Reviews - The Glass Trilogy
Mar. 27th, 2011 12:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wilderthanStorm Glass (Maria V. Snyder)
When I first got my Kindle, the Glass books -- or maybe just the first one? -- were on offer, so I got them then, remembering the Study series as fun, easy to read, but vaguely trashy. I just looked over my reviews for the Study books, and I think I remember more clearly what my problems were. And, to some extent, I think they're less in evidence in this book. I don't think I had a particularly deep connection to Opal, the narrator of this book, either, but it didn't jar me either, so that's alright. There are romantic scenes, but again, they didn't bother me as much -- less clichéd? I'm not sure. There's something very hinky going on between Devlen and Opal: he has sex with her under very, very false pretences, so that part bothered me a lot -- or rather, it bothered me, in the sense that it rang false, that she didn't seem more bothered by it. I did like Kade, and actually rooted for the main pairing of this book, so that works.
One of the things I disliked, the sense that all the supporting characters disliked the main character for being special, remains. The thing with Pazia seemed almost a repeat of Roze and Yelena, although admittedly my memories are blurry. And the other thing, my dislike of how Yelena became more and more special, more and more different, seems to be playing out here too. It'd be nice if Opal remained a One Trick Wonder, in a way, and came to terms with it, rather than realising she has massive superpowers.
All in all, I enjoyed it, though. I know the list of complaints makes that hard to believe! But it's easy to read, and the plot is reasonably compelling, and there's enough up in the air at the end of this book that I want to pick up Sea Glass and get stuck in immediately. I have a lot of criticisms of these books, but less than I did of the Study book, and they do have that same compelling quality that makes me want to read on.
Sea Glass (Maria V. Snyder)
Sea Glass felt more like the Study series all over again. I'm not really surprised, as Maria V. Snyder seems prone to using tropes, etc. Opal did seem different to Yelena to me, owing to her different background, but now they're starting to become more similar -- she's learning to fight, she's picked up two soldier-protectors, she's gaining more and more power...
The end of this book did help. I have no confidence that the situation is going to last -- I've already started reading Spy Glass as I write this review, so I'm not quite able to separate the end of one and the beginning of the other, so bear with me -- I know that Opal's already special in the way she's lost her magic, too. I'll be much happier if the events at the end of this book have actual permanent consequences.
The main reason I got these books still holds true, though: they're easy to read, quick, and pretty fun. This managed to hold my attention on the train despite restlessness and anxiety. Admittedly, a more complex and better book might not have done simply because of the concentration needed, but whatever. It was still a good distraction.
Spy Glass (Maria V. Snyder)
Spy Glass, the conclusion to the Glass trilogy, really rubbed me up the wrong way. It's interesting, in the way that all the strands of the story come together, but I didn't believe in the conclusion. I don't believe in reformed criminals, or in settling down and having babies with someone who raped you, abducted you, etc. I didn't believe in Kade giving up on Opal so easily, and I didn't believe in what felt like a very rushed ending.
It left a rather bad taste in my mouth, really. Like the other books, it's a quick read and relatively absorbing, and I liked the larger role Valek had in this book, but I felt somewhat... betrayed, I guess, by the ending. I don't have all that much to say about it, given that.
When I first got my Kindle, the Glass books -- or maybe just the first one? -- were on offer, so I got them then, remembering the Study series as fun, easy to read, but vaguely trashy. I just looked over my reviews for the Study books, and I think I remember more clearly what my problems were. And, to some extent, I think they're less in evidence in this book. I don't think I had a particularly deep connection to Opal, the narrator of this book, either, but it didn't jar me either, so that's alright. There are romantic scenes, but again, they didn't bother me as much -- less clichéd? I'm not sure. There's something very hinky going on between Devlen and Opal: he has sex with her under very, very false pretences, so that part bothered me a lot -- or rather, it bothered me, in the sense that it rang false, that she didn't seem more bothered by it. I did like Kade, and actually rooted for the main pairing of this book, so that works.
One of the things I disliked, the sense that all the supporting characters disliked the main character for being special, remains. The thing with Pazia seemed almost a repeat of Roze and Yelena, although admittedly my memories are blurry. And the other thing, my dislike of how Yelena became more and more special, more and more different, seems to be playing out here too. It'd be nice if Opal remained a One Trick Wonder, in a way, and came to terms with it, rather than realising she has massive superpowers.
All in all, I enjoyed it, though. I know the list of complaints makes that hard to believe! But it's easy to read, and the plot is reasonably compelling, and there's enough up in the air at the end of this book that I want to pick up Sea Glass and get stuck in immediately. I have a lot of criticisms of these books, but less than I did of the Study book, and they do have that same compelling quality that makes me want to read on.
Sea Glass (Maria V. Snyder)
Sea Glass felt more like the Study series all over again. I'm not really surprised, as Maria V. Snyder seems prone to using tropes, etc. Opal did seem different to Yelena to me, owing to her different background, but now they're starting to become more similar -- she's learning to fight, she's picked up two soldier-protectors, she's gaining more and more power...
The end of this book did help. I have no confidence that the situation is going to last -- I've already started reading Spy Glass as I write this review, so I'm not quite able to separate the end of one and the beginning of the other, so bear with me -- I know that Opal's already special in the way she's lost her magic, too. I'll be much happier if the events at the end of this book have actual permanent consequences.
The main reason I got these books still holds true, though: they're easy to read, quick, and pretty fun. This managed to hold my attention on the train despite restlessness and anxiety. Admittedly, a more complex and better book might not have done simply because of the concentration needed, but whatever. It was still a good distraction.
Spy Glass (Maria V. Snyder)
Spy Glass, the conclusion to the Glass trilogy, really rubbed me up the wrong way. It's interesting, in the way that all the strands of the story come together, but I didn't believe in the conclusion. I don't believe in reformed criminals, or in settling down and having babies with someone who raped you, abducted you, etc. I didn't believe in Kade giving up on Opal so easily, and I didn't believe in what felt like a very rushed ending.
It left a rather bad taste in my mouth, really. Like the other books, it's a quick read and relatively absorbing, and I liked the larger role Valek had in this book, but I felt somewhat... betrayed, I guess, by the ending. I don't have all that much to say about it, given that.
