Storm Glass

Maria V. Snyder has given us another amazing book. Set in the world of her "Study" books (starting with the spectacular Poison Study), this book follows Opal, a minor character in previous books. The detailed description of the art of glass blowing is fascinating and her world creating is second to none. This book grabs you from the first page and never lets go. I highly recommend all her books!

I am not a person who writes reviews. I am not a person who reads books twice. But I can't help myself with this book and must do both. While this book is not necesarily a sequel to her three part study series, Maria Snyder has once again brought us into the same world and gives us brief glimpses into past characters while exploring the world of the storm dancers. Opal is a heroine that is unsure of her power and is just looking to find her way. With the help of the second magician and a few friends (plus an interesting love triangle!) she starts on a journey to self exploration and begins to understand her own importance. In the Study series Yelena was over confident and self assured. Opal is the opposite of her in almost every way. I loved the Study series but I have found so much more in Opal. Snyder is a wonderful writer that pulls you into her magical world without issue. I am so happy that there is already a release date for the next book in this series as I do not think I could wait an entire year as seems to be the norm with a lot of writers. Thank you, Maria V. Snyder for giving me a way to loose myself when the pressures of being a working mom and wife seem to be overwhelming. Your books treat the readers as partners in the journey and do not leave us feeling ignorant while at same time giving us a mystery we hope to find out more about.

In Sitia the Stormdancer clan is near panicked over some recent deadly incidents. An apparent diabolically clever traitor has killed some glassmakers and destroyed the glass orbs they were creating that is needed to catch elemental power. They know this unknown adversary must be stopped before the realm is devastated beyond recovery by the power of unabated torrents. Master Magician Cowan assigns glassmaker and apprentice magician Opal Cowan to investigate the deadly incidents as he believes her two skills make her uniquely qualified to learn what is going on. The two males who seem interested in her, Kade the Stormdancer who grieves the death of his twin and Ulrick the glassmaker who is a long time friend, help her. None of them realize the peril they place themselves in from crafty foes; none of whom have any compunction with killing someone even a person they have known for years. This is a terrific mystery fantasy told mostly by the unconfident Opal, who believes she is a failure due to her inability to expand her magical skills, which is ironic as she was a heroine in MAGIC STUDY. The action-packed story line is fast-paced, but character driven while the whodunit is fun to follow. Fans of the Study trilogy will enjoy returning to that world as Maria V. Snyder writes an entertaining coming of age simply superb fantasy whodunit. Harriet Klausner

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Maria V Snyder begins a new trilogy that has all the magic and adventure she has become known for, in Storm Glass. Beyond her skill with glass, Opel Cowen, known as a "one trick wonder" by her classmates doesn't have much magical skill. She doesn't quite fit in at the Citadel and has no faith in her own magic. She has faced tragedy that colors everything she does, not realizing her own importance in the magical community of Sitia. However, her life is about to change... again. Someone is tampering with the Stormdance clan's glass orbs they use to capture the power of the storms, and some dancers have been killed when their orbs exploded during use. Because of her experience with glassmaking, the Master Magicians think Opal is perfect for the mission to find out what is wrong, though Stormdancer Kade doesn't agree. While the original mission itself seems a success, danger beckons Opal once more. In the midst of it all, Opal discovers a shocking new ability no one has ever seen before. Now she has to get to the bottom of the mystery and learn to control her new powers, before everything she cares about is destroyed, including the enigmatic Kade who has captured Opal's affection. Storm Glass is excellent! The premise of the book is incredibly intriguing and if I weren't already a die-hard fan of Maria V Snyder, I'd have wanted this book. The story is much deeper than the description indicates but I knew that would be the case. So much is always going on in anything Maria V Snyder writes. Opal has suffered quite a bit of tragedy already in her young life and the circumstances resulting from tough decisions she made during those times colors every single thing she does. She has no faith in herself or her abilities, blaming herself for some of the things that happened in the past. When she is sent on her first mission by the Master Magicians, she starts to come to terms with her past and her gifts. She slowly begins to comprehend her own importance and significance in the magical communities when new abilities manifest themselves and Opal starts to realize there are many things only she can do. Adventure and intrigue are the name of the game in Sitia and Ixia and in Storm Glass, we get to experience some of these first hand once again. Opal unfortunately keeps getting into scrapes, sometimes by no fault of her own and has to rely on her own resourcefulness to get out of them. She also has the dilemma of being torn between two men who play unique and mysterious roles in her life. There is Kade the Stormdancer who is emotionally distant for fear of getting too close to anyone and losing them. Then there is Ulrick, a young man from Opal's past who suddenly comes into play and has a few magical tricks of his own no one understands. Suspense is brimming throughout Storm Glass, keeping readers eager for more. We get a chance to catch up with a few beloved friends from the Study series as well, not the least of whi

Great read! I enjoyed it beginning to end, and it was certainly satisfying to be back in the world of Maria Snyder's Study series. This book is written in the perspective of Opal Cowan, a young girl who readers of the Study series will remember. Like Yelena, Opal is a strong lead character, however Opal has a very different and unique magic involving glass. In this book (which has the feel of the first in a series) Opal begins to explore her powers, and things get interesting very quickly. The story has a perfect pace of action and romance that will keep you glued to the end. If you enjoyed the Study series, you will definitely love Storm Glass.