Snyder, Maria V. - Storm Glass - March 2011 BOM

[Sashana]

This topic is open for discussion of Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder. BE PREPARED FOR SPOILERS.

[Kellyflower]

Sashana,
I heard this is actually a spin-off of another of her series. Does anyone know if you could read this "Glass series" with out reading her other series, or will it lessen the enjoyment of the book?

[Sashana]

There is an Author's Note at the beginning of the book and Maria Snyder makes it clear that she is keeping this series fresh and new because she spent so much time on the other series. I'm currently reading this and it is my first book by the author. So I don't think you have to read the Poison Study series first.

[Lacy♪ ♫Movements of a Demigod ♪ ♫]

Kellyflower wrote: "Sashana,
I heard this is actually a spin-off of another of her series. Does anyone know if you could read this "Glass series" with out reading her other series, or will it lessen the enjoyment of t..."

You can read The Glass Series without reading The Study Series first. They contain some of the same characters,but focus on different main characters. The Study Series focuses mainly on Yelena and how she finds manages to stay alive after being convicted of a crime in Ixia. The Glass Series focuses on Opal and how she discovers her hidden talents and is able to her people.

[Lisarenee]

I heard Yelena makes a cameo appearance in the Glass series and Valek has a somewhat bigger (although I have no idea how big) part in this one. It'll be interesting to see how the two books mesh together time frame wise.

[Sashana]

These are the discussions questions. You can choose to answer any or all of them. You are not required to answer any of them.

1. Do you think Opal has the ability to talk to the all of the dead or only the souls trapped in glass?
2. What do you think happened to Zitora's sister? Do you think she will make a reappearance in a later novel or was her brief mention just a conversation holder?
3. Opal seems too have a fascination with Devlen, aka blue eyes, despite him torturing her (and vice versa). Do you think they will develop a romantic relationship in the other books in the series?
4. Did you suspect that Ulrick was not himself when he returned from his sister's glass shop? If yes, what clued you in? (Personally this was a complete surprise to me)
5. Do you support Opal decision to give the real Ulrick a chance despite proclaiming her love for Kade?
6. Opal's magic grew tremendously in this book- she learned to turn illusions into physical properties which she can command. Do you think Opal will discover any hidden talents in the future novels? If so predict one talent.
7. Do you think Opal will be able to harness the 'stolen' powers of her victims? (I mean in a way besides using them as animals)
8. Do you think the Master Magicians will punish Opal for her new found talents?
9. Do you think Opal will track down the rest of the glass Warpers?

[Nami]

Hii :) Um, Ive actually -accidentally- read the book After this so..I probably wont be able to say anything yet! x.x

[Alicia]

1. Do you think Opal has the ability to talk to the all of the dead or only the souls trapped in glass?
I definitely think she can only talk to souls trapped in glass. She's not a soulfinder like Yelena, or she would have realized that Kata's soul was trapped in the storm-orb. She didn't actually realize Kata's soul was trapped in there until Yelena told her, she just thought she was communicating with a memory of Kata or something. Also if she were a soulfinder she would have been able to look at Devlin disguised as Ulrick and in one glance seen that the soul in the body was not the right one. Her magical abilities all relate to glass, not to souls, so if the soul is contained within glass she can probably communicate, otherwise not.

2. What do you think happened to Zitora's sister? Do you think she will make a reappearance in a later novel or was her brief mention just a conversation holder?
I think it was more than a conversation holder. I expect it will become a plot-line in one of the next two books. I think Snyder is a good enough writer that she doesn't just throw things in like that only to leave them unexplored. Everything she puts in is usually a hint for future developments.

3. Opal seems too have a fascination with Devlen, aka blue eyes, despite him torturing her (and vice versa). Do you think they will develop a romantic relationship in the other books in the series?
I didn't really think she had a fascination with him, but maybe I just missed that. Once she found out he wasn't really Ulrick, I thought she pretty much hated him. She did speculate about his psychology a bit, and recognize that he didn't actually like torturing her, but I don't pick up on any kind of romantic fascination. She already has two much more prominent love interests, so unless they are both killed off or conveniently disappear, I don't see blue-eyes becoming a romantic interest in the future.

4. Did you suspect that Ulrick was not himself when he returned from his sister's glass shop? If yes, what clued you in? (Personally this was a complete surprise to me)
I didn't suspect it immediately, but I suspected it at the point where she thought she saw his eyes flash a different colour for a minute (I think this was on their journey back to the Keep while they were staying at an inn).

5. Do you support Opal decision to give the real Ulrick a chance despite proclaiming her love for Kade?
Yeah, I think it's a fair and reasonable decision. I don't she was totally clear whether she was going to give him "a chance" as her boyfriend, or whether she just meant that she was going to work on their relationship as friends/colleagues. I'm interested to see what happens though.

I will answer the remaining questions tomorrow probably! Enjoyed this book very much!

[Alicia]

6. Opal's magic grew tremendously in this book- she learned to turn illusions into physical properties which she can command. Do you think Opal will discover any hidden talents in the future novels? If so predict one talent.
Yes, I expect she will continue to discover new powers. I predict her new powers may involve fire, since glass is so intimately tied to heat/fire. Maybe she will develop the ability to melt things with her mind or heat things up with her mind or something like that.

7. Do you think Opal will be able to harness the 'stolen' powers of her victims? (I mean in a way besides using them as animals)
Hmmmm, I'm not sure. It's not really clear what happens when Opal absorbs the stolen powers. When she does it with an illusion, she gains the person's energy by way of draining all their energy), and she could use that extra energy to bolster and fuel her own magic, but I'm not sure what specific magic she would use that energy for. When she siphons the magic directly, without an illusion, it exhausts her and makes her pass out, so I don't think the magic or energy is really going into her. Rather it's going into the diamonds and glass orbs she channels it into. I think those diamonds probably won't be very useful because Opal won't want to crack them ever. Cracking them would risk the evil power escaping and going back to the evil villains, and then they could come after Opal again, and I doubt she wants that, lol.

8. Do you think the Master Magicians will punish Opal for her new found talents?
No. I think they will discuss punishment, but I think the final decision will probably be to train Opal and attempt to understand her abilities further, rather than to mindlessly punish her. Now, that Roze is no longer a master magician, I don't think harsh punitive measures will be advocated as much. Both Zitora and Bane are quiet mild, and Irys should be understanding because she already went through the exact same thing with her student Yelena (everybody fearing her powers and trying to lock her up). I think hopefully the council and the master magicians learned their lesson with Yelena that they should seek to understand all powers, even dangerous ones, rather than attempting to subdue them.

9. Do you think Opal will track down the rest of the glass Warpers?
Well, I think she already kind of knows where they are. She said that she could sense their general locations, and when she gets remotely close to one it calls to her. I don't think she will track them down though because she doesn't want to risk releasing the firewarper's souls. Yelena would be so disappointed in her! Haha.

Regarding the questions about whether or not you have to read the Study series first, before you read the Glass series, personally I think it's better if you do. As someone who has read both, I can say that while you certainly don't have to read the Study series first, it will definitely enhance your understanding of the Glass series and the world of Sitia and Ixia enormously. If you don't read the study series you won't really know much about Ixia, the politics between Sitia and Ixia, the Ixian commander Ambrose, Yelena and Lief, Opal's past (although she recaps this a bit) or the past of the master magicians. You won't get a full, detailed explanation of how the magic source works either. You won't be totally lost, because it is focusing on new characters and some things are recapped or explained, but as I said, I think it's preferable to read the Study series first because it will enhance your understanding a lot.

I'm off to read Sea Glass!! :)

[Gayle]

I've actually read all of both series: Study series and Glass series.....so I don't want to spoil anything for anyone. But, I absolutely loved all of the books! I know the author is taking a break from the "world" right now, but I really hope she goes back to it in the future.

[Lisarenee]

Actually Gayle, if you subscribe to her newsletter like I do she gives out snippets every other month or so of the story Ice Study which she is writing. So if you would like to see it as it's being written subscribe to her newsletter. She asked those of us who receive it not to just post a link to it, so I will respect her wishes.

[Gayle]

Yep, I'm a subscriber and thoroughly enjoy the snippets. :)

[Lisarenee]

1. Do you think Opal has the ability to talk to the all of the dead or only the souls trapped in glass?
Just those trapped in glass and only at certain times.

2. What do you think happened to Zitora's sister? Do you think she will make a reappearance in a later novel or was her brief mention just a conversation holder?

If they disappear without a trace in books they usually pop up again. lol

3. Opal seems too have a fascination with Devlen, aka blue eyes, despite him torturing her (and vice versa). Do you think they will develop a romantic relationship in the other books in the series?
4. Did you suspect that Ulrick was not himself when he returned from his sister's glass shop? If yes, what clued you in? (Personally this was a complete surprise to me)

I think if he hadn't been bad she would have liked him. I think she was attracted to his attitude/the way he carried himself, but if she'd known it was him she'd never have gotten involved. I don't believe it will go anywhere.

5. Do you support Opal decision to give the real Ulrick a chance despite proclaiming her love for Kade?
She felt she owed it to him. Silly? Probably.

6. Opal's magic grew tremendously in this book- she learned to turn illusions into physical properties which she can command. Do you think Opal will discover any hidden talents in the future novels? If so predict one talent.

No clue. Will just have to wait and see.

7. Do you think Opal will be able to harness the 'stolen' powers of her victims? (I mean in a way besides using them as animals)

All her powers deal with the glass. If she can, it will have to be through the glass.

8. Do you think the Master Magicians will punish Opal for her new found talents?
Nope, they'll look to use them. After Yelena I think they're starting to mellow out.

9. Do you think Opal will track down the rest of the glass Warpers?
Probably in one of the next books.