Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories, #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal

Jan 17, 2012 Patrick rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was rather outside my usual reading habits, not to mention my outside my usual historical time frame. Generally speaking, if it happened between 1750 and 1980, I'm not terribly interested.

That said, I really enjoyed this. Kowal does a startlingly good job of presenting a mindset that is very alien to me, specifically, that of a woman mired in upper class British social mores of the early 1800's.

The language was delightfully in keeping with the time period, while not being needlessly...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Joel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, audiobooks, 2012-nebula-awards

Look, I love Jane Austen books as much as the next guy (provided the next guy’s love of Jane Austen books is limited to reading her shortest book and watching at least three separate adaptations of Pride & Prejudice), but no one is ever going to call her writing action-packed. Unless a bunch a well-dressed ladies making veiled catty comments to one another during a boring social event counts as action in your book. In which case, I hope you are sitting down when you read Mary Robinette Kowal...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Kate O'Hanlon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I have a few problems with this book.

*warning for feminism*

The writing is still very good, but the plot is far less engaging. I want to give Kowal credit for diving in at the point where Austen et al always finish up, the heroine's successful marriage. But unfortunately Jane and Vincent's marriage just doesn't interest me. I find Vincent irritating even when he's not being thoughtless and inconsiderate.

Outside of the familiar regency tropes that probably prompted me to give Shades of Milk and H...more I have a few problems with this book.

*warning for feminism*

The writing is still very good, but the plot is far less engaging. I want to give Kowal credit for diving in at the point where Austen et al always finish up, the heroine's successful marriage. But unfortunately Jane and Vincent's marriage just doesn't interest me. I find Vincent irritating even when he's not being thoughtless and inconsiderate.

Outside of the familiar regency tropes that probably prompted me to give Shades of Milk and Honey a pass for it's repressive world view Jane also started to become annoying.
Jane's not pretty (at least she doesn't think she is), but she's smart and talented, she's more concerned with focusing on her art than on fashion. So far so good but Jane is the classic 'exceptional woman'. That is to say, that Jane is the only woman in this world worth a damn. She finds herself surrounded by vacuous women who only care about dresses and are dragging her down when she wants to hang out with the boys. Whenever Jane does meet an intelligent woman like the prince's mistress or the Belgian women at dinner Jane dismisses them for their loose morals. Jane wants to flout convention, but she doesn't want to hang out with tramps. Urgh. There's even a line where she basically says all English women are insipid morons.

While 'depiction is not endorsement' and Jane's attitude is probably typical for her time, but it's not fun to read about. Jane's prejudices are never explored or confronted, and her big win at the end of the book is not having to retire with the women after dinner and instead getting to stay out with the men.

So that was irritating.
And that doesn't even touch on Jane's (view spoiler)

Also, the back cover blurb covers events that don't even happen until the last quarter of the book. I'm not terribly spoiler adverse but that struck me as egregious. (less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Nikko Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why I read this book:

I was first introduced to Mary Robinette Kowal by the Writing Excuses podcast as she transitioned from guest to one of the regular hosts. While I was excited to read her first novel in the Glamourist Histories, Shades of Milk and Honey, I found it a little less adventuresome than I would have liked. After the author read my review and suggested that I might enjoy the second novel, I decided to put it on my to-read list. Last month, I was lucky enough to win a free advance co...more Why I read this book:

I was first introduced to Mary Robinette Kowal by the Writing Excuses podcast as she transitioned from guest to one of the regular hosts. While I was excited to read her first novel in the Glamourist Histories, Shades of Milk and Honey, I found it a little less adventuresome than I would have liked. After the author read my review and suggested that I might enjoy the second novel, I decided to put it on my to-read list. Last month, I was lucky enough to win a free advance copy of the third installment in the series, Without a Summer, from Tor. So Glamour in Glass bounded right to the top of my to-read list.

My one sentence summary:

A honeymoon on the Continent is filled with surprises, new discoveries, intrigue and danger.

Kudos:

The magic system I fell in love with in the first novel, Glamour, is expanded beyond the drawing room to great affect in this second novel. I was also pleasantly surprised to find more depths and emotion in Vincent's character who remained largely enigmatic throughout Shades. Vincent still has his secrets but how Jane and he deal with these secrets and their consequences as they settle into their new marriage was very satisfying. One of my favorite aspects of Kowal's writing is the care she takes in picking period appropriate language and society. Jane's reaction to the boldness of French woman yet willingness to wear men's clothing when her work calls for it were a lot of fun. I found the evolution of the central conflict was believable and by the time I reached the last 50 pages, I truly did not want to put the book down. Also kudos are deserved for the French dialogue, which as a Francophone, I had a lot of fun reading.

Extra kudos go to Larry Rostant for his cover art. He's even re-done the cover of Shades of Milk and Honey for the UK edition (with two more chapters from Kowal).

Quibbles:

I'll admit that Kowal has hooked me, so I might not be the most objective reader. The only weak point in Glamour in Glass that struck me was the very end. The impact of the last tragedy did not touch me as much as I think it should.

Final Verdict:

While I found the first novel slow, Glamour in Glass was everything I was looking for in this series. The balance of action and historical content make this a fun read. I'm still in love with Glamour. I finally see why Jane and Vincent are in love. I loved Jane's struggle of finding her place not only in the Continental society and her new marriage while balancing her duties with her love of Glamour. High recommend to anyone who enjoys Regency novels with a touch of romance and a dash of adventure beyond the drawing room.(less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Christa (More Than Just Magic) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, arc, genre-fantasy, genre-historical-fiction, part-of-a-series, sent-for-review

Originally reviewed at Christa's Hooked on Books

This book, like the first in the series, in a perfect example of down right gorgeous writing. Each line dripped with beautiful prose. You really felt like you were being swept away, not only into another time period, but to a whole other world.

One of the best things about this book is Jane. She is such a wonderful, headstrong heroine. I loved how determined she was and how willing she was to fight for those she loved. Belgium, during the time of Na...more

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May 16, 2013 SilverRaindrops rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, 238-books-in-238-days, tbr-down-to-213-in-2013, reviewstatus-reviewed, country-uk, country-france, fantasy, romance

This book is part of my "238 books in 238 days"-challenge. You can follow my progress here.
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"Glamour in Glass" is the follow-up to "Shades of Milk and Honey", and if you haven't read that, I would urge you to go and read it first. Firstly because you would otherwise miss out on a great story in a setting that has been described as "Jane Austen with magic", and secondly because the author doesn't bother that much with explaining things again. I actually liked that, and the fact tha...more This book is part of my "238 books in 238 days"-challenge. You can follow my progress here.
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"Glamour in Glass" is the follow-up to "Shades of Milk and Honey", and if you haven't read that, I would urge you to go and read it first. Firstly because you would otherwise miss out on a great story in a setting that has been described as "Jane Austen with magic", and secondly because the author doesn't bother that much with explaining things again. I actually liked that, and the fact that I could remember everything that was necessary is further proof that the first book was great. And proof that I may have read the cute scenes more than once :).

The first review I've read for "Glamour in Glass" said that the book goes political, and in doing so loses all the Austen spirit of the first one. I was actually delighted by that because I don't read that many romance novels, and I was a bit worried how the story would develop in book two.
And that reviewer was right, there is a great deal more politics here, war-mongering, spying, lying and the like. Not to mention all the travelling that leads to our heroine Jane broadening her horizons.
Where that review went wrong, however, was in saying that this makes it less like Austen. Jane Austen was famous not only for her romances, but for her observational skills, her characterisations and her accurate description of the upper classes. And while "Glamour in Glass", much like its predecessor, lacks Austen's biting wit, everything else was still present. It was fascinating to watch Jane work out the intricacies of the life around her, and how she might best use it to her advantage.

Jane herself is a strong female character without having to tell you so all the time, which is my favourite kind of feminism. Despite her openness she is rather traditionalist in some views though, and that endeared her to me all the more. I would broadly count myself as open-minded, and I don't like every new development either, so this made her a very realistic character.
The themes Mary Robinette Kowal covers in this book are some which aren't often seen in the fantasy world, but I was enchanted even throughout the most mundane conversations, and so I thought about marriage, its implications and other spoilery topics without realising it.

The next book, "Without a Summer", is already out in hardcover, and I can hardly wait for the paperback version. (I will have to though; I hate it when books in a series don't fit together.)
The reviewer who didn't like this probably won't like the next one either, since the book description promises a look at the social and economic challenges of the period. For me, who loves Gaskell's "North and South" much much more than any of Austen's works, this promises to be fantastic. Hence the 4-star-rating, I have to give Mary Robinette Kowal room to grow :).(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 kris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Glamour in Glass had something going for it that I was really excited about: established relationship adventures. I love established relationship adventures; they are the jelly to my peanut butter. There's something about two people who are committed to each other working together that just gets me excited.

This book, though, didn't do it for me. I understand what Glamour in Glass was attempting to do with showing that relationships aren't all hunky dory with the kissing and the romantic poetic...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Olga Godim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-scifi

This is a quiet fantasy novel set in Regency England, or rather an alternative version of Regency England, where magic is an art form like watercolors or music. It’s the second book in a series but it reads well as a stand-alone novel, and I’ll treat it as such.
There are two interlocking stories running through the narrative: a love story and a magic story, with a whiff of a war thriller to spice things up.
Its magical system is definitely the most interesting aspect of this novel. Magic – orig...more This is a quiet fantasy novel set in Regency England, or rather an alternative version of Regency England, where magic is an art form like watercolors or music. It’s the second book in a series but it reads well as a stand-alone novel, and I’ll treat it as such.
There are two interlocking stories running through the narrative: a love story and a magic story, with a whiff of a war thriller to spice things up.
Its magical system is definitely the most interesting aspect of this novel. Magic – original and subtle – affects every scene; it’s intrinsic to the society the writer has wrought, but the manifestations of Kowal’s magic are unique in the fantasy genre. The only thing the magicians in this world can do is create glamour – illusions that affect all senses: sight, hearing, smell, and occasionally temperature.
The protagonist Jane is a glamourist – a talented artist. While shy and awkward in society, she is sparkling when she designs her glamours. Working magic, weaving lovely mirages out of magical threads, fills her with joy. Unfortunately, for certain people magic, or rather its military applications, could be a coveted weapon. In this way, magic is in the heart of the major conflict of the plot.
Before even a hint of that conflict is revealed, Jane’s love story unfolds on the peaceful background of England and magic. A plain, unassuming young woman, Jane is unsure of herself in the day-to-day life. Newly-wed to her beloved Vincent, a famous glamourist whose art she admires, Jane adores her husband. Her love permeates the tale and influences all Jane’s decisions. Even when she doubts Vincent’s affections for her, which happens fairly often – modern psychologists would say Jane has a very low self-esteem – she never doubts her own love for him. And she fights for her love against the overwhelming odds of war and treachery.
The timing of the novel coincides with the end of Napoleonic wars. The Corsican is defeated and banished to Elba, life in England returns to normal, and to mark the new, risk-free Europe, Jane and her husband travel to the Continent for their honeymoon. Unexpectedly, Napoleon escapes from Elba, and troubles ensue. Only Jane’s courage and ingenuity, combined with her abilities as a glamourist and her unselfish love, allow her to save her husband’s life, simultaneously (and inadvertently) aiding the British army in the final battle against the French emperor.
Jane is a three-dimensional character, calm and rational one moment, weepy or overly suspicious the next, but always dedicated to her art – a real artist. Ready to sacrifice a lot for her art, she is not a common female image in the fantasy genre, which has lately been populated by different females: plucky, mouthy girls, waving swords and kicking in step with their men. Unlike them, Jane is a woman of her era and doesn’t pretend otherwise, even when she has to don a man’s costume to extricate her husband from the enemy clutches. Even then she doesn’t wield a weapon, relying instead on her wits and her magical gift.
There is an excess of secondary characters in the story; too many I’d say. Most of them are pretty sketchy, except for Jane’s husband, Vincent. Seen through Jane’s loving eyes, this famous glamourist is the epitome of a genius: arrogant, slightly asocial, focused on his art and his inner vision to the exclusion of anything and anyone else. Except his wife: he clearly cherishes her. Like Jane, Vincent is an unusual type for fantasy fiction: a talented artist.
They both are also patriots, caught in the military clash and plying their art to get out with their honor and their skin intact. The tension grows steadily, as Waterloo looms, but this particular story is low-key. It doesn’t include battles or magical feats. There are no fanfares there. Instead, the author concentrates on the artistic integrity of her heroes. What does it mean to be an artist, she asks? What are they ready to give up for their art?
A nice story, although it could’ve benefited from better editing.
(less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Muccamukk rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance

I enjoyed this even more than the first one (which I liked a lot). I felt that getting away from the Jane Austen aspect and dashing off to have adventures on the Continent was a good choice, and the voice seemed to work better for that.

It was nice to see what happened to the couple after the HEA in the first book, especially since the relationship in Shades didn't get as much development as I would have liked. The conflict and affection between the newly weds felt genuine and sympathetic. I like...more

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Nov 04, 2012 bookme4life rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, strong-female-char, ebook

No Spoilers Review

I read this book less than 24 hours after finishing the first one, Shades of Milk and Honey, and, upon finishing it, was sad to find out that book 3 doesn't come out until next year.

As with the first book, the glamour is in many ways the star attraction. In this book the reader's understanding is deepened in how it works and some of the 'rules' that govern its use. The integration with the history of the period feels natural, and at times it was easy to forget that I wasn't rea...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

As I got the first of this series from my MIL (Shades of Milk and Honey), I could not wait for her pre-ordered paperback of this installment to arrive in January, so I checked the hardback out from the local library. I was not disappointed! This continued narrative was much more action oriented, as there is not quite as much need for set-up in a second novel. The interweaving of magic in the form of glamour into Jane Austen's England combined with the unexpected return of Napolean from exile whi...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Kristine rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a continuation of the story of Jane Vincent, the glamourist at the center of "Shades of Milk and Honey." The title on this one is quite a bit more revealing than the last one. In this installment, Jane and her new husband are off to Belgium to learn new tricks with glamour. Along the way Jane discovers she is pregnant, which prevents her from working glamour lest she hurt the baby. This limitation becomes a severe handicap when her husband, who earlier discovered a way of working glamour...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Even at the end of the book, I'm still not sure if I prefer Glamour in Glass over the first novel in the series, Shades of Milk & Honey.

While I prefer following along to the storyline of Jane and Vincent (whom I really enjoyed seeing as a main character in this book compared to where he was just in the background until the end of the first novel), there is a lot of tension throughout this one that makes it much darker than the light-hearted fare so reminiscent of Jane Austen stories in the...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Mary Robinette Kowal continues the story of Jane & David as they complete a high profile glamural for the Prince Regent and then travel to Belgium for a small honeymoon and to visit one of David's co-glamourists to compare notes. While in Belgium, just after the Great War has ended, things become more complicated and there is peril afoot.

I'd really prefer to give 3.5 stars to this book over 3, but it isn't quite a four. I enjoyed the first book Shades of Milk and Honey, even with its faults....more Mary Robinette Kowal continues the story of Jane & David as they complete a high profile glamural for the Prince Regent and then travel to Belgium for a small honeymoon and to visit one of David's co-glamourists to compare notes. While in Belgium, just after the Great War has ended, things become more complicated and there is peril afoot.

I'd really prefer to give 3.5 stars to this book over 3, but it isn't quite a four. I enjoyed the first book Shades of Milk and Honey, even with its faults. Glamour improves on the language and the over lyrical nature of the prose, but falls down on the plot. Spoiler free version: There is a lot nothing that happens. Jane is a much more passive character for a large chunk of this book, which was frustrating. (view spoiler) David is also acting in very strange ways, which serves as the romance subplot wherein two people in love cannot actually be happy with each other for compelling story. I found this annoying as I don't appreciate when married couples are shown with strife that isn't solved and seems manufactured. (view spoiler)

However, the book picks up for the last third and drives to a satisfying, if somewhat downbeat, ending. Overall I am still very interested in this world, but I feel that any future stories of Jane & David need to be more evenhanded in passive/active stance and allow for the reader to engage in the events, rather than watching them unfold.

The language & lyrical prose remains a treat and the story is rich with history from the time period. A lovely period read, especially for those that enjoy Austen and/or books that historical but don't want purple prose of a Romance novel.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Clare rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow, so this was a case of a book being vastly different from my expectations. I read the first in this series, Shades of Milk and Honey, and quite liked it. It was fun and didn't do anything to piss me off too much (other than being super white person Regency-era fantasy of course.) But this one. man, where do I start.

Warning for some major spoilers.

Kinda the big thing? One of the main conflicts of the book center on the main character Jane getting pregnant and thus not being able to do glamo...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Ian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, fantasy, regency, romance

Glamour in Glass follows the turbulent honeymoon of Jane and David as they travel to a small town in Belgium right during Napoleon's return from exile.
This is a good book and I enjoyed reading it but I think it's not as compelling as the first in the series. First of all, Shades of milk and honey was a straight-up Austen with magic, while Glamour in Glass is more of a classic historical novel with a dash of adventure, and the difference is noticeable. Second, because of plot reasons, Jane doesn...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Christopher rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

The first book in this series, _Shades of Milk and Honey_, did an excellent job of making the fantasy elements of the story essential to the action in spite of magic ostensibly being just a decorative art. _Glamour in Glass_ does the same thing even better. Almost every chapter is like a miniature short story hinging on some detail about how glamour works. But at the same time, almost every chapter features some reasonably interesting historical fact about the social milieu as an issue for the m...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Jeremy Zimmerman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mary Robinette Kowal’s Glamour in Glass, her second novel and a sequel to her critically acclaimed Shades of Milk and Honey, returns readers to her alternate version of Europe in the 1810s. Diverging from the Jane Austen style story of the first book, it explores married life, the magical art inherent in her world, and the politics of France under the shadow of Napolean.

Set in a world where the Prince of Wales serves as Regent over the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Faerie, and Ireland, Englan...more Mary Robinette Kowal’s Glamour in Glass, her second novel and a sequel to her critically acclaimed Shades of Milk and Honey, returns readers to her alternate version of Europe in the 1810s. Diverging from the Jane Austen style story of the first book, it explores married life, the magical art inherent in her world, and the politics of France under the shadow of Napolean.

Set in a world where the Prince of Wales serves as Regent over the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Faerie, and Ireland, England breathes a heavy sigh of relief while Napoleon lives in exile on the island of Elba. Against this backdrop, Jane Vincent finds herself needing to adapt to many new things in her life. She has married the love of her life, but now must learn to handle the everyday challenges of marriage as well as the change in social status in becoming an artisan who works with the ephemeral magic known as glamour.

For their honeymoon, Jane and her husband take a working holiday to Belgium just as Napoleon escapes from his exile in Elba. Jane soon finds that Belgium is split regarding their feelings about Napoleon, and her ability to trust anyone quickly becomes uncertain. She must use all of her wits and talent with glamour to save her marriage and escape the continent before Napoleon’s forces sweep the countryside.

Glamour in Glass is meticulously researched, drawing upon the language of the period to tell a more modern style of story. It is not flawless in its accuracy, as Kowal will admit, but for those like me who are not experts on the Regency era the effect is astounding.

Its intimate perspective is also distinctive from common fantasy fare. Though there is action towards the end of the story, most of the book revolves around the internal drama of Jane Vincent. The early chapters center on inner parties and conversations around sitting rooms. Kowal handles these scenes with deft skill, illustrating the tension and peril of these situations through Jane’s perspective. Kowal manages to make these scenes look relatively innocuous while also seeding the novel with plot elements that weave together tightly as the plot unfolds.

The pacing on the book starts out very slow, so impatient readers may not be willing to wait for the slow and consistent acceleration that occurs as the plot progresses. Those who are expecting another Austen-esque plot in this sequel may also be surprised, as this book revolves much more around domestic life and international intrigue than concerns of obtaining a suitable spouse.

Those considerations of individual taste aside, I found the book to be an excellently crafted gem. Kowal’s talent with the craft comes through as all the pieces fall together in an expertly woven narrative. She has further sequels already contracted and I look forward to their arrival.

As a small side note, the book that was printed was not exactly the final manuscript Kowal and her editor sent to the printers. Several mistakes had crept back into the book and the first sentence disappeared entirely. Errata for the book, and the first sentence of the book, can be found on in this blog entry.(less)

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May 21, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Glamour in Glass is a worthy successor to Mary Robinette Kowal's Shades of Milk and Honey. Jane and Vincent, married now, visit Belgium for their honeymoon and to study glamour with an acquaintance of Vincent. But it soon becomes clear that Vincent has other reasons to visit Belgium, and secrets he is not willing to share with his wife. Meanwhile, despite Napoleon's exile to Elba, the continent is anything but at peace. When Napoleon returns to France with an army at his back, there is much more...more

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May 11, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

How much should you know going into a book? On the one hand, I had a difficult time getting into Glamour in Glass and just a hint of what it was REALLY about would have helped me so much. On the other hand, would knowing have taken out all the suspense and tension?

I enjoyed quite a few things about Glamour in Glass. I liked that it was a clean read, for the most part. It is so refreshing to read a honeymoon book that is not graphic in detail. I know that wouldn't be a plus for every reader, but...more

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May 08, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the second book in the series. Of course I had to read this one RIGHT after I finished the first one, because they are so good! I liked this one ALMOST as much as the first one. Some things I didn't like.
1. It had a lot of war (kinda boring for me-but gave an element of danger).
2. She couldn't use her magic for most of the time. Ugh!
3. Her husband wouldn't communicate with her-frustrating.
4. She seemed less confident in this second one-also frustrating.

But, the plot was still excellent....more

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May 06, 2012 Kathy Cowley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

So Elizabeth gets together with Darcy, and they live happily ever after. Right? Well, maybe. This novel explores what does happen for Jane and her husband after wedding bells toll, and the minor squabbles, marital misunderstandings, hopes, joys, and pains of married life felt so real and beautiful to me. It's still a story of magic and art and all things Regency (with the added action of visiting France/Belgium right as Napoleon comes back) but more than that it's a story about what it means to...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Leonard rated it 4 of 5 stars

Glamour in Glass begins not far from where Shades of Milk and Honey ended - with the Vincents newly married, much in demand for their artistic talents (they aren't merely glamourists, but some of the world's best glamourists). There's a lovely moment when, after feeling slighted by her husband's not including her in some element of their work, Jane immediately confronts him and tells him her feelings. It's a sign that Kowal knows how to let her characters act like real, reasonable people and tha...more Glamour in Glass begins not far from where Shades of Milk and Honey ended - with the Vincents newly married, much in demand for their artistic talents (they aren't merely glamourists, but some of the world's best glamourists). There's a lovely moment when, after feeling slighted by her husband's not including her in some element of their work, Jane immediately confronts him and tells him her feelings. It's a sign that Kowal knows how to let her characters act like real, reasonable people and that any misunderstandings won't come from people not telling eachother things just so the author can create tension. It also tells us that we're reading about smart, reasonable people.

Tensions do come (it wouldn't be much of a book without them, now would it?) during the trip Vincent and a newly-pregnant Jane take to the continent to visit Vincent's old mentor. Napolean has just escaped from Elba to begin his ill-fated attempt to reclaim his empire, leaving a populace divided between those loyal to the current regime and those who long for Napolean's return. Add a mysterious long-term assignment for Vincent, Jane's inability to travel because of her delicate condition, and we get a feeling of real trouble.

Another thread winding through this part of the novel are the couple's attempt to record a glamour using the glass prisms suggested by the title. The experimentation was a fascinating picture of bright, talented people struggling at the edges of a new and poorly understood science. There were setbacks, but ultimately triumphs.

And, of course, it wouldn't fit into the period without some intrigue. Without giving too much away, know that there are hidden agendas, conflicting loyalties, and an actual surprise or two.

All of the narrative threads - the secret goals, the experiments in glamour, and the looming war - come together for a dramatic climax in which a victory is won, but at a steep cost. I'll not spoil it here, but that cost - and the characters' different reactions to it - were beautifully written and felt quite real.
I'll close with a word about language in this book; Kowal took the effort to painstakingly cross-reference all of the words she used here with actual works written in the nineteenth century so, even more so than with Shades of Milk and Honey, this book is of its time. This effort gives the book a wonderful feel of authenticity.
Highly recommended. Four stars.(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 MaryBliss rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, 20th-and-21st-century-american-lit

Kowal's Shades of Milk and Honey was a pleasant read. Glamour in Glass surpasses it. There have been many comments about her historicity and her pleasant interweaving of regency era society and illusory magic. Both are to be commended, but what clinched that 4th star for me was the rational depiction of emotional interaction between level-headed newlyweds. Many authors use doubt and lack of communication in young lovers as catalysts for argument, pouting, petulance or foolish risk-taking in orde...more

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Mar 18, 2012 E.A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, fantasy

This will be the second time I write this review because the . . . sigh. This only goes to how how much I enjoyed this book that I am willing to rewrite the review.

I have never knowingly read a book out of order, until now. I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY for some time now. I have heard really good things about it but I have so many books on my to read list that I normally just read the books that I can get my hands on. When I won a copy of GLAMOUR IN GL...more This will be the second time I write this review because the . . . sigh. This only goes to how how much I enjoyed this book that I am willing to rewrite the review.

I have never knowingly read a book out of order, until now. I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY for some time now. I have heard really good things about it but I have so many books on my to read list that I normally just read the books that I can get my hands on. When I won a copy of GLAMOUR IN GLASS from Goodreads I decided I was just going to read it. I mean what is the advantage of reading an ARC if you can't read it before it is officially released? I am glad I didn't wait. I recommend reading the SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY first, but if you find a copy of GLAMOUR IN GLASS in your hands, don't let it stop you.

One of the reasons why I refuse to read books out of order, especially fantasy, is because not only do you lose some of the character development, but it can be confusing to understand all of the magic system. In this world the magic system is known as glamour and it is an illusionary style. Though I am sure I probably didn't grasp all of what the glamourists are capable of or how it works, I understand what was happening and all of the important information was explained. GLAMOUR IN GLASS also gives some information from the previous story but wasn't a complete summary and I only know the eventual end, I will still read it to see how it gets there.

This story takes place in Europe during Napoleon's exile to the island of Elba. The main character, Jane, works as a glamourist with her husband Vincent. They have only been married a short time and decide that since the threat of Napoleon is gone they can take their honeymoon. They both love doing glamour and decide to go to Brussels where a glamourist friend of Vincent's lives. He has a new technique that he wants to show them. For those of you who know your history, Napoleon eventually escapes from Elba. Jane and Vincent are now caught in the middle of a country that is split as to whether to support Napoleon or not. The only problem is they have something that the army wants.

GLAMOUR IN GLASS is an engaging read. It isn't for everyone, especially if you are looking for epic battles between armies. But, I liked the fact that it offered something that I haven't seen a lot of, a heroine who hasn't been modernized. Too many times when I read stories that are suppose to be about classic time periods the heroine has modern ideals, beliefs, feelings, and clash with what is historically accurate. Jane is a character who sticks to tradition yet remains strong and determined. Not only are the characters historically accurate but I could tell Mary did her research about the time period. She gave enough details with the language, clothing, life-styles, even the weapons that I was immersed but at the same time there wasn't too much that it dragged the story down. I hope that Mary writes more in this same style. (less)

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Apr 25, 2012 Hollie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was great, the charm of Austen with a little magic and action thrown in for those of us that just can't manage to plod through endless gentility. Of course, if you are a die hard Austen fan, this might be too much of a departure, but I really appreciated it. I also continued (since Shades of Milk and Honey) to appreciate the allowances in language for a present day audience, keeping the regency feel and quality of language, and including many anachronisms that require the ever handy ki...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Christopher Gerrib rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mary Robinette Kowal has a problem. The first line of her new novel Glamour In Glass somehow got cut out of the first edition. (For the record, the line is: There are few things in this world that can simultaneously delight and dismay in the same manner as a formal dinner party.) Despite that unfortunate glitch, I found Glamour In Glass simply spectacular.

The story is a loose sequel to her first novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, and is set in Regency England. This is, however, Regency England wit...more Mary Robinette Kowal has a problem. The first line of her new novel Glamour In Glass somehow got cut out of the first edition. (For the record, the line is: There are few things in this world that can simultaneously delight and dismay in the same manner as a formal dinner party.) Despite that unfortunate glitch, I found Glamour In Glass simply spectacular.

The story is a loose sequel to her first novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, and is set in Regency England. This is, however, Regency England with a twist – there is a form of magic called “glamour” which allows people to create wonderful illusions. Kowal wanted a magic system that would be primarily reserved to women, so she had to invent something with limited practical use. So, her “glamours” are persistent but not practical. For example, one could create an illusion of a candle, but the candle would not be able to illuminate something.

At any rate, Mary’s heroine, Jane Vincent, having been newly married to the noted “glamorist” David Vincent, starts the novel by being invited to a dinner party thrown by the Prince Regent. At this, she discovers that her husband plans to take her on a honeymoon to the Continent, now opened for travel due to Napoleon’s defeat. So they end up staying in Binche, Belgium, a little town on the road to a place called Waterloo. In the spring and summer of 1815, as the reinstated Napoleon is marching his army north.

This setup creates great suspense, while providing a perfect excuse for Ms. Kowal to leave her characters in the dark. While we await Napoleon’s arrival, the newlywed glamorists work on their skills, including an attempt by Jane to trap illusions in glass. This would have the effect of allowing mass-production of glamour and use by unskilled people. In addition, if Mr. Vincent’s Sphere Obscurcie, a form of invisibility, can be locked in glass, then glamour has a clear military use (pun intended).

The novel is written in the style of Jane Austen, so we get such lines as, “They were occupied for some minutes, then, with duties marital. To disturb their privacy would be indecorous.” Despite that, there’s plenty of action, especially in the last third of the book. In short, Mary Robinette Kowal has produced another wonderful book.
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Apr 13, 2012 Jay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kowal's first novel, Shades of Milk and Honey, was best described as Jane Austin Light with a charming magic system and minor cultural differences for the regency period. Not a deep book, but written with such an enticing style that it was nearly impossible to put down. I waited with anxious anticipation for the sequel.

Glamour in Glass continues to show that Kowal is an author worthy of attention and praise. It is a well paced, engaging novel, with a more defined cultural interlacing of magic, a...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Sarah Bringhurst Familia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, britain

This sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey is an improvement on its predecessor. For one thing, Kowal is not particularly adept at nuance or witty dialogue, so a little more action is a welcome distraction. If she weren't inviting me to constantly compare her to Jane Austen (to the point of using a reference list of all the words from Austen's works while writing the novel), I would probably be able to judge her a little better on her own merits.

While the first book was for all intents and purposes...more

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May 23, 2012 Christine Edison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jane and Vincent are back in this sequel to Shades of Milk and Honey, married and working together on glamours for wealthy patrons, including the Prince Regent. Vincent proposes a honeymoon trip to Belgium to visit M. Chastain, who runs a school for glamourists. When Jane becomes ill during a glamour experiment, she discovers she is pregnant and is forbidden from doing any glamour. Vincent continues to work while Jane feels frustrated at not being able to help him ... and then they discover Napo...more

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Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories #2)

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