Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Glass Swallow

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 594 ratings · 88 reviews

Rain

She designs exquisite stained glass for the windows of her city. But the law is clear — it is forbidden for girls to be part of the glassmaker's guild. To keep her secret hidden, she leaves home and travels to the strange new country of Magharna.

Peri

When he witnesses Rain's capture by a gang of bandits, both his fate and his heart becomes tied to hers. They escape the...more

Paperback, 318 pages

Published May 6th 2010 by Oxford University Press

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Wonderful Books with Awful Covers

62nd out of 153 books — 140 voters

YA Second World Fantasy

141st out of 229 books — 277 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,237)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 28, 2012 Meredith Black rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-really-really-want-to-say-it-was

UPDATE:

all done.

Well, four stars.

I was hoping for ... more. From this book. Dragonfly was a story of cruelty, survival, and clinging to faith when it's all you have. TGS just seems to be about a pretty girl who's good at getting her way.

Peri came across as clingy and sexist. Whenever Rain was determined to do something, he just had to step in and save his "little girl" (note: if Rain was Tris, someone would have been punched by now) and screw everything up.

In contrast to Dragonfly once again, Ra...more

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Holt women cannot profess as glass makers. Thus motherless Rain Glassmaker must practise her designing of stained glass in secret, collaborating with her father.

The Glass Swallow shows a different way of life where everyone needs to earn their way into the city, and you are either rich and superior or poor and suffering. It has the ideas in it that everyone deserves equal treatment and it to get the best results everyone should work together.

One of the reasons that the main character, Rain, w...more In Holt women cannot profess as glass makers. Thus motherless Rain Glassmaker must practise her designing of stained glass in secret, collaborating with her father.

The Glass Swallow shows a different way of life where everyone needs to earn their way into the city, and you are either rich and superior or poor and suffering. It has the ideas in it that everyone deserves equal treatment and it to get the best results everyone should work together.

One of the reasons that the main character, Rain, was my favourite person in the book, was that she always seems to look out for others and be kind to even strangers. She had something about her that made (almost) every other character like her, which I found slightly unbelievable but charming all the same.

I liked the way Julia Golding didn’t keep writing when it was a boring time and nothing terribly interesting was happening. Instead, you will turn a page and find three months have gone past. I found this helpful as it meant that it was easier to stay interested in the story and I was less likely to get bored and start reading a different book.

I thought that the original chapter names were a nice touch to the book. Chapters , or “Shards”, were each labelled in a different colour. For example, Shard 5 is Clear Glass, Shard 6 is Crow Black and Shard 7 is Flame Gold. These weren’t just random colour selections; when I looked carefully through the chapter I saw that in each there was a description using that chapter’s colour. This was subtly showing more of Rain’s quality in her profession, and how she is knowledgeable of colours and which go well together.

When you get this book to read, I would highly recommend that you try your hardest to not read the blurb on the back. I did and found that it gave away far too much of the book. Some things on there don’t happen until the last chapter!

The Glass Swallow has a companion book, Dragonfly. They have some of the same characters, so since the time era of Dragonfly is before that of the Glass Swallow, I recommend that Dragonfly be read first. If you read The Glass Swallow second then you will already know part of the outcome of the book before you read it. That could be a bit annoying, but it’s the journey that counts.
(less)

like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another book to recommend. Strong female character and adventure that test courage, loyalty and intelligence. Rain is 15 and the only child of the best glassmaker in the realm. But because she is a girl, she is not allowed to practice the art. Her father keeps her designs a secret and allows her the freedom to create the most beautiful glass desired by many. Now a foreign land has commissioned her father's work. Rain accompanies her cousin to Magharna to secretly design the glass for the summer...more

like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Sangita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, 5-starred

Rain has to leave, otherwise her family will be in danger. If she doesn't who will design the windows of the palace, in Magharna. However, when Rain arrives in the strange land of Magharna she and her companions are captured by a group of bandits. Everything has gone wrong wit a blink of an eye.
Will someone save her from these group of bandits . . .

Well, what a good good book to read when you need a break from all the vampires and werewolves and angels and demons and etc etc. The list will go on...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Cheryl Rainfield rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy

The Glass Swallow
Julia Golding
Marshall Cavendish (October 2011) (pre-order)
ISBN-10: 0761459790
ISBN-13: 978-0761459798

My review: 5/5 stars

I have found another YA fantasy author who has quickly become a favorite of mine–Julia Golding. (You can bet I’m going to run out and find all of her other books now.)

The Glass Swallow is a wonderful read–it has a strong girl character; suspense and danger; romance; and the strong girl pulling together everything to make things work out.

In The Glass Swallow, Ra...more The Glass Swallow
Julia Golding
Marshall Cavendish (October 2011) (pre-order)
ISBN-10: 0761459790
ISBN-13: 978-0761459798

My review: 5/5 stars

I have found another YA fantasy author who has quickly become a favorite of mine–Julia Golding. (You can bet I’m going to run out and find all of her other books now.)

The Glass Swallow is a wonderful read–it has a strong girl character; suspense and danger; romance; and the strong girl pulling together everything to make things work out.

In The Glass Swallow, Rain designs stained glass windows in secret; in her land, it is forbidden for women to do so. But her designs are beautiful, and capture the attention of a neighboring kingdom. She pretends it is her cousin who designs them, and they make a temporary proposal of marriage. Her cousin is asked to design their neighboring kingdom’s summer palace, and Rain goes along. Once she arrives, her entire party is killed, and Rain is left to fend for herself in a strange land that devalues people who work in the trades, especially those with birds and animals. Rain works her way into the hearts of others, finds true love, and once the kingdom collapses, is key in recreating it to become a better, happier land.

This is one of those books that I didn’t want to end. I quickly came to care about Rain immensely, and Peri (the love interest) as well, rooting for them every step of the way. I loved Rain’s inner strength, her fiestiness and courage, and her insight and talent, and Peri’s goodness and courage. It helped that there were loving, full-rounded characters, such as Rain’s dad and the bondsman Rain became friends with, to offset the slimy or ugly characters; the mix worked beautifully. There was only one very small thing that I didn’t believe, and that was Ret’s movement from a spoiled young man to a mature, aware one–but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. I was with Rain and Peri every page, believing in their characters, their desires and motivations, their dreams. Julia Golding created a wonderful world that kept me enthralled.

Highly recommended! If you like fantasy, pre-order yourself a copy! Fans of Tamora Pierce will gobble this one up.

source: ARC obtained at ALA in New Orleans
(less)

like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen-fiction, website

I had such high hopes for this book. I loved Dragonfly, but this one doesn't live up to Ramil and Tashi's story.

Rain is a glassmaker in hiding. Even though Ramil has taken over Holt and made lots of changes from when Fergox ruled, girls are still not allowed in the glassmaker guild. Her father hides her talent until an opportunity comes to send a glassmaker to a new land. Rain goes and is promptly caught in a bandit raid. She is the only survivor and is rescued by Peri. He is a falconer but con...more

like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Miss Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked it. Very readable.

It presents a thoughtful, if narrow, look at a political, social and economic breakdown in a country that has run itself into the ground paying for extravagances while the people starve every day. People are losing their jobs and homes. many are turning to robbery and bandits are rampant across the land attacking travelers and waylaying merchants. Everything is breaking down. To further complicate matters is the almost religious adherence to class and the strictures pla...more I liked it. Very readable.

It presents a thoughtful, if narrow, look at a political, social and economic breakdown in a country that has run itself into the ground paying for extravagances while the people starve every day. People are losing their jobs and homes. many are turning to robbery and bandits are rampant across the land attacking travelers and waylaying merchants. Everything is breaking down. To further complicate matters is the almost religious adherence to class and the strictures placed upon the citizens to never rise above the class they are born into.

Into this volatile situation comes Rain Glassmaker, the talented daughter of an artisan craftsman of Holt, where Queen Taoshira and King Ramil peacefully rule. She has come to help design stained glass windows for the Master, the deity king of Rolvint.

Rain is a lovely character and easy to like and root for. She is resourceful and even if she does indulge in the occasional fit of tears or uncertainty, she keeps going and insists on doing what she can to help others. She inspires other to do the right thing and to not simply wait for someone else to fix things or to merely look out for oneself.

I loved her elder sister relationship with Ret, the young Master. Ret himself is a fantastic character and who has such an inner core of duty and sacrifice when by all rights he should have been spoiled and ruined by the attitudes of those around him.

Mikel, the elderly bondsman who is a surrogate father for her when she is abandoned in this strange land with no friends or connections, not even speaking the language.

Then there is Peri, the falconer. Also the love interest. I really, REALLY struggled with that relationship because Peri is extremely controlling and high-handed with Rain for 87% of the book. That was irksome for me. I don't care if it is a common attitude. And I don't even believe that is was given his own parent's relationship. Regardless, it is demeaning and disrespectful in the extreme.

Example: First, he was going to find her, then shake some sense into her, and if that failed, kiss her until she forgot anything but him.

Seriously? There are many other small instances and some large ones where Peri demands to be allowed to make decisions for Rain and takes away her right to make her own choices. Not remotely balanced in his relationship with her. He does not trust not respect her enough to make her own judgements about where she should go or do. Is she always right in her actions? No. Does she take risks? Sometimes. But that never gives a person, especially a person claiming to love you, the right to take away your freedom and your ability to choose for yourself. Ugh. I'm sure it is not meant to be a controlling relationship and they do work things out, but for 4/5ths of this book I often just wanted to slap Peri in the back of the head.

So, pretty good read. A little heavy with all the killing and murdering, so be aware of that. Nice cameo from Ramil and Tashi for fans of Dragonfly.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Aug 25, 2012 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mind-blowing

im a big fan of jualia goldings work, and she didnt disappoint with this latest book. as always she has creative plots that meld perfectly with her characters, this book was no exception. i liked it just a little more than its comapanion book "dragonfly". which is saying alot, because i really LOVED that book.

1 like · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Elevetha Houre rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy-adventure, gorgeous-covers, political-fantasy-adventure, 2012

3 1\2 stars. I enjoyed reading this and will probably end up re reading at some point but it was lacking in some respects. I liked characters over all; loved Mikal and Ret. Their father\daughter(Mikal and Rain) and brother\sister (Ret and Rain) relationships were well done and very nice to read. Rain was good. Peri was too annoying and over protective at times and I just felt like hitting him on the head, yelling,"You don't even know her!You can't tell her what to do. Lay off." And Rain, stubbor...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 19, 2013 Kristen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2013

This book started out SO well, it pains me to give it the rating I did. I even, before I finished it, recommended it to some of my bookish friends. But around the halfway point, at a critical point of rising action, the book jumps the tracks in a way that felt completely unbelievable and lacking in the groundwork that might have made a disbelief-damaging plot twist a little more okay.

But no.

The reader is offered very little context that would make this character shift palatable. This irks me SO...more

like · see review

Feb 17, 2012 Shoujo85 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, clean-romance, reviewed

Rating: I liked it… but wouldn’t read it again (3 Stars)

Interestingly this sequel to Dragonfly seems to be aimed at a younger audience – I would’ve thought it would be the other way around! There aren’t really any major spoilers if you happen to read the books in the wrong order – although people and events from the first story are mentioned in this book it’s set about 18 years later in another country with new characters.

Although it’s a perfectly well written book it’s just not complex enough f...more Rating: I liked it… but wouldn’t read it again (3 Stars)

Interestingly this sequel to Dragonfly seems to be aimed at a younger audience – I would’ve thought it would be the other way around! There aren’t really any major spoilers if you happen to read the books in the wrong order – although people and events from the first story are mentioned in this book it’s set about 18 years later in another country with new characters.

Although it’s a perfectly well written book it’s just not complex enough for my tastes. It reads like a bit of a moralistic right vs wrong, instant-love piece of fluff. Usually I love fluff, but this was too unrealistic to me given its many potentially heavy themes. Perhaps it would be a good book for early teens to initiate them into stories that have moral values and to highlight injustice in the world without going into the nitty-gritty depressing detail of what those situations would really be like.

The story seemed to lack any overall threat of danger or evil; there were smaller evils, more incidental to the story as it progressed, but nothing overall. Similarly, the plot seemed to veer off in new directions and leave the old behind, changing the rules, which made it seem a bit choppy. The secondary characters didn’t interest me very much at all and only seemed to be there because they had to be; the Master got next to no view time (view spoiler) and the Bandit seemed inconsistent (view spoiler).

Pet Peeves: Rain's prejudice (view spoiler) and her 'wisdom' (view spoiler). Peri's 'Rescue' (view spoiler) and his mother Katia (view spoiler). The Nobles (view spoiler) and no other foreigners? Ever? (view spoiler)

Enough complaining? Probably.

Content Rating: PG
There are potentially heavy themes in the book (racial prejudice, class discrimination, gender inequality, slavery and religion) but they are all touched on so lightly and superficially that I don’t think they merit more than a PG rating. A group of people are ruthlessly killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time but it's not too graphic and the characters aren't important ones.

Romance Rating: Weak
This was another of those disappointing Boy+Girl=Love stories. Merely by the fact that they are the main characters, are the right age and are physically attractive a romance is expected to blossom. But we don’t really know why or how this mutual regard came about. Sure they had a few tiffs which revealed a little of their personalities, but to go from that to being possessive and submitting to random kisses just doesn’t make sense. Maybe it does happen in real life to teenagers, but in fiction I prefer for there to a reason, and one that makes sense. It’s ok for teenagers who’re still young enough to enjoy this kind of superficial romance, but for anyone looking for something with more depth something else.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2013 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rain's father is one of the most sought-after glass makers in the kingdom of Tigral. Torrent's mastery of stained glass is unrivaled with even the king and queen ordering windows from the Torrent forge for their palace.

The only problem is Torrent is not the visionary behind his stained glass designs. Rain, his daughter, is the designer--a secret that could get them both thrown out of the male-only glassmaker guild.

When an opportunity arises for Rain to visit a distant land and ply her wares, it...more Rain's father is one of the most sought-after glass makers in the kingdom of Tigral. Torrent's mastery of stained glass is unrivaled with even the king and queen ordering windows from the Torrent forge for their palace.

The only problem is Torrent is not the visionary behind his stained glass designs. Rain, his daughter, is the designer--a secret that could get them both thrown out of the male-only glassmaker guild.

When an opportunity arises for Rain to visit a distant land and ply her wares, it seems like a fine opportunity. She will be able to promote her father's forget and her craft all while keeping her secret and seeing the wonders of the kingdom of Magharna.

Unfortunately, within a day of her arrival everything goes very wrong.

Alone in a strange place, Rain must find her own way as she navigates the foreign language and strange customs of Magharna and tries to find her way home. As Rain learns more of her temporary home, she realizes something is very wrong in the state. With a flagging economy and a society on the brink of riot, Rain will have to get very creative to find her place and a way home in The Glass Swallow (2010) by Julia Golding.

The Glass Swallow is a companion Golding's earlier novel Dragonfly. (The current king and queen of Tigral are the protagonists of Dragonfly while it's fun to see the characters overlap you do not need to read one book to enjoy the other.)

The Glass Swallow is a cute if sometimes improbable story focused on Rain and a young Magharan falconer named Peri--a man deemed "untouchable" by the higher echelons of Magharan society. The story is written in third person with focus shifting between Rain and Peri (often highlighting deeply frustrating missed connections between the two characters).

Although Rain has a very rough start in Magharna things begin to go surprisingly well for her by the latter third of the novel as pieces of state politics and revolution fall into place as if part of Rain's personal stained glass design. While groundwork is laid for the romantic aspect of the story, the romance too felt a bit contrived as it moved with surprising speed from flirtation to actual love.

The Glass Swallow is an entertaining fantasy. Given the characters' ages I went into this book expecting something along the lines of YA fantasy. Instead the characters and plot read much younger marking this more as a middle grade level read. That said, The Glass Swallow is still very fun with the nice touches of both stained glass and bird handling as areas of interest in the story. While the story, particularly the latter half, felt cursory as if the characters were rushing to a resolution the story was often heartwarming. It's very nice to read a well-thought-out fantasy with an unabashedly happy ending.

Possible Pairings: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Selection by Kiera Cass, Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner(less)

like · see review

Jul 12, 2010 Mable rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked it but I didn't love it and adore as much as Dragonfly. I was really quite sad that the book focused on new characters and not the old ones even though there were cameo appearances and few mentions of their names but that's about it. I was even more sad that many years have passed since the last book ended like 15 or so years later into the future. Maybe it's because this book is a companion novel. I don't like how in some places that I found that they labeled this book as a sequel becau...more

like · see review

Mar 30, 2012 Ceili rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I only read this book because I enjoyed Golding's other fantasy novel, "Dragonfly". however, compared to that book, "The Glass Swallow" was very disappointing. The romance was bland, and I really disliked Peri, the falconer who becomes Rain's love interest. He treated her like a child who couldn't do anything for herself. He limited her with his overprotectiveness, shut down every idea she had as "too dangerous", and acted as though he knew better than her, like he thought he was her dad or some...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2012 Sx rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Rain is a glassmaker from Holt who finds herself in Magharna to work on their glass windows with her cousin because that is her huge secret.. that a woman is actually behind all those pretty windows. It just felt a little anti-climatic for all the chaos the country was thrown into, it felt like very little was happening and it did seem a little contrived. I couldn't really follow the trajectory of their romance, it felt shallow - Peri falls in love with her at first sight and she when he first k...more

like · see review

Oct 19, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, read_2011, ya

Rain may be a gifted glass designer, but women are forbidden to practice the craft in her country of Holt. When her father receives a commission from another country Rain is sent to help protect her secret. Rain is then the sole survivor of a raid, and she finds herself alone and homeless. Gradually she is able to forge a new life for herself with the aid of friends, and a strength she discovers in herself.

This is a companion novel to Dragonfly, but it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel. The...more

like · see review

Aug 28, 2011 Izabela C rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although the blurb sounded interesting enough, I really wasn't expecting all that much from The Glass Swallow ... I mean, the cover's about as uninspired as it gets, IMHO, which shouldn't really make a difference, but - you know - IT DOES. Colour me surprised, though, because - although there are flaws aplenty - it turns out that the story's pretty darn entertaining!! :) :)

The blurb wants you to believe that The Glass Swallow revolves around the romance between Rain, a girl who - despite the law...more Although the blurb sounded interesting enough, I really wasn't expecting all that much from The Glass Swallow ... I mean, the cover's about as uninspired as it gets, IMHO, which shouldn't really make a difference, but - you know - IT DOES. Colour me surprised, though, because - although there are flaws aplenty - it turns out that the story's pretty darn entertaining!! :) :)

The blurb wants you to believe that The Glass Swallow revolves around the romance between Rain, a girl who - despite the laws of her country - practises glassmaking, and Peri, the falconer who saves her from death-by-bandit not long after she touches down on the shores of his exotic homeland, Magharna. Well, okay, so there IS a rescue, but it takes place a good quarter of the way into the book, after a whole lot of blah blah blah introductory stuff, since the characters start off with an OCEAN between them!! :o Also, you can forget about a believable romance, as Peri - obviously not much into heroic acts and the rescuing of damsels - summarily dumps Rain on the doorstep of Rolvint, the capital city, then just - well - goes. Yeah. Rain can barely speak the native language and all of her companions have just been slaughtered ... she also looks different, almost fey-like, to the superstitious Magharnans, with her curly red hair and blue eyes ... also, Rain's a freaking girl alone in a strange land, tiny and defenseless ... but Peri justifies abandoning her to her own devices, even though she asks to accompany him home, because he's so low in class that he's "untouchable", so - you know - she OBVIOUSLY doesn't want to be near him, EVEN THOUGH SHE CLEARLY INDICATED OTHERWISE, and there's probably someone waiting in the city for her. Probably. Nice.

Months later, after some half-hearted attempts to find out whether everything turned out okay for Rain (and hearing nothing), he discovers her working as an abused servant. Do you want to guess what he does next?? If you thought "NOTHING", you're right!! Oh, wait, he does try to convince her that he was right in leaving her at the city gates so many months ago. Ahem.

Throughout all of this, the cracks in the capital city's foundations are being revealed. The rigorous class system is cruel and the more people get thrown out of Rolvint, because the city no longer has work for them, the more bandits there are to stir up chaos in the surrounding countryside. One bandit strike too many and everything goes to hell in a handbasket. As one of the scavengers, looked down upon by the higher classes for working with hunting animals, Peri lives with his family outside of the city, therefore he's safe - for now. Rain, however, is not. That's what Peri thinks, at least. Rain's in fact totally awesomesauce. She's smart and cunning and - by the time Peri gets off his butt to search for her, as well as their mutual friend, an old man by the name of Mikel - she's done a splendid job of hoarding food and scaring away potential looters and just generally making sure that she and Mikel are safe. He demands that she go home with him ... she insists on swinging by the palace, to give the main dude in charge of Magharna a kick up the butt for letting his city degenerate to such a terrible degree ... and suddenly Peri's kissing her!! Wait, what?! Yeah. I was as surprised as Rain.

Then there's the bizarre class system, which is kooky TO PUT IT MILDLY. I mean, nobody is allowed to talk to anyone in a class beneath them, which is really dumb, especially since they just stand there ignoring people speaking to their faces. Also, the scavengers are considered unclean and treated like crap just because they work with hunting animals, even though the higher classes do actually eat the meat they procure. There are a lot of similar things and they all just come off as - well - stupid, especially since we are never told WHY the Magharnans follow these strange customs, or given any kind of an explanation, which might make the crazy a little more believable. Rain's homeland suffers from this same problem, too, as it apparently is so enlightened and fair, yet STILL does not allow women to do anything but marry and breed. Uh ... ?? There's a lot of telling, instead of showing, going on, too ... and I really wish that the author had expanded on her world-building, while she was at it, because that certainly would have been welcome!! :P

However, apart from all of this, the plot's pretty interesting and I did eventually get completely sucked in. Peri leaves much to be desired, as you can probably tell, but Rain's amazing. She's a foreigner in a country gone mad, but also apparently the only person with enough brains to look past the problems at hand and on to long-term solutions for everyone. I freaking heart her. Also, Mikel's a wonderful character, and I really like the children, too ... although I won't spoil who they are, hehe!! :D For the most part, though, the characters are largely stereotypical, often to the point of being silly, but - yeah - the story itself is good.

RATING: 4/5 ... The Glass Swallow is flawed, but I couldn't put it down after a point!! :) :)

P.S. You can read more of my reviews HERE!! (",)(less)

like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult

Quick, enjoyable read about a girl who is a brilliant glassmaker but barred from working by a sexist guild. She travels to another land, pretending to be her cousin's fiancee, but actually so that she can design a large set of windows commissioned by the foreign monarch. On Rain's first night, bandits attack her caravan and kill everyone in her party but her. She is left in a strange land without money or prospects. I enjoyed reading how she survived not only sexism and being attacked by bandits...more

like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Jaycee Jensen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

The companion to Dragonfly didn't disappoint me! The just as entrancing as the other book The Glass Swallow introduces new characters that you instantly and easily love, and brings back old characters from Dragonfly to help the story become as entrancing as a stained glass window. Each character from Peri to Rain progress in their on way either falling in love or gaining a kingdom. The mesmerizing story of Rain Glassmaker and Peri Falconer, along with the story of Princess Tashi and Prince Rami...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-reading-list

Now, I have read Dragonfly previous to this one, and I think that was a great help. So let me start by saying that you should read Dragonfly first. This novel was, in my opinion, great. It's the story of how a 16 year old girl is stuck in a whole different world and has to figure things out. A bit of fantasy here and there, and some romance (although it felt like the author was forced to throw in that romance, it was too much of a random story not related to the main plotline). Honestly though,...more

like · see review

Mar 28, 2013 Liana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since I liked the first book lots, I had decided that I wanted to read the companion book. And no, I was not disappointed at all! In fact, I liked it a lot, although it wasn't as good as Dragonfly.

I'm glad that this wasn't exactly continuing Ramil and Taoshira's story, because they don't really deserve to go through any more adversity after all they've already been through, and I'm just glad to say that they lived happily ever after.

So, Rain, the protagonist, is a stubborn and adventurous charac...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: love-story, kingdom

Overall: Good cuz I love Julia Golding and Dragonfly gave me chills it was so amazeballs
Bad otherwise cuz... well... nothing happens!!!! No character development! No romance! No violence! This was the plot: ------------------^-------

I wish this book was better but it just ended up being a bad fan fiction version of dragonfly. Peri and Rain's romance was bland and there was no drama in the story. Rain also ended up bragging about her talents to everyone and she must have been at least distantly f...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2011 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Glass Swallow is a companion novel to Dragonfly, which I read, and loved, a couple years ago. The main characters from Dragonfly do make a brief appearance, but are, for the most part, quite distant. Nonetheless, this was quite a satisfying companion to that fantastic book.

What makes these books, and probably the others of Julia Golding that I have yet to read, so fantastic is how strong her heroines are. Rain lacks physical strength pretty much entirely. She is diminutive, especially in thi...more

like · see review

Oct 29, 2011 Abigail Gill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rain Glassmaker is a skilled glass designer in the land of Holt. She must do all of her designs secretly, because the tradition of Holt prevents any females to make or design glass windows. Her signiture trade mark is the swallow, which she adds in every one of her designs. Rain and her Father are successful workers for the King and Queen. Peri Falconer is part of the unclean class of scavangers of the city of Magharna. The reson why is because he deals with birds that are considered scavengers...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 Regina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-before, fantasy, romance, hardworking-poor

Lovely! i truly enjoyed this book. i think that the heroine was strong in a way that was not overdone and though both Rain and Peri had their own flaws, they are still likeable and makes you wanna root for em. The premise of a caste system is interesting as it reminds me of the one India had where you were born into a class and the bottom of the classes are the untouchables(called scavengers in the book). Reading about caste systems like these always produce mixed feelings in me as i struggle to...more

like · see review

Nov 29, 2011 Tammie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, fantasy

Not nearly as good as Dragonfly. I was hoping for more of the adventure that was found in that story. While I liked this one it did have it's flaws. There was one point in the book where the main character decides that a murdering bandit was just forced into the life he leads. In her mind he had no choice, because he was thrown out of the city and had no other means to provide for himself. So she walks into his camp with a gift for him asking if he will come and lead an army of men to protect th...more

1 like · like · see review

May 18, 2010 Leanne Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blue-green-grey, books-to-make-you-laugh, fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, meaningful-books, read-2010, book-i-had-to-order-from-amazon, general-romance

Despite the slow start, i found this a heart-warming and truly charming read. The first 30 pages or so were a bit descriptive and not much happened, except for a bit of scene setting, but then everything kicked off.

Rain, a glassmakers' daughter, is forbidden to design and make glass because of the simple fact that she's a woman, and the glass makers guild is ridiculously sexist.
However, Rain has secretly been designing her fathers glass for a few years, and when the distant land of Magharna asks...more Despite the slow start, i found this a heart-warming and truly charming read. The first 30 pages or so were a bit descriptive and not much happened, except for a bit of scene setting, but then everything kicked off.

Rain, a glassmakers' daughter, is forbidden to design and make glass because of the simple fact that she's a woman, and the glass makers guild is ridiculously sexist.
However, Rain has secretly been designing her fathers glass for a few years, and when the distant land of Magharna asks her father to design some glass for them, it is Rain that goes along with one of her cousins in order to design the glass windows.
But not everything goes according to plan and Rain finds herself stranded in a rather unfriendly country.

At the same time that she arrives and falls into danger, Peri, a young scavenger and falconer rescues her from the bandits who try to kidnap her, and from there, their paths become entwined. But things aren't made easy for them, as the country begins to fall apart around them.

What struck me the most whilst reading this, was the realism of the situation the characters end up in. The social class system is something that at first appears to be the thing that will keep Peri and Rain apart, but infact it is the crash of the country and economy that becomes the major issue of the novel.
Considering the last few years in which we've lived with the recession, at first i admit, on reading about a country falling apart economically, i initially thought 'oh no, i don't want to read about a recession' but actually it was a story more of hope than despair as one girl attempts to put a failing country back together again, with the help of the few people who haven't ran for the hills (so to speak).

Surviving a bandit attack, then being left in a country where she barely knows the language, and then attempting to save the country that gave her a less than warm welcome, i found extremelly inspiring and very brave to say the least, and for this alone i found it easy to warm to Rain.
With regards to peri, my opinion was a bit hit and miss, because quite simply he had moments that i like to call 'moments of idiocy' in which he does stupid things (such as shooting a friend, even if it was accidentally). And yes, Rain had her moments as well, but hers just didn't seem to be as stupid, more brave than anything else.
Having said that, I still loved them both. Peri was charming, sweet and protective and Rain was self-less, caring and very resillient to hardship.

The ending, in one word, is beautiful in more ways than one. A theme, what with all the stunning glass windows, is repeated throughout the novel. To summarise, this story is a beautiful love story with an artistic twist and a perfectly heartwarming and stunning ending.
Fans of Dragonfly by the same author will also be pleased at the appearence of some familar faces. Superb!

5/5!
(less)

like · see review

Nov 13, 2012 Susie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I am really disappointed in the "companion" book to Dragonfly. It is not a continuation of the story of Ramil and Taoshira. It is a story of completely different characters, and ones with little to recommend them. It took a long time for the story to get started, in fact I skipped at least a dozen pages of dribble. Rain was an okay character, feisty but not very fleshed out. Peri, the love interest, was overprotective to the extreme and treated Rain like a two year old. All in all, pretty disapp...more

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Shilpi rated it 4 of 5 stars

A touching and beautiful story of a young glass-designer getting her recognition through a civil unrest in a semi-idyllic world representing class distinction and other social wrongs, just as the real world. I enjoyed the fine artistic sensibility interpreted as almost magical. Beauty is a necessary ingredient for culture in an otherwise bestial society, and this is the message in the tale. The story is told dramatically, with a fine touch.

like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-reads

3.5 stars. The contintuation of life for one girl from the kingdom after the setting of "Dragonfly" when she leaves to another land. There is a caste system there and the upperclasses are getting very greedy/neglectful. She and the falconer she meets become involved in the rescue of the "Master"/king and the restructing of the government. A very good read. 12 and up (1 objectionable word: cr__ as replacement for poop, fighting/killing, looting)

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 41 42 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy

53 users

Young Adult

25 users

Romance

15 users

Adventure

12 users

Young Adult > Teen

4 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy

4 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

2 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Liar's Moon
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Wayfarer
by R.J. Anderson
FrostFire
by Zoë Marriott
The Dragon of Trelian
by Michelle Knudsen
Hunted
by Sophie McKenzie

About Julia Golding

Julia Golding grew up on the edge of Epping Forest. After reading English at Cambridge, she joined the Foreign Office and served in Poland.

On leaving Poland, she exchanged diplomacy for academia and took a doctorate in the literature of the English Romantic Period at Oxford. She then joined Oxfam as a lobbyist on conflict issues, campaigning at the UN and with governments to lessen the impact of c...more

More about Julia Golding...

Books by Julia Golding

Secret of the Sirens (The Companions Quartet, #1)

The Diamond of Drury Lane (Cat Royal, #1)

The Gorgon's Gaze (The Companions Quartet, #2)

Mines of the Minotaur (The Companions Quartet, #3)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Glass Swallow

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from The Glass Swallow

“My mother is a muttonhead.” — 2 people liked it

“I think I want to kiss you again,” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: The Glass Swallow
avg rating	preview: The Glass Swallow Goodreads rating: 4.02 (594 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7103829-the-glass-swallow?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328174847l/7103829.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7103829-the-glass-swallow?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Glass Swallow by Julia Golding[/url]

The Glass Swallow

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website