The Glasswrights' Master

They're always saying that you can't judge a book by its cover, but effective and attractive cover art can go a long way toward selling a novel. I first became aware of Mindy Klasky's "Glasswright" series two years ago while shopping at Safeway and was immediately intrigued. At Mindy's web site I read the first chapter of each book then available, and I knew they were going to be very good. But, I learned long ago never to purchase an "in progress" series, for the sake of my own sanity.When "The Glasswrights' Master" finally came out, I plowed through all five books in the span of a single week. Certainly, you'll want to read the others before this one. I'm hoping that the comments I'm about to make, as I briefly summarize the whole series to put "Master" in context, will not give away too many of the key plot points for those who are new to these books.If there's one overriding theme of the "Glasswright" series that stands out for me, it has to be the vital importance of making the right choices, for the right reasons. My favorite character easily has to be the main protagonist, Rani Trader. She is a textbook example of how bad choices can destroy lives. In the first book of the series, as a somewhat rebellious 13-year-old girl, she fails to follow the prime tenet of Morenian society: "Mind your caste". This continues to be an issue throughout the entire series.For, in the Kingdom of Morenia, the social hierarchy is rigidly enforced into five castes, or levels of privilege. At the bottom are the Touched: the grunt laborers, servants and farmers. Next are the merchants, then the guildspeople, followed by the soldiers. At the top are the priests and nobles. One can tell a person's rank by the number of syllables in his or her name. Thus, when Rani Trader's family buys her into the glasswrights' guild at great cost, she becomes Ranita Glasswright. During the time she is in hiding for her life, in that first book, she becomes first Rai of the Touched and then Ranimara of the soldiers. Throughout much of the series she serves as a virtual member of the royal family, a valued friend and confidant of King Halaravilli.This earns her the opprobrium of her legions of detractors, who scornfully label her a "caste jumper". For only one other person in Morenian history has ever been a member of all five castes, and that was the legendary First Pilgrim Jair, the founder of the ruling dynasty of Morenia. Who is Rani to liken herself to him?By this fifth book, Rani, now in her mid-twenties, has grown greatly. She started out as being almost amoral, a desperate opportunist who would beg, steal or even kill to further her cause. Her loyalties were confused, as she bounced from one faction to the next, trying to sort out their mutually inimical aims. And yet, her conscience bothered her, forcing her take the side of the future King Hal, even at the cost of her own treasonous brother's life. She had begun to learn to do what was right.As a l

What surprises the reader in this final book in the Glasswright series is what I perceive to be a somewhat abrupt switch from a character-driven to a plot-driven adventure. The previous books explored with subtlety and insight the inner development of the main characters. We have seen Rani making choices, sometimes bad choices, and learning to live with their consequences; we have seen Hal growing into a powerful and committed king who has to sacrifice personal desires for the good of the realm. The author's attention to the increasing complexity of the characters' personalities drove the series forward at a more sedate - but thoroughly justified - pace. That meant that all sorts of loose ends which had been left hanging in the previous books, had to be resolved here too fast and sometimes too conveniently. At the end of the book, I felt as if several chapters were missing from the middle. The author was in too great a hurry to get out of the way several characters which would have deserved more attention or explanation of the why's and how's of their respective development and fate. That said, the whole series is undeniably very good, and the characters unforgettable. I agree with the other reviewers that, for the best reading experience, the books have to be read in order - less because of possible obscurity, and more because it would be a pity not to know them all.

(Spoilers) This stirring conclusion to a magnificent series is a powerful read that doesn't let you put it down!The conclusion to the beautiful Glasswright's Series is a fitting end - all the loose ends are tied up, and the characters go through changes that help them, hurt them, and push them towards the finale. The only recommendation I can make is that you read the other Glasswright's books before this - don't read it as a "stand alone" novel. Some details may be lost on you - such as exactly why Crestman is so furious with Rani, or the details of Rani and Tovin's past - if you do not read the entire series. Also, the end of the book is all the more bittersweet if you've known the characters for all 5 books. The characters are beautifully written, and they are believeable to the core. Rani, Ranita, Rai... whatever you choose to call her - she is the remarkable hero in this tale. The king, Hal, goes through mental anguish that he thought he had overcome previously. The return of his rhymes is a chilling reminder of his fragile state, and Crestman's proclamation that Hal simply cannot exist without Rani have a ring of truth that chills the reader. The imagery in the book of the Thousand Gods "visits" to Rani are vivid, and you can taste/hear/smell/feel/see the visions as clearly as Rani does. I highly recommend this book to all Glasswright fans - if you haven't read the series yet, pick it up now!

The kingdom of Morenia ruled by King Hal is under siege by a fleet of Liantine ships blockading the harbor and a Briantan army surrounding the city. A battering ram is being used to open the gates to the city while the army of Morenia is getting ready to fight. Their efforts are doomed by traitors from within the castleso King Hal, his wife, Rani Trader and a few trusted allies flee through a secret passage shown to them by a Touched woman.The Fellowship of Jair, a secret cabal of men and women located in every kingdom in the world engineered The King's downfall because he chose to oppose them. The fugitives flee to Sarmonia where they hope to have the aid of the King and his army to win back Hal's throne. The Fellowship gets words of the group's whereabouts and make plans to kill them but Hal is a strong spokesman for his cause and Rani has powers that she doesn't know about that could change the course of battle.This is the fifth and last book of this well written and enthralling fantasy series and it is one of the most rewarding and poignant works in the collection. All the loose ends are tied up, the ending is everything the reader could hope for but there is also sadness in THE GLASSWRIGHTS' MASTER as good people die because of the evil of a cabal of power hungry traitors. Mindy L. Klasky proves she's a world class fantasist by her ability to make the audience believe in the existence of the world where Morenia is located.Harriet Klausner