AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Glamour in Glass
Title: Glamour in Glass
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
Audiobook Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Series: Glamourist Histories (Book Two)
The following review has some spoilers for the first book in the Glamourist Histories series, Shades of Milk and Honey. There are no real spoilers for Glamour in Glass.
No longer the plain faced, lonely spinster, Jane has found love and matrimony with Mr. David Vincent. After completing an elaborate joint Glamural for the Prince Regent, Jane and Vincent decide to spent their honeymoon in Brussels. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Napoleon has recently abdicated the throne, the continent is still not an all together friendly place to the English. To complicate things more, Jane discovers that her new husband is, in fact, hiding something from her. How will she react when she learns the real reason behind their trip to Brussels?
I read the first book in the Glamourist Histories series, Shades of Milk and Honey, earlier this year. While I ultimately found it to be an enjoyable read, I thought it was somewhat marred by it's over dependency on Regency tropes and character types. Fortunately, Glamour in Glass proves to a stronger follow up. Now that Jane and Vincent are married, the book is less a Regency romance with fantasy elements, and more of a historical fantasy novel. Romance fans should not be dismayed, as the relationship between the central couple is still the focus of the book. It's just that the fantasy elements feel a lot stronger, making it a more enjoyable, and far less predictable read.
Glamour and Glass is very interested in the strict gender roles that existed in the Regency period, and the difficulties that Jane, a professional artisan, and Vincent, who specializes in what many consider a womanly art, find due to the fact that they simply do not fit into these roles. Early on in the book, Jane realizes that if she were to become pregnant, that she would not be able to do glamour for the entire duration of her pregnancy, or risk hurting the fetus. This is similar to the issue faced by many modern day women when it comes to balancing family with work. The examination of Jane and Vincent's ever changing relationship continues to be interesting. Although they share mutual respect, in Glamour and Glass Jane becomes to realize just how difficult it is to be true equals in marriage when raised in a culture that sees women as inferior to men. Despite the fact that the book is pretty upbeat, Glamour and Glass also has some truly devastating moments in it, and I believe the variety in tone made it a more enjoyable read in the long run.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: Once again Mary Robinette Kowal does the narration for her own book. This time around, she makes a wise choice to not use a British accent for the entirety of her narration, saving her accents for only when they're required in dialogue. This makes the book a much stronger listen, as there are fewer sour moments, accent wise. Mary Robinette Kowal, a professional audiobook narrator on top of being an author, does an impressive job reading Glamour in Glass, especially during it's more emotional moments.
Final Thoughts: Glamour in Glass is a noticeable step up from Shades of Milk and Honey, mostly due to the fact that it feels less dependent on Regency tropes. This character-based, historical fantasy novel does a great job of examining gender roles from the Regency era, making Jane a progressive heroine for the time, but not unrealistically modern. Jane herself remains a likable protagonist, and her romance with Vincent continues to be sweet. I look forward to continuing this series with book three, Without a Summer. Four and a Half Stars.
Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
Audiobook Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Series: Glamourist Histories (Book Two)
The following review has some spoilers for the first book in the Glamourist Histories series, Shades of Milk and Honey. There are no real spoilers for Glamour in Glass.
No longer the plain faced, lonely spinster, Jane has found love and matrimony with Mr. David Vincent. After completing an elaborate joint Glamural for the Prince Regent, Jane and Vincent decide to spent their honeymoon in Brussels. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Napoleon has recently abdicated the throne, the continent is still not an all together friendly place to the English. To complicate things more, Jane discovers that her new husband is, in fact, hiding something from her. How will she react when she learns the real reason behind their trip to Brussels?
I read the first book in the Glamourist Histories series, Shades of Milk and Honey, earlier this year. While I ultimately found it to be an enjoyable read, I thought it was somewhat marred by it's over dependency on Regency tropes and character types. Fortunately, Glamour in Glass proves to a stronger follow up. Now that Jane and Vincent are married, the book is less a Regency romance with fantasy elements, and more of a historical fantasy novel. Romance fans should not be dismayed, as the relationship between the central couple is still the focus of the book. It's just that the fantasy elements feel a lot stronger, making it a more enjoyable, and far less predictable read.
Glamour and Glass is very interested in the strict gender roles that existed in the Regency period, and the difficulties that Jane, a professional artisan, and Vincent, who specializes in what many consider a womanly art, find due to the fact that they simply do not fit into these roles. Early on in the book, Jane realizes that if she were to become pregnant, that she would not be able to do glamour for the entire duration of her pregnancy, or risk hurting the fetus. This is similar to the issue faced by many modern day women when it comes to balancing family with work. The examination of Jane and Vincent's ever changing relationship continues to be interesting. Although they share mutual respect, in Glamour and Glass Jane becomes to realize just how difficult it is to be true equals in marriage when raised in a culture that sees women as inferior to men. Despite the fact that the book is pretty upbeat, Glamour and Glass also has some truly devastating moments in it, and I believe the variety in tone made it a more enjoyable read in the long run.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: Once again Mary Robinette Kowal does the narration for her own book. This time around, she makes a wise choice to not use a British accent for the entirety of her narration, saving her accents for only when they're required in dialogue. This makes the book a much stronger listen, as there are fewer sour moments, accent wise. Mary Robinette Kowal, a professional audiobook narrator on top of being an author, does an impressive job reading Glamour in Glass, especially during it's more emotional moments.
Final Thoughts: Glamour in Glass is a noticeable step up from Shades of Milk and Honey, mostly due to the fact that it feels less dependent on Regency tropes. This character-based, historical fantasy novel does a great job of examining gender roles from the Regency era, making Jane a progressive heroine for the time, but not unrealistically modern. Jane herself remains a likable protagonist, and her romance with Vincent continues to be sweet. I look forward to continuing this series with book three, Without a Summer. Four and a Half Stars.