On Magic Glass

I really like Maria V. Snyder's imagination...

She can create a world and make you believe you are there, that you are friends with the characters and know the families and countryside...

The Glass Series continues where the Poison series leaves off 

with some of the same characters

Opal Cowan, the sister of the glass blower in the Poison series, is the main character in this series. 
She is also a glass-blower who has magical abilities. 

In the first book she is called to aid the Stormdancers, a magical people who calm storms, when their glass orbs are sabotaged. 

 

 Storm Glass

In the second, she has become a pawn of the governments, with her special talents being held hostage.  She has to choose her path and find truth.

 Sea Glass

In the last book, Spy Glass, Opal is without her magic, and has to reinvent herself and her place in society.  

 Spy Glass

Very compelling characters. 

Fun reads!

Some sexy stuff and violence so probably for 9th grade up.

Study this Series

Yelena, a young girl sentenced to death for murder is given the chance to live, 

and in the palace no less...

The catch?

She must be the food taster for the Commander of Ixia whose last food taster was 

not 

so 

successful. 

Faced with a rebellion and certain death if she leaves the commander's palace, Yelena is torn and tossed by the fates.  

The story continues in Magic Study.

Here we find our heroine finding out her identity and her potential as a magician.  Her search for her lost family takes her on a perilous journey.  There are some wonderful characters in this novel. 

In the last book of the triology, Fire Study, Yelena is struggling with her enormous powers.  Her internal struggles continue as she also works to avoid a revolution and find a murderer.  Conflicts abound in this one.

Maria V. Snyder is a wonderful story-teller.  I thought her writing style was intelligent, yet fun and easy to read.  A great combination of fantasy, science-fiction, and romance.  These stories remind me a lot of The Black Magician Trilogy books (but steamier.)

I look forward to reading more of Snyder's work!