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Cathedrals of Glass #1
A Planet of Blood and Ice
From the New York Times bestselling author of Steeplejack and co-author of Sekret Chasing Shadows with Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge, comes a "smart, gripping and atmospheric" science fiction thriller—the Cathedrals of Glass saga…
“Deviance is unattractive and jeopardizes all we hold dear…”
Ten teenagers broke behavioral law. Sentenced to be reeducated on the moon of Jerem, they were placed in stasis on the automated ship Phetteron for their six day journey. They never reached their destination.
“Home looks after its own…”
Thrown off course by a computer malfunction, the Phetteron is damaged in an asteroid belt and crash lands on the uninhabited ice planet of Valkrys. Having spent their lives in temperature controlled environments, consuming nutrient supplements, and interacting with people mostly through the infonet, the teens are unprepared to depend on each other to face the harsh, hostile, and hellish landscape. Home will send a rescue party long before their meager supplies run out.
“No contrary positions are viable…”
Sola was a roamer. She wandered the city after curfew, reveling in the freedom of being disconnected from the techgrid and embracing the joy of physical activity. For those actions, Home declared her deviant. But on Valkrys, her deviance is an asset that may be the teens’ only hope for survival.
As Sola explores their strange new world, she discovers that she and her shipmates are linked by something more frightening than their subversive behaviors—and uncovers a truth about the planet the authorities at Home wanted buried.
Valkrys is not uninhabited. And what lives there is predatory…
“Deviance is unattractive and jeopardizes all we hold dear…”
Ten teenagers broke behavioral law. Sentenced to be reeducated on the moon of Jerem, they were placed in stasis on the automated ship Phetteron for their six day journey. They never reached their destination.
“Home looks after its own…”
Thrown off course by a computer malfunction, the Phetteron is damaged in an asteroid belt and crash lands on the uninhabited ice planet of Valkrys. Having spent their lives in temperature controlled environments, consuming nutrient supplements, and interacting with people mostly through the infonet, the teens are unprepared to depend on each other to face the harsh, hostile, and hellish landscape. Home will send a rescue party long before their meager supplies run out.
“No contrary positions are viable…”
Sola was a roamer. She wandered the city after curfew, reveling in the freedom of being disconnected from the techgrid and embracing the joy of physical activity. For those actions, Home declared her deviant. But on Valkrys, her deviance is an asset that may be the teens’ only hope for survival.
As Sola explores their strange new world, she discovers that she and her shipmates are linked by something more frightening than their subversive behaviors—and uncovers a truth about the planet the authorities at Home wanted buried.
Valkrys is not uninhabited. And what lives there is predatory…
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2017
15 people are currently reading
633 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 18, 2020
"Deviance is unattractive and jeopardizes all we hold dear
Prett good, ok, a bit weak and generic in places, but interesting enough....
Prett good, ok, a bit weak and generic in places, but interesting enough....
February 22, 2017
Cathedrals of Glass: A Planet of Blood and Ice is a well-crafted young adult scifi thriller by AJ Hartley, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. In this novel he presents a dystopian future where almost all human interaction takes place virtually and citizens are expected to comply with the laws of the land. Anyone stepping outside of the law is considered deviant and dealt with appropriately, and in this case it is a handful of teenagers being sent off to a re-education camp on another planet so they can be integrated back into society. Their ship, however, ends up drastically off-course and their journey turns into one of survival.
Hartley masterfully presents pieces of the mystery to his readers in a way to allow them to draw their own conclusions, even as the characters themselves attempt to figure out what is going on. His ability to successfully convey the creepiness of many scenes adds a rich layer to the narrative. The story is exciting, scary, mysterious and trippy all at the same time, a combination that had me up late several nights just to get one more piece of information about what the hell was happening.
The characters are diverse, if not a little cliche, but that's to be expected in a story with an ensemble cast, especially a cast full of angst-ridden rebellious teenagers. The development of their relationships throughout the story feel totally natural within the scenario the characters find themselves in, and makes for some pretty emotionally devastating moments when things go wrong in the worst possible way.
And I have to say, the way the antagonist is presented and interacts is downright frightful. At first you're confused and curious, and then you're creeped out and scared and sweating as you experience the characters fighting and running for their lives.
I love the way Hartley paces his stories, the way he presents and develops his characters and settings and how he brings it all together in the final pages. Cathedrals of Glass: A Planet of Blood and Ice is no different and I found myself closing the book satisfied and intrigued about what may be next for this setting. It definitely leaves the door open for more... which would be a very good thing.
Hartley masterfully presents pieces of the mystery to his readers in a way to allow them to draw their own conclusions, even as the characters themselves attempt to figure out what is going on. His ability to successfully convey the creepiness of many scenes adds a rich layer to the narrative. The story is exciting, scary, mysterious and trippy all at the same time, a combination that had me up late several nights just to get one more piece of information about what the hell was happening.
The characters are diverse, if not a little cliche, but that's to be expected in a story with an ensemble cast, especially a cast full of angst-ridden rebellious teenagers. The development of their relationships throughout the story feel totally natural within the scenario the characters find themselves in, and makes for some pretty emotionally devastating moments when things go wrong in the worst possible way.
And I have to say, the way the antagonist is presented and interacts is downright frightful. At first you're confused and curious, and then you're creeped out and scared and sweating as you experience the characters fighting and running for their lives.
I love the way Hartley paces his stories, the way he presents and develops his characters and settings and how he brings it all together in the final pages. Cathedrals of Glass: A Planet of Blood and Ice is no different and I found myself closing the book satisfied and intrigued about what may be next for this setting. It definitely leaves the door open for more... which would be a very good thing.
June 24, 2017
Pas ma tasse de thé ! c'est un mixte de déjà lu (groupe de jeunes "déviants" isolés, ET aux pouvoirs psy réduisant leur hôte en zombie, méchant gouvernement où tout ce qui n'est pas norme est dangereux et nocif ... ) En plus, j'ai du mal à croire qu'une jeune ado soit transformée en "super woman" dès l'atterrissage sur planète glacée (peut être du à la narration à la première personne )
Les explication sont d'ailleurs très "light" et exigent du lecteur une bonne part de crédulité ...
A réserver YA ou aux amateurs des séries style Hunger Games
Les explication sont d'ailleurs très "light" et exigent du lecteur une bonne part de crédulité ...
A réserver YA ou aux amateurs des séries style Hunger Games
February 22, 2017
4.5 STARS!
Once I started this book I could not put it down. It's one of those books where you tell yourself "just one more chapter" and 20 chapters later you're telling yourself the same thing. I was instantly transported to Valkrys with the 10. I was the invisible 11th member, captivated by their every move. I'm left with wanting to know more; so much more. There is boundless potential for where this story can go and I eagerly await the next...chapter.
Once I started this book I could not put it down. It's one of those books where you tell yourself "just one more chapter" and 20 chapters later you're telling yourself the same thing. I was instantly transported to Valkrys with the 10. I was the invisible 11th member, captivated by their every move. I'm left with wanting to know more; so much more. There is boundless potential for where this story can go and I eagerly await the next...chapter.
September 13, 2017
Well done, Mr Hartley. When night fell on Charleston, during Irma's visit, and the electricity was out, I picked up my trusty iPad and crashed into that strange, cold, and dangerous planet Valkrys, along with Sola and her shipmates. The irony of sitting in my 21st century home, curled up with an electronic device, reading about teens from a distant future, whose lives are pretty much spent in a society where the infonet provides all social interactions, and the world is climate controlled did not escape me. I, however, had more than nutritional supplements and protein bars to sustain me while I read. (I believe that even in heaven, I might be able to sip an aperitif and nibble dark chocolate whist I invest myself in a book.)
But back to the book. A group of teens, who have each broken the rules of Home, are sent to a futuristic sort of juvenile detention/rehab center on a nearby moon. Only, the autopilot directed ship deviates from course and crash-lands on a planet nearby that is uninhabited. Or is it?
The group, both diverse and somewhat dysfunctional, with each member declared deviant for unsocial behaviors, must learn to interact, as well as survive. And soon enough, they learn there is danger beyond the frigid planet for them, both outside the ship and inside as well.
Science fiction and thriller, this book gripped me. I only stopped to sleep, and in the morning to find a way to make coffee without electricity. (Luckily, I'm a little handier, and a bit more knowledgeable and prepared than Sola and her shipmates, so that went well.) Don't be fooled by a YA label. This book was a good read. As usual, AJ Hartley does not disappoint.
But back to the book. A group of teens, who have each broken the rules of Home, are sent to a futuristic sort of juvenile detention/rehab center on a nearby moon. Only, the autopilot directed ship deviates from course and crash-lands on a planet nearby that is uninhabited. Or is it?
The group, both diverse and somewhat dysfunctional, with each member declared deviant for unsocial behaviors, must learn to interact, as well as survive. And soon enough, they learn there is danger beyond the frigid planet for them, both outside the ship and inside as well.
Science fiction and thriller, this book gripped me. I only stopped to sleep, and in the morning to find a way to make coffee without electricity. (Luckily, I'm a little handier, and a bit more knowledgeable and prepared than Sola and her shipmates, so that went well.) Don't be fooled by a YA label. This book was a good read. As usual, AJ Hartley does not disappoint.
June 22, 2017
A good read! The beginning was a little slow for me but it picked up the pace and didn't stop until the last few pages. I liked the story and the ideas but felt the ending was a little rushed.
September 21, 2018
Meh. It didn't hold my attention, and this is the audiobook I'm talking about. Ugh.
August 26, 2025
This being the fifth book by A.J. Hartley that I’ve read, I trusted in him for this to be good. As someone who’s currently not a big speculative fiction reader, the premise sounded a bit intimidating at first, but from what I’ve read from this author before, I had hope that he would make it not only understandable, but also engaging and enjoyable.
I was right. This was mysterious, interesting, suspenseful, and I’ve never really read anything like it before. It was an interesting plot and setting. I always enjoy snowy/icy settings. I was intrigued to learn more about the planet these ten teenagers landed on.
The dystopian aspect of it was quite interesting as well. I could see how much of the way people in this live is similar to where I could see our own society heading. It was interesting to see these characters try to survive and adapt in a situation where they’re so close to each other in person for so long— at a time in the future when that’s not common. I think the world-building is done well, whenever it becomes relevant, and by the time I’m learning pieces of information, I’m actually invested and interested in learning about it.
I enjoyed the characters. You don’t quite know who to trust. This story follows ten teenagers who are all on the same ship, and rather than being introduced all at once, which can be confusing and overwhelming to some readers, I think they’re introduced slowly and carefully. And it was easy (for the most part) to assign a name to the character, as many of the characters had a distinctive physical or personality trait, but they weren’t one-dimensional. I think it became easier to remember who was who as I went on.
I think this author is good with describing physical things, landscapes, emotions, and senses. I think some of the ideas and messages in this are good. It makes you think. I will say that I feel this author’s writing style isn’t the easiest, most simple to follow along with. I think he does a lot of run-on sentences and it can sound a bit convoluted at times, but I understand the vision. I still think he’s often good at putting certain feelings into words in a unique and poetic way.
This wasn’t my favorite book of his I’ve read (currently, that would probably be Trinity), but I’m excited to read the sequel. I’m definitely curious about what could happen next for these characters.
I was right. This was mysterious, interesting, suspenseful, and I’ve never really read anything like it before. It was an interesting plot and setting. I always enjoy snowy/icy settings. I was intrigued to learn more about the planet these ten teenagers landed on.
The dystopian aspect of it was quite interesting as well. I could see how much of the way people in this live is similar to where I could see our own society heading. It was interesting to see these characters try to survive and adapt in a situation where they’re so close to each other in person for so long— at a time in the future when that’s not common. I think the world-building is done well, whenever it becomes relevant, and by the time I’m learning pieces of information, I’m actually invested and interested in learning about it.
I enjoyed the characters. You don’t quite know who to trust. This story follows ten teenagers who are all on the same ship, and rather than being introduced all at once, which can be confusing and overwhelming to some readers, I think they’re introduced slowly and carefully. And it was easy (for the most part) to assign a name to the character, as many of the characters had a distinctive physical or personality trait, but they weren’t one-dimensional. I think it became easier to remember who was who as I went on.
I think this author is good with describing physical things, landscapes, emotions, and senses. I think some of the ideas and messages in this are good. It makes you think. I will say that I feel this author’s writing style isn’t the easiest, most simple to follow along with. I think he does a lot of run-on sentences and it can sound a bit convoluted at times, but I understand the vision. I still think he’s often good at putting certain feelings into words in a unique and poetic way.
This wasn’t my favorite book of his I’ve read (currently, that would probably be Trinity), but I’m excited to read the sequel. I’m definitely curious about what could happen next for these characters.
January 31, 2018
Just like the cover quote says, this is exactly the book I've been dying to read, and A.J. Hartley is indeed becoming one of my favourite authors. I was captivated from pretty well the first page.
The dystopian future in which this book is set is one where humans have become so dependant on their technology that there is very little interaction or exercise. As someone who enjoys being disconnected from technology, this fit very well with the future I foresee for our society. Though that setting was very interesting, it had relatively little to do with the actual plot line itself. In fact, I was curious about the intended theme. I would like to know what Hartley intended the reader to take away, and if it was a commentary on society or just a cool story.
I loved the pace and the creativity, I loved the writing, I loved that the protagonist was an independent girl, I loved everything about this book. Definitely one of my favourites.
On the technical side of things, it could have done with a final proofread, though that could have been because I read the eBook. I know eBooks are sometimes poorly copied. There were only about two sections that I felt could have been reworked from a substantive or copy editing point of view. For the most part, it was very clean.
The dystopian future in which this book is set is one where humans have become so dependant on their technology that there is very little interaction or exercise. As someone who enjoys being disconnected from technology, this fit very well with the future I foresee for our society. Though that setting was very interesting, it had relatively little to do with the actual plot line itself. In fact, I was curious about the intended theme. I would like to know what Hartley intended the reader to take away, and if it was a commentary on society or just a cool story.
I loved the pace and the creativity, I loved the writing, I loved that the protagonist was an independent girl, I loved everything about this book. Definitely one of my favourites.
On the technical side of things, it could have done with a final proofread, though that could have been because I read the eBook. I know eBooks are sometimes poorly copied. There were only about two sections that I felt could have been reworked from a substantive or copy editing point of view. For the most part, it was very clean.
December 19, 2018
In a future dystopian society, a group of teenagers who are guilty of some kind of deviant behavior (or behavior that is deemed deviant by society) are sent in a spaceship to another planet of their solar system for reeducation. We really have to suspend disbelief there, because it's absurd that to make them attend a few lectures and watch videos about good citizenship for a few weeks they'd sent them on an interplanetary voyage instead of reeducating them on their own planet.
In any case something goes wrong. The automated spaceship goes to a different, farther-away planet and crashes there. While they wait for rescue that may or may not come, the teenagers, utterly unprepared for the task, have to survive in a hostile environment and deal with some mysteries and strange events.
The book is very readable and entertaining. I liked the first person narration and the dynamics between the characters. It works well as a fast-paced thriller and as a tense mystery. I felt there were some missed opportunities to make the SF elements more interesting, but in any case it was a quite enjoyable read. It offers enough closure to stand on its own, but the door is open for sequels if the author chooses to write them.
In any case something goes wrong. The automated spaceship goes to a different, farther-away planet and crashes there. While they wait for rescue that may or may not come, the teenagers, utterly unprepared for the task, have to survive in a hostile environment and deal with some mysteries and strange events.
The book is very readable and entertaining. I liked the first person narration and the dynamics between the characters. It works well as a fast-paced thriller and as a tense mystery. I felt there were some missed opportunities to make the SF elements more interesting, but in any case it was a quite enjoyable read. It offers enough closure to stand on its own, but the door is open for sequels if the author chooses to write them.
May 10, 2017
This book has all the elements of a great thriller - great pacing, smart use of cliffhangers from chapter to chapter, characters you care about, and a constant need to read just one more chapter. The social commentary about our relationship with technology added a considerable amount of depth to the book.
My only complaint is that it ends somewhat abruptly and seems to leave the door open to the possibility of a sequel, although I'm unsure if that is coming or not.
Great read for fans of sci fi and thrillers!
My only complaint is that it ends somewhat abruptly and seems to leave the door open to the possibility of a sequel, although I'm unsure if that is coming or not.
Great read for fans of sci fi and thrillers!
September 4, 2017
I LOVED it! I purposely waited to start this one so I'd be reading this at DragonCon. The author is always there and some nice SF is good for reading at the event in between panels and such.
I loved the creepiness of the alien. I also felt like the characters were fleshed out just enough for me to care what happened to them, but there's still a lot left unknown so I want to know more!
I loved the creepiness of the alien. I also felt like the characters were fleshed out just enough for me to care what happened to them, but there's still a lot left unknown so I want to know more!
May 13, 2017
3.5 ..... will review at www.fantasyliterature.com
May 22, 2017
Spaceships, hive-mind zombies, psychic abilities, lies, deception, sabretooth tigers. What else could you ask for in a book?
September 27, 2017
well written, if a bit heavy handed with the whole dystopian future thing.
January 22, 2019
The syfy parts of the book I enjoyed, but the constant, continuous teenage angst, outbursts throughout the entire book were overwhelming and no fun at all.
June 16, 2019
This book/story is way better than I expected. A.J. Harley had me hooked starting at page 1 to the end. An author worth reading. I am looking forward to reading other stories by A.J.
April 2, 2021
This book was amazing!!!
March 21, 2017
Hartley is one of the greats! I was very impressed with his writing and storytelling when I read Sekret Machines and Cathedrals was just as good. It's a book that's hard to put down once you get started. Highly recommend!
March 25, 2024
This could be the most “removed from Earth” novel I’ve ever read. Yet, the places this book takes you feel so real! Thoroughly enjoyed the exploration into the unknown. The ways these characters continually push forward through the many challenges that they encounter is exhilarating.
May 23, 2017
This book was great! It was page turning with action, adventure and mystery. Second book I've read from Hartley and throughly enjoy his writing. Cant wait for the next.
September 13, 2017
Author hits you over the head with his political views in a way that
is totally distracting and annoyingly
whiney.
is totally distracting and annoyingly
whiney.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews