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Sea Glass

(Glass #2)

Maria V. Snyder (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 18,278 ratings · 968 reviews

Like the colorful pieces of sea glass washed up on shore, Opal has weathered rough waters and twisting currents. But instead of finding a tranquil eddy, Opal is caught in a riptide. Her unique glass messengers which allow instant communication over vast distances have become a vital part of Sitian society. Once used solely by the Councilors and magicians, other powerful fa ...more

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Paperback, 379 pages

Published August 25th 2009 by Mira (first published August 18th 2009)

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Feb 02, 2012 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, r2r-complete, read-2015, read-with-abbie, romance, paranormal, young-adult

Can't decide which cover I like best!

This was an okay story, but I didn’t like it as much as Storm Glass.

Opal did try to make the best of her abilities in this book, but she also made some mistakes. I felt quite sorry for her every time she got caught out or ended up walking straight into a trap, but she also seemed quite powerless at points.

The storyline in this was about Opal making glass animals again, trying to get Ulrick and Devlen swapped back to their correct bodies, something going on wi ...more

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Apr 12, 2019 Anja H. rated it liked it

*3 ANNOYING STARS*

“Lying to yourself is easy, too. I know. It's much harder to stay and deal with consequences.”

I still love Sitia and Ixia, the magic system and all of the characters from the older books.. Just not Opal, who unfortunately happens to be the main character in this trilogy.
She's so very annoying, can't make up her mind and makes the dumbest decisions, ugh.

I can’t wait to finish the third book and have my Yelena back for another trilogy!

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May 09, 2016 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audio

Opal's dumb as a doornail routine annoys me. But the plot surrounding her intrigues me. Thus I will push on. Wondering how this semi- love triangle will end.

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Aug 14, 2018 Manisha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pages-101-500, genre-fantasy, 4-star-reads, sff-ya-new-adult, series-nonet

A bit of a conundrum, this.

I have to think about it a little before I write my review.

RTC.

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Jun 26, 2011 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own-print, for-review-read, signed, books-i-own-kindle, read-in-2014

Now that the Council have found out about Opal's ability to steal other magician's powers they immediately see her as a threat. No matter how much she has done for them in the past it is all worth nothing now and they now want her under house arrest inside the Citadel where they can monitor her activities and decide what to do with her. The worst thing of all is that nobody believes her when she tells them that Devlen and Ulrick have swapped bodies so now Devlen has free reign of the Citadel and Now that the Council have found out about Opal's ability to steal other magician's powers they immediately see her as a threat. No matter how much she has done for them in the past it is all worth nothing now and they now want her under house arrest inside the Citadel where they can monitor her activities and decide what to do with her. The worst thing of all is that nobody believes her when she tells them that Devlen and Ulrick have swapped bodies so now Devlen has free reign of the Citadel and is as trusted as Ulrick would have been. Opal doesn't know what his goals are but she knows that nothing good can possibly come of them and since she's the only one who knows what's going on it's up to her to stop him. First she needs to find Ulrick and figure out a way to put his soul back in his own body but what if Ulrick wasn't quite the innocent victim in all this? Will he even want Opal's help?

While I think I prefer the Study series I'm still really enjoying the Glass books and I love being able to dive back into the world of Ixia. Although this is Opal's story we still get to see some familiar faces along the way and Janco in particular has a starring role in this story but I also loved catching up with Leif and of course Yelena too. Opal has always seemed much more innocent than Yelena, she is younger, more trusting and less able to stand up for herself, particularly in Storm Glass and during the beginning of this book. I was really pleased to see how much progress she makes in this novel though, she still has her moments but it was great to see her starting to gain confidence now that she's beginning to understand how her magic works and I was glad that she is standing up for herself more now. In fact by the end of the book she'd become pretty impressive. I actually like the fact that Opal and Yelena are so different and it's always fun to see how the two of them interact with each other.

There is a lot going on in Sea Glass, Opal finds herself in a whole heap of trouble and she has more than one enemy to deal with. We get to see more of the different Sitian clans which was interesting but at times it did feel like there was a little too much travelling going on. I would have liked to spend more time with some of the clans seeing Opal making use of her new found magical abilities. That's a fairly minor niggle though because there was so much going on that I was certainly never bored and I could happily have devoured the whole book in one sitting if only there were more hours in the day. One thing Opal really has to learn throughout this story is not to blindly trust people, even those who she feels closest to. There are a lot of people who aren't quite what they seem and that doesn't make it easy for her to figure out who are allies and who are enemies but that is something she is starting to get better at. She needs to learn to trust her gut instincts a little more and that is definitely something she is improving at.

There are some revelations at the end of Sea Glass that are going to make things very interesting for Opal in the future and I can't wait to read Spy Glass to see what happens to her next. ...more

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Jul 12, 2010 Milly rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, dystopia, series

What can I say, I was a little dismayed by Sea Glass. Perhaps because I expected more out of this second book. Perhaps because I thought Opal's character was going to be more interesting and her adventures more daring and intriguing. However, none of that came into fruition, at least in my opinion.

The book didn't really pick up for me until the last 100 pages. I felt that the first 200 pages dawdled and there were chapters that seem indulgent and unconsequential. I know Maria Snyder was trying What can I say, I was a little dismayed by Sea Glass. Perhaps because I expected more out of this second book. Perhaps because I thought Opal's character was going to be more interesting and her adventures more daring and intriguing. However, none of that came into fruition, at least in my opinion.

The book didn't really pick up for me until the last 100 pages. I felt that the first 200 pages dawdled and there were chapters that seem indulgent and unconsequential. I know Maria Snyder was trying to develop Opal's character and what other magical talents she has but some chapters just took too long to do so.

In respects to Opal, I appreciated her character developing some spunk in this book but I did not care so much for her becoming jaded and distrustful of everyone. I get it that a lot of people in this book disappointed her but it was just such a downer when she was acting this way. You can still be spunky and kind at the same time, Opal. It doesn't mean you're weak when you're kind. Just look at Harry Potter!

But what irked me the most about the Sea Glass is how Opal's character was turning into a mini-Yelena. Opal all of a sudden found the urge to learn to defend herself, just like Yelena in the Study series. Just like Yelena, she wanted to learn how to fight with weapons, pick locks, move like a ninja/ghost, do nightly investigations, etc. Also just like Yelena, she befriended two soldiers and have become her sworn protectors - Nic and Eve to Yelena's Ari and Janco. I just wish that Maria Snyder was more creative and original in fashioning Opal's character. She is the heroine of the Glass series after all. She should be different from Yelena, eventhough the Glass series is a sequel/spin off of the Study series. I'm sure if I looked for more similarities between these series that I would. But I'll stop here just to be fair with this book.

I just have a love-dislike relationship with this book. I did enjoy the last 100 pages of the book! I liked that Lief's character had more face time in this book. I still felt that Kade should have been in the book more since he is Opal's main squeeze. Good riddance to Ulrick. He's a whiny lad anyway. But, Devlen, hmmm, the devil who's had a change of heart might just steal Opal's heart. Sneaky little devil! This I am definitely interested in finding out in the 3rd installment, Spy Glass. Also, I am intrigued as to what becomes of Opal, with all her magical abilities changed.

So now that I've opined, I still love Maria Snyder. The Glass series is definitely not a favorite but I will continue onto Spy Glass as I'm intrigued indeed. ...more

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Jan 16, 2016 Maggie ☘ rated it liked it

Shelves: magic, witches-magicians, high-fantasy, intriguing-world-building

“Lying to yourself is easy, too. I know. It's much harder to stay and deal with consequences.” ´

The good:
*I absolutely love Sitia and the world Snyder created.
*Kade is my sweetheart.
*Reappearance of old characters - Yelena, Leif, Janco..

“Don’t you dare say it.” He poked my arm with a finger. “My choice to help you. My fault for being caught. No regrets. I’d do it again without thought.” He cocked his head to the side and scratched his scarred ear. “Which isn’t that big of a revelation. ...more

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Apr 01, 2015 Yoda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: on-the-shelf, young-adult, read-2017, fantasy, magic, romance, read-2014, read-2015, read-2016

I enjoy Opal´s story/adventures more than I did with Yelena. I like the even pace of the book, it feels effortless. Instead of saving every plot twist for the last 20 pages, action is evenly distributed. It doesn´t feel forced.

I just wish we got a bit more of Devlen in this one, I thought he was a bigger part of this book, but its just his name being repeated all of the time.

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Mar 01, 2015 Maria Kaye rated it really liked it

Thank you to Stefanie for keeping me motivated for the past two months when I was thinking of dnf this!

As always with Maria V. Snyder books this was good! Not her best in my opinion but still worth the read, especially if you're reading the main series in the chronicle (Study series).

Review to come.

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Apr 14, 2015 Jilly rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

What's worse than a dumbass? A cynical, mopey, feeling-sorry-for-themself dumbass - and that is what Opal is in this book. She's changed from an optimistic dumbass to a pessimistic dumbass. But, don't worry, she still gets kidnapped and caught a lot. And, the thing is, Opal knows she's an idiot, but instead of trying to fix her idiocy, she wallows in self-pity.
I would be a fool to trust him. Too bad being a fool was my best skill.

dumbass photo: dumbass allthisistrue.gif

Oh.... poor you!!! Let's all feel sorry for her.

So, in thi What's worse than a dumbass? A cynical, mopey, feeling-sorry-for-themself dumbass - and that is what Opal is in this book. She's changed from an optimistic dumbass to a pessimistic dumbass. But, don't worry, she still gets kidnapped and caught a lot. And, the thing is, Opal knows she's an idiot, but instead of trying to fix her idiocy, she wallows in self-pity.
I would be a fool to trust him. Too bad being a fool was my best skill.

Oh.... poor you!!! Let's all feel sorry for her.

So, in this story, Opal is trying to convince everyone about the blood magic exchange between Devlin and Ulrick while the Council treats her like their personal Apple Store since she makes the magical equivalent of cell phones and they got the cell phone fever. They don't trust her (probably a good idea since she's a moron), so they decide to make her their very own Chinese slave labor factory worker. She's on lock-down, unpaid, and only allowed any freedoms if she keeps up with her glass animal iphone quota. Of course, she reacts to all of this in every worst way you can imagine.

First, she goes the defiance route and doesn't go back to the Council when they call her. She is determined to find Ulrick, stuck in Devlin's body, and "rescue" him. That went as well as expected. Even when he flat out tells her that he wanted the exchange, she wouldn't believe it. Dumbass.

Next, she decides to go the submission route and rolls over for the council, but whines and bitches the whole time.

This is typical of the character of Opal. She is totally wishy-washy - deciding one thing with all the conviction of an idiot without the right information, only to change her mind and start acting and doing the opposite. I really really don't like this chick. (have I made that clear yet?) And, yet, she is supposed to be the big hero of the story. She can't even keep her mind on her supposed one-true-love, Kade. She kisses him to get her mind off of Devlin. Really, girl? The guy who tortured you and gave you fear and nightmares since you were 14 years old? I don't care how nice and reformed he gets, girls don't generally get together with their rapist/torturers. Consider that a hard rule. But, at this point, I have to think that the torturer can actually do better than her. She's a total dumbass.

...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Swiftsea rated it it was ok

This book drove me a little crazy. I found that too many things were occurring at the same time. Just like a whirlwind, Opal was involved in too many things.

Moreover, the deaths of many of the glass-makers frustrated me a little. I found it unnecessary to kill them off. Too many authors use the 'only person capable' routine to accentuate the importance of their protagonists.

However, what irritated me the most was definitely Opal's relationships with men. Her constant desire to rescue Ulrick wh ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 Darren Hagan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

**4.5 stars**

Loved it but it sometimes felt there was maybe too much going on.

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Feb 27, 2017 Laura rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: print, in-love, high-fantasy, magic, ya

This was soo, soo, soo good! I don't think that MVS can write anything I won't love!

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Mar 08, 2015 Abbie rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was an okay read, but I didn't like it as much as the first.

I liked Opal in this one, but again, there were times where she annoyed me.

The pacing in book one was the main reason why I started to lose interest near the end. It was the same reason why I started to lose interest in this one. Unfortunately though, I found this one to be a bit slower, so I lost interest quicker.

Overall, Okay read.

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Jul 23, 2018 Irene Sim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-read, fantasy-sci-fi

This was deffinitely an improvement from the first book. Opal somehow manages to acquire some balls (even if most of the times it backfires) but in the end her persistence pays.
This series is so much different from "Poison Study", to me it seems that it has no purpose, no solid goal set from the beginning so the reader can have expectations of the plot and make sense of the story. It continues in the same pattern as the first book, Opal doing random things, going random missions for the Council, ...more

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Dec 01, 2009 Julie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2009

If I were to write an action adventure story with magical and fantastical elements, I would write a book exactly like “Sea Glass”. But since I’m not ambitious or imaginative enough to write an actual novel, I’m glad Maria V. Snyder can and did.

“Sea Glass” is the second book in Maria’s latest trilogy. It complements the first book perfectly, even upping the excitement and intrigue level a notch. There is enough magic, mystery, blood magic, humor, cameos, political intrigue and action to keep you If I were to write an action adventure story with magical and fantastical elements, I would write a book exactly like “Sea Glass”. But since I’m not ambitious or imaginative enough to write an actual novel, I’m glad Maria V. Snyder can and did.

“Sea Glass” is the second book in Maria’s latest trilogy. It complements the first book perfectly, even upping the excitement and intrigue level a notch. There is enough magic, mystery, blood magic, humor, cameos, political intrigue and action to keep you riveted and entertained. She even has a bit more romance thrown in for good measure.

“Sea Glass” starts off almost exactly where “Storm Glass” left off. In this installment, Opal has spunk! She is frustrated beyond belief that the list of those who believe what happened to her in “Storm Glass” is so short – and it grows shorter and shorter as the book progresses. On top of that, she feels as though she has no control over her own life or her own decisions. She feels trapped. While reading, I just wanted to reach into the book, shake these people and tell them to really think about what they are accusing! Seriously…*sigh* But alas, no matter how much I wanted to, there was no way to reach into the pages. So I simply continued reading to see where the adventure took me. (Not a real sacrifice, I must say). Through the book, Opal is gathering up her courage and it’s actually nice to see when she finally has enough self-confidence to “stick it to the man”. Unfortunately, when she is finally in a position to make her own choice, what she must decide between will basically screw her over no matter what she decides to do. Opal is well aware of this, but she is trying her hardest to opt for the choice that makes her feel as though she is in control and that let her feel somewhat independent. Opal is a great character. You really feel her struggle. It’s her struggle that makes her so relatable. Who hasn’t felt like the whole world was against you and as your confidence level wavers while you are trying to battle magicians who are using giant green bees as weapons? Okay…maybe not the magicians with the bees part…but the confidence part? Absolutely.

One decision that is easy to agree with is Opal’s choice of beau, Kade. How he tries to stand by her even when everyone else seems to have left her behind is quite admirable. Their relationship is not perfect – you feel as though Opal is holding back a bit. But Kade is strong and he wants to stick by her.

Let’s talk about Devlen. Now he’s a conundrum. He’s the bad guy. I should hate him. He hurt our girl Opal – many times. He’s deceived her, lied to her, tricked her… Really, I should hate him. But I can’t seem to bring myself to as wholly and completely as I should. I attest that to the way Maria writes her characters. She makes them human. Whether they are bad guys or good guys, I can’t help but feel drawn to them. You can’t help but feel for the naughty boy who is trying his hardest reconcile for his actions. I actually found myself wanting to tell Opal that if things with Kade don’t work out, maybe she should consider Devlen. Seriously, how messed up is that?!

“Sea Glass” bumps up the level of adventure from high to “holy cow!” It’s funnier than the first one too, although that should not surprise since Janco (from Maria’s ‘Study’ series) has quite an important role in this book – and Janco is funny! And the ending…whoa! What happens to our girl Opal is very unexpected. Then again, so is most of what happens in these tales. If you loved “Storm Glass”, then you will for sure really love “Sea Glass” and you’ll count the days until “Spy Glass” is released with impatient glee. ...more

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Feb 19, 2017 Jessica {Litnoob} rated it really liked it

This book still suffered slightly from the tell me over showing me syndrome BUT it was drastically improved from book one. I hope it's all but gone in the last one as I know what a skilled story teller the author is. As for the storyline itself I'm loving it, seeing in the mind of someone with this new power set, when before we have only seen this from the outside... I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfurl.

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Nov 12, 2017 Aimee rated it liked it

Actual rating 2.5
This was okay, I like the study series a lot more than the glass series because I think Opal is just a bit of a whinny meh character. It took me ages to finish this because I just wasn't very interested and Maria V Snyder tends to be a bit repetitive so I found that extremely annoying. Will probably still finish the series since I pushed through this one though.

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Feb 06, 2019 DJ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: female-author, north-america, published-2000-2009, young-adult-fantasy-dystopia-sci-fi, series-completed

Sea Glass picks up where Storm Glass left off. Exactly where it left off, it actually felt to me like the same book over again for a chunk of it.

I wasn’t into this one and I’m not even sure why, I just had a really hard time caring about Opal and an even harder time getting into the book at all.

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Jan 06, 2016 Tracy Ehlers rated it really liked it

A fantastic continuation from book 1.
I'm looking forward to reading the conclusion!

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May 15, 2014 Sara (Freadom Library) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, read-2016, high-fantasy

Actual rating 4.5 stars

This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/

Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
Just like all her other books, the plot is fast paced and full of constant action. It’s full of adventure and traveling to all the different kinds of clans found in Sitia which was really fun to experience. There’s suspense, danger. betrayal, tension, lies and magic of course. I like that there’s a new form of magic introduced that gave the story and the world an enti Actual rating 4.5 stars

This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/

Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
Just like all her other books, the plot is fast paced and full of constant action. It’s full of adventure and traveling to all the different kinds of clans found in Sitia which was really fun to experience. There’s suspense, danger. betrayal, tension, lies and magic of course. I like that there’s a new form of magic introduced that gave the story and the world an entirely new dynamic. Super easy to read and to get caught up in which is why I enjoy them so much.

Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
As always, her writing style is super easy to read and engaging. It’s really straight forward and simple but the pace is fast which makes it addicting and really easy to consume. Yet it still manages to be descriptive and detailed especially since the world is so vast and full of all different kinds of magic and people. The narration this time is a little darker, jaded and harsh after the events of the first book which was sometimes a downer to read. But it’s so imaginative that you can’t help but be caught up in it.

Characters – 4.5 out of 5 stars
This was were my biggest problem was in the first book. Opal is absolutely nothing like Yelena and that threw me off completely in the first book but there’s a lot of development in this one that made me like her a bit more. She’s deeply affected by all the events in the first book and has almost done a 180 from where she started. She’s a lot more jaded and angry and is trying to not trust people so easily so she doesn’t get hurt. She’s grown more powerful but she’s kind of resentful about it and tries to keep her powers to herself so people won’t try to take advantage of her. However, she still gets sucked into horrible situations for being naive and caring when she really shouldn’t. And she unfortunately has kind of martyr attitude that got on my nerves a lot. Again, there’s a few side characters that are spotlighted. I love seeing some of the old characters from the Study series make appearances in this one, they’re all so interesting and complex and funny that I enjoyed the interactions they all have together. The new characters introduced in this series I’m not 100% sold on. There’s a lot of back and forth and you don’t really know who to trust or what to believe so it was a little hard for me to connect with the characters, specially the love interests. Yes, as in plural, also one of the things that turns me off about this series is that there’s a lot of different romantic entanglements with the main character and I DON’T KNOW WHO TO SHIP. IT’S SO CONFUSING.

Emotionally
(view spoiler)[This one was definitely a huge step up from the first book.

The plot is intricate. We follow Opal again as she’s trying to make her way back to Sitia to stop blood magic once and for all. The problem is no one believes her that that kind of magic is still going on and everyone has started to see her as a threat because of her new powers. The plots of these books are always really entertaining and super fast paced. It’s very hard to be bored because there are a lot of different threads showing up at once and you can never really tell what’s going on until the end. They all seem unrelated and separated in the beginning but they all come together in such a mind blowing way and in one that you never saw coming. I really loved getting to see more of the setting because this world is so vast and full of such different cultures and clans that have very special realities and rituals. It was so interesting to learn more and to see the huge imagination that the author has to create so many different cultures that are still intertwined together. The ending was unexpected and kind of annoyed me to be honest. It changed a really critical and important part of the series arc and of the character and I don’t know how that is going to work in the third book. I’m a little apprehensive to see what will happen there.

Opal is a lot better for me in this book. I definitely warmed up to her more though she has the tendency to annoy me. She finally realized how much people have taken advantage of her and used her and she’s sick of it. She tired of people overpowering, bullying and pushing her to do the things that they want her to. So to counteract that, she started to take matters into her own hands. But things were taken way too far. She shed everything and everyone, even the people who love and support her. That ended up getting her into more trouble than necessary because she tried to do everything alone. It was really frustrating to see her go from one extreme to another but it’s also realistic. I’ve done things like that myself, so while I was annoyed by her actions, I understood them. Towards the end, she got a little better so I’m hoping she will reach a happy medium in the last book.

So my biggest issue with this series and this book in particular was the love square that ended up emerging which is so frustrating. I was quite surprised to see this kind of romance from this author because my favorite part of the Study is the slow and steady build up of Yelena and Valek’s relationship. Again, there’s three guys in this story and the lines are quickly blurred because of some of the plot points and most of the time I have no idea who to ship! Just when you think you know who it’s going to be and you start focusing more on that line of the square, shit happens and you’re back at square one. It’s very disorienting and I am not a fan of this part of the story, I could do without it.

Overall, this book improved a lot after the first one. The plot as always is fast paced, entertaining and intricate. The main character’s development was intense and necessary but it was taken a bit too far. The romance is not my cup of tea but the writing style makes it easy to get caught up in the story anyway. Can’t wait to finish the series! (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Oct 28, 2019 Mirjam rated it it was amazing

Again I had started to think that maybe reading ain't for me. I like to get to know the stories but the reading it self had become a chore. I had started to think fantasy as a genre is dead for me and had nothing new to offer. Thank goodness for Snyder cause she proved me all wrong. Now I know that everytime I get in a reading slump I should just pick up one of Snyders books.

So about the book? Uuhm. Perfection. Entertaining and fast paced. Always surprising but in a way that makes sense instead ...more

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Sep 16, 2015 Andy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cannonball-8, 2016-read, own

You Thought Opal was Badass in Storm Glass, Think Again!
Sea Glass
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary: Opal has learned she can steal a magician’s powers without being provoked by siphoning it into a glass orb. The Council is afraid of her new power and orders her back, but Opal must confront Ulrick about blood magic and switching souls with Devlen. After the goes badly, Opal is forced back to the Keep and is held under house arrest. She is isolated, Zitora avoids her and is no longer her mentor, a null shield You Thought Opal was Badass in Storm Glass, Think Again!
Sea Glass
Rating: 4.5/5

Summary: Opal has learned she can steal a magician’s powers without being provoked by siphoning it into a glass orb. The Council is afraid of her new power and orders her back, but Opal must confront Ulrick about blood magic and switching souls with Devlen. After the goes badly, Opal is forced back to the Keep and is held under house arrest. She is isolated, Zitora avoids her and is no longer her mentor, a null shield is always around her and she has baby sitters. The constant suspicion begins to drive Opal insane and devises a way to get rid of her babysitters and the get the Councils approval. Opal must also find a way to end blood magic once and for all because after Councilor Moon’s testimony, no one believes her about the soul switch.

I really enjoyed this installment. For me, it seems that the second one of Snyder’s trilogies are my favorite though I can’t say about Spy Glass since I just started it. I definitely liked this one more than Storm Glass for two reasons. One- less Ulrick and two- Opal is a badass with major confidence. And she is a sassy girl. Oh she could battle Yelena with some of her retorts in this book. It’s no secret from my Storm Glass review that I hated Ulrick and I still do. Sea Glass didn’t change my opinion of him and I wished that Opal had given up on him much sooner or actually believed Devlen when he told her that Ulrick wanted the magic.

The plot in the book was great! I loved it. I loved chases and learning about glass making and schooling. There was always something interesting happening and the last 30% was especially intriguing! Snyder is always putting her heroines into tense situations. This time Opal didn’t always freeze, she would think and use her skills with weapons. She depended on herself and would get herself out of them. When she couldn’t, she called for help. She just was so badass, especially in the middle when the Council was trying to control her and she was like nuh-uh I’m not taking this shit. Oh it was wonderful!

The romance in this book was absent for the first part. Kade wasn’t in the book until about 40-50% of the way through sadly, but when he was, it was awesome. Opal and Kade are adorable and such a good couple. Once Opal graduates, it should be easier for them to be together. Since Opal knows the sand recipe for Stormdancer orbs they always seem to need her too. Ooh I just love them, but there’s trouble brewing for book three because Devlen is reformed and he’s got feelings for Opal too!
...more

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Sep 02, 2009 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015

Enjoyed

Content: mild language, implied sex but no scene or details

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Jun 10, 2020 Vereads (Verona) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, romance, new-adult, magic, love-triangle, high-fantasy

“Lying to yourself is easy, too. I know. It's much harder to stay and deal with consequences.”

I frustrated with this series. This book has such great things going on: the politics, the stormdancer's clan, the warpers, and the magic system. But sadly we follow Opal and her adventures.

I can't connect with her. She annoyed me.

I felt that the book didn't have a purpose. It repeated a pattern: we follow Opal in a mission, she is kidnapped, then she is rescued or she managed to escape. After that ...more

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Apr 24, 2017 Linda rated it liked it

Shelves: high-fantasy

It took a long while for me to get into this book, mainly due to the fact that I found the main character, Opal, to be frustratingly naive and just plain annoying. The situation improved at around 40 % (?), when Cute Opal turned into Bitter Opal, because Bitter Opal was a lot more fun and kick-ass! I hope she sticks with her newfound boldness and doesn't go back to being all cuddly in Spy glass...

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Mar 20, 2017 Ivusha (Tenebien) rated it liked it · review of another edition

I have a bad feeling I know how this trilogy is going to end up romancewise... And I'm not going to like it.
The book dragged and I kinda missed the story. It was more like lots of short stories mixed together to make a book.
The end was good, though. I acutally enjoyed this twist.
But dear Opal, you piss me off quite often. Not good.

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Feb 08, 2019 Kerran Olson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019

I'm still enjoying this series, though less than I did the Poison Studies series. I found the writing quite repetitive after reading the series all together. I find Opal stubborn and impulsive, which gets a bit annoying too.

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Aug 29, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2010

It's always a bad idea to start off a book review with negatives, which is why I tend to follow the same structure each time: summary, positives, negatives, overall. When it comes to the second book in a Fantasy series, though, I don't know how to give a summary and not give everything away or at least spoil the first book. It just seems like too much work and I'm too lazy. So I'm ditching my usual structure and just spewing thoughts as they come.

I find myself fairly ambivalent towards this seri It's always a bad idea to start off a book review with negatives, which is why I tend to follow the same structure each time: summary, positives, negatives, overall. When it comes to the second book in a Fantasy series, though, I don't know how to give a summary and not give everything away or at least spoil the first book. It just seems like too much work and I'm too lazy. So I'm ditching my usual structure and just spewing thoughts as they come.

I find myself fairly ambivalent towards this series, so far. They're light Fantasy, light like Fiona McIntosh though mercifully better written - but not great. Still flawed, and a bit sloppy. I had forgotten a lot of what had happened in the first book, but it all started to come back to me as I read Sea Glass, so that was handled well. It may be because I didn't read them back-to-back, but I'm still finding what look to me like plot-holes. The one that really popped out at me here and confused me, was regarding Opal's new power. She can drain a magician's magic by drawing it from them into a glass orb - or any glass container - where it turns into magically-charged diamonds. Now, she did this accidentally to one of her classmates at the wizard school in the first book. It was hardly a secret. So why was Opal always talking about how no one at the magicians' keep - where the school is and the Council resides - knows about her siphoning ability? I thought they all knew! That really bugged me.

Other aspects of the plot bothered me too. Like regarding the forbidden blood magic, which no one on the Council believes is still out there after Opal told them her story (which they also disbelieved). It seemed pretty significant to me that one of the magicians was a witness to some attempted blood magic, but no one mentioned it. I thought "A-ha! Now they'll believe Opal!" But no. It was barely mentioned again. In fact, all the mature adults in the story seem, most of the time, to be conveniently stupid and immature, or corrupt - with a few exceptions, but generally, getting Opal's perspective, you'd think they were all idiots (Opal's perspective is not always trustworthy (any more than any narrator's is) but she has the self-absorption of a child). There were other little niggly things like that, that made it seem like Snyder wasn't as in-control of her story as she should be. I found the ending confusing as well, and it bugs me when characters don't have the conversations you feel they should have, that are screaming to be had, especially when they would clear things up. Contrived, is the word that springs to mind.

Most of the time, I like Opal. Many times, though, she annoys me. I wonder how much tighter the plot would be if Opal weren't narrating it? The plot, I do like, even if I think it could be better executed. The characters refer back to the Poison Study trilogy a lot, which I haven't read yet, so I do know how that ends and some of the things that happened in it - mostly regarding Opal, as she does think a lot about herself. She's well-meaning, but tends to be a bit deluded. Going after Ulrick to rescue him and switch him back into his own body, which Devlen is occupying, is one example: so sure she is that Ulrick wants saving, it never occurs to her that he might be happier this way. She's just preoccupied with Devlen tricking her and no one believing her that Ulrick is really Devlen. She's quite immature, and her growth is handled clumsily, obviously, spelt out for us.

However, Opal is also quite engaging, and often sympathetic. I did actually like her. She reminds me of a couple of other Fantasy characters I love, but she's got that self-indulgent streak I don't like. She wallows a bit, and has fairly superficial relationships with the other characters. Still, her adventures are exciting. One of the things I liked was the Bad Guy becoming a Good Guy, and a possible triangular love interest. Ooooh ;) That would be Devlen, who had kidnapped and tortured Opal more than once in the past. Is there a word for when kidnappers/torturers fall in love with their victims? I know it's supposed to happen the other way 'round, with kidnappers. Anyway, that adds a bit of spice.

The story begun in Storm Glass is wrapped up at the end of Sea Glass, but there is another book to follow. God knows what mess Opal will get herself into this time! ...more

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Oct 04, 2009 Lexie rated it really liked it

Shelves: autographed, books-owned-read, review-blog-pr, own-multiple-editions

I'll start off first by saying--omg how much did I want this book? I might be a little biased, since I have adored the series since the very first, but I'm so glad I got a copy a little early. Next, for those of you who haven't yet gotten around to reading Storm Glass (for whatever reason, I don't judge) don't feel that you'll be lost jumping into this second book. The first 100 pages or so of Sea Glass has a pretty intensive overview of what happens in the first book through interactions and co I'll start off first by saying--omg how much did I want this book? I might be a little biased, since I have adored the series since the very first, but I'm so glad I got a copy a little early. Next, for those of you who haven't yet gotten around to reading Storm Glass (for whatever reason, I don't judge) don't feel that you'll be lost jumping into this second book. The first 100 pages or so of Sea Glass has a pretty intensive overview of what happens in the first book through interactions and conversations. Its not like 'exposition drop', but if you've read or re-read the book recently you'll find yourself skimming passages a little more frequently then in Yelena's books.

The book itself! After the huge revelation in Storm Glass about Ulrick and Devlen's connection, you'd think Opal would be that much wiser. I'm not so certain she is. More cautious, but wiser? Not so much since Devlen manages to trick her a couple of times and Ulrick...well Ulrick is just difficult to deal with. To be fair she has a lot stacked against. Like Yelena, Opal's actions are judged critically through fear, paranoia and the careful manipulation of facts by enemies.

I was happy to see that the whole romance angle was worked out for this book. The synopsis is slightly misleading, but the author purposely had it changed that way so that spoilers for Storm Glass weren't covering the back cover. As much as possible (in a continuous series) MVS tries to keep things vague and 'in the moment' so that spoilers don't ruin a new reader's perception (which is nice since I can't tell you how many times I've picked up the third or second in a series and been spoiled for plot twist major from Book 1).

Janco plays a bigger role in this book then in the previous one. Which made me gleeful. I love Janco (and Ari) and lamented the fact there isn't more of them. Fisk too (a minor character from the Study series that, more or less, worked his way up the supporting character ladder to become pretty important in Sitia) makes several appearances.

What's interesting is to see the unraveling of a society. Between the events of the Study series and the events transpiring around Opal, Sitia is becoming a messy, paranoid country (or at least the leaders are). The Council is making more mercenary decisions, treating each suspicious piece of evidence as hard proof and being secretive. Not for anything, but I can see why the Commander is so reluctant to work with them on allowing magic in Ixia. Ixia might not be the perfect place, but a lot their problems stemmed from magic (Mogkan for instance) and the consequences thereof. The Council stood back for far too long and let things run rampant, their sudden 'we're in trouble, batten down the hatches' attitude isn't being helpful.

If, like me, you pick up a first press release of Sea Glass you're likely to see that on the last page it says 'Stay Tuned for more in Fall 2011'. MVS assured me that the next book is due out in the Fall of 2010, the publishers just printed the wrong year (and forgot her acknowledgements as well). If, also like me, you finish the book and scream that its a pretty important cliffhanger and why are we waiting for a year to find out what happens--take heart in three things:

1) MVS' young adult novel, Inside Out, is due out in the Spring of 2010 from Harlequin Teen. Not set in Ixia/Sitia (but a whole new world), but still. Get a MVS fix where you can.

2) MVS' newsletter (published once every two months or so depending on her schedule) ordinarily has a short story set between the events of books (or concurrent to events from a different character's perspective). Right now a mini-series called 'Ice Study' is under way. E-mail her at any time to get the back chapters and join the list!

3) This is par for the course. Anyone who picked up Luna's original printing of Magic Study and waited for them to put out Fire Study had a cruel awakening when the books switched to Mira (a different imprint), had to be re-released as new trade paperbacks (no more mass market or hardcovers) and THEN Fire Study came out. Almost two years later. Having Storm Glass, and six months later Sea Glass, come out so close together was a wonderful vacation. Welcome back to reality. We still have nothing on the Wheel of Time fans. ...more

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About Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder

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When Maria V. Snyder was younger, she aspired to be a storm chaser in the American Midwest so she attended Pennsylvania State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology. Much to her chagrin, forecasting the weather wasn’t in her skill set so she spent a number of years as an environmental meteorologist, which is not exciting...at all. Bored at work and needing a creative out ...more

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Quotes from Sea Glass

“When we reached the beach, Leif fell to his knees with a dramatic cry. "Solid ground! I'll never take you for granted again."
"Are you going to kiss the sand?" I asked.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Now I'M the one being silly?"
"Yes.” — 63 likes

“There are certain people I trust no matter what. Even when it seems like they've turned into monsters, you need to stay true to them. Because, in the end, they'll be the ones backing you up.” — 43 likes

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