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A review by anubhaghoshal
The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
5.0
So when I read a book, I just don't read the chapters, I read the acknowledgements, the preface and stuff. I also read the end pages of references, author's note, about other books by her/him. Also, I usually dive into the book blindly, without knowing anything. And I do judge a book by its cover. Its unfortunate, but its something involuntary to me. So when I started to read this book, the initial pages didn't make me want to keep reading it. The initial pages gave me an impression this is about a circus magician who does shows on stage and amuses people.
Now, after reading the book, I am euphoric. I was so utterly and completely wrong. Actually, I am patting my back while writing this as I chose to continue this book. It surprised me in varied ways, so much so that I couldn't put this book down and read it the whole day and ended up loving it!
Glass Magician is magical fantasy driven with mystery and action. The story envelops around this different world where there are majorly three kinds of people and then there are variations within one kind. Let me be more specific, this world consists of Sylvestri, who are connected with nature, Solitaire, who are the majority, the mass and Traders, who have animalistic magic in them, thereby, the creamy class. Within the traders, there are people who weren't born as traders and live on the magic of traders by killing them called Manticores and the second variation are the traders who kill the manticores called the Skinners. The third variation is the pure Traders who were born right and didnt kill anyone, their souls could transmigrate and they could convert into animals (inner magical souls)
Idk if me writing this review made the idea of what this story revolves around any clear. But yes, the basic storyline consists of how Thalia who is brought up by her dad's friend Nutall practices stage magic, she has to earn her livelihood through that. She knows she is born a Solitaire and thus, she has to work hard for a living rather than practising magic or depending on a wealthy family cuz she has neither of them. Also, she loves being a performer and loves magic. But twist of fate, she and her uncle find their competitor dead one day, Nutall is rendered as the prime suspect, and Thalia, herself as a Trader who can be killed at any moment by a manticore. Another amusing event that takes place is Ryker, a trader reaches out to her to seek help for his sister with stage magic. Thalia becomes the teacher but when she finds she is a trader this family becomes her refuge, teaches her and helps her through this sudden transformation.
I might not be explaining it good so you might just want to read it yourself to know better. Just absorb everything as it is. Push yourself to read it whole. Were my initial thoughts right? Yes, but there's so much more to the stage magic. There's a whole magical world. Could I relate to the characters? Literally, no. But within the lines.. maybe. I might not relate with the ability to change into human, cuz last time I checked am still human, not a trader. But do I connect with Thalia's journey of the transformation, where the world didn't make much sense. Where there is fear, anger within you that you didnt recognize, where friends and family mattered and situations where you felt that because of you someone else might suffer? Maybe, yes?
There's this whole story about her mother and her possibility of being alive and her wanting to find her mother now after knowing she might still be alive. It wasn't revealed here so guessing there might be a sequence to this book (?) If there is I am so ready to read it! I received an arc of this book via Net Galley by Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.
Now, after reading the book, I am euphoric. I was so utterly and completely wrong. Actually, I am patting my back while writing this as I chose to continue this book. It surprised me in varied ways, so much so that I couldn't put this book down and read it the whole day and ended up loving it!
Glass Magician is magical fantasy driven with mystery and action. The story envelops around this different world where there are majorly three kinds of people and then there are variations within one kind. Let me be more specific, this world consists of Sylvestri, who are connected with nature, Solitaire, who are the majority, the mass and Traders, who have animalistic magic in them, thereby, the creamy class. Within the traders, there are people who weren't born as traders and live on the magic of traders by killing them called Manticores and the second variation are the traders who kill the manticores called the Skinners. The third variation is the pure Traders who were born right and didnt kill anyone, their souls could transmigrate and they could convert into animals (inner magical souls)
Idk if me writing this review made the idea of what this story revolves around any clear. But yes, the basic storyline consists of how Thalia who is brought up by her dad's friend Nutall practices stage magic, she has to earn her livelihood through that. She knows she is born a Solitaire and thus, she has to work hard for a living rather than practising magic or depending on a wealthy family cuz she has neither of them. Also, she loves being a performer and loves magic. But twist of fate, she and her uncle find their competitor dead one day, Nutall is rendered as the prime suspect, and Thalia, herself as a Trader who can be killed at any moment by a manticore. Another amusing event that takes place is Ryker, a trader reaches out to her to seek help for his sister with stage magic. Thalia becomes the teacher but when she finds she is a trader this family becomes her refuge, teaches her and helps her through this sudden transformation.
I might not be explaining it good so you might just want to read it yourself to know better. Just absorb everything as it is. Push yourself to read it whole. Were my initial thoughts right? Yes, but there's so much more to the stage magic. There's a whole magical world. Could I relate to the characters? Literally, no. But within the lines.. maybe. I might not relate with the ability to change into human, cuz last time I checked am still human, not a trader. But do I connect with Thalia's journey of the transformation, where the world didn't make much sense. Where there is fear, anger within you that you didnt recognize, where friends and family mattered and situations where you felt that because of you someone else might suffer? Maybe, yes?
There's this whole story about her mother and her possibility of being alive and her wanting to find her mother now after knowing she might still be alive. It wasn't revealed here so guessing there might be a sequence to this book (?) If there is I am so ready to read it! I received an arc of this book via Net Galley by Macmillan-Tor/Forge in exchange for an honest review.