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Form and Void #1
The Glass Breaks
Seventeen-year-old Duncan Greenfire is alive. Three hours ago, he was chained to the rocks and submerged as the incoming tide washed over his head. Now the waters are receding and Duncan’s continued survival has completed his initiation as a Sea Wolf. It is the 167th year of the Dark Age, 167 years since the Sea Wolves and their Eastron kin arrived from across the sea. The Sea Wolves and Eastrons can break the glass and step into the void, slipping from the real world and reappearing wherever they wish. Wielding their power, they conquered the native Pure Ones and established their own Kingdom. Walking between the worlds of Form and Void, the Sea Wolves glorify in piracy and slaughter. Their rule is absolute, but young Duncan Greenfire will discover a conspiracy to end their dominion, a conspiracy to shatter the glass that separates the worlds of Form and Void and unleash a primeval chaos across the world.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2018
33 people are currently reading
2299 people want to read
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A.J. Smith
8 books311 followersWriting is the only thing I do that doesn't make me feel like I should be doing something else.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 8, 2024
By wyrd or by sword all will kneel. Dominance, violence & brutality brought upon those who oppose their rule.
But there are darker forces than the Sea Wolves.
Their world nears its end.
Had an absolute blast with this one. Infused with unsettling weird horror. Brutal & mesmerizingly dark. Similar vibe of creepy strangeness in line with Fletchers Obsidian Path or Mike Shels Iconclasts series.
But there are darker forces than the Sea Wolves.
Their world nears its end.
Had an absolute blast with this one. Infused with unsettling weird horror. Brutal & mesmerizingly dark. Similar vibe of creepy strangeness in line with Fletchers Obsidian Path or Mike Shels Iconclasts series.
May 10, 2021
4.0 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Chained to the rocks and left for the tide, Duncan Greenfire will either become a Sea Wolf—or he’ll die trying. All that stands between the 17 year old and death is the realm of Void, and his ability to cross the Glass into it. But as powerful as Duncan is—it’s a raw power, one that he can’t always control. And after two days doing little more than trying to survive, he has little enough power left. But when the dawn comes, and Duncan is still alive, his initiation is complete. He is a Sea Wolf, now and forever.
It’s been 167 years since the Sea Wolves and their Eastron kin sailed across the sea to take the Pure Lands by force. With an ability to step between the realms of Form and Void, their strength was unparalleled and the natives folded before their might. In the years since, their rule has become absolute. But the Eastron are now fractured: the People of Ice hide on their northern isles, the Kneeling Wolves sulk in the shadows of Big Brother, the Dark Brethren sit in regimented and orderly rows upon the Father, the Winterlords kneel to their Always King on the Isle of the Setting Sun, and the Sea Wolves who lounge on the Isle of Nibonay. None of these masters are terribly benevolent, least of which the Sea Wolves; they raid and slaughter the Pure Ones on a whim, cull their populace, seeing the natives as little more than beasts—and their Eastron kin as little better.
But as Duncan joins their ranks, he discovers the Sea Wolves may not be everything he’s ever wished of them—a sentiment echoed by Duelist Adeline Brand. She and her brother Arthur are two of the most well-known and brutal Duelists of their clan, bathing in blood and booze in equal measure. And yet Adeline harbors doubts about the Sea Wolves, the same ones Duncan is currently confronting. These come to a head when the two are dispatched on separate secret missions for the clan: Duncan to the Isle of Nowhere, seat of the People of Ice; Adeline to the Bay of Bliss, on the other side of the Isle of Nibonay. But where Adeline unearths a threat that will surely mean the doom of her and all the other Eastron in the Pure Lands, Duncan uncovers a conspiracy that may yet save them all. For certain powers have known of this threat for generations, and have been working to stop it. But the question remains: will they succeed, or will the Sea Wolves and their kin be wiped from the world instead?
This took quite a turn from where I was expecting it. The Sea Wolves—as you probably might guess after reading my description—are not nice, friendly people. They are racist, genocidal monsters, who have “generously” allowed the Pure Ones to live on their ancestral lands, all while raiding, pillaging, and slaughtering them as they see fit. Or whenever they’re bored. They do this through their marshal skill and ability to break the Glass, something the Pure Ones can’t do. The Glass and the Realm of Void are an interesting if not wholly unique system of magic, where crossing over from Form to Void means essentially traversing the spirit world (one that more or less parallels the realm of Form) and either manipulating the spirits of the Void or harnessing their energy for their own.
It was a little refreshing to read a story from the villains’ perspective, as the Sea Wolves are definitely it. Even if matters complicate and sympathies change over the course of the book, it cannot be said that the Sea Wolves aren’t the bad guys. They definitely are. Or, well, one of them.
Another twist is that Duncan is kinda an ass. He’s immature, willful, whiny, thickheaded, but mostly just annoying. Like, really, really annoying. But only about half the time. It’s not that his chapters are necessarily awful to read, more that he constantly makes the dumbest choices. This really isn’t much of a spoiler as he will do it early and often. So it’s both really interesting as a plot device and really frustrating to watch him do it. It’s the equivalent of trying to stop someone from jumping off a bridge by shooting them in the head—technically effective, but not in any circumstances acceptable behavior. He’ll also constantly proclaim that he’s a Sea Wolf. Seriously, all the damn time. At first I found this repetitive and unrealistic but then realized how realistic it actually was. Duncan’s a young, immature boy that never had a childhood and only really craves his father’s approval. Despite the fact that he hates the man. And all he’s ever wanted was to be a Sea Wolf. But now that he is, it’s not living up to his expectations. It doesn’t feel real. He doesn’t feel accepted. Plus, he doesn’t feel worthy of it. So he continually asserts that he IS a Sea Wolf, on and on, because he’s just a scared, lost kid who no one has ever shown any kindness. A scared, lost kid with too much power and no control over it.
Either that or I’m overthinking it and he’s just a poorly developed character, suffering from a bad, repetitive style of writing.
While I had mixed feelings about Smith’s other series—the Long War—one thing that’s not up for debate is the world-building. Which was top notch. Similarly, Form & Void has a very well constructed world. Albeit one somewhat bereft of people. Though there are plenty of warriors (Pure Ones, Eastron, Sea Wolves, etc), there aren’t a whole lot of common folk mentioned. I mean, I assume they’re around, just we barely ever see them. Otherwise, the world itself, its history, its geography—is all amazing. No issue at all.
The story itself is pretty good as well. It’s full of twists and turns, typically not following the path I expected (insomuch as the idiotic things Duncan does can be considered plot twists), though it did pretty much end like I’d’ve guessed. I absolutely no problem reading the book as Adeline and Duncan make a pretty good pair. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses—though Duncan’s are far more weaknesses than strengths—and compliment one another rather well. You’ll get sections of one or the other: four straight chapters from Duncan’s POV, then the same from Adeline’s (both in 1st person), and on and on.
The characters themselves are another reason to read the Glass Breaks. Other than Adeline and Duncan there are dozens of other well-developed characters, each with their own motivations and backstory. And they’re all expendable, even the ones that you think are too important to die. All in all, it’s a great start to the series, though one I’d like to see fine-tuned a bit for the sequel.
TL;DR
The Glass Breaks is the start of an interesting new fantasy series from the author of the Long War. Long ago, the Sea Wolves crossed the ocean and found a new home. Once there, they brutally subjugated the natives and have continued to raid and slaughter them for the next hundred and fifty years. Enter Duncan Greenfire and Adeline Brand, Sea Wolves of the Severed Hand. Each dispatched on their own secret mission, they discover conspiracies that will doom the Sea Wolves, but might also save them. The world-building and characters are the strongest aspect of the Glass Breaks, and though Duncan can be seriously annoying at times, his stupidity comes in handy through some twists I couldn’t’ve seen coming. While there can be needless violence and somewhat repetitive internal monologues at times, there’s also a tense, mysterious atmosphere and uncommon, interesting magic system. Combined with a good story and epic (though occasionally over-the-top) dramatic and action sequences, the Glass Breaks is a great series debut, one that I enjoyed far more than I thought I would. Recommended!
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Chained to the rocks and left for the tide, Duncan Greenfire will either become a Sea Wolf—or he’ll die trying. All that stands between the 17 year old and death is the realm of Void, and his ability to cross the Glass into it. But as powerful as Duncan is—it’s a raw power, one that he can’t always control. And after two days doing little more than trying to survive, he has little enough power left. But when the dawn comes, and Duncan is still alive, his initiation is complete. He is a Sea Wolf, now and forever.
It’s been 167 years since the Sea Wolves and their Eastron kin sailed across the sea to take the Pure Lands by force. With an ability to step between the realms of Form and Void, their strength was unparalleled and the natives folded before their might. In the years since, their rule has become absolute. But the Eastron are now fractured: the People of Ice hide on their northern isles, the Kneeling Wolves sulk in the shadows of Big Brother, the Dark Brethren sit in regimented and orderly rows upon the Father, the Winterlords kneel to their Always King on the Isle of the Setting Sun, and the Sea Wolves who lounge on the Isle of Nibonay. None of these masters are terribly benevolent, least of which the Sea Wolves; they raid and slaughter the Pure Ones on a whim, cull their populace, seeing the natives as little more than beasts—and their Eastron kin as little better.
But as Duncan joins their ranks, he discovers the Sea Wolves may not be everything he’s ever wished of them—a sentiment echoed by Duelist Adeline Brand. She and her brother Arthur are two of the most well-known and brutal Duelists of their clan, bathing in blood and booze in equal measure. And yet Adeline harbors doubts about the Sea Wolves, the same ones Duncan is currently confronting. These come to a head when the two are dispatched on separate secret missions for the clan: Duncan to the Isle of Nowhere, seat of the People of Ice; Adeline to the Bay of Bliss, on the other side of the Isle of Nibonay. But where Adeline unearths a threat that will surely mean the doom of her and all the other Eastron in the Pure Lands, Duncan uncovers a conspiracy that may yet save them all. For certain powers have known of this threat for generations, and have been working to stop it. But the question remains: will they succeed, or will the Sea Wolves and their kin be wiped from the world instead?
This took quite a turn from where I was expecting it. The Sea Wolves—as you probably might guess after reading my description—are not nice, friendly people. They are racist, genocidal monsters, who have “generously” allowed the Pure Ones to live on their ancestral lands, all while raiding, pillaging, and slaughtering them as they see fit. Or whenever they’re bored. They do this through their marshal skill and ability to break the Glass, something the Pure Ones can’t do. The Glass and the Realm of Void are an interesting if not wholly unique system of magic, where crossing over from Form to Void means essentially traversing the spirit world (one that more or less parallels the realm of Form) and either manipulating the spirits of the Void or harnessing their energy for their own.
It was a little refreshing to read a story from the villains’ perspective, as the Sea Wolves are definitely it. Even if matters complicate and sympathies change over the course of the book, it cannot be said that the Sea Wolves aren’t the bad guys. They definitely are. Or, well, one of them.
Another twist is that Duncan is kinda an ass. He’s immature, willful, whiny, thickheaded, but mostly just annoying. Like, really, really annoying. But only about half the time. It’s not that his chapters are necessarily awful to read, more that he constantly makes the dumbest choices. This really isn’t much of a spoiler as he will do it early and often. So it’s both really interesting as a plot device and really frustrating to watch him do it. It’s the equivalent of trying to stop someone from jumping off a bridge by shooting them in the head—technically effective, but not in any circumstances acceptable behavior. He’ll also constantly proclaim that he’s a Sea Wolf. Seriously, all the damn time. At first I found this repetitive and unrealistic but then realized how realistic it actually was. Duncan’s a young, immature boy that never had a childhood and only really craves his father’s approval. Despite the fact that he hates the man. And all he’s ever wanted was to be a Sea Wolf. But now that he is, it’s not living up to his expectations. It doesn’t feel real. He doesn’t feel accepted. Plus, he doesn’t feel worthy of it. So he continually asserts that he IS a Sea Wolf, on and on, because he’s just a scared, lost kid who no one has ever shown any kindness. A scared, lost kid with too much power and no control over it.
Either that or I’m overthinking it and he’s just a poorly developed character, suffering from a bad, repetitive style of writing.
While I had mixed feelings about Smith’s other series—the Long War—one thing that’s not up for debate is the world-building. Which was top notch. Similarly, Form & Void has a very well constructed world. Albeit one somewhat bereft of people. Though there are plenty of warriors (Pure Ones, Eastron, Sea Wolves, etc), there aren’t a whole lot of common folk mentioned. I mean, I assume they’re around, just we barely ever see them. Otherwise, the world itself, its history, its geography—is all amazing. No issue at all.
The story itself is pretty good as well. It’s full of twists and turns, typically not following the path I expected (insomuch as the idiotic things Duncan does can be considered plot twists), though it did pretty much end like I’d’ve guessed. I absolutely no problem reading the book as Adeline and Duncan make a pretty good pair. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses—though Duncan’s are far more weaknesses than strengths—and compliment one another rather well. You’ll get sections of one or the other: four straight chapters from Duncan’s POV, then the same from Adeline’s (both in 1st person), and on and on.
The characters themselves are another reason to read the Glass Breaks. Other than Adeline and Duncan there are dozens of other well-developed characters, each with their own motivations and backstory. And they’re all expendable, even the ones that you think are too important to die. All in all, it’s a great start to the series, though one I’d like to see fine-tuned a bit for the sequel.
TL;DR
The Glass Breaks is the start of an interesting new fantasy series from the author of the Long War. Long ago, the Sea Wolves crossed the ocean and found a new home. Once there, they brutally subjugated the natives and have continued to raid and slaughter them for the next hundred and fifty years. Enter Duncan Greenfire and Adeline Brand, Sea Wolves of the Severed Hand. Each dispatched on their own secret mission, they discover conspiracies that will doom the Sea Wolves, but might also save them. The world-building and characters are the strongest aspect of the Glass Breaks, and though Duncan can be seriously annoying at times, his stupidity comes in handy through some twists I couldn’t’ve seen coming. While there can be needless violence and somewhat repetitive internal monologues at times, there’s also a tense, mysterious atmosphere and uncommon, interesting magic system. Combined with a good story and epic (though occasionally over-the-top) dramatic and action sequences, the Glass Breaks is a great series debut, one that I enjoyed far more than I thought I would. Recommended!
July 28, 2019
I enjoyed this book but not as much as I had hoped, I thought the world building was wonderful but I think the two different POV narration maybe was what I didn’t like so much. I like different POV narrative but it just didn’t seem to fit here and there seemed to be a lot of dithering, not much action and a lot of internal debates. Interesting but not enough that it made up for the lack of any real action for me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
November 11, 2019
The Glass Breaks provides an interesting story of political turmoil and warfare between the Sea Wolves, magic (wyrd) wielding pirates and the native Pure Ones, who have no magic and live in threat of the Sea Wolves power and brutality. The concept of travelling between two dimensions (form- which represents physical reality and void, which is an alternate dimension where magic exists and can be harnessed) kept my interest. I enjoyed learning more about the workings and development of the system itself and how each character uses there wyrd slightly unique to each other.
The story is told from the views of Duncan Greenfire and Adeline Brand. In the beginning Duncan is viewed as the weak son of a chief of the Sea Wolves, who's father has him subjected to a painful curse. He strives to find his identity and take hold of his chaotic power. Adeline is a self assured and aggressive duellist and is seen as a great asset to the Sea Wolves. Both characters have their own journeys and missions as they unravel the dark mystery that threatens their survival.
The story is told from the views of Duncan Greenfire and Adeline Brand. In the beginning Duncan is viewed as the weak son of a chief of the Sea Wolves, who's father has him subjected to a painful curse. He strives to find his identity and take hold of his chaotic power. Adeline is a self assured and aggressive duellist and is seen as a great asset to the Sea Wolves. Both characters have their own journeys and missions as they unravel the dark mystery that threatens their survival.
June 18, 2019
Normally I only read books that are well-reviewed but the premise is interesting (and let's be honest, the cover looks nice) so I decided to pick it up. I'm glad that I did.
The story is narrated from two POVs, each in first person. First person narration is tricky to me because I don't want to get into the head of a character I don't like (especially if that character is immature, spoiled, haughty). Fortunately, I found myself like both of the narrators in this book.
The first narrator is Duncan. He was like the black-sheep of his family of warriors (or Sea Wolves). For some reasons that were not fully explained in the book, his father disdained him. Not just because he was physically unfit to be a Sea Wolf but he also lacked control of his wyrd, which was a special power that belonged to the Eastrons, and was deemed to be dangerous. Duncan was a complex enough character for me and I liked him a lot. He was a bit of a wimp, he cried a lot (not that there's anything wrong with this), but was also brave to be ready to stand by his people. He was the more interesting POV to me, mainly because there were a lot of mysteries surrounding his power and the people that he interacted with. Also, he managed to pull out significant character growth at the end.
The second POV is from Adeline Brand, one of the twin duelists that followed the First Fang (someone akin to the chief villager). I really don't have much to say about her POV. As I said, I was more intrigued by Duncan's POV. Hers ran parallel to Duncan's. But they had little to do with each other. They went to different locations, carried out different missions and will probably not converge much until the next book.
The world building was fascinating, full of lore and mysteries. There was not much info-dump. New info was revealed organically to the story, which was nicely done, even though there was some name-dropping without proper explanation until later. I had to be patient and let everything unfold slowly.
There were actions and battles but not a lot. That doesn't mean the book was bogged down by heavy descriptions. The main focus was on intrigues and mysteries. And I liked that. I think actions are overrated in fantasy fiction. I like actions but not ACTION, ACTION, ACTION, ACTION, one after another (I'm looking at you, Skyward and the Reckoners, unfortunately books by Brandon Sanderson that I read recently).
My biggest gripe was it got repetitive how Duncan dealt with his feelings and was very indecisive about whose sides he should be on. I also struggled to make sense of some characters's train of thought sometimes and why they did what they did. Because clearly it was their lapse of judgement (their decision to kill someone of importance) that intensified the conflict, but was never acknowledged.
The story is narrated from two POVs, each in first person. First person narration is tricky to me because I don't want to get into the head of a character I don't like (especially if that character is immature, spoiled, haughty). Fortunately, I found myself like both of the narrators in this book.
The first narrator is Duncan. He was like the black-sheep of his family of warriors (or Sea Wolves). For some reasons that were not fully explained in the book, his father disdained him. Not just because he was physically unfit to be a Sea Wolf but he also lacked control of his wyrd, which was a special power that belonged to the Eastrons, and was deemed to be dangerous. Duncan was a complex enough character for me and I liked him a lot. He was a bit of a wimp, he cried a lot (not that there's anything wrong with this), but was also brave to be ready to stand by his people. He was the more interesting POV to me, mainly because there were a lot of mysteries surrounding his power and the people that he interacted with. Also, he managed to pull out significant character growth at the end.
The second POV is from Adeline Brand, one of the twin duelists that followed the First Fang (someone akin to the chief villager). I really don't have much to say about her POV. As I said, I was more intrigued by Duncan's POV. Hers ran parallel to Duncan's. But they had little to do with each other. They went to different locations, carried out different missions and will probably not converge much until the next book.
The world building was fascinating, full of lore and mysteries. There was not much info-dump. New info was revealed organically to the story, which was nicely done, even though there was some name-dropping without proper explanation until later. I had to be patient and let everything unfold slowly.
There were actions and battles but not a lot. That doesn't mean the book was bogged down by heavy descriptions. The main focus was on intrigues and mysteries. And I liked that. I think actions are overrated in fantasy fiction. I like actions but not ACTION, ACTION, ACTION, ACTION, one after another (I'm looking at you, Skyward and the Reckoners, unfortunately books by Brandon Sanderson that I read recently).
My biggest gripe was it got repetitive how Duncan dealt with his feelings and was very indecisive about whose sides he should be on. I also struggled to make sense of some characters's train of thought sometimes and why they did what they did. Because clearly it was their lapse of judgement (their decision to kill someone of importance) that intensified the conflict, but was never acknowledged.
August 15, 2019
A good solid 4.5stars, for this authors new series, good world building great characters a great gritty storyline full of good prose and highly enjoyable to read.
March 30, 2020
Didn't finish-- felt like a lot of the violence was unnecessary and didn't enjoy the characters either. The content and world itself had potential but I just couldn't get past the style. This is probably why I've never been tempted by GoT.
February 17, 2021
A J Smith has really written a great fantasy book here, the world buidling is excellent and those saying it didn't have enough action........seriously! This book is completely action packed.
Told from two points of view the book flicks back and forth between Duncan Greenfire, nearly created Sea Wolf and Adeline Brand, a fierce Sea Wolf duelist who was taught to fear nothing. The two live in the realm of form and break the glass to travel to the void, the void helps channel magic known as wyrd which has helped the Sea Wolves be conquers. However an old old evil is stiring in the depths and there are worries that the sea will rise.
I thought the start of this trilogy was great, I loved the characters and thought the book was paced well. I think if I had had book two in front of me I would have started it straight away. I would highly recommend this for fantasy readers as I mentioned above excellent world building without everything being explained in great tedious detail. A great read, I need to get hold of the second book and then read The Long War series!!
Told from two points of view the book flicks back and forth between Duncan Greenfire, nearly created Sea Wolf and Adeline Brand, a fierce Sea Wolf duelist who was taught to fear nothing. The two live in the realm of form and break the glass to travel to the void, the void helps channel magic known as wyrd which has helped the Sea Wolves be conquers. However an old old evil is stiring in the depths and there are worries that the sea will rise.
I thought the start of this trilogy was great, I loved the characters and thought the book was paced well. I think if I had had book two in front of me I would have started it straight away. I would highly recommend this for fantasy readers as I mentioned above excellent world building without everything being explained in great tedious detail. A great read, I need to get hold of the second book and then read The Long War series!!
July 17, 2021
This book started very slowly and after the first few chapters with this rather boring male character i was nearly dnfing this book.
But then came in the second perspective, female and so different.
And then the book picks up with action and developments in the plot and world building.
This world does have magic where the characters move between different levels of reality. One is clearly defined by matter, the other is the void where everything is different and other rules apply.
I didn't know it until I read this book, but I think I really do like books with different levels of reality.
It is a warrior's world with warrior's values held most high.
It too is in some ways a coming of age story, as the main characters are all still rather young. But I am sure they are going to rock their world and, let's keep fingers crossed, bring a new world order in with more equality, less racism and a better understanding of what the world actually is.
I listened to this book as an audiobook from my local library. I took to the female narrator immediately, with the male narrator it took me a moment before I could fully appreciate what he offered through his interpretation to the text.
But then came in the second perspective, female and so different.
And then the book picks up with action and developments in the plot and world building.
This world does have magic where the characters move between different levels of reality. One is clearly defined by matter, the other is the void where everything is different and other rules apply.
I didn't know it until I read this book, but I think I really do like books with different levels of reality.
It is a warrior's world with warrior's values held most high.
It too is in some ways a coming of age story, as the main characters are all still rather young. But I am sure they are going to rock their world and, let's keep fingers crossed, bring a new world order in with more equality, less racism and a better understanding of what the world actually is.
I listened to this book as an audiobook from my local library. I took to the female narrator immediately, with the male narrator it took me a moment before I could fully appreciate what he offered through his interpretation to the text.
April 10, 2020
As a fan of the writers previous series I was kinda eager to start this. What we have is a pretty brutal Viking/pirate style fantasy with a weird Void magic style system. The world buidling isnt that exciting and neither is the plot. 1st person POV helps as we have two distinct voices. I preferred the females POV over the male as it contained a slightly better character. Character wise there wasnt anyone that i really dug plus none of the secondary characters have much page time and if they do they dont last long
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2021
I was drawn to this epic fantasy both by its Lovecraftian connection and the presence of pirates. It moves between two points of view: Duncan Greenfire, a young Sea Wolf, and Adeline Brand, a duellist. Together they uncover a conspiracy to shatter the glass that separates the worlds of Form and Void that will unleash a primeval chaos across the world.
This is the first in a duology and I have the second book, ‘The Sword Falls’, ready to read in the next week. I certainly found myself quite caught up in the story and characters and will write more when I have read both.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This is the first in a duology and I have the second book, ‘The Sword Falls’, ready to read in the next week. I certainly found myself quite caught up in the story and characters and will write more when I have read both.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
August 8, 2019
I found this book quite enjoyable and entertaining. The world building is amazing, the characters are fleshed out, and the plot keeps you hooked.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
April 10, 2021
Not for me. Also needed a good edit and proof read.
August 21, 2019
Outstanding! Some of the strongest and believable characters I have ever read and I read a lot. Leaves you screaming at the book, why would they do that.... if you were thinking about reading, then get on with it as should be pages of 5 star reviews.
July 6, 2019
Interesting book but I never really connected to the characters as you never get to know them because as soon as you meet them they die. It’s like a slasher movie where you guess which insignificant character will die next. Don’t think I will bother with the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2022
FULL REVIEW AT https://aicpod.com/review/the-glass-b...
The Sea Wolves, a mighty culture of magic wielding warriors that rely on piracy and fierceness as a way of life, dominate the land. But now a new threat is emerging. A threat of the ancient evil variety that threatens the destruction of everything. Now, a young, newly raised Sea Wolf Duncan Greenfire and fierce duelist warrior Adeline Brand are sent to uncover and end the threat.
The cover of the book describes this book as a hybrid of George R.R. Martin and H.P. Lovecraft, and honestly, that’s probably the best way to describe it. You have fierce warriors, a hint of the social/political landscape of the land and it’s people, magic, and eldritch style old gods and evils that threaten everything.
Keeping in mind that many of the drawbacks I have from this first book, the incomplete feeling magic system and the somewhat basic trope of reluctant hero being forced to confront all that he knew to be true, may simply be a result of this being the first book in a trilogy. With all that, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, flaws, warts, scars, and all.
Sometimes, it’s nice to return home. Even if, when you get there and spend some time, you are greeted with a home that feels not quite the same as you remember from your childhood.
3.5(rounded to 4 on Goodreads) out of 5 stars
The Sea Wolves, a mighty culture of magic wielding warriors that rely on piracy and fierceness as a way of life, dominate the land. But now a new threat is emerging. A threat of the ancient evil variety that threatens the destruction of everything. Now, a young, newly raised Sea Wolf Duncan Greenfire and fierce duelist warrior Adeline Brand are sent to uncover and end the threat.
The cover of the book describes this book as a hybrid of George R.R. Martin and H.P. Lovecraft, and honestly, that’s probably the best way to describe it. You have fierce warriors, a hint of the social/political landscape of the land and it’s people, magic, and eldritch style old gods and evils that threaten everything.
Keeping in mind that many of the drawbacks I have from this first book, the incomplete feeling magic system and the somewhat basic trope of reluctant hero being forced to confront all that he knew to be true, may simply be a result of this being the first book in a trilogy. With all that, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, flaws, warts, scars, and all.
Sometimes, it’s nice to return home. Even if, when you get there and spend some time, you are greeted with a home that feels not quite the same as you remember from your childhood.
3.5(rounded to 4 on Goodreads) out of 5 stars
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August 17, 2024Really should have checked the Goodreads ratings before reading this. The story centres around the Sea Wolves, who in any other story would be the villains, the oppressors. They're arrogant, violent, genocidal invaders, whose battle magic gives them an overwhelming sense of superiority and invincibility against the people whose lands they occupy. This mindset filters into the narration, making Adeline in particular very hard to root for, and during her chapters I found myself longing for Duncan to take the reins again. More generally, it seems we're meant to root for the Sea Wolves against what is portrayed as an even greater evil, yet the Sea Wolves do nothing to show they deserve this support. It is, on the contrary, somewhat darkly satisfying to see them meet a foe they cannot immediately vanquish. It should be said, though, that we see some character growth from both main protagonists, which hopefully bodes well for the sequel.
August 13, 2023
Started the book and thought I would not enjoy it: it was quite political, complex dynamics between different groups of people and the first person/switching narrative are usually attributes of books I fail to finish, but I think it was really well written. The first person perspective worked really well to help understand the world and the dynamic of different groups better and it stayed limited to two well written characters. There was quite a lot of violence, but it never dragged on too long for me to lose interest and the cliffhangers between the switches in perspective kept me on the edge of my seat. I also liked that because the two characters were never in the same space and time, I didn’t have to read about the same occurrences from different perspectives and it really added to helping fill gaps in time and space. Great concept and very good execution :)
May 31, 2020
I won an ARC of this book and enjoyed it. But I didn't love it.
This book follows the separate but overlapping stories of Adeline Brand and Duncan Greenfire. Both are Sea Wolves, a thuggish and violent race that had invaded the Pure Lands 167 years before our story begins. All Sea Wolves have the ability to leave the world of solid reality, called the realm of form, for a different dimension called the Void.
I found that this book did a passable job in world building but left much of the necessary mythology-creation too thinly veneered on. Only the major characters were fleshed out in a significant manner. The themes and ideas this book were built upon were interesting and I enjoyed reading it but I am not excitedly waiting for the next installment.
This book follows the separate but overlapping stories of Adeline Brand and Duncan Greenfire. Both are Sea Wolves, a thuggish and violent race that had invaded the Pure Lands 167 years before our story begins. All Sea Wolves have the ability to leave the world of solid reality, called the realm of form, for a different dimension called the Void.
I found that this book did a passable job in world building but left much of the necessary mythology-creation too thinly veneered on. Only the major characters were fleshed out in a significant manner. The themes and ideas this book were built upon were interesting and I enjoyed reading it but I am not excitedly waiting for the next installment.
May 12, 2023
Nice.
I loved the setting. I think the author did a good job of world building. I just wished a bit more explanation was given about the different conflicts. Even towards the end of the book, I wasn’t sure who was friend or for. The book was told from 2 perspectives, a veteran Sea Wolf, Adeline Brand, and a newbie, Duncan Greenfire. Honestly, I preferred Adeline Brand to Duncan. She was such a badass. Duncan was okay but I didn’t think he added much to the story beyond his power.
Overall, I enjoyed it. But one of the main characters wasn’t my favourite.
I loved the setting. I think the author did a good job of world building. I just wished a bit more explanation was given about the different conflicts. Even towards the end of the book, I wasn’t sure who was friend or for. The book was told from 2 perspectives, a veteran Sea Wolf, Adeline Brand, and a newbie, Duncan Greenfire. Honestly, I preferred Adeline Brand to Duncan. She was such a badass. Duncan was okay but I didn’t think he added much to the story beyond his power.
Overall, I enjoyed it. But one of the main characters wasn’t my favourite.
September 7, 2020
Plot was interesting and world building really good, but the swapping between 2 POV was unusually jarring. Possibly because Adeline was rather unlikeable (particularly at first) and Duncan's POV towards the end felt like an afterthought. It didn't help that his commentary went from 1st to 3rd person often and within the same paragraph in the final chapters.
Overall though a good way to pass the time.
Overall though a good way to pass the time.
October 22, 2020
This book made me so mad by the end! The first half seemed to be leading somewhere, but then the second half goes somewhere else. And I'm not saying this as someone who is upset with a plot twist or story choice. I'm saying this as someone who was expecting the character's arcs to make sense. :P The writing was good, but this story was just not for me.
September 2, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. The dual first person narrative approach works really well, with both characters engaging and plausible. There is real depth to the world building but the detail is always driven by the story and feels natural. I have just bought the 2nd instalment of the series and I am looking forward to reading it.
April 30, 2022
Grimdark Fantasy
Duncan Greenwind is a freak & a misfit among Sea Wolves; Adeline Brand a shining example of what a cruel raider should be as a Sea Lord. But a chance flare-up of Duncan's wyrd sends each on a separate quest which reveals the terrible truth about the lands the Sea Lords invaded: the Dead God of the natives is awakening & His City is R'lyeh…!
Duncan Greenwind is a freak & a misfit among Sea Wolves; Adeline Brand a shining example of what a cruel raider should be as a Sea Lord. But a chance flare-up of Duncan's wyrd sends each on a separate quest which reveals the terrible truth about the lands the Sea Lords invaded: the Dead God of the natives is awakening & His City is R'lyeh…!
May 1, 2025
I spent most of the book trying to work out who was who as everyone seemed to have multiple names and the allegiances weren't clear. It was too much work for the reward. The main characters were quite annoying. I liked A J Smith's previous series so a bit disappointing.
January 13, 2022
I liked it and the concept was great. However, jumping from one character to the other took away from the flow of the book in my opinion.
July 8, 2023
It took me a while to get into but I did not care for the characters. I abandoned this book because I borrowed it from the library and they didn't have the second and third book in the series.
January 8, 2024
Struggled with this one. Way too much to try and keep a track of, along with 2 POV throughout. Wasn’t for me.
June 1, 2022
I enjoyed the The Long War series, but it is not the happiest series ever. This book follows suit, however it doesn't quite grip me the same as The Long War did. I don't think I'll be getting the rest of the series.
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