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lemon_the_emu's review
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
ewade98's review
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bak8382's review
3.0
Rain may be a gifted glass designer, but women are forbidden to practice the craft in her country of Holt. When her father receives a commission from another country Rain is sent to help protect her secret. Rain is then the sole survivor of a raid, and she finds herself alone and homeless. Gradually she is able to forge a new life for herself with the aid of friends, and a strength she discovers in herself.
This is a companion novel to [b:Dragonfly|6449920|Dragonfly|Julia Golding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266702890s/6449920.jpg|6640036], but it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel. The world is interesting, but it is sometimes hard to like either of the main characters or their choices.
This is a companion novel to [b:Dragonfly|6449920|Dragonfly|Julia Golding|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266702890s/6449920.jpg|6640036], but it can be enjoyed as a stand alone novel. The world is interesting, but it is sometimes hard to like either of the main characters or their choices.
julia_duna's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
katherina_lei's review
5.0
Wow! I am so glad our school library got this book. It was amazing and very clean. I am not sure in this or Dragonfly was better! They were both so good.
missprint_'s review
3.0
Rain's father is one of the most sought-after glass makers in the kingdom of Tigral. Torrent's mastery of stained glass is unrivaled with even the king and queen ordering windows from the Torrent forge for their palace.
The only problem is Torrent is not the visionary behind his stained glass designs. Rain, his daughter, is the designer--a secret that could get them both thrown out of the male-only glassmaker guild.
When an opportunity arises for Rain to visit a distant land and ply her wares, it seems like a fine opportunity. She will be able to promote her father's forget and her craft all while keeping her secret and seeing the wonders of the kingdom of Magharna.
Unfortunately, within a day of her arrival everything goes very wrong.
Alone in a strange place, Rain must find her own way as she navigates the foreign language and strange customs of Magharna and tries to find her way home. As Rain learns more of her temporary home, she realizes something is very wrong in the state. With a flagging economy and a society on the brink of riot, Rain will have to get very creative to find her place and a way home in The Glass Swallow (2010) by Julia Golding.
The Glass Swallow is a companion Golding's earlier novel Dragonfly. (The current king and queen of Tigral are the protagonists of Dragonfly while it's fun to see the characters overlap you do not need to read one book to enjoy the other.)
The Glass Swallow is a cute if sometimes improbable story focused on Rain and a young Magharan falconer named Peri--a man deemed "untouchable" by the higher echelons of Magharan society. The story is written in third person with focus shifting between Rain and Peri (often highlighting deeply frustrating missed connections between the two characters).
Although Rain has a very rough start in Magharna things begin to go surprisingly well for her by the latter third of the novel as pieces of state politics and revolution fall into place as if part of Rain's personal stained glass design. While groundwork is laid for the romantic aspect of the story, the romance too felt a bit contrived as it moved with surprising speed from flirtation to actual love.
The Glass Swallow is an entertaining fantasy. Given the characters' ages I went into this book expecting something along the lines of YA fantasy. Instead the characters and plot read much younger marking this more as a middle grade level read. That said, The Glass Swallow is still very fun with the nice touches of both stained glass and bird handling as areas of interest in the story. While the story, particularly the latter half, felt cursory as if the characters were rushing to a resolution the story was often heartwarming. It's very nice to read a well-thought-out fantasy with an unabashedly happy ending.
Possible Pairings: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Selection by Kiera Cass, Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The only problem is Torrent is not the visionary behind his stained glass designs. Rain, his daughter, is the designer--a secret that could get them both thrown out of the male-only glassmaker guild.
When an opportunity arises for Rain to visit a distant land and ply her wares, it seems like a fine opportunity. She will be able to promote her father's forget and her craft all while keeping her secret and seeing the wonders of the kingdom of Magharna.
Unfortunately, within a day of her arrival everything goes very wrong.
Alone in a strange place, Rain must find her own way as she navigates the foreign language and strange customs of Magharna and tries to find her way home. As Rain learns more of her temporary home, she realizes something is very wrong in the state. With a flagging economy and a society on the brink of riot, Rain will have to get very creative to find her place and a way home in The Glass Swallow (2010) by Julia Golding.
The Glass Swallow is a companion Golding's earlier novel Dragonfly. (The current king and queen of Tigral are the protagonists of Dragonfly while it's fun to see the characters overlap you do not need to read one book to enjoy the other.)
The Glass Swallow is a cute if sometimes improbable story focused on Rain and a young Magharan falconer named Peri--a man deemed "untouchable" by the higher echelons of Magharan society. The story is written in third person with focus shifting between Rain and Peri (often highlighting deeply frustrating missed connections between the two characters).
Although Rain has a very rough start in Magharna things begin to go surprisingly well for her by the latter third of the novel as pieces of state politics and revolution fall into place as if part of Rain's personal stained glass design. While groundwork is laid for the romantic aspect of the story, the romance too felt a bit contrived as it moved with surprising speed from flirtation to actual love.
The Glass Swallow is an entertaining fantasy. Given the characters' ages I went into this book expecting something along the lines of YA fantasy. Instead the characters and plot read much younger marking this more as a middle grade level read. That said, The Glass Swallow is still very fun with the nice touches of both stained glass and bird handling as areas of interest in the story. While the story, particularly the latter half, felt cursory as if the characters were rushing to a resolution the story was often heartwarming. It's very nice to read a well-thought-out fantasy with an unabashedly happy ending.
Possible Pairings: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken, Graceling by Kristin Cashore, The Selection by Kiera Cass, Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
squishies's review
3.0
Rain isn't a bad character by any means - she had a bit of sass, but was somehow a bit bland. Sometimes her ideas were terrible or her reasoning was so flimsy.
Peri seemed cool at first, but was surprisingly a bit overbearing (yeah, I get that he was worried about her, but it got stale really quick).
I don't know. Story was decent - ordinary girl doing little things with extraordinary outcomes.
Just wasn't really feeling the characters I guess.
Spoiler
Her reasoning for going to talk to the Master in particular. The arguments for not going made so much sense, but no, she had to go and give the Master a piece of her mind. And of course they were going to find the Master, who happened to be a kid, and bring him home with them - that was so surprising. I guess that was the only "reasonable" way to get them into the palace.Peri seemed cool at first, but was surprisingly a bit overbearing (yeah, I get that he was worried about her, but it got stale really quick).
Spoiler
I was kind of glad he shot her because it made him realise that sometimes you gotta let a girl do her thing. Clearly her looks (both being pretty and being foreign / different) made people listen to her where probably a local girl may not have been as successful. That's the only explanation I have for her being so "charismatic", because I sure as heck didn't really see it.I don't know. Story was decent - ordinary girl doing little things with extraordinary outcomes.
Just wasn't really feeling the characters I guess.