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I'd like to say that I found this book as amazing as I found the Study series but I just don't. It isn't because Opal isn't likable because she is. I think it is because for so much of the story she sees herself as the victim and allows it to happen. And I was so used to Yelena in the Study series who stood on her feet and fought back.

So, opal as a character is likable yet wimpy for a little over a half of the book. But when she finds a backbone she does it well. Will I read t...more I'd like to say that I found this book as amazing as I found the Study series but I just don't. It isn't because Opal isn't likable because she is. I think it is because for so much of the story she sees herself as the victim and allows it to happen. And I was so used to Yelena in the Study series who stood on her feet and fought back.

So, opal as a character is likable yet wimpy for a little over a half of the book. But when she finds a backbone she does it well. Will I read the next book in the series without a doubt, if only to see Opal through her growth. ( )

Snyder also wrote the Poison Study trilogy of books which are similar (being set in the same world) and the stories loosely related to this book (characters from the trilogy show up here). Poison Study, however, is a much more mature book.

The main character, Opal, is supposed to be 19 but she acts like a 16 year old - low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, a naivete about "romance". And while there are moments where you think Opal has learned from her actions and is maturing, the next scene has her acting younger again.

The whole book has a feel as if the author didn't know where she was going with the story - it starts with one plot, moves into another - the players all acting like the first incident didn't occur and making stupid decisions - then a thread of the first comes back and then another whole sub-plot is added in about 3/4 of the way through the book. Nobody in the story behaves as if any of the previous incidents had even occurred (i.e. someone is trying to kill Opal but later in the story, nobody seems to be concerned at all about this fact). And the end of the story is wrapped up with a deus-ex-machina - very disappointing.

It's fast and easy to read and the concept and world is very interesting. It would have been much better if only Snyder had stuck with one or two of the stories, and/or had come up with a better resolution. ( )

Opal Cowan has always been ashamed of her lack of magical powers; though she attends the magicians’ school in Sitia, her only talent is to make little glass animals and infuse them with magic. Yet when the Stormdancer Clan gets into trouble – the glass orbs it uses to contain the energy from storms have been inexplicably breaking – Opal may be the only one who can help. On her way to help the Stormdancers, she is attacked by a sinister group of rogues who want her powers for their own ends. She thus discovers a frightening aspect of her magical skills and must figure out what it means for her future as a magician. At the same time, she must investigate a sudden influx of black-market diamonds into Sitia, cope with her budding romantic feelings for more than one man, and continue to heal from the traumatic experiences of her past.

I came into this series with fairly high hopes, but so far it’s not measuring up to the “Study” books. Mostly, I found the plot of this book extremely convoluted and confusing. I did race through it, so I’m not sure how much was Snyder’s fault and how much was mine; but I do think that Snyder deliberately left a lot of plot threads hanging so that she could resolve them in the sequels. It’s only been a year since I read the “Study” series, but I probably should have refreshed my memory before starting this book. It is definitely not a stand-alone novel, and if you don’t read the “Study” trilogy first, you will be completely confused! That said, there’s just something about Snyder’s books that keeps me turning the pages, and I definitely want to see how Opal’s story will be resolved. I will continue with the “Glass” books, but I might try to borrow them instead of buying.

Storm Glass is the first book in a trilogy set some years after Snyder's Study trilogy. Nineteen-year-old Opal is a glass maker and magician-in-training, sent to investigate a crisis with the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs.
Despite being the same age as Yelena was in Poison Study, Opal seems younger and less confident. Quieter. Her daily existence isn't threatened by constant danger and suspicion of those around her, and I was just thinking how much darker Poison Study was when... WHAM! Okay, I take back my assessment of it as light-YA-fantasy.
I found the "explanations" about events from the Study books highly irritating (I've just read that trilogy, and if I hadn't you would be spoiling it unnecessarily!) but otherwise I enjoyed this. I felt a lot of empathy of Opal and found her emotional journey really thought-provoking. Appearances by characters from the previous trilogy were amusing (like Leif, about going to see his sister: "I need my danger-fix") and while there was nothing very profound or brilliant about it all, it kept my interest, much in the same way the other books did.
However, I'm still reeling from the this-is-dark-YA-fantasy-too thing (because torture really isn't my thing). And the ending left a lot to be resolved. I'm not sure what to think about these two aspects... except that I desperately want to read the sequel! ( )

It's confession time. When I first read this book blurb it only somewhat caught my interest. It was the cover that really grabbed me. Usually if I stumble across a cover I love but the book blurb doesn't grab me I hold off on reading the book. But one day I'm strolling through the library and what do you know? On the New Books for Teens shelf this book is staring at me so I figured why not pick it up. OMG! Best decision ever. I loved it! This is my first book by Maria Snyder but I do have her other book, Poison Study, sitting in my TBR pile. I will have to move it up in the list because I enjoyed this one so much. I can sympathize with Opal's self confidence issues and desire to be something more. Not to mention you can't help but feel sorry for her at the way she seems to draw trouble to herself like a magnet. It was a joy to see her magical powers evolve throughout the story and interesting to see how the love triangle she becomes involved with will turn out. I love Kade's character and was rooting for him from the start. A thoroughly enjoyable read and am so glad I found this author. ( )

Just like her first trilogy, Snyder has written another amazing book. Snyder's writing style and descriptions are engaging. I absolutely loved this book about growing up, self-discovery and learning to trust yourself. I can not wait to read the next book in this series (especially since we have so many unanswered questions). One of the things that I loved the most about this book is that it took place in the same world and overlapped characters from the first books that we all know and love. I hope that we stay in this world, even through spin-offs because it has so much potential. In short, I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! ( )

This is a good solid fantasy read, with a slight romantic bent to it. Opal, who we met in the Poison Study etc. trilogy with Yelena the soulfinder, is front and centre this time, after 3 years at the Wizard's Keep as a student.

She's worried that she's a one-trick wonder, and discovers the hard way that she's not, although this isn't necessarily a good thing as she's capable of sucking another mage's power into glass which isn't exactly a good power to have as far as the other magi are concerned.

It's worth pointing out that, inevitably, there's quite a lot about glass-blowing in this book and there's also quite a lot about weather. If you like K.J.Parker or Rachel Vincent you should have a look here. If you don't, you might find this is not for you. ( )

Basic Reason for Beginning: Well, everyone seemed to be raving about Poison Study and, stubborn girl that I am, didn't want to start with that one. So I decided to pick up the first book in the second trilogy, spoilers and all.
Basic Reason for Finishing: I cannot tell you how very annoyed I am that I've been in seven book stores or so and I still haven't found the sequel. I managed to find a copy of the first book in the first trilogy in one (unless I dreamt that), but that was the wrong cover.
Texture: As tempting as it is to make glass-related comments, this actually felt more like felt to me.

Full review here

Book Rereadability: I had so much fun reading this book. It's absolutely filled with glassmaking terms and actions, so it's almost like edutainment to boot!
Author Rereadability: Want. Second book. Now. (But I want to wait and see if I can find it in bookstores first. What am I doing to myself? T-T)
Recommendation: If you're the kind of person who absolutely detests spoilers of any kind and you want to be introduced to Snyder's work, do not start with this book (start with Poison Study). If you like fast-paced, twisty fantasy, you might be interested and if you like your characters to grow this is definitely your kind of fantasy book. That part impressed me massively. ( )

This was a slow read for me, but that’s mostly because real life has been insane. Each time I picked the novel up I wanted to keep reading… even when I was exhausted and really, really needed to sleep! It was lovely visiting in this world again. I’d forgotten much of the detail of the Yelena books but there were enough hints in here that it didn’t matter – it stands alone quite well. Not surprisingly, Yelena DOES make a guest appearance, but that doesn’t disrupt the story as she’s “off screen” for much of the early part of the book. All in all a lovely romantic fantasy read, I’ll be along for book two. ( )

Entertaining, well-plotted (for the most part) story. I had low expectations for this, since I enjoyed Poison Study so much and the next 2 a little less, but it didn't disappoint. This is more of an outright magic/adventure novel, and Opal is a very different heroine from Yelena. Snyder also explores different aspects of the world she created, rather than sticking with the same formula.A minor quibble - I think the book could have used a better copy-editor (poorly placed commas, misused words)

Storm Glass is set in the same world as Maria V. Snyder’s The Study series. Since I was so overwhelmingly enchanted by that series (especially the first two books) I knew I had to read this book when it came out. In Storm Glass we meet Opal, a 19-year old girl we met in The Study series under difficult circumstances. To be honest, I hadn’t really given Opal much thought in that other trilogy. She had a unique magical talent and was in a bad situation, but that’s about it.

The rest can be found HERE! ( )

Storm Glass is the beginning of a new trilogy from Maria V. Snyder. Picking up four years after the Study trilogy (Yelena's story) ends, Storm Glass focuses on Opal Cowan, a character who played a significant role in the Study books.

Opal is a glassmaker and magician-in-training. She's also conflicted about her role at magic school and her lack of traditional magics. But then her unique talents are required and she goes off on an adventure. Along the way she meets up with some interesting new characters and some old ones that will be familiar to readers of the other series.

Although I don't like Opal as much as Yelena, she has a fun, unpredictable journey in Storm Glass. (There was one moment where it was clear where the story was headed but this didn't take away from the experience.) Opal grows up a lot, learning more about herself and her magic; she's a much more interesting person at the end of the book than she was at the start, and I'm excited to see when the next book will take her.

Originally published at http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )

The premise: Opal Cowan is known as the glass magician. What she once considered as little glass statuettes of animals actually have magic gleaming inside of them, and her ability also allows anyone with these statuettes to communicate over long distances, much like we do with cell phones. ;) But while Opal's contributions are useful in the magical community, she's a failure in every other magical sense of the word. When her glass-blowing expertise is requested to help the Stormdancer clan, she can't believe it, and soon finds herself drawn to a world where Stormdancers harness the energy and power of a storm into glass orbs, orbs that are suddenly breaking during use and killing the Stormdancer. Opal's got to figure out why this is happening, and in doing so, she'll uncover more power than she ever dreamed of, and more power than she ever wanted.

My Rating

Worth the Cash: let's face it: if you're a fan of Snyder's Study trilogy, this is an absolute must read for you. HOWEVER: do NOT read this book without having Magic Study and Fire Study under your belt, or you'll be spoiled for some of the major events that conclude the Study trilogy, and that'd be a shame. If you want to check out Snyder's work, I strongly suggest starting with Poison Study and going from there. If you've already check out Snyder's work and are ambivalent about it, I'll say that this book has more of the flavor of Magic Study and Fire Study than it does Poison Study, and that should tell you all you need to know. Really, Storm Glass is just the fourth book in a series, only you get a new POV character in Opal. It's a fast read that keeps you turning the pages, and the characters are all damaged in such a way that allows for character growth, and that's a good thing. There's a few surprises in the book that work out rather nicely in terms of enjoyment, but I'm glad the sequel, Sea Glass, comes out this fall, because I'm still trying to sort it all out in my head. Snyder's books remain a fun read for me, so if you enjoy her work, don't miss out on this one (though, I found my copy in the Romance section instead of the SF/Fantasy section, so if you're having trouble finding it, don't forget to look in Romance).

The full review may be found in my journal. And just a note, I'm doing something different: I'm breaking down the book into various components, like character, setting, world-building, etc; and I'm keeping all spoilers confined to a certain section at the bottom of the review that's CLEARLY MARKED, so if you want to read the breakdown, you don't have to worry about accidental spoilers. I'm still working on the system though, so if it doesn't work for you, I'm open to suggestions!

And as with all of my reviews, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: Maria V. Snyder's STORM GLASS

Happy Reading! :) ( )

It can be very hard being the only student at school, when everyone considers you to be a one trick wonder. If anyone would know, Opal Cowan would. Opal is a glassmaker. As if only having one power wasn't bad enough, Opal also has to contend with the fact that she poisoned Yelena. Though Yelena has forgiven her and Opal can now call Yelena her friend.

Someone or some ones are sabotaging the Stormdancer clan. Their glass orbs are the clan's most powerful weapon against the storms energy. The Stormdancers use the orbs to contain the storm's energy. The problem is that the orbs keep breaking. This is a very bad thing, because for every orb that breaks a Stormdancer dies. The magicians have called a meeting with Opal. They tell Opal that they want her and second magician Zitora Cowan to travel to the Stormdancer clan and help figure out what is causing the orbs to break. It won't be easy as someone is after Opal. Opal will have to dig in deep within herself for the magic that she possess.

When I first heard that Mrs. Snyder was coming out with a new series, I was beyond myself excited. I loved her previous series with Yelena and was sorry when it ended. Maria V. Snyder is the first and only author who has ever truly turned me on to these types of books that incorporated fantasy and magic. I can still remember when I first read Poison Study. I finished the book in a matter of hours. I can also remember experiencing the tragedy when the release date for the next book kept changing. What I really loooooove about Mrs. Snyder's new Glass series is that it features Opal, a minor character from the prior books and allows her to become the main character, so that readers and fans can root for a new heroine. I am sitting on the edge of my seat for the next book..Sea Glass. I agree with Maria and the fact that I too also want to be a Stormdancer. I have one last comment and that is run to your local bookstore and treat yourself to a top rate author and her books! ( )