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The Lost Ancients #1
The Glass Gargoyle
Archeologist Taryn St. Giles has spent her life mining the ruins of the elves who vanished from the Four Kingdoms a thousand years ago. But when her patrons begin disappearing too—and then turning up dead—she finds herself unemployed, restless, and desperate. So she goes looking for other missing things: as a bounty hunter.
Tracking her first fugitive—the distractingly handsome and strangely charming Alric—she unearths a dangerous underworld of warring crime lords, demonic squirrels, and a long-lost elven artifact capable of unleashing a hell on earth.
Chased, robbed, kidnapped, and distressingly low on rent money, Taryn just wants one quiet beer and to catch her fugitive. But there’s more to Alric than his wicked grin—is he a wanted man or the city’s only hope? With menacing mages in pursuit and her three alcoholic faery sidekicks always in her hair, Taryn’s curiosity might finally solve the mystery of the elves… or be the death of her and destroy her world.
Tracking her first fugitive—the distractingly handsome and strangely charming Alric—she unearths a dangerous underworld of warring crime lords, demonic squirrels, and a long-lost elven artifact capable of unleashing a hell on earth.
Chased, robbed, kidnapped, and distressingly low on rent money, Taryn just wants one quiet beer and to catch her fugitive. But there’s more to Alric than his wicked grin—is he a wanted man or the city’s only hope? With menacing mages in pursuit and her three alcoholic faery sidekicks always in her hair, Taryn’s curiosity might finally solve the mystery of the elves… or be the death of her and destroy her world.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 23, 2015
1061 people are currently reading
2800 people want to read
About the author
Marie Andreas
50 books251 followersMarie is a fantasy and science fiction reader with a serious writing addiction, and a few awards to go with it. If she wasn't writing about all the people in her head, she'd be lurking about coffee shops annoying total strangers with her stories. So really, writing is a way of saving the masses. Her fantasy series, The Lost Ancients, starts with The Glass Gargoyle. The entire six book, Lost Ancient series is complete for binge time!
There is also a completed space opera trilogy, with Warrior Wench, Victorious Dead, and Defiant Ruin. Vas and her crew of mercs launched a new series with Traitor's Folly which is also now complete.
A Curious Invasion-- a steampunk-is out and has two more books out as well. Vampires, mermaids, pharaohs, and TEA!
Essence of Chaos is the first book in a completed epic fantasy trilogy.
The Girl with the Iron Wing is a thriller/Urban Fantasy, and the first book in the Broken Veils series. The trilogy is now completed.
A trio of sisters is represented facing their biggest challenges in the Magic & Sorcery Chronicles--a clean romantasy trilogy.
A new paranormal cozy mystery fantasy series launches with Mischief in a Bottle.
More new books, series, and adventures coming in 2026!
When not saving the masses from coffee shop shenanigans, Marie likes to visit the UK and keeps hoping someone will give her a nice summer home in the Forest of Dean or northern Wales.
To find out more about the books, and future series, please visit her website at www.marieandreas.com--especially if you happen to have a small cottage to give her.
There is also a completed space opera trilogy, with Warrior Wench, Victorious Dead, and Defiant Ruin. Vas and her crew of mercs launched a new series with Traitor's Folly which is also now complete.
A Curious Invasion-- a steampunk-is out and has two more books out as well. Vampires, mermaids, pharaohs, and TEA!
Essence of Chaos is the first book in a completed epic fantasy trilogy.
The Girl with the Iron Wing is a thriller/Urban Fantasy, and the first book in the Broken Veils series. The trilogy is now completed.
A trio of sisters is represented facing their biggest challenges in the Magic & Sorcery Chronicles--a clean romantasy trilogy.
A new paranormal cozy mystery fantasy series launches with Mischief in a Bottle.
More new books, series, and adventures coming in 2026!
When not saving the masses from coffee shop shenanigans, Marie likes to visit the UK and keeps hoping someone will give her a nice summer home in the Forest of Dean or northern Wales.
To find out more about the books, and future series, please visit her website at www.marieandreas.com--especially if you happen to have a small cottage to give her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 255 reviews
September 16, 2024
💀 DNF at 22%.
I LOVED the MC's booze-loving faery sidekicks BUT: Lazy, messy world-building + the plot is all over the place + repetition overload + predictable, cliched male/female interactions + I didn't give a fish about anything =
P.S. If you want to read a highly entertaining Marie Andreas series, give Asarlaí Wars a try. You're welcome and stuff.
October 1, 2017
Somehow I did finish this book, but I mostly switched between it, a webcomic and Ursula K. le Guin's The Unreal and the Real.
The protagonist was all right, but I find the transition from archaeologist to bounty hunter very strange. She admits herself that she is out of shape, so it's really not logical. She is not really a fighter except occasionally, when she has her unpredictable reaction to whisky. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but at the very least give the woman some kind of fighting background to make it plausible.
The other characters are much more interesting, except for Alric, who is a handsome, mysterious stranger cardboard cut-out. I wish we had more backstory on the minor characters, and I liked Harlan and Taryn's fairies the best. The syclarions are also pretty interesting. Too bad about the jinns, they were good comic relief and could have been made into pretty good stooges.
That said, the first 70% of the story was a good romp and much fun. However, the plot sort of rushes itself into nonsense after that, and the ending was poorly resolved. Definitely the author did not spend enough time closing off the loose ends. But the action scenes were pretty good.
Coincidentally, the last 30% of the book also had a large number of typos and strangely constructed sentences. I don't know whether it's author fatigue or editor fatigue, but it was quite jarring.
The protagonist was all right, but I find the transition from archaeologist to bounty hunter very strange. She admits herself that she is out of shape, so it's really not logical. She is not really a fighter except occasionally, when she has her unpredictable reaction to whisky. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but at the very least give the woman some kind of fighting background to make it plausible.
The other characters are much more interesting, except for Alric, who is a handsome, mysterious stranger cardboard cut-out. I wish we had more backstory on the minor characters, and I liked Harlan and Taryn's fairies the best. The syclarions are also pretty interesting. Too bad about the jinns, they were good comic relief and could have been made into pretty good stooges.
That said, the first 70% of the story was a good romp and much fun. However, the plot sort of rushes itself into nonsense after that, and the ending was poorly resolved. Definitely the author did not spend enough time closing off the loose ends. But the action scenes were pretty good.
Coincidentally, the last 30% of the book also had a large number of typos and strangely constructed sentences. I don't know whether it's author fatigue or editor fatigue, but it was quite jarring.
July 15, 2017
A fast-paced, humorous romp with a colorful cast of characters - including three feisty fairies, a mysterious love interest, and old ruins once inhabited by ancient elves. Andreas' characters were well-developed with distinct personalities. There's an interesting world here filled with a variety of different races (I don't think anyone could be called plain old "human"). I do wish our protagonist Taryn and her romantic interest Alric spent a little more time together during the story as I enjoyed their interactions. However, their budding relationship, Taryn's seemingly odd heritage, and how the ancient elves tie into everything are all open questions for the following books in the series.
In a genre that tends to lean towards more serious and sometimes very dark themes, the light-hearted originality of THE GLASS GARGOYLE is a nice change of pace - a fun, enjoyable read.
Also...Crusty Bucket.
In a genre that tends to lean towards more serious and sometimes very dark themes, the light-hearted originality of THE GLASS GARGOYLE is a nice change of pace - a fun, enjoyable read.
Also...Crusty Bucket.
February 26, 2019
I almost gave up on this tale. About a third of way into it, I started giggling at the one liners and absolutely ridiculous happenings. The cast of characters reads like a menagerie from a mix of mythology, imagination and the absurd. And of course, being a series, the end starts a new beginning with no end in sight. Hence, it is over for me.
May 4, 2019
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/glass-gargo...
This is not a novel which takes itself, its world or its heroine entirely seriously. And that’s half the appeal, with Taryn being a snarky yet persistent little tomb raider, who is genuinely appealing. Her curiosity is forever getting the better of her – but she has to rely much more on her wits than any Lara Croft-esque antics. Well, except when intoxicated, when she gets a bit… strange. That change manifests itself in a couple of different ways, at least one of which proves essential to the plot at the climax. It’s the only true major set-piece in terms of direct action involving her, but Taryn’s other qualities – bravery, loyalty, inquisitiveness and a moderate resistance to magic – are sufficient to get her over the threshold here. Indeed, it came as a surprise in the middle of the book, when she explicitly stated she has “no real skill” with weapons.
This wasn’t the only unexpected twist. While there are references to trolls, elves, etc. it also turns out that one major character is mostly feline and another is (I think) snake. That aspect of the world could have been made a great deal clearer. Otherwise, however, Andreas has a good eye for quirky personalities. Particularly outstanding are the trio of fairies – Crusty Bucket, Garbage Blossom and Leaf Grub – and their monarch, “High Queen Princess Buttercup Turtledove RatBatZee Growltigerious Mungoosey, Empress of all.” Glorious.
This is not a novel which takes itself, its world or its heroine entirely seriously. And that’s half the appeal, with Taryn being a snarky yet persistent little tomb raider, who is genuinely appealing. Her curiosity is forever getting the better of her – but she has to rely much more on her wits than any Lara Croft-esque antics. Well, except when intoxicated, when she gets a bit… strange. That change manifests itself in a couple of different ways, at least one of which proves essential to the plot at the climax. It’s the only true major set-piece in terms of direct action involving her, but Taryn’s other qualities – bravery, loyalty, inquisitiveness and a moderate resistance to magic – are sufficient to get her over the threshold here. Indeed, it came as a surprise in the middle of the book, when she explicitly stated she has “no real skill” with weapons.
This wasn’t the only unexpected twist. While there are references to trolls, elves, etc. it also turns out that one major character is mostly feline and another is (I think) snake. That aspect of the world could have been made a great deal clearer. Otherwise, however, Andreas has a good eye for quirky personalities. Particularly outstanding are the trio of fairies – Crusty Bucket, Garbage Blossom and Leaf Grub – and their monarch, “High Queen Princess Buttercup Turtledove RatBatZee Growltigerious Mungoosey, Empress of all.” Glorious.
December 30, 2015
This is a generic urban fantasy novel. The heroine (and narrator) is a down-on-her-luck archeologist turned bounty hunter in a fantasy world. She meets the requisite sexy, mysterious, bad boy. She has funny sidekick fairies. The words "glass gargoyle" don't appear until two-thirds of the way through the book.
I can't say why, but I wouldn't turn down the next book in the series.
I can't say why, but I wouldn't turn down the next book in the series.
September 16, 2019
I totally loved The Glass Gargoyle (The Lost Ancients #1) by Marie Andreas. I enjoyed the colorful characters and clever story line. The book was remarkable engrossing and well-written and made for a quick read. Do not be deceived by the read dates in the review, I had misplaced the book and it took me a while to find it!
Marie Andreas did a superb job of creating a unique, entertaining, oftentimes humorous setting for the story. The only downside I see is that now I have more books to buy, as this was the first of a series.
Taryn St. Giles is quite unlike most of the heroines in the fantasy genre and is kind of Lara Croft-like. I cannot wait to find out more about her, and what exactly she is, in future installments. A fun, light read, I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers of all ages.
Marie Andreas did a superb job of creating a unique, entertaining, oftentimes humorous setting for the story. The only downside I see is that now I have more books to buy, as this was the first of a series.
Taryn St. Giles is quite unlike most of the heroines in the fantasy genre and is kind of Lara Croft-like. I cannot wait to find out more about her, and what exactly she is, in future installments. A fun, light read, I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers of all ages.
May 31, 2017
I really wanted to like this book. It had so many elements that I love like all of the different mythical creatures, but the heroin was just TSTL. Like seriously TFSTL. I barely was able to finish the book because she got on my nerves so bad. She was afraid of EVERYTHING, but she was just too curious not to get to the bottom of things. Unless of course it was something important and then she took whatever nonsensical explanation that presented itself. If she wasn't so dumb, the book would have probably been 200 pages shorter. She literally ignored every important clue or question that came her way. Also, there were just too many unanswered questions in this book. I really would like to get the answers (so I guess something can be said about the writing), but I don't think I can make it through another book with this heroin. I will not be continuing to series.
March 26, 2018
I needed to like this heroine and story more. Problem was, there was almost too much going on, and most of what did happen was repetitive. Lots of curious things were pointed out as unusual, but not a single thing was cleared up or explained in this story. Let me repeat that, there were all these weird teasers hinted at and NOT A SINGLE explanation was ever given - oh, and even worse, we are left on kind of cliffhanger.
So I have a hard to like heroine - a hero who barely has any page time and is inconsistent to boot (he's nice, he's arrogant, he's impossibly tough, he gets so beaten up he almost dies, he keeps appearing in Taryn's life but give no reason as to why that is)
There might be something here - but it was buried so deep in a repetitive storyline/world building and shallow, one dimensional characters that I found it more of a grind than a gripping read.
So I have a hard to like heroine - a hero who barely has any page time and is inconsistent to boot (he's nice, he's arrogant, he's impossibly tough, he gets so beaten up he almost dies, he keeps appearing in Taryn's life but give no reason as to why that is)
There might be something here - but it was buried so deep in a repetitive storyline/world building and shallow, one dimensional characters that I found it more of a grind than a gripping read.
Read
August 3, 2017By all accounts, this should have been a book I loved. I don't know what went wrong, but I gave up at about 30% in because I was skimming more often than not. It just wouldn't hold my attention.
There were some fun and colourful characters (NOT the heroine), but I just couldn't get into the story. Taryn herself just felt so bland and uninspired, and for as much as she was presented as some kind of awesome, she was captured or imprisoned or injured multiple times in the first 30% of the story. I can't even imagine how she manages to live to the end of it.
There were some fun and colourful characters (NOT the heroine), but I just couldn't get into the story. Taryn herself just felt so bland and uninspired, and for as much as she was presented as some kind of awesome, she was captured or imprisoned or injured multiple times in the first 30% of the story. I can't even imagine how she manages to live to the end of it.
July 22, 2018
Picked this up as part of my ongoing effort to find good fantasy romance reads on Kindle Unlimited. Not one in my top 25 but I'd consider revisiting it when I'm a little less picky.
Many elements of The Glass Gargoyle appealed to me: archaeology, bounty hunting, elves, and romance. If the book had stopped there, I think we would have been fine. But it didn't- we continue to be given more and more plots, races, mysteries, etc. that are never fully developed. I think it suffers from 'cram everything into the first book' syndrome.
Many elements of The Glass Gargoyle appealed to me: archaeology, bounty hunting, elves, and romance. If the book had stopped there, I think we would have been fine. But it didn't- we continue to be given more and more plots, races, mysteries, etc. that are never fully developed. I think it suffers from 'cram everything into the first book' syndrome.
April 22, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. Very fun and it moves along, does not bog down in a lot of needless description.
I love the fighting fairies and Taryn’s seemingly endless way of trouble finding her in the strangest of circumstances. I admit, I said the same thing at the end of the book as Taryn did as I wanted more NOW. I am very glad the next installment will be coming soon as I need to find out what happens next.
Great read for those looking for a good paced book and fun fantasy story.
I love the fighting fairies and Taryn’s seemingly endless way of trouble finding her in the strangest of circumstances. I admit, I said the same thing at the end of the book as Taryn did as I wanted more NOW. I am very glad the next installment will be coming soon as I need to find out what happens next.
Great read for those looking for a good paced book and fun fantasy story.
September 7, 2024
DNF at 25% after the FMC (an archeologist turned bounty hunter) was trying to escape yet another set of unknown enemies.
I found the backstory inconsistent and a little off-putting. Most residents didn't believe in "mythological elves" but there were lizard people and fairies. The FMC committed some SA on what seemed to be the MMC love interest? And the FMC's TSTL behavior was too much to continue to read about - the MMC warned her to be quiet multiple times and yet she kept talking to ask questions.
I apparently enjoyed another sci-fi series of this author which is why I had downloaded this book, but it seems like the writing quality isn't as consistent or my tastes have changed.
I found the backstory inconsistent and a little off-putting. Most residents didn't believe in "mythological elves" but there were lizard people and fairies. The FMC committed some SA on what seemed to be the MMC love interest? And the FMC's TSTL behavior was too much to continue to read about - the MMC warned her to be quiet multiple times and yet she kept talking to ask questions.
I apparently enjoyed another sci-fi series of this author which is why I had downloaded this book, but it seems like the writing quality isn't as consistent or my tastes have changed.
October 21, 2015
Archeologist Taryn St. Giles just can’t catch a break. Her last few patrons died or disappeared on her, Crusty Bucket is drunk again, and some jerk started a fight in the Shimmering Dewdrop. On a Tuesday night, no less! And to top it off? The same jerk who started the fight is the character she has been trying to find all day. Well, if she can’t work as an archeologist, she has to do something. And at least being a bounty hunter puts food on the table and keeps a roof over their heads. Yes, I said “their.” As in, Taryn, the aforementioned Crusty Bucket, Garbage Blossom and Leaf Grub. Taryn never asked to be the caretaker of faeries, but now that she is, keeping them in line is a job and a half.
This is a great story. So strange, so fun, so much laughter. . . Just my thing. Taryn lives on a world where ‘once upon a time’ left ruins. As in, Elf ruins. She has been fascinated by the ruins since childhood, and all she has ever wanted to do is learn about the elves. How they lived, how they thought. But without a patron, there is no digging for Taryn. When a well-respected professor decides to be her patron, Taryn is at first thrilled. But then things get really weird. And everything everyone thought about the elves, their ruins, and reality may never be the same. Oops.
This book was a true pleasure to read, and I very much look forward to the next. Laughter is good!
This is a great story. So strange, so fun, so much laughter. . . Just my thing. Taryn lives on a world where ‘once upon a time’ left ruins. As in, Elf ruins. She has been fascinated by the ruins since childhood, and all she has ever wanted to do is learn about the elves. How they lived, how they thought. But without a patron, there is no digging for Taryn. When a well-respected professor decides to be her patron, Taryn is at first thrilled. But then things get really weird. And everything everyone thought about the elves, their ruins, and reality may never be the same. Oops.
This book was a true pleasure to read, and I very much look forward to the next. Laughter is good!
June 22, 2017
I am partway through the third book and really am only persisting at this point because I don't have anything better to read.
As a writer (grammar, etc.) Ms. Andreas seems to know her stuff. As a storyteller...not so much.
The 'heroine' supposedly has mad skills in multiple things but never really gets to display them.
I like my protagonists to be competent at something. It may be the wrong skill needed, but at least demonstrate competence. We are informed of her competence but she simply stumbles from crises to crises and NEVER FOLLOWS UP ON OBVIOUS CLUES! It's a bit frustrating.
It's like the author is aware that you need to give your readers clues so they can be involved in the mystery, but she doesn't know how to seamlessly drop them into the story. It's one thing for the protagonist to miss a clue, the best authors add them in such a way that they only appear important in hindsight, but the protagonist is given multiple obviously important clues and there is always an obviously contrived excuse for her not to pursue them.
The setting and mystery are decent enough but, as previously mentioned, if I could find anything more interesting I wouldn't be continuing.
As a writer (grammar, etc.) Ms. Andreas seems to know her stuff. As a storyteller...not so much.
The 'heroine' supposedly has mad skills in multiple things but never really gets to display them.
I like my protagonists to be competent at something. It may be the wrong skill needed, but at least demonstrate competence. We are informed of her competence but she simply stumbles from crises to crises and NEVER FOLLOWS UP ON OBVIOUS CLUES! It's a bit frustrating.
It's like the author is aware that you need to give your readers clues so they can be involved in the mystery, but she doesn't know how to seamlessly drop them into the story. It's one thing for the protagonist to miss a clue, the best authors add them in such a way that they only appear important in hindsight, but the protagonist is given multiple obviously important clues and there is always an obviously contrived excuse for her not to pursue them.
The setting and mystery are decent enough but, as previously mentioned, if I could find anything more interesting I wouldn't be continuing.
May 21, 2019
A super fun book! I can’t wait to read the next one.
February 25, 2023
A bit of unrealistic magical Wimsey. A lot of violent chasing ... and too much denial of love interests. Kindle book read with Alexia audio assist.
May 15, 2023
The first in an unusual fantasy series, great characters. I shall look out for the next in the series.
June 4, 2020
This is a good, fun read if a little light on details and back stories for key characters. You are introduced to Taryn as she tries to corral her three drunk singing fairies in the middle of a drunken bar brawl. To make matters more complex she is meant to be bringing in a bounty and that bounty started the bar brawl. But let’s be honest, I was on board from the mention of drunken fairies. From there things only get more complicated for Taryn as she keeps running into her mysterious bounty and he always seems to come with trouble attached. In more ways than one. Taryn's usual job is archaeology, or exploring old ruins left behind by an ancient and, in many ways, still unknown civilisation long lost to the ages of time. Bounty hunting is a side hobby considering she is currently unemployed and still needs to pay her rent.
This is quite a chaotic book with a lot going on, it’s also great fun and relatively light reading. Throughout the course of the novel you are introduced to a myriad of species and many of them make for highly interesting characters with various behavioural ticks and quirks. If anything, my main complaint would be that more attention is paid to the male love interests than to many of these potentially fascinating lives. The cast of characters is certainly colourful and there is a sense of mystery to the ancient ruins and what came before. Personally, I'd have loved to read more about the various races that populate the Four Kingdoms, or even just Taryn's small corner of it, as there is a huge amount of imagination on display here and I felt more could have been done with it.
I particularly enjoyed the fairies, as whilst they certainly are small alcoholic menaces, there is far more time spent developing their back-stories, characterisations and culture than many of the other races that sit in the background. Taryn's interactions with them are fantastic and I really enjoyed how they actively brought something meaningful to the narrative, rather than just being there for the hilarity aspects. If this kind of attention had been paid to other races and aspects of the world building, this novel would have been an easy four star read. I did feel that it fell down a little with the focus on Alric, the tall, dark and mysterious stranger who Taryn has a serious crush on even if she's having some denial issues.
The narrative is interesting, although the actual glass gargoyle doesn't show up until a good two thirds of the way through the novel. There were quite a few twists and turns that I hadn't expected and the novel certainly kept me guessing all the way to the end. There's a lot of mystery and unanswered questions here and more could have been resolved if the world building had been stronger. The humour throughout the book is fantastic though and there are several narrative arcs that are loosely linked to the overall whole that work fantastically. I mean who wouldn't want to read about a war between fairies and squirrels!?
So there's a huge amount of potential here and I'm certainly interested in what Andreas does with the following books. This is funny and fairly light reading, despite Taryn going from one catastrophe to another with barely a pause for breath. I loved the depth that was brought to the fairies and really hope that future novels in this series will fill out the other races in the same way.
This is quite a chaotic book with a lot going on, it’s also great fun and relatively light reading. Throughout the course of the novel you are introduced to a myriad of species and many of them make for highly interesting characters with various behavioural ticks and quirks. If anything, my main complaint would be that more attention is paid to the male love interests than to many of these potentially fascinating lives. The cast of characters is certainly colourful and there is a sense of mystery to the ancient ruins and what came before. Personally, I'd have loved to read more about the various races that populate the Four Kingdoms, or even just Taryn's small corner of it, as there is a huge amount of imagination on display here and I felt more could have been done with it.
I particularly enjoyed the fairies, as whilst they certainly are small alcoholic menaces, there is far more time spent developing their back-stories, characterisations and culture than many of the other races that sit in the background. Taryn's interactions with them are fantastic and I really enjoyed how they actively brought something meaningful to the narrative, rather than just being there for the hilarity aspects. If this kind of attention had been paid to other races and aspects of the world building, this novel would have been an easy four star read. I did feel that it fell down a little with the focus on Alric, the tall, dark and mysterious stranger who Taryn has a serious crush on even if she's having some denial issues.
The narrative is interesting, although the actual glass gargoyle doesn't show up until a good two thirds of the way through the novel. There were quite a few twists and turns that I hadn't expected and the novel certainly kept me guessing all the way to the end. There's a lot of mystery and unanswered questions here and more could have been resolved if the world building had been stronger. The humour throughout the book is fantastic though and there are several narrative arcs that are loosely linked to the overall whole that work fantastically. I mean who wouldn't want to read about a war between fairies and squirrels!?
So there's a huge amount of potential here and I'm certainly interested in what Andreas does with the following books. This is funny and fairly light reading, despite Taryn going from one catastrophe to another with barely a pause for breath. I loved the depth that was brought to the fairies and really hope that future novels in this series will fill out the other races in the same way.
January 11, 2018
Two and a half stars.
Taryn St Giles is an archaeologist down on her luck, forced to resort to bounty hunting to make ends meet. She is the reluctant owner of three fairies who can usually be relied upon to get drunk and start fights. As the book opens Taryn is hunting for a bounty, although she collars him relatively easy he doesn't stay collared for long - and that is the start of a crazy journey. Soon there are mysterious disappearances, dead bodies, mysterious strangers, gypsies, jinn, elves, trolls, dragon-like creatures etc, etc.
Where to start? First, I received this ARC back in January last year, so my bad for not reading and reviewing earlier. However, the book was first published in March 2015 so I really don't understand why my copy has so many words runningtogether missing the intervening spaces. Also, there appears to be no formatting of the chapter headings which makes it difficult to 'feel' the breaks between chapters as they just merge into one long chapter. Previewing the Kindle version on Amazon doesn't look that much better either.
Second, there is waaaay too much stuff in this book and not enough world-building/ development. It doesn't help that Taryn hasn't a clue what is going on. I think it took half the book before the eponymous Glass Gargoyle was even mentioned. Taryn has a backstory and a mystery about her species which are just barely glanced upon. There seems to be a cast of thousands and the purpose of most of them seems vague at best. Villains drop in and out and we don't know why. The book even ends on a sort of cliffhanger - sort of.
I don't know whether Marie Andreas has got the idea for the whole series in her mind and has written the series as if it were one long book, or if she had so many ideas that she couldn't bear to to drop any, but the book ended up as a series of occurrences with no real conclusion. I still have no idea what species Taryn belongs to, I don't know who/ what Alric is (although I do have a good idea), I don't know who hired the jinn, I don't understand the Marcos plot, I don't know what set off all of these events, I don't see the purpose of Harlan, Covey, Cirocco, Dogmaela or Foxy, heck half the time I couldn't tell whether they were friends or enemies (obviously not the ones who were marked as enemies). There are extinct/ mythical elves, older more ancient races, lots of new creatures that I've never heard of, magical powers, although Taryn is a null, potions etc AND NONE OF IT IS EXPLAINED.
I think there is a really good series possibly lost in this but I just can't summon up the enthusiasm to try reading the second book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Taryn St Giles is an archaeologist down on her luck, forced to resort to bounty hunting to make ends meet. She is the reluctant owner of three fairies who can usually be relied upon to get drunk and start fights. As the book opens Taryn is hunting for a bounty, although she collars him relatively easy he doesn't stay collared for long - and that is the start of a crazy journey. Soon there are mysterious disappearances, dead bodies, mysterious strangers, gypsies, jinn, elves, trolls, dragon-like creatures etc, etc.
Where to start? First, I received this ARC back in January last year, so my bad for not reading and reviewing earlier. However, the book was first published in March 2015 so I really don't understand why my copy has so many words runningtogether missing the intervening spaces. Also, there appears to be no formatting of the chapter headings which makes it difficult to 'feel' the breaks between chapters as they just merge into one long chapter. Previewing the Kindle version on Amazon doesn't look that much better either.
Second, there is waaaay too much stuff in this book and not enough world-building/ development. It doesn't help that Taryn hasn't a clue what is going on. I think it took half the book before the eponymous Glass Gargoyle was even mentioned. Taryn has a backstory and a mystery about her species which are just barely glanced upon. There seems to be a cast of thousands and the purpose of most of them seems vague at best. Villains drop in and out and we don't know why. The book even ends on a sort of cliffhanger - sort of.
I don't know whether Marie Andreas has got the idea for the whole series in her mind and has written the series as if it were one long book, or if she had so many ideas that she couldn't bear to to drop any, but the book ended up as a series of occurrences with no real conclusion. I still have no idea what species Taryn belongs to, I don't know who/ what Alric is (although I do have a good idea), I don't know who hired the jinn, I don't understand the Marcos plot, I don't know what set off all of these events, I don't see the purpose of Harlan, Covey, Cirocco, Dogmaela or Foxy, heck half the time I couldn't tell whether they were friends or enemies (obviously not the ones who were marked as enemies). There are extinct/ mythical elves, older more ancient races, lots of new creatures that I've never heard of, magical powers, although Taryn is a null, potions etc AND NONE OF IT IS EXPLAINED.
I think there is a really good series possibly lost in this but I just can't summon up the enthusiasm to try reading the second book.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
September 26, 2017
When I started reading The Glass Gargoyle, I thought it was going to be a fun read. The more into it I got, the more I realized it was something much rarer--a *great* one, with characters that jump off the page, led by a really likable but unlikely heroine I could easily become best friends with. I also loved the rising paranoia as friend became foe and foe became friend--you never know if anyone is what they seem (save for Taryn, the heroine--and even she has her secrets!) The tension and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, thanks to an original and unpredictable plot. Grim things happened far too often--and yet, if I could enter that world and go drink at the Shimmering Dewdrop with Foxy and Harlan and Taryn, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
Taryn's three little fairy friends prove to be full of surprises. They flutter perilously on the edge of cuteness, but they are never cutesy. They are exasperating, lovable and (like everyone else in the novel) full of surprises. They are hilariously funny at times (the squirrels. Oh, the squirrels!). And brave, as well as loyal. In fact, the whole book is a skillful maze of magic, humor, horror and surprises, and the world they all inhabit is fully realized, rich and elusive. The ending too was absolutely perfect, and wicked, and made me laugh out loud.
Marie Andreas slowly peels away layer upon layer, getting to the true core of each of the key characters with breathtaking skill. I am going to buy a hard copy print version of this book: It's going in my bookshelf of lifetime favorite books. And I sure hope there are more adventures for Taryn and her friends that I can tag vicariously along for.
Taryn's three little fairy friends prove to be full of surprises. They flutter perilously on the edge of cuteness, but they are never cutesy. They are exasperating, lovable and (like everyone else in the novel) full of surprises. They are hilariously funny at times (the squirrels. Oh, the squirrels!). And brave, as well as loyal. In fact, the whole book is a skillful maze of magic, humor, horror and surprises, and the world they all inhabit is fully realized, rich and elusive. The ending too was absolutely perfect, and wicked, and made me laugh out loud.
Marie Andreas slowly peels away layer upon layer, getting to the true core of each of the key characters with breathtaking skill. I am going to buy a hard copy print version of this book: It's going in my bookshelf of lifetime favorite books. And I sure hope there are more adventures for Taryn and her friends that I can tag vicariously along for.
August 31, 2025
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This is a fairly fun urban fantasy book featuring an out of work archeologist who takes work as a bounty hunter to make ends meet. The world has a huge variety of paranormal characters and it was interesting seeing the author's take on these. She's tasked with bringing in a dangerous criminal, but of course, there's more to the story. When a murder hits close to home our heroine is determined to get to the bottom of it. Unsurprisingly, she'll need to team up with her bad-boy fugitive to get to the bottom of it. The three fairies under her care cracked me up and added a lot of humor to the story. Overall this was a fun story, but I don't think urban fantasy is my jam because my mind kept drifting and I had a hard time staying with the story.
This is a fairly fun urban fantasy book featuring an out of work archeologist who takes work as a bounty hunter to make ends meet. The world has a huge variety of paranormal characters and it was interesting seeing the author's take on these. She's tasked with bringing in a dangerous criminal, but of course, there's more to the story. When a murder hits close to home our heroine is determined to get to the bottom of it. Unsurprisingly, she'll need to team up with her bad-boy fugitive to get to the bottom of it. The three fairies under her care cracked me up and added a lot of humor to the story. Overall this was a fun story, but I don't think urban fantasy is my jam because my mind kept drifting and I had a hard time staying with the story.
January 12, 2018
A humorous read with a cast of bizarre characters, both alien and mythological, and a heroine who bounces from one misadventure to the next. I loved her 'pet' faeries, Garbage Blossom, Crusty Bucket, and Leaf Grub! The only thing I didn't like was how much Andreas packed into a single volume. I almost needed to take notes to keep up with all the details, but I'm hooked as a reader. Eager to get to volume 2.
March 30, 2023
As another reviewer mentioned, this story doesn't take itself too seriously, whereby the humor, situations and characters were all perfectly blended to make this such a fun read.
If you need something light and fun with fantasy thrown into the mix, this one is for you. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
If you need something light and fun with fantasy thrown into the mix, this one is for you. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.
August 16, 2017
This was an entertaining read which left me "In Like" with it.
March 17, 2019
A bit messy. I think it could have benefited from a heavy-handed editor for tightening. Overall, it was an enjoyable read!
February 25, 2020
Lots of fun! Great character and plot! So much better than most of what I've read recently.
October 18, 2023
Struggled with the style
I got through the whole thing, but I really struggled with the writer's style and tone. Maybe it's targeted for a younger audience.
I got through the whole thing, but I really struggled with the writer's style and tone. Maybe it's targeted for a younger audience.
May 21, 2021
*Source* Kindle Unlimited
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Glass Gargoyle is the first installment in author Marie Andreas The Lost Ancients series. Archeologist Taryn St. Giles has spent her life mining the ruins of the elves who vanished from the Four Kingdoms about 1300 years ago. But when her patrons begin disappearing and then turning up dead, she finds herself unemployed, restless, desperate, and a bad reputation as getting people killed. So she becomes a bounty hunter. Tracking her first fugitive-the distractedly handsome and strangely charming Alric; she unearths a dangerous underworld of warring crime lords, demonic squirrels, and a long-lost elven artifact capable of unleashing a hell on earth.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Glass Gargoyle is the first installment in author Marie Andreas The Lost Ancients series. Archeologist Taryn St. Giles has spent her life mining the ruins of the elves who vanished from the Four Kingdoms about 1300 years ago. But when her patrons begin disappearing and then turning up dead, she finds herself unemployed, restless, desperate, and a bad reputation as getting people killed. So she becomes a bounty hunter. Tracking her first fugitive-the distractedly handsome and strangely charming Alric; she unearths a dangerous underworld of warring crime lords, demonic squirrels, and a long-lost elven artifact capable of unleashing a hell on earth.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
June 25, 2021
Combining archaeology and world-threatening mystical artefacts without either copying the well-known character or deliberately avoiding echoes, Andreas creates a fantasy novel that balances intelligent interaction with fast-paced high-stakes plot.
All Taryn wants to do is delve into the ruins left when the elves vanished a thousand years ago. Unfortunately, her noble patrons seem to either disappear or die; so she has to make ends meet as a bounty hunter. Reluctantly accepting a bounty from one of the city’s biggest crime lords, she finds herself arrested for a murder she didn’t commit, then rescued by the very fugitive she thought set her up in the first place. Even more confusingly, he disappears again without explaining.
With an archaeologist as a protagonist and a plot that involves a powerful ancient artefact, one might expect a fantasy Indiana Jones; and this novel does not set out to deliberately avoid that comparison. However, unlike the globe-trotting plots of Jones, this story is confined to a single city; thus, the action is is smaller in scale—if not drama—and slightly closer to a crime thriller than a full-on adventure.
The core of Andreas’ world is that the elven civilisation disappeared a thousand years ago for unknown reasons and that another civilisation, the Ancients, existed before them. Now the ruins are controlled by a cabal of nobles who grant—or withhold—permissions to perform digs. This provides a landscape of venal patrons, obsessive academics, and black-market antique dealers that allows for both exposition on the past and danger.
As with many worlds that include elves, this one also includes other races. However, Andreas has not limited herself to the classic set of three or four: there are lizardpeople, trolls, cherubs, catpeople, and sundry other races—some of which are almost certainly unique to Andreas. In addition, at least some of the races can interbreed, leading to characters with blended lineages. Although this does provide a certain diversity, it can also make it hard to be certain what is or is not possible for a mix of two fantasy races, meaning that some readers might find the tension weakened in places.
The interweaving of fantasy history and street politics is skilled, each adding an aspect of uncertainty to events that is greater than the sum of its parts. This sense of distrust is both used for and amplified by a frisson of romance between Taryn and Alric, the fugitive who rescued her.
In much the same way as Shakespeare included Caliban, Bottom, and other low comedy business, Andreas provides three fairies with strong passions, a love of alcohol, and an incomprehensible perspective on life. As with Shakespeare, readers’ opinions are likely to be divided on whether they are charming or irritating, and whether they advance the plot more than they add needless mess.
Taryn is a solid protagonist. While she is not passive or wholly cerebral, she is very much an archaeologist who has turned her theories of social structure into a way to find people rather than a dashing warrior intellectual. Thus, she is aware enough of the seedy and violent side of life not to be constantly failing around, but ill-suited enough that she is properly challenged by the plot.
The supporting cast are engaging and nuanced. Any issues of not being sure what a specific race (or half-race) might be like aside, they present as individuals with complex, and sometimes conflicting, drives rather than the monolithic stereotypes of some fantasy novels.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking gritty fantasy centred around neither a callow peasant with a destiny nor a criminal with morals.
All Taryn wants to do is delve into the ruins left when the elves vanished a thousand years ago. Unfortunately, her noble patrons seem to either disappear or die; so she has to make ends meet as a bounty hunter. Reluctantly accepting a bounty from one of the city’s biggest crime lords, she finds herself arrested for a murder she didn’t commit, then rescued by the very fugitive she thought set her up in the first place. Even more confusingly, he disappears again without explaining.
With an archaeologist as a protagonist and a plot that involves a powerful ancient artefact, one might expect a fantasy Indiana Jones; and this novel does not set out to deliberately avoid that comparison. However, unlike the globe-trotting plots of Jones, this story is confined to a single city; thus, the action is is smaller in scale—if not drama—and slightly closer to a crime thriller than a full-on adventure.
The core of Andreas’ world is that the elven civilisation disappeared a thousand years ago for unknown reasons and that another civilisation, the Ancients, existed before them. Now the ruins are controlled by a cabal of nobles who grant—or withhold—permissions to perform digs. This provides a landscape of venal patrons, obsessive academics, and black-market antique dealers that allows for both exposition on the past and danger.
As with many worlds that include elves, this one also includes other races. However, Andreas has not limited herself to the classic set of three or four: there are lizardpeople, trolls, cherubs, catpeople, and sundry other races—some of which are almost certainly unique to Andreas. In addition, at least some of the races can interbreed, leading to characters with blended lineages. Although this does provide a certain diversity, it can also make it hard to be certain what is or is not possible for a mix of two fantasy races, meaning that some readers might find the tension weakened in places.
The interweaving of fantasy history and street politics is skilled, each adding an aspect of uncertainty to events that is greater than the sum of its parts. This sense of distrust is both used for and amplified by a frisson of romance between Taryn and Alric, the fugitive who rescued her.
In much the same way as Shakespeare included Caliban, Bottom, and other low comedy business, Andreas provides three fairies with strong passions, a love of alcohol, and an incomprehensible perspective on life. As with Shakespeare, readers’ opinions are likely to be divided on whether they are charming or irritating, and whether they advance the plot more than they add needless mess.
Taryn is a solid protagonist. While she is not passive or wholly cerebral, she is very much an archaeologist who has turned her theories of social structure into a way to find people rather than a dashing warrior intellectual. Thus, she is aware enough of the seedy and violent side of life not to be constantly failing around, but ill-suited enough that she is properly challenged by the plot.
The supporting cast are engaging and nuanced. Any issues of not being sure what a specific race (or half-race) might be like aside, they present as individuals with complex, and sometimes conflicting, drives rather than the monolithic stereotypes of some fantasy novels.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking gritty fantasy centred around neither a callow peasant with a destiny nor a criminal with morals.
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