“Death itself is no match for you. The day you were born, it shrank away in fear.”
-Lauren DeStefano, The Glass Spare
Hi everyone! I recently got sent a gorgeous copy of The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano from the lovely people at Harper Collins (thank you!) and immediately bumped it up to the top of my tbr!
Check out the blurb:
Wilhelmina Heidle, the fourth child and only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father – whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war – Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.
Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified by her power – but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, though, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.
But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with Wil’s power.
With a world on the brink of war, and a power of ultimate description, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?
I really loved this one you guys!
It’s set in a compelling world that’s part fantasy, part has modern technology but in a slightly steampunk kind of way, and there is magic, too! It made it all the more unique in the world of fantasy books, and I really loved the whole turning living matter into precious jewels angle as well. I thought that the author did a brilliant job at exploring the complexities of having that power and the ramifications of it. At times it was exhilarating as you were rooting for Wil, at other times it was simply heart-breaking.
It was also interesting to have a YA fantasy where both of the protagonist’s parents were main characters- Wil is close to her mother and loves her deeply, whereas her relationship with her father is much more problematic. This is similar to her relationship with her brothers; she has three of them and is very close to two of them, whereas one of them, well, let’s just say he takes after his father! The instances of love and friendship between Wil and two of her brothers were really touching.
And then there is the cursed prince…
Yes, I love my fantasies to have romance in them. I know a lot of people don’t share that view, and that’s fine! But I’m a sucker for a good romance, and I was shipping this one from the start. My only complaint is that I wanted more! It’s a bit of a slow-burner, so I’m very interested to see where it will go in future books.
There were plenty of intriguing themes explored throughout this book including poverty and sickness, power-hungry kings, travel and exploring the world, freedom, and science and technology. All of this swept up into one addicting read that was easy to get into and sucked you in to its world.
I’m giving this one 4/5 stars and I’d recommend it if you’re a fan of YA fantasies!
Thanks for reading everyone! Has anyone else read this one? What did you think of it?
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