyable!
I LOVED Poison Study, it's one of my fave Vaginal-Fantasy books out there, so this author is a must-read for me. Not quite as in love with THIS book as PS, but definitely will pick up the next to see what Opal has in store for her!
March 5, 2015
***3.5 stars***
I would recommend reading the Study series first since Storm Glass takes place a few years after book three.
It's going to be a short review y'all.
Well if you've read the Study series by Maria V. Snyder you'll probably know who this series is about. If not, this series is about a character called Opal Cowan. She's a magician as well as a glass maker. After using her magic to help the famous Yelena save Sitia she's titled the Glass Magician. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs and they require Opal unique talents to make sure it doesn't happen again. But on her journey she's faced with threats and discoveries that could be the end of her.
I'll say it now I'm Yelena (Study series) biased. I got to know her story first and Opal wasn't that much of a character in that series. Now that Opal does have her own series I kind of expected more than I got. Sure it was good, but it wasn't that good. I found her a bit annoying. Her self esteem is incredibly low, she thinks so little of herself despite discovering the first type long distance communication and helping save Sitia from an ancient threat. I just don't understand what causes it? Instead of embracing her magic it seemed like she didn't even want it. I hope I grow to like Opal, but so far she doesn't have much presence. Nothing to make her stand out apart from her magic ability. This was one of those "I liked the supporting characters better than the main character" cases.
The story was interesting, I really love it when characters travel around the world the author creates. I'm assuming the Stormdancer plot goes throughout the whole series? If it does, I hope there's a sub plot somewhere. So yeah the story was fantastic. It had good pacing and progression, had plenty of interesting twists. I really like magic powers Maria V. Snyder creates -- they're so unique!
There was a love triangle thing going on here. But it isn't the usual "UGH JUST PICK ON ALREADY!" one. Both love interests were awesome. I loved them. Kade and Ulrick. Kade is a Stormdancer and Ulrick is another glass maker. Of course it is obvious who Opal ends up with so I didn't find it annoying in any way. Plus Kade wasn't present for majority of the book. Ulrick was annoying as hell, he was like a puppy running around her attention. I didn't like his character, he was so very suspicious from their first interaction.
Hopefully I'll have more to say for the next book's review since there wasn't much happening in this book.
OH I ALSO REALLY LIKE HOW THE FISK AND THE HELPERS GUILD IS IN THIS BOOK!
I would recommend reading the Study series first since Storm Glass takes place a few years after book three.
It's going to be a short review y'all.
Well if you've read the Study series by Maria V. Snyder you'll probably know who this series is about. If not, this series is about a character called Opal Cowan. She's a magician as well as a glass maker. After using her magic to help the famous Yelena save Sitia she's titled the Glass Magician. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs and they require Opal unique talents to make sure it doesn't happen again. But on her journey she's faced with threats and discoveries that could be the end of her.
I'll say it now I'm Yelena (Study series) biased. I got to know her story first and Opal wasn't that much of a character in that series. Now that Opal does have her own series I kind of expected more than I got. Sure it was good, but it wasn't that good. I found her a bit annoying. Her self esteem is incredibly low, she thinks so little of herself despite discovering the first type long distance communication and helping save Sitia from an ancient threat. I just don't understand what causes it? Instead of embracing her magic it seemed like she didn't even want it. I hope I grow to like Opal, but so far she doesn't have much presence. Nothing to make her stand out apart from her magic ability. This was one of those "I liked the supporting characters better than the main character" cases.
The story was interesting, I really love it when characters travel around the world the author creates. I'm assuming the Stormdancer plot goes throughout the whole series? If it does, I hope there's a sub plot somewhere. So yeah the story was fantastic. It had good pacing and progression, had plenty of interesting twists. I really like magic powers Maria V. Snyder creates -- they're so unique!
There was a love triangle thing going on here. But it isn't the usual "UGH JUST PICK ON ALREADY!" one. Both love interests were awesome. I loved them. Kade and Ulrick. Kade is a Stormdancer and Ulrick is another glass maker. Of course it is obvious who Opal ends up with so I didn't find it annoying in any way. Plus Kade wasn't present for majority of the book. Ulrick was annoying as hell, he was like a puppy running around her attention. I didn't like his character, he was so very suspicious from their first interaction.
Hopefully I'll have more to say for the next book's review since there wasn't much happening in this book.
OH I ALSO REALLY LIKE HOW THE FISK AND THE HELPERS GUILD IS IN THIS BOOK!
July 27, 2018
*3.5 MAGICAL STARS*
“There is a reason for everything. You might not be able to figure it out, and time might have made us all forget it, but the reason is there all the same.”
I have to say I was a little disappointed by this one, when comparing it to Maria V. Snyder's previous Study series.(That I strongly advise you to read before starting this one!)
It's not that I disliked Opal, but I just missed my badass Yelena and Valek! I'm hoping that Opal will grow more of a backbone in the next books. Kaden is my bae though!
Overall this was an enjoyable book and I'll definitely be reading the sequels!
“There is a reason for everything. You might not be able to figure it out, and time might have made us all forget it, but the reason is there all the same.”
I have to say I was a little disappointed by this one, when comparing it to Maria V. Snyder's previous Study series.
It's not that I disliked Opal, but I just missed my badass Yelena and Valek! I'm hoping that Opal will grow more of a backbone in the next books. Kaden is my bae though!
Overall this was an enjoyable book and I'll definitely be reading the sequels!
November 21, 2017
*2.7/5 Stars*
“Everyone grieves in different ways. For some, it could take longer or shorter. I do know it never disappears. An ember still smolders inside me. Most days, I don’t notice it, but, out of the blue, it’ll flare to life.”
This trilogy is about Opal, who appeared in Fire Study and helped Yelena imprison Fire Warpers in glass prisons and thus saved Sitia. She's glass maker and magician, but she can work her magic just through glass - She's a Glass Magician.
“The piece’s core glowed as if lit by an inner fire.
My one magical trick – the ability to insert a thread of magic inside the glass statue.”
Five years after her abduction and sister's death, Opal feels detached from everyone but her family. She's insecure, has low self-esteem and is constantly underestimated because of her youth appearance and seemingly little magic.
And even though, I can't say I liked her as a main heroine (I absolutely love Yelena from Study Series), I get why she was like this and she grew through this book a bit. But I hope to see her more mature and confident in the next books!
After sabotage on Stormdancers, that ruined their Glass orbs, Opal and Second Magician - Zitora Cowan are sent to investigate and help them, before the dangerous storms come.
“I'm glad you're here. We've had some...interesting developments." Leif groaned. "That's Yelena-speak for life-threatening danger.”
Other Characters:
Ulrick - I was suspicious of him from the beginning. He was annoying, overprotective about Opal, followed her almost everywhere and treated her like incapable little girl. Even though she was very well capable of talking care of herself!
“He escorted me to my quarters and even checked inside for intruders.
“See you tomorrow,” he said. “Lock your door.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted.
“Opal, this is serious. You could be hurt or worse.”
“I know that. It’s just easier sometimes not to think too much about it, or I’ll never leave my rooms.”
“Good plan. Never leave your rooms without me.”
“Now who’s joking?” I teased, but his seriousness failed to diminish.
“I’ll wait outside until I hear your lock click. Good night.” He left, but, as promised, he stood with his arms crossed just past the threshold.
I closed the door. As I turned the bolt on the lock, I couldn’t suppress a slice of worry. His overprotectiveness might infringe on my freedom to come and go as I pleased—one of the best perks in being an apprentice.”
Kade - The next love interest. Yeah, there is a love triangle. And it's the first time in Snyder's books.. Kade is a Stormdancer and even though he was missing for most of this book, I liked him definitely a lot more than Ulrick. He was witty and his interactions with Opal were always fun to read about.
He trusted in her abilities, supported her self-esteem and independence (-the opposite of Ulrick). I definitely want to see more of him in the next books. (Even though I'm still biased because of Valek. He and Yelena are the best characters from all Snyder's books for me.)
Kade was bemused. “He’s protective, a good quality in a bodyguard, but he needs to learn how to trust.”
“He just met you,” I said.
“I meant you. Trust you. You managed to escape Sir and Tricky without harm, so you do know how to take care of yourself.”
There also appeared characters from the Study series: Yelena (It was quite interesting to see her through someone else's eyes), her brother Leif, Fisk (The young leader of The Helpers Guild), Ari and Janco (Yelena's Ixian friends, Vlake's second in command). Sadly, no Valek.. Which I hope will be in the next books. Pretty please!
Yelena laughed. “Imagine you’re the Councillor. Who would you rather have watching your back—a Master Magician or a scary Soulfinder with an Ixian boyfriend?”
Overall:
Even though I couldn't connect much with any of the main characters(Maybe just Kade a bit), I enjoyed reading about Sitian world, the story was a bit slow but nonetheless captivating.
The Glass and Storm magic Snyder created was creative (I really like the title - Storm Glass. It's fitting!) and the writing style was great as in her other novels.
I would recommend to read this trilogy for every hug fan(like me) of the Study series out there!
“I know I hated magic for a reason," Janco said.
"Congratulations. This is the first time you've had a VALID reason to hate something," Ari countered. "Remember your campaign against sand?"
"Sand! Horrid little stuff. Gets everywhere. I had a perfectly good argue--"
"Janco." Ari's voice rumbled deep in his throat.
In a heartbeat, Janco switched gears. "Well, this blood magic sounds worse than sand.”
“Everyone grieves in different ways. For some, it could take longer or shorter. I do know it never disappears. An ember still smolders inside me. Most days, I don’t notice it, but, out of the blue, it’ll flare to life.”
This trilogy is about Opal, who appeared in Fire Study and helped Yelena imprison Fire Warpers in glass prisons and thus saved Sitia. She's glass maker and magician, but she can work her magic just through glass - She's a Glass Magician.
“The piece’s core glowed as if lit by an inner fire.
My one magical trick – the ability to insert a thread of magic inside the glass statue.”
Five years after her abduction and sister's death, Opal feels detached from everyone but her family. She's insecure, has low self-esteem and is constantly underestimated because of her youth appearance and seemingly little magic.
And even though, I can't say I liked her as a main heroine (I absolutely love Yelena from Study Series), I get why she was like this and she grew through this book a bit. But I hope to see her more mature and confident in the next books!
After sabotage on Stormdancers, that ruined their Glass orbs, Opal and Second Magician - Zitora Cowan are sent to investigate and help them, before the dangerous storms come.
“I'm glad you're here. We've had some...interesting developments." Leif groaned. "That's Yelena-speak for life-threatening danger.”
Other Characters:
Ulrick - I was suspicious of him from the beginning. He was annoying, overprotective about Opal, followed her almost everywhere and treated her like incapable little girl. Even though she was very well capable of talking care of herself!
“He escorted me to my quarters and even checked inside for intruders.
“See you tomorrow,” he said. “Lock your door.”
“Yes, sir.” I saluted.
“Opal, this is serious. You could be hurt or worse.”
“I know that. It’s just easier sometimes not to think too much about it, or I’ll never leave my rooms.”
“Good plan. Never leave your rooms without me.”
“Now who’s joking?” I teased, but his seriousness failed to diminish.
“I’ll wait outside until I hear your lock click. Good night.” He left, but, as promised, he stood with his arms crossed just past the threshold.
I closed the door. As I turned the bolt on the lock, I couldn’t suppress a slice of worry. His overprotectiveness might infringe on my freedom to come and go as I pleased—one of the best perks in being an apprentice.”
Kade - The next love interest. Yeah, there is a love triangle. And it's the first time in Snyder's books.. Kade is a Stormdancer and even though he was missing for most of this book, I liked him definitely a lot more than Ulrick. He was witty and his interactions with Opal were always fun to read about.
He trusted in her abilities, supported her self-esteem and independence (-the opposite of Ulrick). I definitely want to see more of him in the next books. (Even though I'm still biased because of Valek. He and Yelena are the best characters from all Snyder's books for me.)
Kade was bemused. “He’s protective, a good quality in a bodyguard, but he needs to learn how to trust.”
“He just met you,” I said.
“I meant you. Trust you. You managed to escape Sir and Tricky without harm, so you do know how to take care of yourself.”
There also appeared characters from the Study series: Yelena (It was quite interesting to see her through someone else's eyes), her brother Leif, Fisk (The young leader of The Helpers Guild), Ari and Janco (Yelena's Ixian friends, Vlake's second in command). Sadly, no Valek.. Which I hope will be in the next books. Pretty please!
Yelena laughed. “Imagine you’re the Councillor. Who would you rather have watching your back—a Master Magician or a scary Soulfinder with an Ixian boyfriend?”
Overall:
Even though I couldn't connect much with any of the main characters
The Glass and Storm magic Snyder created was creative (I really like the title - Storm Glass. It's fitting!) and the writing style was great as in her other novels.
I would recommend to read this trilogy for every hug fan
“I know I hated magic for a reason," Janco said.
"Congratulations. This is the first time you've had a VALID reason to hate something," Ari countered. "Remember your campaign against sand?"
"Sand! Horrid little stuff. Gets everywhere. I had a perfectly good argue--"
"Janco." Ari's voice rumbled deep in his throat.
In a heartbeat, Janco switched gears. "Well, this blood magic sounds worse than sand.”
April 30, 2016
After loving the Study series, my expectations were extremely low going into this--I didn't want to be disappointed. Instead, I was surprised to find such a solid start to another trilogy set in the world of Ixia. Familiar characters do pop up throughout the story, but I also enjoyed getting to know new characters and learning more about Opal's unique magical powers. I took off a star because the pacing seemed inconsistent at times--I found myself either flying through chapters or trudging through them. There are multiple love interests in this book--it's definitely not the forefront of the story, but I felt disconnected from the second love interest, so the love triangle aspect annoyed me a bit. Overall, if you loved the Study trilogy, give this one a go!
June 1, 2017
Glass series has always been my favorite, Opals story is so much more engaging than I ever expected. The flow of the story is very natural, even though I loved Magic Study there was a bit too much going on at the same time. In Storm Glass is a bit more natural and feels lighter somehow.
March 29, 2010
Opal has a gift for glass, magic, and disasters. After years of training with the best magicians in Sitia, her reputation seems hinged in failure. So when she and the magician, Zitora, are sent to the sea in order to help the Stormdancers who capture storms in glass, Opal is unprepared. To face the blue-eyed magician who threatens them all, the torturous memories of her past, the storms that come crashing over the waves and threaten all of Sitia, and Kade—the young storm dancer who is the most powerful of them all. And has locked himself away with the death of his sister. Something Opal understands far too well.
Though this is the first book in the series and no doubt readable in and of itself, it is also the fourth book set in this world and shares many of the characters and qualities that make Snyder’s Study Series so magical. I highly recommend beginning with Poison Study first if you haven’t read it (why miss out on the pleasure?!) and plunging into Storm Glass in chronological order.
Though this is the first book in the series and no doubt readable in and of itself, it is also the fourth book set in this world and shares many of the characters and qualities that make Snyder’s Study Series so magical. I highly recommend beginning with Poison Study first if you haven’t read it (why miss out on the pleasure?!) and plunging into Storm Glass in chronological order.
April 10, 2021
i did like this, but i’m only really reading this series because i heard it will be helpful for carrying on with the ‘study’ series. i didn’t like opal as much as yelena, and it felt very repetitive in terms of how much kidnapping/ambushes happen. the glass magic was interesting though and I’m excited to see how it progresses.
June 12, 2018
I liked this one. A fun, fast-paced read.
RTC
RTC
January 10, 2018
2015 3 stars
2017 4 stars
Reto literario 2018
Grupo whatsapp
Una relectura
Antes de la lectura (2018)
en el 2015 yo empecé con la trilogia STUDY de Maria V. Snyder , en aquel entonces la autora dijo que hasta ahi iba a escribir desde el punto de vista de Yelena y Valek ( los protagonistas de Study) pero ella tenia varias sagas con otra protagonista . una de ellas es esta DONDE LA protagonista era Opal un personaje secundario femenino que tenia su propio bagaje emocional . le di una oportunidad esperando que me transmitiera los mismo que la primera trilogia , acción, alegria y amor.
pero pero en aquel entonces el libro me pareció enorme y no logré conectar de la misma forma que los otros libros. recuerdo que lo intenté leer un dia sola sin ruido pero lo único que podia pensar era que no soportaba las inseguridades de Opal. NO PODIA. ¿ no podia ser mas valiente? la acción estaba buena. los personajes secundarios ni fu ni fa. ustedes no creerian pero le puse 3 estrellas.
cuando yo inicié leyendo lo hice con GENIALES LIBROS y se me hace cada dia mas dificil encontrar buenos. en ese entonces para mi 3 estrellas era algo muy malo ( 2 estrellas era lo peor , 1 era los que no me hablen en su vida) pero lo que he aprendido atraves de este año es que hay COSAS PEORES COSAS MUY MUY MALAS. asi que le di una relectura de nuevo porque dar una oportunidad es sano.
Durante la lectura
como ya sabia que no me iba a gustar fui leyendo despacio a mi ritmo , ya sabia que este era un libro de no esperar nada. conforme iba leyendo me iba acordando de todos los asuntos y me asombré que aun el concepto del libro me seguia gustando . de hecho me gustaba bastante , para todos los libros que he leido lo encuentro refrescante no tanto como LA TRILOGIA ORIGINAL pero buena a su medida despues de todo la protagonista aun no tenia sus habilidades completas ¿ no le debemos pedir que salte como lara croft ?
algunas cosas son buenas muy buenas no excelentes tampoco exageremos. algo que si recordaba es que habia un montón de chicos ( solo 3) que queria con Opal .
y ella no estaba seguro de ninguno. ciertamente la trama de ese libro se cerró pero dejó otras cosas abiertas.
al finalizar la lectura
me ha gustado mucho mas que la primera vez muchisimo mas . a tal punto de por primera aumentar mi puntuación ( generalmente siempre es al reves) . me he sorprendido que aunque en aquel entonces no me agradaba ciertas cosas fui objetiva y lo califique de forma imparcial 3-5 aunque ahora me ha enamorado un poquito mas y le subi 4-5.
2017 4 stars
Reto literario 2018
Grupo whatsapp
Una relectura
Antes de la lectura (2018)
en el 2015 yo empecé con la trilogia STUDY de Maria V. Snyder , en aquel entonces la autora dijo que hasta ahi iba a escribir desde el punto de vista de Yelena y Valek ( los protagonistas de Study) pero ella tenia varias sagas con otra protagonista . una de ellas es esta DONDE LA protagonista era Opal un personaje secundario femenino que tenia su propio bagaje emocional . le di una oportunidad esperando que me transmitiera los mismo que la primera trilogia , acción, alegria y amor.
pero pero en aquel entonces el libro me pareció enorme y no logré conectar de la misma forma que los otros libros. recuerdo que lo intenté leer un dia sola sin ruido pero lo único que podia pensar era que no soportaba las inseguridades de Opal. NO PODIA. ¿ no podia ser mas valiente? la acción estaba buena. los personajes secundarios ni fu ni fa. ustedes no creerian pero le puse 3 estrellas.
cuando yo inicié leyendo lo hice con GENIALES LIBROS y se me hace cada dia mas dificil encontrar buenos. en ese entonces para mi 3 estrellas era algo muy malo ( 2 estrellas era lo peor , 1 era los que no me hablen en su vida) pero lo que he aprendido atraves de este año es que hay COSAS PEORES COSAS MUY MUY MALAS. asi que le di una relectura de nuevo porque dar una oportunidad es sano.
Durante la lectura
como ya sabia que no me iba a gustar fui leyendo despacio a mi ritmo , ya sabia que este era un libro de no esperar nada. conforme iba leyendo me iba acordando de todos los asuntos y me asombré que aun el concepto del libro me seguia gustando . de hecho me gustaba bastante , para todos los libros que he leido lo encuentro refrescante no tanto como LA TRILOGIA ORIGINAL pero buena a su medida despues de todo la protagonista aun no tenia sus habilidades completas ¿ no le debemos pedir que salte como lara croft ?
algunas cosas son buenas muy buenas no excelentes tampoco exageremos. algo que si recordaba es que habia un montón de chicos ( solo 3) que queria con Opal .
y ella no estaba seguro de ninguno. ciertamente la trama de ese libro se cerró pero dejó otras cosas abiertas.
al finalizar la lectura
me ha gustado mucho mas que la primera vez muchisimo mas . a tal punto de por primera aumentar mi puntuación ( generalmente siempre es al reves) . me he sorprendido que aunque en aquel entonces no me agradaba ciertas cosas fui objetiva y lo califique de forma imparcial 3-5 aunque ahora me ha enamorado un poquito mas y le subi 4-5.
April 6, 2016
This was like 3.5 stars for me. There were a few plot holes that took me out of the story. And the h annoyed me. She did a lot of stupid things. But although I get no one is perfect, some of her duh moments seemed way to obvious for me and I couldn't relate to her stupidity. However, I like the story and I'm going to continue because I enjoy the overall world. And not everyone can be Yerlana.
May 29, 2016
A fantastic first book in the Glass series. I love getting to know new characters and explore more of the world Maria V. Snyder has masterfully created.
Overall: 4.5 stars
Recommendation: Yes. If you love the Study series then you really need to give this a read.
Overall: 4.5 stars
Recommendation: Yes. If you love the Study series then you really need to give this a read.
May 17, 2016
Sadly, Opal was a snooze fest. Yelena rules Ixia, Sitia and everything else <3
July 23, 2021
Hmm.. Storm Glass was an okay book with some pretty interesting orbs throughout it. But.. for some reason I just wasn't a huge fan of Opal. I mean her power was kind of cool and I feel like I have a ton of unanswered questions revolving around it but she just seemed to be quiet about a lot of things. She definitely started off low in the confident pool which kind of irked me. So I guess the one good thing about her was that she gained some confidence throughout the book but it just wasn't enough to make me like her.
Yet.
Other than that, I honestly have no idea what kind of romantic shape this book has but I didn't really care for it either. It was weird and the guys were just okay in my eyes. Yeah, at some random points in the book I would like one of them but never all three at the same time. I will also say that I loathe Ulrick at the moment and I think that he should never have romance.
In the end, I guess I'll dive into the next book just to see what the heck is going to happen next. But mostly I want the love shape to kick some people out.
Yet.
Other than that, I honestly have no idea what kind of romantic shape this book has but I didn't really care for it either. It was weird and the guys were just okay in my eyes. Yeah, at some random points in the book I would like one of them but never all three at the same time. I will also say that I loathe Ulrick at the moment and I think that he should never have romance.
In the end, I guess I'll dive into the next book just to see what the heck is going to happen next. But mostly I want the love shape to kick some people out.
May 21, 2020
Stupid Devlan and Ulrick. Poor Opal and Kade! I know she's going to end up dating Kade and ultimate end up with Devlan which I never understood. But I'm glad she's okay for now and her powers are growing. I look forward to the next book.
Updated Review (August 5th 2016)
I still hate Devlan and Ulrick. I also still find Devlan to be creepy. SERIES SPOILER
I love the glassmaking aspect of this book! I find it fascinating and can imagine the beautiful pieces that they make. I feel bad for Opal that she can't completely make her pieces because of her magic.
Opal is very much like Yelena in that she is a danger magnet. She seems to always be falling into danger at every turn!
She also like Yelena came into her power late. I find her powers to be really cool. To be able to steal another magicians powers would definitely come in handy if the council doesn't imprison her for it. :/
I've also always been intrigued by the Stormdancers magic. The ability to control a storm and harness it's power for fuel would be really cool! I'm also glad that Kade decided to release his sister's soul. I wonder if that means his power diminish?
I look forward to Sea Glass! :D
Edit: May 2020
I both love and hate Opal's books. I love the specific magic she has. The ability to create messengers and to 'steal' other magicians powers.
I don't love all the drama though. I hate how weak Opal is. I understand it but I personally dislike it.
I also hate Ulrich/Devlan and Kade. I'm not a big fan of the romance in this book.
I love Mara. She is a wonderful human being. I love how she was never upset to be called 'Opal's sister'.
The warpers are still creating havoc! -.-
I love how powerful Opal's little creatures are. The spiders and the bees. O.o
Updated Review (August 5th 2016)
I still hate Devlan and Ulrick. I also still find Devlan to be creepy. SERIES SPOILER
I love the glassmaking aspect of this book! I find it fascinating and can imagine the beautiful pieces that they make. I feel bad for Opal that she can't completely make her pieces because of her magic.
Opal is very much like Yelena in that she is a danger magnet. She seems to always be falling into danger at every turn!
She also like Yelena came into her power late. I find her powers to be really cool. To be able to steal another magicians powers would definitely come in handy if the council doesn't imprison her for it. :/
I've also always been intrigued by the Stormdancers magic. The ability to control a storm and harness it's power for fuel would be really cool! I'm also glad that Kade decided to release his sister's soul. I wonder if that means his power diminish?
I look forward to Sea Glass! :D
Edit: May 2020
I both love and hate Opal's books. I love the specific magic she has. The ability to create messengers and to 'steal' other magicians powers.
I don't love all the drama though. I hate how weak Opal is. I understand it but I personally dislike it.
I also hate Ulrich/Devlan and Kade. I'm not a big fan of the romance in this book.
I love Mara. She is a wonderful human being. I love how she was never upset to be called 'Opal's sister'.
The warpers are still creating havoc! -.-
I love how powerful Opal's little creatures are. The spiders and the bees. O.o
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2015
While this series has been on my TBR for literally years, the only reason I finally picked it up was due to Shadow Study and my burning desire to understand every little detail in the book. But I’m glad I finally did.
Following the story of Opal - who we meet in the Study series - we get to see the world of Sitia through another’s eyes. It was weird at first to be reading about the same people and the same world through different eyes, but it was also refreshing.
I could really identify with Opal and her feelings of inadequacy and being a One Trick Wonder. I loved seeing how she began to grow and made a conscious effort to work on her negative thoughts and self-esteen.
Although I’m most definitely not a fan of love triangles, I was strangely enough not completely annoyed by the one in this book? Probably because Opal makes her feelings clear about them both from the start and it didn’t quite feel like a triangle.
I squealed each time we meet up with one of the characters from the Study series. I was nice to get someone else’s point of view on them. Especially Yelena. My sweet Yelena. The expansion of Zitora’s character was great, too. She is fab-u-lous.
It must be mentioned that I loved the whole process of glass-making. It seems to relaxing. I just want to give it a go. And also, I’m completely in love with the Stormdancers. If I could pick one clan to be a part of, it’d definitely be them.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read that had me hooked until I finished it, but at the same time it wasn’t quite as engaging as the Study series.
Following the story of Opal - who we meet in the Study series - we get to see the world of Sitia through another’s eyes. It was weird at first to be reading about the same people and the same world through different eyes, but it was also refreshing.
I could really identify with Opal and her feelings of inadequacy and being a One Trick Wonder. I loved seeing how she began to grow and made a conscious effort to work on her negative thoughts and self-esteen.
Although I’m most definitely not a fan of love triangles, I was strangely enough not completely annoyed by the one in this book? Probably because Opal makes her feelings clear about them both from the start and it didn’t quite feel like a triangle.
I squealed each time we meet up with one of the characters from the Study series. I was nice to get someone else’s point of view on them. Especially Yelena. My sweet Yelena. The expansion of Zitora’s character was great, too. She is fab-u-lous.
It must be mentioned that I loved the whole process of glass-making. It seems to relaxing. I just want to give it a go. And also, I’m completely in love with the Stormdancers. If I could pick one clan to be a part of, it’d definitely be them.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read that had me hooked until I finished it, but at the same time it wasn’t quite as engaging as the Study series.
November 3, 2016
This ended up with a 3.5 star rating - I think what ruined it for me was that I didn't read the other series from this author and there were too many references of characters and travels from prior books.
I also didn't feel connected with the main characters ---- maybe it's because I just came off of reading such intricate epic fantasies that I was expecting the same here.
Overall though, it was a good story - but I think my time with these glass orbs are done.
I also didn't feel connected with the main characters ---- maybe it's because I just came off of reading such intricate epic fantasies that I was expecting the same here.
Overall though, it was a good story - but I think my time with these glass orbs are done.
February 17, 2017
This landed more at a 3.5 for me. While I love Opal as a character and LOVE being back in this world, there were some times I felt like we were being told things instead of shown them. A few to many times it made me feel disconnected from certain events. Still I got to see so many of the characters I loved and over all the story did feel very much apart of the Poison Study world. Completely continuing on in the series.
September 18, 2023
✅ Plot
✅ Pace
✅ Magic
✅ World-building
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Romance / Love-triangle (kind of)
❗️❗️ I would recommend reading the Study series first since this story takes place in the same world and we even have the chance to follow some of the characters from Maria V. Snyder's other series.
I loved the world-building in the Study series, so this was nothing new, actually, the story takes place roughly four years after the end of Fire Study. Just like we learned about plants and poisons in the Study series, this new book takes us on an adventure where we learn about storms and glass making with great attention to details.
The new characters were interesting. I like the fact that Opal is not as badass as Yelena, yet she has her own kind of courage and is resilient. She makes mistakes and is sometimes naive,
she has low self-esteem and easily believes that she is useless (well, almost useless). She calls herself a one-hit-wonder and is jealous (a little bit) of the other students with more magic. She learns though that she has her own abilities and she slowly gains confidence. She sometimes annoyed me in this first book because she was naive and helpless at times, but I do believe that this gives her the potential to change a lot in the next books. I think she will become more interesting as the story goes on.
There is a little bit of romance... Opal first meets Kade (I love him), then Ulrick (I hate him) and there is a tentative of a love triangle... I'm not sure where this will go in the second book, she seems to love both guys, she knows who she wants to be with, yet she needs to give a chance to her relationship with the other...
Still, despite some points that I liked less (wannabe love triangle ?.. Naive heroine) it was a really good book.
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✅ Pace
✅ Magic
✅ World-building
✅🆗 Characters
🆗 Romance / Love-triangle (kind of)
❗️❗️ I would recommend reading the Study series first since this story takes place in the same world and we even have the chance to follow some of the characters from Maria V. Snyder's other series.
I loved the world-building in the Study series, so this was nothing new, actually, the story takes place roughly four years after the end of Fire Study. Just like we learned about plants and poisons in the Study series, this new book takes us on an adventure where we learn about storms and glass making with great attention to details.
The new characters were interesting. I like the fact that Opal is not as badass as Yelena, yet she has her own kind of courage and is resilient. She makes mistakes and is sometimes naive,
she has low self-esteem and easily believes that she is useless (well, almost useless). She calls herself a one-hit-wonder and is jealous (a little bit) of the other students with more magic. She learns though that she has her own abilities and she slowly gains confidence. She sometimes annoyed me in this first book because she was naive and helpless at times, but I do believe that this gives her the potential to change a lot in the next books. I think she will become more interesting as the story goes on.
There is a little bit of romance... Opal first meets Kade (I love him), then Ulrick (I hate him) and there is a tentative of a love triangle... I'm not sure where this will go in the second book, she seems to love both guys, she knows who she wants to be with, yet she needs to give a chance to her relationship with the other...
Still, despite some points that I liked less (wannabe love triangle ?.. Naive heroine) it was a really good book.
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May 25, 2020
3.5
Maria V Snyder's books to me are so easy and trashy and fun to read, but there's nothing good quality about them at all, in my opinion. The writing is a best simplistic, and at worst clunky and over the top, often trying to be funny/quirky but falling flat. There are parts where it simply just doesn't work, and reads so cringe-worthy. The emotions don't come through properly and the characters just seem overdramatic or just completely unbelievable. Also, once you have read a number of different series by this author, I think you begin to notice the same character patterns between them all. There are always certain figures in every series. I like reading her books, but her writing frustrates me, and sometimes the main characters can be so completely over the top in attempt to make them sassy or something like that. However, I literally find her books so addictive, and I'm not going to stop reading them, so I'm very conflicted.
Maria V Snyder's books to me are so easy and trashy and fun to read, but there's nothing good quality about them at all, in my opinion. The writing is a best simplistic, and at worst clunky and over the top, often trying to be funny/quirky but falling flat. There are parts where it simply just doesn't work, and reads so cringe-worthy. The emotions don't come through properly and the characters just seem overdramatic or just completely unbelievable. Also, once you have read a number of different series by this author, I think you begin to notice the same character patterns between them all. There are always certain figures in every series. I like reading her books, but her writing frustrates me, and sometimes the main characters can be so completely over the top in attempt to make them sassy or something like that. However, I literally find her books so addictive, and I'm not going to stop reading them, so I'm very conflicted.
December 20, 2014
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this one but not as much as Poison Study. I really wanted to read more about Opal since her appearance in Yelena's stories. The info about glass blowing was fascinating. I have put the next two books on hold at the library, and I can't wait to see where Opal's story goes.
I enjoyed this one but not as much as Poison Study. I really wanted to read more about Opal since her appearance in Yelena's stories. The info about glass blowing was fascinating. I have put the next two books on hold at the library, and I can't wait to see where Opal's story goes.
December 6, 2021
would be five stars if there was no ulrick but alas
April 14, 2015
Opal is a victim. This girl has been kidnapped more times than a garden gnome. (It's a thing. Look it up! There's even a group called the "Garden Gnome Liberationists". Check Wiki)
Because of this, she is insecure, wishy-washy, and afraid. She also makes terrible decisions, is jealous and bitter, and is very standoffish towards other people. So, do these things make her more human? I guess, but not really a person that I like that much. Instead of an adventure, what this girl really needs is intensive psychotherapy.
So, the book is focused on her, a glassmaker and minor magician who helped Yelena in the Poison Study series. (Such a great series! I reread all three books before starting this.) Being a glassmaker, we get to learn a lot about how glass is made. A. Lot. I mean, I've watched the glassblower at the Renaissance Festival many times because it is cool, but still... reading about the process is a lot less interesting. A. Lot. But, don't worry, if you don't quite get the whole process of firing the kiln, mixing and melting sand, shaping glass, and cooling it the first time, you will have the whole thing explained to you many many more times later. Many. Many. More times.
Opal is called out to help the Stormdancers, who use their magic to bottle the energy from storms into a usable fuel. She immediately needs to be rescued and falls for her rescuer. But, don't worry, she gets another love interest soon enough so that we can have the dreaded love triangle.
The good news: the book got pretty good near the end. Yelena shows up, and her and Leif are really funny together. Which is another bright spot; Leif has become a likable, funny guy. When did this happen? He has changed dramatically from the whiny jerk in Magic Study. Very nice. I also like Kade, the Stormdancer. He has issues, but I see potential for him. And, Devlin, as the bad guy is definitely interesting. I like a bad guy with depth and I think he has some in there.
The one thing about Maria Snyder, though, is that her couples never seem to get that HEA. They don't end up getting married and moving into the house with the picket fence. She keeps them separate and independent. I'll be curious to see if Opal gets something better than Yelena's situation of occasional hook-ups with her BF.
Because of this, she is insecure, wishy-washy, and afraid. She also makes terrible decisions, is jealous and bitter, and is very standoffish towards other people. So, do these things make her more human? I guess, but not really a person that I like that much. Instead of an adventure, what this girl really needs is intensive psychotherapy.
So, the book is focused on her, a glassmaker and minor magician who helped Yelena in the Poison Study series. (Such a great series! I reread all three books before starting this.) Being a glassmaker, we get to learn a lot about how glass is made. A. Lot. I mean, I've watched the glassblower at the Renaissance Festival many times because it is cool, but still... reading about the process is a lot less interesting. A. Lot. But, don't worry, if you don't quite get the whole process of firing the kiln, mixing and melting sand, shaping glass, and cooling it the first time, you will have the whole thing explained to you many many more times later. Many. Many. More times.
Opal is called out to help the Stormdancers, who use their magic to bottle the energy from storms into a usable fuel. She immediately needs to be rescued and falls for her rescuer. But, don't worry, she gets another love interest soon enough so that we can have the dreaded love triangle.
The good news: the book got pretty good near the end. Yelena shows up, and her and Leif are really funny together. Which is another bright spot; Leif has become a likable, funny guy. When did this happen? He has changed dramatically from the whiny jerk in Magic Study. Very nice. I also like Kade, the Stormdancer. He has issues, but I see potential for him. And, Devlin, as the bad guy is definitely interesting. I like a bad guy with depth and I think he has some in there.
The one thing about Maria Snyder, though, is that her couples never seem to get that HEA. They don't end up getting married and moving into the house with the picket fence. She keeps them separate and independent. I'll be curious to see if Opal gets something better than Yelena's situation of occasional hook-ups with her BF.
August 9, 2016
Can I not get Kidnapped/Dragged into Danger for Once?
Storm Glass (Glass #1)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Opal Cowan had been training at the Keep for the last four years since the fiasco with Ferde & the Fire Warper. Opal is still trying to deal with her sister’s death and everything else that happened with Yelena, including what she endured at the hands of Alea Daviian. She’s also been struggling with her magic seeing as it can only do one thing. When Stormdancer orbs begin breaking and killing people, the Master Magicians send Opal & Zitora to investigate.
I really enjoyed this book. Opal is definitely very different from Yelena. While I like both of them, I can’t decide who I like better. At the beginning, Opal is quite a shy and timid girl. She’s plagued by her past deeds and holds herself away from her peers. But by the end of the book, Opal has grown some confidence in her abilities and made new relationships that allow her to grow.
The plot was intriguing and I loved seeing how the glass orbs/vases were made. There was always something happening, whether it was Opal discovering more about her magic, people get kidnapped, finding fake diamonds or being thrown in jail. Things were a bit confusing towards the middle, but by the end everything made sense.
The romance in this book was weird though interesting. Opal has two (maybe three) love interests: Ulrick, Kade and possibly Devlen (though I’m not sold on him yet). Ulrick is literally the worst and I want Opal to leave him in a ditch and never look back. Kade on the other hand was dense as all hell. Though he finally admitted his fears near the end and there’s hope for some cuteness in the next book. Kade and Opal have both lost a sister and have a strange connection through the glass orbs. Right now I’m solidly Team Kade. Devlen is weird: he’s the villain that’s not quite an evil dick. Yes he’s tortured Opal and that’s not okay, but they have a weird connection. I’m not really digging it, but we shall see what happens in the next book!
Storm Glass (Glass #1)
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Opal Cowan had been training at the Keep for the last four years since the fiasco with Ferde & the Fire Warper. Opal is still trying to deal with her sister’s death and everything else that happened with Yelena, including what she endured at the hands of Alea Daviian. She’s also been struggling with her magic seeing as it can only do one thing. When Stormdancer orbs begin breaking and killing people, the Master Magicians send Opal & Zitora to investigate.
I really enjoyed this book. Opal is definitely very different from Yelena. While I like both of them, I can’t decide who I like better. At the beginning, Opal is quite a shy and timid girl. She’s plagued by her past deeds and holds herself away from her peers. But by the end of the book, Opal has grown some confidence in her abilities and made new relationships that allow her to grow.
The plot was intriguing and I loved seeing how the glass orbs/vases were made. There was always something happening, whether it was Opal discovering more about her magic, people get kidnapped, finding fake diamonds or being thrown in jail. Things were a bit confusing towards the middle, but by the end everything made sense.
The romance in this book was weird though interesting. Opal has two (maybe three) love interests: Ulrick, Kade and possibly Devlen (though I’m not sold on him yet). Ulrick is literally the worst and I want Opal to leave him in a ditch and never look back. Kade on the other hand was dense as all hell. Though he finally admitted his fears near the end and there’s hope for some cuteness in the next book. Kade and Opal have both lost a sister and have a strange connection through the glass orbs. Right now I’m solidly Team Kade. Devlen is weird: he’s the villain that’s not quite an evil dick. Yes he’s tortured Opal and that’s not okay, but they have a weird connection. I’m not really digging it, but we shall see what happens in the next book!
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