Book Review: Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories #2) by Mary Robinette Kowal
(Four Stars)
“Jane had made the plan as simple as possible, believing that–as with glamour–the fewer threads there were to tangle, the more robust the illusion.”
Better than Shades of Milk and Honey. Kowal strikes out on her own, with a clearer voice, former roots in history, and less mimicking of Jane Austen. Good job. Since this book is firmly rooted in history, the reader can detect that the universe with glamour is parallel, not the same as, our own. Newlyweds, Jane and David Vincent stumble into the crisis of their era, and …. (No, that would be telling.)
“Hiding thoughts of spies and revolutions was not so different from hiding a sensibility toward a gentleman.”
Quibbles: a usual for this type of fantasy, horses run forever. And, “The rye was close to harvest, and stood nearly a men’s height.” Not rye from this universe, which rarely grows chest high, often only waist. Who is the beauty on the cover, and what have you done with Jane?
“I never spoke a word of falsehood to you.” “Lies of ambiguity and omission are every bit as great. What am I to think? That you have no confidence in my discretion?”
As a Matter of Fancy 