Sea of Broken Glass

by Jenna Pine

Banished from their small, floating village for forbidden magic, can two sisters work together before the harsh crystalline wilderness kills them—or they kill each other?

Elodie—desperate to become the village’s next priestess—hopes to atone for their mother’s magical destruction, still haunting her family after twenty years. Loxy, her younger sister, wants nothing more than to find their mother, banished long ago for the same magic Loxy now hides. Though they are bound by blood, the sisters live in constant contention, always arguing about Loxy’s magic and the danger it poses to their lives in the village.But when a meteor shower full of divine power grants Elodie magic of her own and gives Loxy new power, the two are cast out of their isolated, floating village, just like their mother before them, and into the crystalline wilderness full of dangerous beasts, deadly landscapes, and vicious people. They are destitute and alone when a voice calls to them, one steeped in the very source of their magic… along with a mysterious person who claims they know how to fix everything. With nowhere else to go, Loxy embraces the help and sets out to find the mother she’s certain still lives, and Elodie reluctantly follows.

But with every step, each sister’s hopes for the future deepen the rift between them. When they are finally confronted with the answers to all their questions, the sisters must learn to work together or lose each other—and perhaps their very humanity—forever.

Sea of Broken Glass is an adult fantasy starring two LGBT+ sisters and is filled with an exploration of family dynamics, deconstruction, and the restoration of things that are broken.

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, LGBT, Asexual, Adult, Magic

451 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2024

Reviews

[emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Groans: SISTERS!!!

This was abt a 3.5ish read for me, but I’m rounding up instead of my usual round down bc it’s a debut that i want to support, and I want to see more stories like this. SISTERS AS THE FOCUS!!! ugh. I am so happy. Overall, I had a good time with this—the sisters fraught relationship was a great hook for the story and i liked their dynamic; the magic and world building was interesting and engaging, and I love me a complicated goddess/some religious theology/trauma. The hints of queerness (ace & sapphic rep) being there were lovely, and I also loved that they weren’t the focus, the sisters were. I personally love a romance, but I also realllllllly love and wish there were more stories actually focused on familial and platonic bonds more often, especially in things like fantasy and scifi. I think, the reason this one didn’t grab me in a chokehold is that there was something that felt a little young (according to the notes at the end, it was originally YA, and I think that is slightly felt lingering in the tone and some of the sisters interactions) and near the end, it got juuuuust a little bit too heavy handed for my personal tastes, but the bones of it was a relationship i enjoyed, and a really interesting world, and I’d love to see more stories like this one.

[Samantha Picaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this novel! I loved the powers related to crystals, salt, and the atmosphere and how both Loxy and Elodie had complicated feelings regarding their powers, religion, and their absent mother. The author used gorgeous descriptions to describe both the physical and the emotional. There were many times I wanted to tell off a character for being mean to the sisters and many times I wanted to hug them for what they experienced with the exile and Elodie coming to terms with her powers.

I adored the following elements and I think readers will too:
-focus on sister relationship
-survival
-questioning teachings
-healing from emotional trauma
-looking for a family member
-protagonists with powers
-strong female protagonists
-flawed yet relatable protagonists

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Elodie from Sea of Broken Glass is aromantic asexual!

https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...

[Kerstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! The story was really captivating and, the author, Jenna, does a really good job at creating the magical world based on crystals and other elements of nature.
The story follows Loxy and Elodie, two sisters, and their point of views through alternating chapters. Loxy has had magic pretty much all her life and then Elodie gets similar magic. This causes both of them to be banished from their village home. They embark on a thrilling journey in hopes of finding their mother, who was banished many years ago for having the same type of magic. Their journey is anything but smooth, from a stranger joining them on their journey, crystal wolves, and the unforgiving sea, to needing to rely on their magic to keep them alive and visiting different villages that hold secrets to their religious past. Both Loxy and Elodie discover more of who they are on their journey, both while together and apart.
I was hoping that the characters would have the epiphany about their “travel companion” sooner. It felt a little weird that they didn’t make the connection until closer to the end of the book. You, as the reader, make the connection pretty quickly and the characters just seem to almost play dumb. Because of this, my true rating is 4.5 stars, but we can’t do half stars on here, so I rounded down.

If you like adventurous, fast paced, LGBTQIA+ representation, magic, questioning religion and a story highlighting the importance of a sisterly bond, then The Sea of Broken Glass is for you!

[Sharon Moritz-rosenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me and I loved this story a lot. I really connected with the plot, the characters and I highly enjoyed the story. To say this story had two two sisters, Loxy and Elodie, who have an extremely complicated past would be an understatement.

Their lives being turned upside down and inside out as they struggle with who they are and their futures. They embark on a journey to understand themselves and find their place in the world. Their journey really resonated with me. I loved the adventure that kept me on the edge of your seat until the very end of the story.

I received a complimentary kindle version of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. The story is that of two sisters with a complicated past and a difficult relationship. It is about their lives being turned upside down as they struggle with who they are and who they could be, as they embark on a journey to discover and understand themselves, their entire belief systems and where they belong. It is a story full of strong emotions and adventure, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the sibling dynamics in this novel. The overall story worked well together and I was invested in what happened to the. It uses the magic element perfectly and enjoyed the overall story and character development. Jenna Pine has a great writing style and am excited to read the prequel and more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Sea of Broken Glass by Jenna Pine it was an interesting read and hard to put down. I loved the plot as well as the cover I definitely recommend reading it you will not regret it.