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Lissibith

Inkspot Fancy

Comics and fantasy and sci-fi, oh my!

Currently reading

The House on the Borderland
William Hope Hodgson
Dust and Light: A Sanctuary Novel
Carol Berg
The Dead
Jen Hickman, Robert James Maddox
Deadlands: Dead Man's Hand
David Gallaher, Jeff Mariotte, Jimmy Palmiotti
Ghost Hunt 2
Shiho Inada, Fuyumi Ono
Devil Survivor 1
Satoru Matsuba

A little magic goes a long way

Glamour in Glass - Mary Robinette Kowal

Married life is a bliss for Jane and Vincent. They work together creating majestic glamours for high-profile customers and hobnobbing modestly with nobility, while enjoying the more personal aspects as well. So when people start commending their trip to the mainland to Jane, she's understandably confused. She's happy with the state of things as they are.

 

But soon she finds they are travelling - a honeymoon to visit one of Vincent's old friends, another glamourist who runs his own school. Jane is willing, and the trip at first seems lovely. But everything is not honey and roses. Napolean has escaped Elba, Vincent is suddenly keeping secrets from Jane, and things get further complicated when Jane herself experiences a major change.

 

Do I like this book as well as the first one? I don't think I do. But is it a better book than the first? I think it is. There's a lot more action and intrigue here. It feels like it's edging out of the land of its inspiration and into someplace more modern and high-octane.

 

Jane continues to be a fun character for me to read, and the relationship between she and Vincent is for the most part honest and free of most of the sorts of tiresome tropes that often plague a couple in fantasy fiction once they're married - assuming the relationship is even much remarked on. Several interesting new characters are introduced, most of whom I really liked.

 

Really, I don't want to say too much because I don't want to ruin things for people, and if I were to say things it would spoil a few of the plot points. But since this is a second book in the series, I can say this - if you liked the first one, I suspect you will like the second. And if you found the first okay but a little simple or slow, then you might want to give this one a try.