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Den of Shadows #7
All Just Glass
Sarah Vida has given up everything for love. From a legendary family of vampire-hunting witches, Sarah was raised to never trust a vampire, to never let her guard down, and to avoid all tricky attachments of the heart. But now Sarah IS a vampire—changed by the boy she thought she loved. Her family has forsaken her, and Sarah herself is disgusted by her appetite for blood.
Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.
Taking place over just twenty-four hours, ALL JUST GLASS tells the story of a game-changing battle that will forever change the world of the Den of Shadows. And at its center is the story of two sisters who must choose between love and duty. Dark, fully-imagined, and hard to put down, ALL JUST GLASS will thrill Amelia's fans—old and new.
Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.
Taking place over just twenty-four hours, ALL JUST GLASS tells the story of a game-changing battle that will forever change the world of the Den of Shadows. And at its center is the story of two sisters who must choose between love and duty. Dark, fully-imagined, and hard to put down, ALL JUST GLASS will thrill Amelia's fans—old and new.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published December 23, 2010
50 people are currently reading
3462 people want to read
About the author
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
35 books3,429 followersI grew up in Concord, Massachusetts, where I matriculated through the public Concord-Carlisle school district from kindergarten until my graduation in 2001. The best part of school, from fifth grade until the year I graduated, was definitely chorus. I love music, and I love to sing, and though I never had the courage or the talent to participate in any of the high school plays as a performer, I enjoyed being involved at other levels; the music and drama community at CCHS was the highlight of my high school career. I was also on the fencing team for two years, an experience that actually inspired a couple storylines, and regret that I did not continue with that sport.
I now live in Massachusetts with several pets... as well as, of course, my family. I am a student at the University of Massachusetts, with an English/psychology double-major. I hope to work either as an English teacher at the secondary level, or in special education. I have strong opinions about literacy, education, and how our educational systems are treated- strong enough that most of my friends know not to get me started on the subject.
My non-writing hobbies are eclectic, and cover everything from rather domestic pastimes like cross-stitch and cooking to aquarium keeping, playing piano, gardening, carpentry, Harley-Davidsons, driving, and arguing- there are few things I enjoy more than a good debate with someone who knows how to argue, which might have something to do with a best friend who works in politics. I love to learn, so if I have down-time and nothing to do, it is not at all unusual to find me pouring over some book, website or video designed to teach me some new skill, from belly dancing (something I desperately want to learn but have not yet been brave enough to sign up for classes on) to JavaScript.
I now live in Massachusetts with several pets... as well as, of course, my family. I am a student at the University of Massachusetts, with an English/psychology double-major. I hope to work either as an English teacher at the secondary level, or in special education. I have strong opinions about literacy, education, and how our educational systems are treated- strong enough that most of my friends know not to get me started on the subject.
My non-writing hobbies are eclectic, and cover everything from rather domestic pastimes like cross-stitch and cooking to aquarium keeping, playing piano, gardening, carpentry, Harley-Davidsons, driving, and arguing- there are few things I enjoy more than a good debate with someone who knows how to argue, which might have something to do with a best friend who works in politics. I love to learn, so if I have down-time and nothing to do, it is not at all unusual to find me pouring over some book, website or video designed to teach me some new skill, from belly dancing (something I desperately want to learn but have not yet been brave enough to sign up for classes on) to JavaScript.
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November 6, 2010
Read the full review @ Frazzled Book Nommer.
I didn’t like this book. Plain and simple. I normally enjoyed Amelia’s previous works, but this novel was a huge step down to other books she’s written.
First off, she assaulted us with tons of names that a new reader isn’t likely to remember. It’s been a while since I’ve read her Den of Shadows series; I’m not likely to remember five different families and the sub-divisions of those families. She also threw terms at us that a new reader might not have known (like bloodbond, etc). Nowhere on the book is it mentioned that this is a sort of... “sequel” or companion book to Shattered Mirror, so how is someone who has never read Amelia’s work before supposed to know everything upon first read? There are a lot of terms and ideas that are just implied and not explicitly stated.
I have no idea why the content in the book was compiled into only 24 hours. If it was originally meant that way, then there were a lot of inconsistencies. I’m almost convinced that Amelia wrote the book to cover a couple of weeks and at the end, changed it to 24 hours (and did a messy job of it). The times below the chapter titles were inconsistent and I just didn’t believe such intense scenes (involving driving across a city) occurred in 14 minutes. The 24 hour time limit was just so not believable. Some of the events in the book could have easily lasted days, like battle recovery. I don’t believe someone can attain numerous life-threatening wounds and recover in an hour, even for witches or vampires. And lastly, the pacing seemed way too slow for a twenty four hour novel. When I think 24 hours, I think fast paced. The pacing felt like it was covering weeks and not one day.
Several back stories were given in fragments and weren’t even explained fully. Even with a sequel, you want to include information so that your reader doesn’t feel at a loss. I still don’t know half of the back stories to half of the characters, and that left several holes in the plot. Even the plot twists weren’t explained fully – it was just so messy that I couldn’t even be all too shocked at the plot twists. And I never knew there was such a thing as too many plot twists until I read this book. I swear, every single page had a plot twist (okay, so that’s a little exaggeration, but close enough to the truth). There came a point where I wasn’t even shocked at some new revelation that made no sense anyway. The last four or five twists didn’t even faze me.
The alternating POVs made no sense to me. Sure, I understand the two main characters, Aida and Sarah, having their own POVs. But characters we rarely see? I saw absolutely no point whatsoever to Zachary’s two or three POVs. Dominique had ONE POV section, and it was at the end. Honestly, was that necessary? We could have easily had that scene from either of her daughters and I’m sure some other character would have described why she was acting so strange anyway. The character development wasn’t that great, either. There were way too many characters to get connected or see how one grows. It was pretty much, “Oh, I feel this way at the start of the book, but now I feel this way at the end of the book because I spent time during 24 hours reevaluating my opinions that were drilled into me since I was a baby, which also obviously happened off-screen because it’s mentioned nowhere in the book.” The relationships were also very weak. I’m not sure I’d even call them relationships – it seemed to me like everyone in the story was a stranger with each other, even the twins and Sarah.
The one thing I did like, however, was the reiteration that being perfect isn’t everything and that it’s okay to have faults. But the way it was executed was distasteful. To be honest, I slogged through this book. I previously loved a few of Amelia’s work, as her writing is lovely, but this book was just not up to par with anything she’s ever written before.
If you’ve never read Amelia Atwater Rhodes before, do me a favor and don’t start with All Just Glass. I really wanted to like this book – in fact, I signed up for the arc tour because I thought it’d be great. It fell short on all levels – plot twists, character development, relationships, consistency, pacing, plot, and wasn’t addicting at all. I had to force myself to finish for the tour. It’s a shame, because I loved some of Amelia’s other novels.
I didn’t like this book. Plain and simple. I normally enjoyed Amelia’s previous works, but this novel was a huge step down to other books she’s written.
First off, she assaulted us with tons of names that a new reader isn’t likely to remember. It’s been a while since I’ve read her Den of Shadows series; I’m not likely to remember five different families and the sub-divisions of those families. She also threw terms at us that a new reader might not have known (like bloodbond, etc). Nowhere on the book is it mentioned that this is a sort of... “sequel” or companion book to Shattered Mirror, so how is someone who has never read Amelia’s work before supposed to know everything upon first read? There are a lot of terms and ideas that are just implied and not explicitly stated.
I have no idea why the content in the book was compiled into only 24 hours. If it was originally meant that way, then there were a lot of inconsistencies. I’m almost convinced that Amelia wrote the book to cover a couple of weeks and at the end, changed it to 24 hours (and did a messy job of it). The times below the chapter titles were inconsistent and I just didn’t believe such intense scenes (involving driving across a city) occurred in 14 minutes. The 24 hour time limit was just so not believable. Some of the events in the book could have easily lasted days, like battle recovery. I don’t believe someone can attain numerous life-threatening wounds and recover in an hour, even for witches or vampires. And lastly, the pacing seemed way too slow for a twenty four hour novel. When I think 24 hours, I think fast paced. The pacing felt like it was covering weeks and not one day.
Several back stories were given in fragments and weren’t even explained fully. Even with a sequel, you want to include information so that your reader doesn’t feel at a loss. I still don’t know half of the back stories to half of the characters, and that left several holes in the plot. Even the plot twists weren’t explained fully – it was just so messy that I couldn’t even be all too shocked at the plot twists. And I never knew there was such a thing as too many plot twists until I read this book. I swear, every single page had a plot twist (okay, so that’s a little exaggeration, but close enough to the truth). There came a point where I wasn’t even shocked at some new revelation that made no sense anyway. The last four or five twists didn’t even faze me.
The alternating POVs made no sense to me. Sure, I understand the two main characters, Aida and Sarah, having their own POVs. But characters we rarely see? I saw absolutely no point whatsoever to Zachary’s two or three POVs. Dominique had ONE POV section, and it was at the end. Honestly, was that necessary? We could have easily had that scene from either of her daughters and I’m sure some other character would have described why she was acting so strange anyway. The character development wasn’t that great, either. There were way too many characters to get connected or see how one grows. It was pretty much, “Oh, I feel this way at the start of the book, but now I feel this way at the end of the book because I spent time during 24 hours reevaluating my opinions that were drilled into me since I was a baby, which also obviously happened off-screen because it’s mentioned nowhere in the book.” The relationships were also very weak. I’m not sure I’d even call them relationships – it seemed to me like everyone in the story was a stranger with each other, even the twins and Sarah.
The one thing I did like, however, was the reiteration that being perfect isn’t everything and that it’s okay to have faults. But the way it was executed was distasteful. To be honest, I slogged through this book. I previously loved a few of Amelia’s work, as her writing is lovely, but this book was just not up to par with anything she’s ever written before.
If you’ve never read Amelia Atwater Rhodes before, do me a favor and don’t start with All Just Glass. I really wanted to like this book – in fact, I signed up for the arc tour because I thought it’d be great. It fell short on all levels – plot twists, character development, relationships, consistency, pacing, plot, and wasn’t addicting at all. I had to force myself to finish for the tour. It’s a shame, because I loved some of Amelia’s other novels.
November 5, 2017
All Just Glass is basically a sequel to Shattered Mirror which made me super happy. So it is about Adianna (aka Adia) and how she takes an oath to kill her younger sister Sarah, who has recently become vampire. Now this book was so good, like amazing. I really like seeing characters from the earlier books being introduced again in my life. It makes my heart pitter patter and I probably had a creepy smile on my face the entire time I was reading it.
Me:
Now I'm not going to spoil anything about how this story unfolds or the journey it takes you on. You'll just have to read it for yourselves.
PS. I love this series.
Me:
Now I'm not going to spoil anything about how this story unfolds or the journey it takes you on. You'll just have to read it for yourselves.
PS. I love this series.
September 3, 2012
Before I start, I'd like to talk about the cover. What. The. Hell. Happened. The old covers for Den of Shadows were excellent: they were mysterious, entrancing, and they really attracted me to read the book. This... doesn't. It's such a stereotypical YA vampire novel cover that it's disgusting.
But anyway, I'm reviewing a book, not criticizing artwork that I know nothing about.
For the most part, I loved it. It really had two stories; one of Adia, Dominique, Michael, Zachary, and Jay hunting Sarah and her killers, and one of Sarah, Nikolas, Kristopher, Kaleo, Christine, and Heather running from them. The stronger story is definitely Sarah's; this is the first time we've really seen what it's like to be a new fledgling, and why people have to kill. It also had quite a bit of tension that Adia's story lacked. Adia's story wasn't bad, but like I said, there was significantly less tension, and it wasn't as well written. My main problem with her story was that I couldn't quite understand the plot twists when they were first revealed; it took me a while to piece together both what Dominique revealed in the first chapter that she narrated, and why everyone was shocked at the picture of Zachary. I eventually figured it out, but it was very, very distracting.
In spite of these problems, almost everything else works well. The prose is excellent; sharp, crisp, and stylistically appropriate, it doesn't distract from the story or characters at all, and you're never aware that someone is writing it, despite it being written in third-person.
And speaking of the characters, they work just as well here. Michael and Zachary were a bit underdeveloped in the beginning, but by the end, I got a good sense of who they were. I also liked the development of Kaleo and Nikolas. It all worked very well.
Overall, if you liked Shattered Mirror, this won't disappoint. If you haven't read Shattered Mirror at all, however, read that first (it's actually better than this one.)
But anyway, I'm reviewing a book, not criticizing artwork that I know nothing about.
For the most part, I loved it. It really had two stories; one of Adia, Dominique, Michael, Zachary, and Jay hunting Sarah and her killers, and one of Sarah, Nikolas, Kristopher, Kaleo, Christine, and Heather running from them. The stronger story is definitely Sarah's; this is the first time we've really seen what it's like to be a new fledgling, and why people have to kill. It also had quite a bit of tension that Adia's story lacked. Adia's story wasn't bad, but like I said, there was significantly less tension, and it wasn't as well written. My main problem with her story was that I couldn't quite understand the plot twists when they were first revealed; it took me a while to piece together both what Dominique revealed in the first chapter that she narrated, and why everyone was shocked at the picture of Zachary. I eventually figured it out, but it was very, very distracting.
In spite of these problems, almost everything else works well. The prose is excellent; sharp, crisp, and stylistically appropriate, it doesn't distract from the story or characters at all, and you're never aware that someone is writing it, despite it being written in third-person.
And speaking of the characters, they work just as well here. Michael and Zachary were a bit underdeveloped in the beginning, but by the end, I got a good sense of who they were. I also liked the development of Kaleo and Nikolas. It all worked very well.
Overall, if you liked Shattered Mirror, this won't disappoint. If you haven't read Shattered Mirror at all, however, read that first (it's actually better than this one.)
June 8, 2015
All Just Glass is definitely my favorite, so far, from the newer books in Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's Den of Shadows series. Perhaps, because it involves all the characters from Shattered Mirror, which was my second fave of Amelia's books right after Demon in My View!
Surprisingly, the book picks up shortly after the events of Shattered Mirror, but you don't really have to have read that one to enjoy or understand this one! It's had to be at least 10 years or more since I've read it! The other interesting bit is that this book really does just take place in a day. With an epilogue the next night, but yeah, one entire day in the lives of Sarah and Aida Vida.
Sarah, once a witch and vampire hunter, is now a vampire herself, turned by Nikolas and Kristopher. Ironically, now the three of them get along rather well. Though Sarah is still getting used to not wanting to kill vampires, she seems to adjust to her new situation rather well. Aida though, has a rougher go of things. Not only is her little sister a vampire, but she's been given orders to kill her by their mother. And it's something she knows she must fulfill at all costs.
I did really enjoy this one, but what I missed was the budding romance between Sarah and Kristopher or as he was at the time Christopher. Yes, it's been sooo long since I last read Shattered Mirror but I enjoy the whole vampire hunter and vampire falling in love. I was a Buffy fan after all! But here it seems there is no longer any romance between the two. I get that Sarah is trying to adjust to a new way of life, but I just felt like she and Kristopher grew distant over the course of the book. If anything, I felt like she was almost growing closer to Nikolas, but then again, there was never anything romantic happening. If fact, this book was without romance entirely. I feel like that's a pretty valid fact. Though there are many different kinds of love evident throughout the story. I guess the fangirl in me was just upset to see Sarah and Kristopher together but so far apart.
Otherwise, All Just Glass was an amazing story! We even got to learn a bit of insight on Dominique, Sarah and Aida's mother who always seemed like a cold-hearted bitch. And she still is, but we get to see more of the reasons behind her bitchiness! This was definitely a novel for the fans of Shattered Mirror in a lot of ways. Though I think new fans can find enjoyment in it as well. I still had hoped for just something "more" to the story. Likely the sparks between Sarah and Kristopher, but all in all, this was an enjoyable read!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
Surprisingly, the book picks up shortly after the events of Shattered Mirror, but you don't really have to have read that one to enjoy or understand this one! It's had to be at least 10 years or more since I've read it! The other interesting bit is that this book really does just take place in a day. With an epilogue the next night, but yeah, one entire day in the lives of Sarah and Aida Vida.
Sarah, once a witch and vampire hunter, is now a vampire herself, turned by Nikolas and Kristopher. Ironically, now the three of them get along rather well. Though Sarah is still getting used to not wanting to kill vampires, she seems to adjust to her new situation rather well. Aida though, has a rougher go of things. Not only is her little sister a vampire, but she's been given orders to kill her by their mother. And it's something she knows she must fulfill at all costs.
I did really enjoy this one, but what I missed was the budding romance between Sarah and Kristopher or as he was at the time Christopher. Yes, it's been sooo long since I last read Shattered Mirror but I enjoy the whole vampire hunter and vampire falling in love. I was a Buffy fan after all! But here it seems there is no longer any romance between the two. I get that Sarah is trying to adjust to a new way of life, but I just felt like she and Kristopher grew distant over the course of the book. If anything, I felt like she was almost growing closer to Nikolas, but then again, there was never anything romantic happening. If fact, this book was without romance entirely. I feel like that's a pretty valid fact. Though there are many different kinds of love evident throughout the story. I guess the fangirl in me was just upset to see Sarah and Kristopher together but so far apart.
Otherwise, All Just Glass was an amazing story! We even got to learn a bit of insight on Dominique, Sarah and Aida's mother who always seemed like a cold-hearted bitch. And she still is, but we get to see more of the reasons behind her bitchiness! This was definitely a novel for the fans of Shattered Mirror in a lot of ways. Though I think new fans can find enjoyment in it as well. I still had hoped for just something "more" to the story. Likely the sparks between Sarah and Kristopher, but all in all, this was an enjoyable read!
Overall Rating 4/5 stars
April 6, 2015
I loved Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' books as a teen, so nostalgia is what drew me to pick this book up. It's unfortunate that her writing style just seems to have stayed entirely stagnant with little improvement from 10 years ago. I had fun revisiting the world and characters (all of whom are beautiful, dark, and brooding, of course), but the way this was written just felt sloppy with strange jumps in continuity. I don't understand why this was written over a 24 hour time period and I didn't even realize that was the case until I was half way through the book.
The only thing saving this book from a one star review from me is that it felt a lot like going back and living in the mind of sixteen year old me. Of all of Rhodes books, Shattered Mirror was one of my favorites and I always wanted to know what happened next to the characters.
The only thing saving this book from a one star review from me is that it felt a lot like going back and living in the mind of sixteen year old me. Of all of Rhodes books, Shattered Mirror was one of my favorites and I always wanted to know what happened next to the characters.
May 8, 2012
I've loved Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' writing since I was eleven years old. I spent the better part of my teenage years on an Amelia Atwater-Rhodes message board, learning about and immersing myself in the world she'd created. Thus, her books are kinda a huge nostalgia bomb for me, and I might get a little more satisfaction out of them books than your average Jane off the street.
Now that being said, I wasn't wild about Persistence of Memory, and to be totally honest, Shattered Mirror was my second-least favorite of the DoS series. So I don't think bias totally clouds my judgement on the subject.
With all that in mind, I kind of loved this book.
Warning: spoilers abound for Shattered Mirror.
While I hadn't exactly been pining for a follow-up to Sarah's tale, I do like what Atwater-Rhodes did with it. Shattered Mirror ended with Sarah, a teenaged witch and vampire hunter, being turned into a vampire herself by twin brothers that she'd both been hunting and befriending. Being the daughter of a woman who is essentially queen of the witches - witch, in Amy's world, being near synonymous with "vampire hunter" - this created a lot complications, not only for Sarah, but for her family as well. And as All Just Glass shows us, what creates complications for the Vida family creates complications for the rest of witch society.
The great part of All Just Glass is that we get to see all of these complications, and the way that they unravel the lives of many of the characters involved. AJG isn't just about Sarah as she comes to terms with her new life as a vampire. Instead, the narrative flips between Sarah's new life and the lives of her friends and family as they deal with her "death". The driving force behind the plot is the hunt that Sarah's mother, Dominique, calls for to exact revenge on Sarah's "murderers" - as well as Sarah, herself. The "Right of Kin" that she declares compels every last remaining witch to assist in Dominque's quest for vengeance, and has far-reaching consequences, both politically - for vampires and witches - and personally, for the five remaining hunters whose duty it is to find and kill someone that they used to know and love.
One of my very favorite aspects of Atwater-Rhodes's writing has always been this really in-depth, complex, world that she's created. Every supernatural race, every family line, every organization, every individual character, has volumes of history behind them that color their present-day relationships, interactions, and decisions. This, in turn, affects the political workings and developments that we see in All Just Glass. It's a really cool thing, if you're familiar with the world, to see characters that other books have mentioned in passing, out and about living their lives and affecting the lives of our current protagonists.
Better yet, AJG shows us not just more of, but a different side to some of the characters and organizations that we've previously read about. For example, we get a peek inside how the organization SingleEarth actually works, how it manages to function as a neutral zone in such a combative world. The primary focus is the day-to-day lives of the vampire-hunting witches, which I particularly enjoyed, since they've remained by and large the one-dimensional fanatical assholes of Amelia's world.
On the other hand, I can imagine that for someone who wasn't familiar with the series, or even just not recently familiar with them, this could all seem very confusing. Characters, names, lines, and political affiliations are thrown around, and though attempts are made to explain who they are and what everything means, AJG is still prone to moments of confusion. It could potentially overwhelm, and even turn off a reader new to the world.
The other problem with this is, all of those necessary character explanations? Yeah, they can clutter the text something awful. While I occasionally needed the reminder of, say, who the Arun or Marinitch witches were and what made them different, the bouts of exposition required to share this information could be a bit dry, and weren't terribly well integrated in to the overall narrative.
I did have issues with the writing here and there. It's sufficient, if not wholly engaging, but there was some awkward phrasing, the aforementioned clunky exposition, a few instances of wince-inducing melodrama, and what I'm going to assume are editing issues, where it seems like entire scenes were set up and then skipped (example: Sarah's shopping trip with Kendra).
Despite that, though, I enjoyed what the book offered. The new look in to the lives of the world's most feared vampire hunters was compelling. For many books, we've been given a very distinct portrayal of not only Dominique Vida, but witch vampire hunters in general: they're cold, calculating, and zealously devoted to their mission of killing all vampires. All Just Glass's primary goal is exposing the people behind that zealotry...
Read full review at You're Killing.Us.
Now that being said, I wasn't wild about Persistence of Memory, and to be totally honest, Shattered Mirror was my second-least favorite of the DoS series. So I don't think bias totally clouds my judgement on the subject.
With all that in mind, I kind of loved this book.
Warning: spoilers abound for Shattered Mirror.
While I hadn't exactly been pining for a follow-up to Sarah's tale, I do like what Atwater-Rhodes did with it. Shattered Mirror ended with Sarah, a teenaged witch and vampire hunter, being turned into a vampire herself by twin brothers that she'd both been hunting and befriending. Being the daughter of a woman who is essentially queen of the witches - witch, in Amy's world, being near synonymous with "vampire hunter" - this created a lot complications, not only for Sarah, but for her family as well. And as All Just Glass shows us, what creates complications for the Vida family creates complications for the rest of witch society.
The great part of All Just Glass is that we get to see all of these complications, and the way that they unravel the lives of many of the characters involved. AJG isn't just about Sarah as she comes to terms with her new life as a vampire. Instead, the narrative flips between Sarah's new life and the lives of her friends and family as they deal with her "death". The driving force behind the plot is the hunt that Sarah's mother, Dominique, calls for to exact revenge on Sarah's "murderers" - as well as Sarah, herself. The "Right of Kin" that she declares compels every last remaining witch to assist in Dominque's quest for vengeance, and has far-reaching consequences, both politically - for vampires and witches - and personally, for the five remaining hunters whose duty it is to find and kill someone that they used to know and love.
One of my very favorite aspects of Atwater-Rhodes's writing has always been this really in-depth, complex, world that she's created. Every supernatural race, every family line, every organization, every individual character, has volumes of history behind them that color their present-day relationships, interactions, and decisions. This, in turn, affects the political workings and developments that we see in All Just Glass. It's a really cool thing, if you're familiar with the world, to see characters that other books have mentioned in passing, out and about living their lives and affecting the lives of our current protagonists.
Better yet, AJG shows us not just more of, but a different side to some of the characters and organizations that we've previously read about. For example, we get a peek inside how the organization SingleEarth actually works, how it manages to function as a neutral zone in such a combative world. The primary focus is the day-to-day lives of the vampire-hunting witches, which I particularly enjoyed, since they've remained by and large the one-dimensional fanatical assholes of Amelia's world.
On the other hand, I can imagine that for someone who wasn't familiar with the series, or even just not recently familiar with them, this could all seem very confusing. Characters, names, lines, and political affiliations are thrown around, and though attempts are made to explain who they are and what everything means, AJG is still prone to moments of confusion. It could potentially overwhelm, and even turn off a reader new to the world.
The other problem with this is, all of those necessary character explanations? Yeah, they can clutter the text something awful. While I occasionally needed the reminder of, say, who the Arun or Marinitch witches were and what made them different, the bouts of exposition required to share this information could be a bit dry, and weren't terribly well integrated in to the overall narrative.
I did have issues with the writing here and there. It's sufficient, if not wholly engaging, but there was some awkward phrasing, the aforementioned clunky exposition, a few instances of wince-inducing melodrama, and what I'm going to assume are editing issues, where it seems like entire scenes were set up and then skipped (example: Sarah's shopping trip with Kendra).
Despite that, though, I enjoyed what the book offered. The new look in to the lives of the world's most feared vampire hunters was compelling. For many books, we've been given a very distinct portrayal of not only Dominique Vida, but witch vampire hunters in general: they're cold, calculating, and zealously devoted to their mission of killing all vampires. All Just Glass's primary goal is exposing the people behind that zealotry...
Read full review at You're Killing.Us.
January 9, 2017
This is a sequel (almost directly) to Shattered Mirror and it's been a long time (*coughcough* years) since I read that one.
I did basically DEVOUR the first four books in the Den of Shadows back in the day though:
#1 In the Forests of the Night
#2 Demon in My View
#3 Shattered Mirror
#4 Midnight Predator
I really, really wanted more in that world, but that was when she started on a whole different run of books and I wasn't as interested in them -- though, I did buy/read them at the times they were released. I was sad that she'd spent what felt like to me too much time on that series, and had left this one hanging with more to be told.
WELP.
Do you remember that feeling when you really wanted a toy when you were little and then you get it and it's super lame and either breaks or stops working or never really worked right from the start?
This book gave me that feeling. It's been more recently (last year) that I finally got around to reading book #5 Persistence of Memory & book #6 Token of Darkness. They might not have swept me up as much as the original four, but I did enjoy both to different degrees (not sure if they are in the pile of books I still need to get around to reviewing or not).
That said, this one just never ever got off the ground for me.
--> It had a million PoVs and they would switch in chapter from paragraph to paragraph. I am a fan of different PoVs -- they can be a great way to add dimensions to a story. When you have so many and there's no rhyme nor reason when they switch? You just have a fractured, jarring mess.
--> The timeline was apparently planned as one thing and ended up being another. Which leaves everything not really making much sense since it's supposed to take place in the course of 24 hours?? The times on the chapters also don't really hold to making sense in the scheme of the book as a whole. It's a great device when it's done well. When it's not..... Yeah.
--> The author does note this as having been written during a NaNoWriMo, but it doesn't feel like it had the benefit of NaNoEdMo. Because a lot of the issues with flow and structure and everything else could have been cleaned up and fixed with editing.
--> This is a sequel that was written LONG after the first, and not in direct series order. Even with a pretty "loosely" connected series, there are some strong connections from this to those first four. Connections that weren't really overly apparent in book 5 and book 6. But with those connections, you need to have some manner of bridging the gap. Both in time between publication of one to the other, and in bringing that story into this one. It's been a good chunk of time since I read the first, but there was still very little in the way of explanation of why things were the way they were. It should give some continuation of that story: what happened after, and how the characters learned and grew or something along those lines. Giving us an answer to "what happened next?" Instead it was pretty lackluster and makes the original story seem lessened by its addition. Yep, it took AWAY from my enjoyment of the previous story. I don't want to go into why since spoilers, and I do my best to avoid spoiling things in reviews.
If you're reading this series and enjoying the other books, you wouldn't be missing anything if you just ignore that this one even exists and just carry on with your life.
1.5 stars only because I read the whole thing. :|
I did basically DEVOUR the first four books in the Den of Shadows back in the day though:
#1 In the Forests of the Night
#2 Demon in My View
#3 Shattered Mirror
#4 Midnight Predator
I really, really wanted more in that world, but that was when she started on a whole different run of books and I wasn't as interested in them -- though, I did buy/read them at the times they were released. I was sad that she'd spent what felt like to me too much time on that series, and had left this one hanging with more to be told.
WELP.
Do you remember that feeling when you really wanted a toy when you were little and then you get it and it's super lame and either breaks or stops working or never really worked right from the start?
This book gave me that feeling. It's been more recently (last year) that I finally got around to reading book #5 Persistence of Memory & book #6 Token of Darkness. They might not have swept me up as much as the original four, but I did enjoy both to different degrees (not sure if they are in the pile of books I still need to get around to reviewing or not).
That said, this one just never ever got off the ground for me.
--> It had a million PoVs and they would switch in chapter from paragraph to paragraph. I am a fan of different PoVs -- they can be a great way to add dimensions to a story. When you have so many and there's no rhyme nor reason when they switch? You just have a fractured, jarring mess.
--> The timeline was apparently planned as one thing and ended up being another. Which leaves everything not really making much sense since it's supposed to take place in the course of 24 hours?? The times on the chapters also don't really hold to making sense in the scheme of the book as a whole. It's a great device when it's done well. When it's not..... Yeah.
--> The author does note this as having been written during a NaNoWriMo, but it doesn't feel like it had the benefit of NaNoEdMo. Because a lot of the issues with flow and structure and everything else could have been cleaned up and fixed with editing.
--> This is a sequel that was written LONG after the first, and not in direct series order. Even with a pretty "loosely" connected series, there are some strong connections from this to those first four. Connections that weren't really overly apparent in book 5 and book 6. But with those connections, you need to have some manner of bridging the gap. Both in time between publication of one to the other, and in bringing that story into this one. It's been a good chunk of time since I read the first, but there was still very little in the way of explanation of why things were the way they were. It should give some continuation of that story: what happened after, and how the characters learned and grew or something along those lines. Giving us an answer to "what happened next?" Instead it was pretty lackluster and makes the original story seem lessened by its addition. Yep, it took AWAY from my enjoyment of the previous story. I don't want to go into why since spoilers, and I do my best to avoid spoiling things in reviews.
If you're reading this series and enjoying the other books, you wouldn't be missing anything if you just ignore that this one even exists and just carry on with your life.
1.5 stars only because I read the whole thing. :|
March 14, 2014
So before I really spill my thoughts on this book, I think it's important to note that this book has a theme, and that is: having balance is better than attempting to achieve absolute perfection. Okay, there I said it. This book is going to really beat that message into you.
So, I read this book because I read Shattered Mirror (the prequel) back when I was a kid. I really loved that book, along with Midnight Predator and Demon in my View. This book however (written 10 years after "Shattered Mirror") was not one of Amelia's best works.
This entire book is based in loosely 24 hours, immediately following the events of "Shattered Mirror". That right there is where the problems follow. The ending was extremely rushed and disappointing, and new characters frequently come into play that Amelia expects us to know and remember from being vaguely mentioned once or twice in the prequel. The ending felt unfinished, in fact, and most things that occurred in the final moments of the book had to be re-explained in the epilogue instead of telling us what happened to all the characters we've spent all this time reading about. The last thing that I didn't like was the relationship between Sarah and Kristopher, which basically consisted in one or two moments together, and then an eventual falling out (if you would even call it that). Sarah and Kristopher's sadist of a brother had more chemistry in this book, and I kept wondering if the author had been meaning to put them together before clearly running out of time. So if you're expecting some romance like in the last book, you won't get anything more than a few sentences of hugging, or holding hands briefly.
What I did like about this book was picking up the sequel of a book I read almost 10 years ago. It felt like a sentimental journey for me, and it was just the closure I needed from the cliff-hanger ending that "Shattered Mirror" left me with all these years. The book was also entertaining, and there were moments were I was honestly gripping the pages, and not willing to let go. However, this is (and I repeat) not one of Amelia's best works, and I will only recommend this to those who read "Shattered Mirror" and desperately want to find out what happened to Sarah ― without caring about all the issues in the writing.
So, I read this book because I read Shattered Mirror (the prequel) back when I was a kid. I really loved that book, along with Midnight Predator and Demon in my View. This book however (written 10 years after "Shattered Mirror") was not one of Amelia's best works.
This entire book is based in loosely 24 hours, immediately following the events of "Shattered Mirror". That right there is where the problems follow. The ending was extremely rushed and disappointing, and new characters frequently come into play that Amelia expects us to know and remember from being vaguely mentioned once or twice in the prequel. The ending felt unfinished, in fact, and most things that occurred in the final moments of the book had to be re-explained in the epilogue instead of telling us what happened to all the characters we've spent all this time reading about. The last thing that I didn't like was the relationship between Sarah and Kristopher, which basically consisted in one or two moments together, and then an eventual falling out (if you would even call it that). Sarah and Kristopher's sadist of a brother had more chemistry in this book, and I kept wondering if the author had been meaning to put them together before clearly running out of time. So if you're expecting some romance like in the last book, you won't get anything more than a few sentences of hugging, or holding hands briefly.
What I did like about this book was picking up the sequel of a book I read almost 10 years ago. It felt like a sentimental journey for me, and it was just the closure I needed from the cliff-hanger ending that "Shattered Mirror" left me with all these years. The book was also entertaining, and there were moments were I was honestly gripping the pages, and not willing to let go. However, this is (and I repeat) not one of Amelia's best works, and I will only recommend this to those who read "Shattered Mirror" and desperately want to find out what happened to Sarah ― without caring about all the issues in the writing.
July 29, 2015
I’ve been struggling to articulate what exactly it was about this book that I didn’t like. I know what it is that I do like about it. I like the world that Amelia Atwater-Rhodes constructed so carefully with these characters prior to “All Just Glass.” I like that this book takes place within 24 hours. And I’ve been a fan of her previous themes about family, the struggle to achieve perfection and control and love.
“All Just Glass” begins immediately after the events of “Shattered Mirror.” Aida is battered and broken hearted, her little sister, Sarah, has been turned into a vampire. And for Aida this is extra disastrous given that her family has been hunting vampires for centuries. Aida and Sarah’s mother has called together all the other vampire hunter families and invokes an ancient law that demands that Sarah’s “death” be avenged.
This book had all the makings of my particular brand of catnip: an author I adore, vampires, family drama, vampires, vampires, did I mention the vampires?
The slim novel is unfortunately packed with too many characters and I had difficulty remembering who was whom and what they wanted. Picture a small tortilla. Now imagine that you’ve put too much meat into said tortilla and then try to make it into a burrito. Doesn’t work, does it? That’s what reading this book was like.
It’s been a really long time since I read the previous books and Atwater-Rhodes doesn’t sufficiently explain all the previous plotlines. I’ve always been a person who enjoys reading sequels and series, but at the same time, I’m a reader who needs a refresher on what’s happened before. The best writers can explain quickly what’s happened without making the reader feel like an idiot.
The other big thing that irritated me throughout reading “All Just Glass” was that so much of this book felt like I was reading notes. There was a lot of that “telling” and not “showing” aspect. Also, I thought the ending was a copout. Yeah, I said it.
Let me be clear, I’ve adored this author and her work for a long time. So many of her other books have been absolutely wonderful reads for me. But this one wasn’t my cup of tea.
“All Just Glass” begins immediately after the events of “Shattered Mirror.” Aida is battered and broken hearted, her little sister, Sarah, has been turned into a vampire. And for Aida this is extra disastrous given that her family has been hunting vampires for centuries. Aida and Sarah’s mother has called together all the other vampire hunter families and invokes an ancient law that demands that Sarah’s “death” be avenged.
This book had all the makings of my particular brand of catnip: an author I adore, vampires, family drama, vampires, vampires, did I mention the vampires?
The slim novel is unfortunately packed with too many characters and I had difficulty remembering who was whom and what they wanted. Picture a small tortilla. Now imagine that you’ve put too much meat into said tortilla and then try to make it into a burrito. Doesn’t work, does it? That’s what reading this book was like.
It’s been a really long time since I read the previous books and Atwater-Rhodes doesn’t sufficiently explain all the previous plotlines. I’ve always been a person who enjoys reading sequels and series, but at the same time, I’m a reader who needs a refresher on what’s happened before. The best writers can explain quickly what’s happened without making the reader feel like an idiot.
The other big thing that irritated me throughout reading “All Just Glass” was that so much of this book felt like I was reading notes. There was a lot of that “telling” and not “showing” aspect. Also, I thought the ending was a copout. Yeah, I said it.
Let me be clear, I’ve adored this author and her work for a long time. So many of her other books have been absolutely wonderful reads for me. But this one wasn’t my cup of tea.
August 12, 2016
3.5 stars
I don't know why but I went into this not having particularly high expectations for it and it managed to surprise me by being a quite enjoyable read. Though I was a little bit lost in the beginning since this is a continuation of the third book in the series that I've read a while ago and I've managed to forget almost everything about it. So in the beginning of the book I was constantly trying to figure out if some of the characters are new to the series or if I've just managed to forget them in the past couple of years. To be honest I'm still not sure about some of them.
I really like all the different POV's as this way I got to read from both the vampire's and hunter's perspective. It really brought to life the conflict between them and I had no idea how things could possibly get resolved with both of the parties involved happy. The author really surprised me with the ending, especially with how it was executed. I honestly didn't see it coming.
I loved reading about Adia's and Sarah's personal struggle. Sarah was coming to grips with becoming the thing she spent her entire lifetime training to hunt and kill, and Adia was torn between following the rules and her love and loyalty to Sarah. Chapters in Adia's POV were particularly interesting. It was fascinating to read about how strict and emotionless her upbringing was, how she was taught to always have control over her feelings and bury those that weren't allowed by the Vida clan so deep she could barely even feel them. It's a surprise she even turned out the way she did. With the way things ended and with everything that was revealed about some of the hunters I really hope the hunters will choose to take a slightly different path than the one they were on and actually enjoy life a little, not just be carriers of death.
I don't know why but I went into this not having particularly high expectations for it and it managed to surprise me by being a quite enjoyable read. Though I was a little bit lost in the beginning since this is a continuation of the third book in the series that I've read a while ago and I've managed to forget almost everything about it. So in the beginning of the book I was constantly trying to figure out if some of the characters are new to the series or if I've just managed to forget them in the past couple of years. To be honest I'm still not sure about some of them.
I really like all the different POV's as this way I got to read from both the vampire's and hunter's perspective. It really brought to life the conflict between them and I had no idea how things could possibly get resolved with both of the parties involved happy. The author really surprised me with the ending, especially with how it was executed. I honestly didn't see it coming.
I loved reading about Adia's and Sarah's personal struggle. Sarah was coming to grips with becoming the thing she spent her entire lifetime training to hunt and kill, and Adia was torn between following the rules and her love and loyalty to Sarah. Chapters in Adia's POV were particularly interesting. It was fascinating to read about how strict and emotionless her upbringing was, how she was taught to always have control over her feelings and bury those that weren't allowed by the Vida clan so deep she could barely even feel them. It's a surprise she even turned out the way she did. With the way things ended and with everything that was revealed about some of the hunters I really hope the hunters will choose to take a slightly different path than the one they were on and actually enjoy life a little, not just be carriers of death.
January 20, 2011
All Just Glass is a novel by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and a companion to her previous novel, Shattered Mirror. Three days ago, I purchased it from Barnes & Noble. Thirty hours later I had read the entire book. It took me twenty-nine hours from the time I began reading it, to finish it.
I cannot express in words how much I enjoyed this book. It was an amazing thrill ride. I was so wrapped up in reading it, I could not sleep until I finished it. I finished reading All Just Glass at 2:00 in the morning. I tried to go to sleep on several occasions prior to finishing the book, without success. I was so obsorbed in the plot, my brain would let me think of nothing else.
(Major Spoiler Alert)
My two favorite parts of the book were the scene with the human named Jake, and the part near the end when Adia stabbed Sarah in the heart.
I loved the tenderness of the blood-letting scene. It melted my heart and nearly fried my brain. I didn't know somebody could write something so amazing. It went beyond my expectations for the book. If the rest of the book hadn't been so awesome, I would have said that that scene made the entire book worth reading.
The scene where Adia "planted a knife in Sarah's heart" was gripping and frightening. I was so shocked when she said "Bye, Sarah." I sat up in my bed. It was so surprising I couldn't control myself. I was certain that Adia wouldn't go through with it. I was so sure of her love for her sister. But the Epilogue made me feel so much better.
(End Spoiler)
All Just Glass was the best book in the Den of Shadows series. It made going all the way across town to get it worthwhile. I don't think I'll ever forget this book. It is now my new favorite.
I cannot express in words how much I enjoyed this book. It was an amazing thrill ride. I was so wrapped up in reading it, I could not sleep until I finished it. I finished reading All Just Glass at 2:00 in the morning. I tried to go to sleep on several occasions prior to finishing the book, without success. I was so obsorbed in the plot, my brain would let me think of nothing else.
(Major Spoiler Alert)
My two favorite parts of the book were the scene with the human named Jake, and the part near the end when Adia stabbed Sarah in the heart.
I loved the tenderness of the blood-letting scene. It melted my heart and nearly fried my brain. I didn't know somebody could write something so amazing. It went beyond my expectations for the book. If the rest of the book hadn't been so awesome, I would have said that that scene made the entire book worth reading.
The scene where Adia "planted a knife in Sarah's heart" was gripping and frightening. I was so shocked when she said "Bye, Sarah." I sat up in my bed. It was so surprising I couldn't control myself. I was certain that Adia wouldn't go through with it. I was so sure of her love for her sister. But the Epilogue made me feel so much better.
(End Spoiler)
All Just Glass was the best book in the Den of Shadows series. It made going all the way across town to get it worthwhile. I don't think I'll ever forget this book. It is now my new favorite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
August 7, 2010Ohhh....we get to hear more of Sarah's story....
11th Jan release
11th Jan release
October 13, 2010
I just couldnt get into this one... I got about half way through and then couldn't finish.
December 14, 2020
When witch-kin is slain, there shall be no safe haven, no higher law to protect the guilty. Every hunter shall turn her blade to the task, and there shall be no rest until those responsible have been slain. These are the Rights of Kin.
Sarah Vida has given up everything for love. From a legendary family of vampire-hunting witches, Sarah was raised to never trust a vampire, to never let her guard down, and to avoid all tricky attachments of the heart. But now Sarah IS a vampire—changed by the boy she thought she loved. Her family has forsaken her, and Sarah herself is disgusted by her appetite for blood.
Aida Vida is Sarah's older sister, the good, reliable sibling who always does her family proud. But when Aida's mother insists that Sarah be found and killed, Aida is given the one assignment that she may not be able to carry out.
Survival sometimes requires doing that which you would prefer not to.
Following the events of Shattered Mirror, Atwater-Rhodes delves into what makes a monster and takes a hard look at what it costs to constantly strive for perfection (the Vida motto). None of the Vida are as perfect as their outer masks make it seem and just because you become a vampire doesn't mean you become a monster.
I loved the themes of the book and, as always, I chewed through this in a day.
Recommended for readers who enjoyed Shattered Glass.
June 19, 2018
I have not read the Den of shadows series since I was 12 but I remember Shattered Mirror was one of my favorites in the series. I loved the characters and complexity. So when I saw that there was a sequel to that story I was super excited to jump back into Sarah's story and the Vida witches. Atwater-Rhodes created a world I loved so much. While I know I am much older now, I just could not connect the characters in Shattered Mirror with who they were in All Just Glass. It felt way too rushed and the solution seemed too convenient. The parts where Sarah struggled with her becoming a vampire felt true to the character but I still felt a disconnect. I guess maybe I hyped it up too much in my head before reading it and I just wished there was more to the story, more world building more about the Vida lineage. I think that is why I really disliked this book. Overall it was a quick read and I think if I didn't build it so much I might have enjoyed it.
January 29, 2019
This was a much better story than the previous one. This is more of a sequel to Shattered Mirror. It follow the now Vampire Sarah and her Witch sister. Now on opposite sides they follow a few days after the tragic accident with Sarah on how the two can coop in a world with one another, set as enemies. I enjoyed shattered mirror and this was no different. My lack of one star was only because I wish for more of a story on Sarah and her adjustment to living forever, along with her relationship with the twins, which I found interesting as she found herself with Nickolas more than Kristopher. And because while the ending did tie up with the conclusion of the two sisters, I would like to know a bit more. It is typical of this author to end a story without giving too much detail, that I find frustrating. The story is complete, but I find as a reader I am left feeling like I am missing something.
August 20, 2020
So I was going to give this three stars because it was entertaining, though not brilliantly written, but I’m mad at the ending. This book wasn’t as good as the first one, but that one wasn’t exactly a work of art either.
My main issue is that the book takes place in the span of 24 hours but feels like days passed. There was just too much going on. This storyline could have easily continued for another book or two.
I also know this was Adia’s book, but we aren’t told where Nikolas and Kristopher are planning to go from the end, or where things stood between Sarah and Kristopher. The ending felt very choppy and only resolved the hunters storylines. No one else’s.
For once- could we please have a book where the main character falls for the bad vampire? Sarah and Nikolas are set up for romance way more than Kristopher and Sara. And Nikolas is just so much more interesting that Kristopher.
My main issue is that the book takes place in the span of 24 hours but feels like days passed. There was just too much going on. This storyline could have easily continued for another book or two.
I also know this was Adia’s book, but we aren’t told where Nikolas and Kristopher are planning to go from the end, or where things stood between Sarah and Kristopher. The ending felt very choppy and only resolved the hunters storylines. No one else’s.
For once- could we please have a book where the main character falls for the bad vampire? Sarah and Nikolas are set up for romance way more than Kristopher and Sara. And Nikolas is just so much more interesting that Kristopher.
April 3, 2025
A satisfying conclusion to what started with Shattered Mirror. I thought it was fitting that the Vida shell would crack and reveal that every one of them is flawed. Dominique held her children to such high standards that even she couldn't meet when she was there age. I was really rooting for her downfall and it happened. She didn't even realize that she was the only one who held the witches to the unattainable standards, and that the other clans had already learned to live with the vampires in their midst. The Arun line negotiated with the vampires and the Smoke line helped with Singlearth. The Marinitch's seemed to just withdraw from hunting for the most part.
I also enjoyed glimpsing the less bloodthirsty sides of Kaleo and Nikolas. After reading horrible thing after horrible thing about them in Shattered Mirror, it was interesting to see them in their daily lives not committing atrocities.
I also enjoyed glimpsing the less bloodthirsty sides of Kaleo and Nikolas. After reading horrible thing after horrible thing about them in Shattered Mirror, it was interesting to see them in their daily lives not committing atrocities.
Read
August 4, 20193 1/2 Stars
All Just Glass is the seventh book in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with vampires, witches, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, hunters, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst.
Sarah Vida gave everything up for love- literally. She's forever changed by her experience- and it's made things quite difficult. You see she's now a vampire, and that's quite a big complication considering she's a witch from a vampire hunting family. What happens you ask? Well you really need to read all the interesting details for yourself- no spoilers from me.
An original, spooky story- with fully developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
A fun read!
Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
All Just Glass is the seventh book in The Den of Shadows series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.
This is a great YA, paranormal fantasy series with vampires, witches, shapeshifters, supernatural elements, hunters, mystery, suspense, danger, action, drama, and a little angst.
Sarah Vida gave everything up for love- literally. She's forever changed by her experience- and it's made things quite difficult. You see she's now a vampire, and that's quite a big complication considering she's a witch from a vampire hunting family. What happens you ask? Well you really need to read all the interesting details for yourself- no spoilers from me.
An original, spooky story- with fully developed and interesting characters. It’s well crafted and is a credit to Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
A fun read!
Thank you, Ms. Atwater-Rhodes!
August 27, 2020
This book was a beautiful revisit to Sara Vidia and her wild vampire maybe-boy.
I KINDA HAVE an OT3 between Sarah, Kristopher, and Nikolas. Just saying, they would be so functional. Nothing between the twins, of course not that’s ew, but each of them like Sarah, and they BALANCE eachother out. Come on like it makes sense.
I KINDA HAVE an OT3 between Sarah, Kristopher, and Nikolas. Just saying, they would be so functional. Nothing between the twins, of course not that’s ew, but each of them like Sarah, and they BALANCE eachother out. Come on like it makes sense.
June 1, 2021
I read "Shattered Mirror" long ago and have always been interested in the hypothetical "What happens now?" for new vampire, Sarah, and her vampire hunting older sister, Adia. "All Just Glass" addresses it in a whirlwind of betrayal, love and lies. A fitting conclusion to the Vida family story
August 13, 2018
The ending was not what I expected but I am very happy with it.
September 16, 2018
I loved it I reccomend it it if you're into vampires and witches
February 2, 2019
The best part of the book was how the author handled the idea that maybe the relationship forged in the prequel was not strong enough to be a lasting one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2019
A great follow up to Shattered Mirror! Loved it! It was nice to get a look into Dominique's past as well.
December 5, 2019
2.5 Stars
June 9, 2023
Another high point in the Den of Shadows Story.
July 27, 2023
I simp for Sarah Vida it's true
March 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this! However, some of the filler parts were slow and not very needed.
August 15, 2016
This is the sequel to Shattered Mirror and book 7 in the Den of Shadows series, but DON’T STOP READING YET! I promise this review doesn’t have any spoilers for the previous books.
But let me just gush about Shattered Mirror for a minute
Shattered Mirror was published in 2001 when Amelia was a teenager, but you’d never guess her age based on her book. I devoured Shattered Mirror and have been singing its praises for years. Two hot vampire brothers—one good, one seductively bad—and the girl in the middle of the two (sound familiar?). Only in Shattered Mirror, the girl is a witch and vampire hunter, which adds in a whole level of delicious forbidden love and conflict.
The vampire and witch lore is so thorough I feel like that world could actually exist around me. Her characters were real and likable. I care about those people. I squeaked with joy when I heard there would be a sequel.
Time Gone By
While ten years have passed in the real world, practically no time has passed between Shattered Mirror and All Just Glass. The events of this book take place over the course of a mere 24 hours. I thought this was gimmicky and unnecessary, adding nothing at all except mild annoyance. I suggest just ignoring the time stamps at the beginning of each chapter. You won’t miss anything.
Who the heck are these people?!
All Just Glass features almost all of the main characters from the first book and throws in a few more. The cast is HUGE and I had a hard time keeping track of everyone. I could barely tell the difference between a bunch of characters, having to rely solely on superficial traits (that one’s the witch with vampire blood, that one’s the witch with psychic powers, etc).
Even worse, the characters I knew and loved from the first book had nothing in common with their versions in this book. Nikolas had such a strong and distinct personality in Shattered Mirror, but here he’s completely different and barely present. This was the biggest let down for me.
The other characters from the first book met the same fate. They all felt washed out and incomplete, relying solely on the development of the first book (which in many cases contradicted their actions in this second book). As the characters stand in this book, I don’t care at all about any of them and they all score a big whopping ZERO on my WWMCD Test.
Where am I? Who am I?
The plot pacing felt uneven, jumping around with repeated promises of interesting events and then fizzling out. The tight plotting and steadily building pace of Amelia’s earlier books was absent here. Instead events seemed to meander around without coherent form or goal. I wanted to chuck the book across the room at the epically anticlimactic ending.
Making matters worse are all of the competing narrators. The book is written in the third person, but the focus shifts from character to character with little rhyme or reason. Some characters’ focuses are returned to again and again, while others only have one or two scenes (scenes, not even whole chapters). This felt sloppy and convoluted, especially since most of the characters all sounded the same.
Secrets were revealed for many characters, presumably to create depth and “shades of gray.” I ended up disliking them even more. I also felt like this added confusion because none of their secrets are revealed coherently. Ever run text through a translator and eventually you get the gist of what was written but the details are missing and you’re left with a jumble of broken English? That’s what this felt like to me.
Whatever tension there might have been was completely killed for me after numerous letdowns and the realization that even my memories of these characters couldn’t make me care about what happened to them now.
Bottom line
Read Shattered Mirror! And, really, all of the first four books in the series. Each ends as a standalone, so you can pick one up and not have to worry about reading a whole series or dealing with loose ends. I’m very disappointed with All Just Glass, especially since I know the author is capable of much better.
Originally posted at Small Review
But let me just gush about Shattered Mirror for a minute
Shattered Mirror was published in 2001 when Amelia was a teenager, but you’d never guess her age based on her book. I devoured Shattered Mirror and have been singing its praises for years. Two hot vampire brothers—one good, one seductively bad—and the girl in the middle of the two (sound familiar?). Only in Shattered Mirror, the girl is a witch and vampire hunter, which adds in a whole level of delicious forbidden love and conflict.
The vampire and witch lore is so thorough I feel like that world could actually exist around me. Her characters were real and likable. I care about those people. I squeaked with joy when I heard there would be a sequel.
Time Gone By
While ten years have passed in the real world, practically no time has passed between Shattered Mirror and All Just Glass. The events of this book take place over the course of a mere 24 hours. I thought this was gimmicky and unnecessary, adding nothing at all except mild annoyance. I suggest just ignoring the time stamps at the beginning of each chapter. You won’t miss anything.
Who the heck are these people?!
All Just Glass features almost all of the main characters from the first book and throws in a few more. The cast is HUGE and I had a hard time keeping track of everyone. I could barely tell the difference between a bunch of characters, having to rely solely on superficial traits (that one’s the witch with vampire blood, that one’s the witch with psychic powers, etc).
Even worse, the characters I knew and loved from the first book had nothing in common with their versions in this book. Nikolas had such a strong and distinct personality in Shattered Mirror, but here he’s completely different and barely present. This was the biggest let down for me.
The other characters from the first book met the same fate. They all felt washed out and incomplete, relying solely on the development of the first book (which in many cases contradicted their actions in this second book). As the characters stand in this book, I don’t care at all about any of them and they all score a big whopping ZERO on my WWMCD Test.
Where am I? Who am I?
The plot pacing felt uneven, jumping around with repeated promises of interesting events and then fizzling out. The tight plotting and steadily building pace of Amelia’s earlier books was absent here. Instead events seemed to meander around without coherent form or goal. I wanted to chuck the book across the room at the epically anticlimactic ending.
Making matters worse are all of the competing narrators. The book is written in the third person, but the focus shifts from character to character with little rhyme or reason. Some characters’ focuses are returned to again and again, while others only have one or two scenes (scenes, not even whole chapters). This felt sloppy and convoluted, especially since most of the characters all sounded the same.
Secrets were revealed for many characters, presumably to create depth and “shades of gray.” I ended up disliking them even more. I also felt like this added confusion because none of their secrets are revealed coherently. Ever run text through a translator and eventually you get the gist of what was written but the details are missing and you’re left with a jumble of broken English? That’s what this felt like to me.
Whatever tension there might have been was completely killed for me after numerous letdowns and the realization that even my memories of these characters couldn’t make me care about what happened to them now.
Bottom line
Read Shattered Mirror! And, really, all of the first four books in the series. Each ends as a standalone, so you can pick one up and not have to worry about reading a whole series or dealing with loose ends. I’m very disappointed with All Just Glass, especially since I know the author is capable of much better.
Originally posted at Small Review
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