Island of Glass

Read: March 2018
Rating: 4/5 stars
The couple: Riley & Doyle

There were parts of Island of Glass that were beautifully written - the descriptions of Ireland, the Island of Glass itself and the displays of friendship and love between all of the characters - but the romance between Riley and Doyle was weak. They did not have a lot of chemistry. Doyle seemed more interested in Annika (who had the best book of the trilogy; her relationship with Sawyer is the most authentic of all the couples) and Riley didn't seem to be on his radar at all until the plot forced them together.

I did enjoy the quest to find the final star and the ending scenes on the Island of Glass when the Goddesses granted Annika's wish to keep her legs and stay on land with show more Sawyer!

*edited for typos 25.03.18* show less

The final book in the Guardians Trilogy focuses on the final defeat of the dark goddess who has been after them and the three stars they had to find. It also focuses on the romance between archaeologist and werewolf Riley and the immortal Doyle.

This time the chase takes them to Ireland, to the land when Doyle was born 359 years earlier. He has to face the past that he has never come to terms with and the guilt he feels for not being able to save his younger brother from the witch who cursed him with immortality. He has tried to harden his heart because he is fated to outlive everyone he might love but his fellow guardians, and especially Riley, have found a way into it.

Riley is perfect for him because she is competent and strong. She show more is strong enough to tell him that she loves him and strong enough to accept it if he doesn't feel the same.

I loved the magic and the myth of this story. But the best part of it for me was the relationship between the six guardians who are all strong, competent, and loving and not afraid to show it. Each is strong and together they are truly formidable as a dark goddess learns to her cost. show less

I just finished this series, and I am torn. I am usually devouring these trilogies, not this time, for some reason the first two books felt forced, and I started reading this third and it felt the same way. Then I had work to do on the computer and I decided to listen to some of the book. I would advise anyone to LISTEN to these books, they are worth the price and you can even use your credits on audible and get them for free. The audio book makes the whole novel much more enjoyable.
This is the basic Roberts 3 guys 3 gals fight and evil demon to save the world their world, rid the world of evil, what have you. This time she throws in an immortal, a werewolf, a seer, a witch, a time traveler and a mermaid. Surprisingly all very show more believable except the way the mermaid speaks, she has spent by her own admission time listening to land people sing and on ships yet she talks like a 5 year old, even after 3 months 24/7 with the 5 others she still can't get out a simple I'm sorry, and has learned nothing about discretion. I know it's a mermaid and a fantasy novel but come on give the character some credit, she can learn to cook fight and fall in love but she continues to talk like a baby. That is really the only thing that irked me other than the whole feeling like Nora didn't care just needed a new pair of shoes or something. show less

Island of Glass
4 Stars

Series note: This is the final book in the trilogy and completes the ongoing story arc.

The Guardians arrive in Country Clare, Ireland for the last stage of their quest. Doyle McLeary, the medieval warrior cursed with immortality, and Riley Quinn, the Lycan archeologist, must wade together through Irish history and lore to locate the Ice Star as well as the mysterious Island of Glass. A lifetime of loss has led to Doyle avoiding emotional entanglements yet he struggles with his attraction to the wildness of Riley's strength, determination and heart. Will these two unlikely lovers put aside their differences to overcome the threats posed by Nerezza and her minions?

Once again, much of the beginning is focused on show more establishing the guardians' headquarters in Ireland and the search for the final star. However, the action soon ratchets up both in terms of the romance and the battle against Nerezza.

Doyle and Riley are a strong couple whose relationship requires patience, trust and love. It takes time for their romance to get going, but it is fantastic once it does. There is an intensity to the slow-burn development of their emotional bond that goes beyond the sweet yet subdued connection between Sasha and Bran and the insta-lust of Sawyer and Annika.

The conclusion to the story arc is satisfying, especially the allusions to The Sword in the Stone and Nerazza's ultimate demise. That said, there are some overly saccharine moments - all the marriage proposals and rings and whatnot, and the resolution of the various obstacles Anneka's legs and Doyle's curse is far too Deus Ex Machina for my tastes.

Although this has been an entertaining series overall, Nora has several more intense and gripping paranormal trilogies, such as The Sign of Seven and The Circle Trilogy. show less

I'm sure there will be literally thousands of reviews of this book on GR, and I don't have anything unique to add to the analysis of how Nora Roberts somehow keeps releasing good to great books several times every year since the 1980s. I will just say that I was impressed by the significant contribution that good old fashioned research made to the plot of this series. Sure, one of the characters had visions that led the six Guardians in the right direction, but the background info that Riley's skills as an archeologist provided helped them target their search for the stars. Like the police work in the J.D. Robb In Death series, it isn't always dramatic, but it is important to the plot.

Oh and despite a somewhat slow start to the romance show more between Riley and Doyle, when they finally got together their relationship was both explosive and tender. show less

The last in the trilogy, taking place in the author's beloved Ireland rather than a Mediterranean paradise. Which is fine I guess. NR did an excellent job on character development in this one, taking us into the heart of Doyle, our immortal and taciturn hero, and did a good job shaking things up so it wasn't always the women saving the day, or the couples finding common ground.

Island of Glass follows the standard Nora Roberts’ trilogy format. The story revolves around the two characters who have not yet partnered while at the same time, the group of six search for the final star. Ms. Roberts does break from her standard slightly by focusing on Doyle rather than Riley, delving a bit into his background and making him the hero in the search for the Star of Ice. It is a nice switch from having the females always the key element in the groups’ journey, as she has done so often in the past. I find her male characters more entertaining than her female ones anyway, so this was a welcome change-up.

That being said, not much new is revealed about any of the characters in this book. In spite of seeing the story show more through Riley’s and Doyle’s eyes, there are few new insights into their characters. Riley is just as pragmatic as you have seen in the previous two books. With her, what you see is what you get, and she literally says what she thinks. She is a refreshing character, providing some entertainment with her bluntness, but the lack of nuance does not make the story more interesting. The potential for Doyle to be a fascinating character is there, but Ms. Roberts’ never truly capitalizes on his immortality other than by making him a formidable warrior – easy to be when you cannot be killed. He must battle some demons from his past before the end of the novel, but this is done on a superficial level rather than provide any depth to his character or the story.

The star is almost an afterthought this time as well. Ms. Roberts reveals the hiding spot early on in the book through some heavy-handed foreshadowing, so the discovery of it is anticlimactic. The battle that ensues after they find it is equally weak, with the killing of a major foe a bit too easy given the trouble he has caused the group in the past. Because finding the stars is not the end of the story, the group has to face one more trial that is almost boring in its inevitability. The winners of that final battle are a foregone conclusion after all, so it is just a matter of seeing how the battle unfolds. It turns out it is remarkably similar to the three other battles that previously occurred.

While Island of Glass provides no real surprises, the story is still a satisfactory ending to the series. All of the couples obtain their blissful happiness that only happens in such stories. The good guys win, the bad guys are vanquished forever, and there is enough magic to make you believe that anything is possible. show less