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The Lady & The Darkness #1
A Sea of Broken Glass
Secrets have a price.
After enduring weeks of torture and being convicted of witchery, Ris escapes, only to discover the Darkness and the Lady are hunting her. They need the magic that sings within her.
Creator of all, the imprisoned Lady needs Ris, her last vessel, to find the Heart of Creation. The Darkness seeks to corrupt the vessel and retain his hold on the Lady, and with it, the world.
Ris finds help from a pair of Paladins of Light who aid her in cleansing the evil taint from the lands. As her power grows, so do her questions. How can she restore balance to the world and free the Lady? Should the Lady be trusted or is she as much at fault for the evil in the world as the Darkness? With powerful demons War, Ruin, and Plague at her heels, Ris struggles to stay alive as she tries to unravel the secrets hidden within her before it's too late.
Secrets that may cost Ris her soul even if she does succeed.
After enduring weeks of torture and being convicted of witchery, Ris escapes, only to discover the Darkness and the Lady are hunting her. They need the magic that sings within her.
Creator of all, the imprisoned Lady needs Ris, her last vessel, to find the Heart of Creation. The Darkness seeks to corrupt the vessel and retain his hold on the Lady, and with it, the world.
Ris finds help from a pair of Paladins of Light who aid her in cleansing the evil taint from the lands. As her power grows, so do her questions. How can she restore balance to the world and free the Lady? Should the Lady be trusted or is she as much at fault for the evil in the world as the Darkness? With powerful demons War, Ruin, and Plague at her heels, Ris struggles to stay alive as she tries to unravel the secrets hidden within her before it's too late.
Secrets that may cost Ris her soul even if she does succeed.
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Published March 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 5, 2019
A SEA OF BROKEN GLASS opens with the main character Ris barely escaping execution for practicing witchcraft at the hands of a corrupt and vile Inquisitor. Aided by two Paladins of Light named Bran and Michel, she is quickly secreted away by her protectors and transported to a place of safety, or so they believe.
Many are looking for Ris as she represents the last vessel of the Lady, the ancient savior and creator born from The Bastion of Light. The Lady needs Ris if she hopes to once again save the world and keep her vessel from being corrupted. But the Darkness also seeks Ris for its own gains and has deployed various agents in the hopes of capturing Ris and tainting her magic, thus controlling the world and plunging it into an age of despair and anguish.
Ris is saddled with the unenviable task of trying to free the Lady from the bonds of Darkness so that she may hopefully restore balance again to the world. But to do so she must first battle all likes of demons and evil minions who hunt her from one border of the continent to the next. Coupled with that is the realization that the taint of the darkness is spreading across the land bringing plague and war in its wake. It soon becomes a battle against time and powerful enemies for Ris and her fellow protectors of Light, where the fate of the world is anything but certain and the motivations of some of the main players are very much in question.
This book was a joy to read and I devoured it in just about a week even though it's just short of 400 pages in length. I simply loved the elements of witchcraft and the Victorian-esque setting that almost bordered on Steampunk at times. Reading it, I couldn't help but make comparisons to Mary Wells' Death of the Necromancer and Paula Volsky's The Grand Ellipse (Two favorites of mine), but this is also a book that has its own unique story to tell, and it's a very good one at that.
The chapters alternate viewpoints between four characters whose stories and actions move the plot forward in their own particular way. Although there are four viewpoints, it is obvious that the main character is Ris and she is the one that I felt the most connected to and invested in as a reader. Without giving away too much, let's just say that she is put through a lot of duress throughout the book and the strength of her character and force of will is really on full display. Likewise, the other viewpoint characters Bran, Michel, and Aeron were fleshed out very well and gave a depth to the story that I thought worked extremely well and enhanced the experience.
In closing, A SEA OF BROKEN GLASS was such a delight to read and I recommend it to anyone who likes their fantasy with a bit of Victorian flair, witchery, and a timeless light vs dark, good vs evil plot line. The characters and world-building really sucked me into this wonderful dark fantasy read. I look forward to the second book in Sonya M. Black's The Lady & The Darkness series with much anticipation!
Many are looking for Ris as she represents the last vessel of the Lady, the ancient savior and creator born from The Bastion of Light. The Lady needs Ris if she hopes to once again save the world and keep her vessel from being corrupted. But the Darkness also seeks Ris for its own gains and has deployed various agents in the hopes of capturing Ris and tainting her magic, thus controlling the world and plunging it into an age of despair and anguish.
Ris is saddled with the unenviable task of trying to free the Lady from the bonds of Darkness so that she may hopefully restore balance again to the world. But to do so she must first battle all likes of demons and evil minions who hunt her from one border of the continent to the next. Coupled with that is the realization that the taint of the darkness is spreading across the land bringing plague and war in its wake. It soon becomes a battle against time and powerful enemies for Ris and her fellow protectors of Light, where the fate of the world is anything but certain and the motivations of some of the main players are very much in question.
This book was a joy to read and I devoured it in just about a week even though it's just short of 400 pages in length. I simply loved the elements of witchcraft and the Victorian-esque setting that almost bordered on Steampunk at times. Reading it, I couldn't help but make comparisons to Mary Wells' Death of the Necromancer and Paula Volsky's The Grand Ellipse (Two favorites of mine), but this is also a book that has its own unique story to tell, and it's a very good one at that.
The chapters alternate viewpoints between four characters whose stories and actions move the plot forward in their own particular way. Although there are four viewpoints, it is obvious that the main character is Ris and she is the one that I felt the most connected to and invested in as a reader. Without giving away too much, let's just say that she is put through a lot of duress throughout the book and the strength of her character and force of will is really on full display. Likewise, the other viewpoint characters Bran, Michel, and Aeron were fleshed out very well and gave a depth to the story that I thought worked extremely well and enhanced the experience.
In closing, A SEA OF BROKEN GLASS was such a delight to read and I recommend it to anyone who likes their fantasy with a bit of Victorian flair, witchery, and a timeless light vs dark, good vs evil plot line. The characters and world-building really sucked me into this wonderful dark fantasy read. I look forward to the second book in Sonya M. Black's The Lady & The Darkness series with much anticipation!
December 3, 2019
A Sea of Broken Glass is Team RockStarlit BookAsylum's finalist for SPFBO5! I gave it an 8/10 which was also our final rating for it. Congrats for making to the finals! The review below is only my opinion, for the rest of the team's reviews, please check the link!
My review was originally posted on RockStarlit BookAsylum as part of our semi-finalist reviews.
Upon finishing with slush piling, A Sea of Broken Glass definitely was among my favourites. I've read it very early, it was the third book I've sampled, but it stayed with me until the end. It was a no brainer that I would go back to read it until the end and that it will be among the contenders to be my semi-finalist. In the end I decided to go with another book, but I'm really happy that we've got A Sea of Broken Glass sorted into our group.
A Sea of Broken Glass is the first book of The Lady and the Darkness series, and does not waste any time to get right in the middle of things. Ris is being imprisoned by the Inquisitor, called Talbot under the accusation of using charms - and also because she is the last of the Lady's vessels, which makes her valuable for both those on the Light's side and on the Darkness'. Once her real identity is out the race starts. She has to find the Lady's Heart, a gem which the Lady of Light hid, and which is the source of all creation. During the cataclysm it got tainted and cursed along with a big portion of the land. Whichever side gets it under control will have immense power to decide the fate of the world. Agents of the Darkness are after her trying to either capture her, corrupt her or kill her in order to get the Heart. Ris and her company has to go a long way and there is no assurance they will survive the ordeal.
A Sea of Broken Glass is definitely a super fast read. I've read 60% of it in a day, and that's not something that happens to me a lot these days. I just couldn't not read it and know what's going to happen next. I also had a few "Oh shit. That's not going to go well." moments which is always a good thing. Especially since I'm not really a fan of books which has a lot of travelling - in this case I really didn't care about that as the characters kept me interested.
The mix of 1st and 3rd POV worked out really well. By making Ris a 1st POV character allows us to connect with her more but also puts her in the focus even more. Her companion, the paladins who all have different roles and types of magic (water, air, earth) opposite to her healing (fire) magic are all there to support and protect her. Not that she needs much protecting, because even though she is a kind of Chosen One, she has strength and independence. She can take care of herself, but she is also smart enough to know she won't succeed all by herself and that she'll need her friends for moral support if nothing else. She is not a damsel in distress kind of character who needs saving, but isn't an invincible bad-ass fighter either. I liked her interactions with the others and generally how all the characters interacted with each other. And the way they struggled with their own demons and minds when it threw them off way. But I think my favourite part was the way magic is described. All kind of magic has its distinct sound/instruments attached to them, creating a song rather than a spell.
In way of criticism, although I did enjoy the ride, I would have liked a bit more worldbuilding - to learn about the different titles and roles, the Bastion, the characters' past (though we do learn about them a bit, especially during the second half). A bit more showing than telling wouldn't have been amiss. There was a lot going on and I didn't got to really immerse myself in this world, to get a good grip on it. It also works with the usual tropes - Chosen One, quest for an important treasure to stop the world being destroyed, good vs evil. Which is fine, and as terms of writing, this book is really good, but for me there was something missing, something that would make me say "Now, that's what makes it stand out!"
Overall, A Sea of Broken Glass is a book I highly recommend checking out as it has some neat ideas - music based magic!! - likeable characters and an epic chase. Just be warned that you might end up staying up until way too late while reading... Now, where is the sequel??
My review was originally posted on RockStarlit BookAsylum as part of our semi-finalist reviews.
Upon finishing with slush piling, A Sea of Broken Glass definitely was among my favourites. I've read it very early, it was the third book I've sampled, but it stayed with me until the end. It was a no brainer that I would go back to read it until the end and that it will be among the contenders to be my semi-finalist. In the end I decided to go with another book, but I'm really happy that we've got A Sea of Broken Glass sorted into our group.
A Sea of Broken Glass is the first book of The Lady and the Darkness series, and does not waste any time to get right in the middle of things. Ris is being imprisoned by the Inquisitor, called Talbot under the accusation of using charms - and also because she is the last of the Lady's vessels, which makes her valuable for both those on the Light's side and on the Darkness'. Once her real identity is out the race starts. She has to find the Lady's Heart, a gem which the Lady of Light hid, and which is the source of all creation. During the cataclysm it got tainted and cursed along with a big portion of the land. Whichever side gets it under control will have immense power to decide the fate of the world. Agents of the Darkness are after her trying to either capture her, corrupt her or kill her in order to get the Heart. Ris and her company has to go a long way and there is no assurance they will survive the ordeal.
A Sea of Broken Glass is definitely a super fast read. I've read 60% of it in a day, and that's not something that happens to me a lot these days. I just couldn't not read it and know what's going to happen next. I also had a few "Oh shit. That's not going to go well." moments which is always a good thing. Especially since I'm not really a fan of books which has a lot of travelling - in this case I really didn't care about that as the characters kept me interested.
The mix of 1st and 3rd POV worked out really well. By making Ris a 1st POV character allows us to connect with her more but also puts her in the focus even more. Her companion, the paladins who all have different roles and types of magic (water, air, earth) opposite to her healing (fire) magic are all there to support and protect her. Not that she needs much protecting, because even though she is a kind of Chosen One, she has strength and independence. She can take care of herself, but she is also smart enough to know she won't succeed all by herself and that she'll need her friends for moral support if nothing else. She is not a damsel in distress kind of character who needs saving, but isn't an invincible bad-ass fighter either. I liked her interactions with the others and generally how all the characters interacted with each other. And the way they struggled with their own demons and minds when it threw them off way. But I think my favourite part was the way magic is described. All kind of magic has its distinct sound/instruments attached to them, creating a song rather than a spell.
In way of criticism, although I did enjoy the ride, I would have liked a bit more worldbuilding - to learn about the different titles and roles, the Bastion, the characters' past (though we do learn about them a bit, especially during the second half). A bit more showing than telling wouldn't have been amiss. There was a lot going on and I didn't got to really immerse myself in this world, to get a good grip on it. It also works with the usual tropes - Chosen One, quest for an important treasure to stop the world being destroyed, good vs evil. Which is fine, and as terms of writing, this book is really good, but for me there was something missing, something that would make me say "Now, that's what makes it stand out!"
Overall, A Sea of Broken Glass is a book I highly recommend checking out as it has some neat ideas - music based magic!! - likeable characters and an epic chase. Just be warned that you might end up staying up until way too late while reading... Now, where is the sequel??
December 9, 2019
3.5/5
As a fan of flintlock fantasy, I had high hopes for A Sea of Broken Glass. Its unattractive cover works against it, but well-written synopsis promises exciting things and I read for both escapism and excitement. Does it deliver?
Plot & Structure
I appreciate A Sea of Broken Glass’ clear and logic structure. Merissa LaRoche is a Healer who loves her vocation and helping others. Beyond that she’s the last Vessel - if Darkness doesn’t corrupt her, she can harness the power of Light. Happily very few people know about it. Unhappily, wrong ones discover it and first accuse her of Witchcraft (a crime punishable by death) and, when she escapes, force her and her companions to run from demons, the Bastion, and the Darkness.
Characters
Ris grew up in Greendale and was raised by her guardians Bran and Aeron (known as her Shield and Cloak). They taught her how to fight, pick locks and shoot pistols. Bran is like a second father to Ris, overprotective, mature, and loyal. Aeron has a past that haunts him. There’s also Michel who became Ris’ Sword less than an hour after meeting her. She’s that special.
I liked characters and their dynamics but I wasn’t able to emotionally engage with any of them. Not that they lack anything. Except, maybe, they’re too good and pure deep inside for my taste?
Point of view
We follow the story through four POV’s - Ris and her “guardians”. The chapters alternate between characters and the author handles multiple POV with gusto. Their arcs intertwine and complement each other. Through the first-person narration in Ris chapters, we get a very clear idea about her motivations, desires, and internal conflict. Her struggle feels convincing and credible.
The narration changes to third-person limited in chapters focused on her “guardians“. As a result, it’s more difficult to connect with them as strongly as with Ris. While each of them is interesting and has a story to share, I felt their POV weren’t distinct enough to make them stand apart.
Setting
The story takes place in a dark world where a fallen goddess unleashed a curse. The world-building could have been clearer to me in parts but it didn’t really bother me because I expect the lingering questions to be answered in future books. Ris will have to find a way to contain the Darkness and deal with the Bastion. Not to mention Plague and War. I see Big problems ahead of her.
Voice/tone
Light, I wish the characters could just say “fuck“ and use other dirty words when the situation requires it. I’m not too keen on fake swear words, especially not the ones as lame as Light. Sorry :)
Sea of Broken Glass never becomes too gloomy in tone. It doesn’t lose its sense of optimism. I had a feeling throughout that everything not only might, it surely would turn out all right in the end. I wasn’t entirely right, but I rarely felt the stakes were high (even though they were high).
Timing/pacing
The Sea of Broken Glass has a steady rhythm and finds a nice balance between action, introspection, and world-building. It never drags or focuses on unnecessary things. With (relatively) short chapters and focused narrative it effectively tells the story.
In closing
I liked it. It’s well written, well-edited, and smart. Because I couldn’t develop any meaningful emotional attachment to characters, I can’t rate it higher, but it’s just me. It’s well worth your time and money, especially if you need another dark flintlock fantasy fix.
As a fan of flintlock fantasy, I had high hopes for A Sea of Broken Glass. Its unattractive cover works against it, but well-written synopsis promises exciting things and I read for both escapism and excitement. Does it deliver?
Plot & Structure
I appreciate A Sea of Broken Glass’ clear and logic structure. Merissa LaRoche is a Healer who loves her vocation and helping others. Beyond that she’s the last Vessel - if Darkness doesn’t corrupt her, she can harness the power of Light. Happily very few people know about it. Unhappily, wrong ones discover it and first accuse her of Witchcraft (a crime punishable by death) and, when she escapes, force her and her companions to run from demons, the Bastion, and the Darkness.
Characters
Ris grew up in Greendale and was raised by her guardians Bran and Aeron (known as her Shield and Cloak). They taught her how to fight, pick locks and shoot pistols. Bran is like a second father to Ris, overprotective, mature, and loyal. Aeron has a past that haunts him. There’s also Michel who became Ris’ Sword less than an hour after meeting her. She’s that special.
I liked characters and their dynamics but I wasn’t able to emotionally engage with any of them. Not that they lack anything. Except, maybe, they’re too good and pure deep inside for my taste?
Point of view
We follow the story through four POV’s - Ris and her “guardians”. The chapters alternate between characters and the author handles multiple POV with gusto. Their arcs intertwine and complement each other. Through the first-person narration in Ris chapters, we get a very clear idea about her motivations, desires, and internal conflict. Her struggle feels convincing and credible.
The narration changes to third-person limited in chapters focused on her “guardians“. As a result, it’s more difficult to connect with them as strongly as with Ris. While each of them is interesting and has a story to share, I felt their POV weren’t distinct enough to make them stand apart.
Setting
The story takes place in a dark world where a fallen goddess unleashed a curse. The world-building could have been clearer to me in parts but it didn’t really bother me because I expect the lingering questions to be answered in future books. Ris will have to find a way to contain the Darkness and deal with the Bastion. Not to mention Plague and War. I see Big problems ahead of her.
Voice/tone
Light, I wish the characters could just say “fuck“ and use other dirty words when the situation requires it. I’m not too keen on fake swear words, especially not the ones as lame as Light. Sorry :)
Sea of Broken Glass never becomes too gloomy in tone. It doesn’t lose its sense of optimism. I had a feeling throughout that everything not only might, it surely would turn out all right in the end. I wasn’t entirely right, but I rarely felt the stakes were high (even though they were high).
Timing/pacing
The Sea of Broken Glass has a steady rhythm and finds a nice balance between action, introspection, and world-building. It never drags or focuses on unnecessary things. With (relatively) short chapters and focused narrative it effectively tells the story.
In closing
I liked it. It’s well written, well-edited, and smart. Because I couldn’t develop any meaningful emotional attachment to characters, I can’t rate it higher, but it’s just me. It’s well worth your time and money, especially if you need another dark flintlock fantasy fix.
December 31, 2019
A Sea of Broken Glass has a fast pace and drops the reader right into the thick of things. There are shades of David Gemmell to it but, overall, I found it to be more like a script for the cutscenes in a video game than a proper book. I would really love to see to more pauses with some time for character building.
January 29, 2020
*I read this as a judge for the #SPFBO*
I'm fairly sure I'll be a minority in my review of this title, but it just didn't work well for me from the start. The book opens with a witch trial of our main character Ris, which I thought was snappy and exciting and promised a lot. Ris' POV is first person and her story sounded interesting to me from the start, but I quickly realised that there was a very overbearing good Vs evil plotline here.
Ris is our main lady and her POV is first person and immediate. I think the author intends for the reader to connect with Ris as the other characters are third person, but I found it super jarring to change the POV so much chapter by chapter. The other characters of Bran and Michel all felt flat to me, and Ris was unfortunately a 'girl with a destiny' stereotype for me. I never felt a real sense of connection with any of the characters and I particularly struggled with Ris as the main one.
The magic and darkness of this world are in eternal competition and we know that Ris is heavily connected to everything. Some how she is integral to banishing the darkness from the world (a literal character called Darkness) and helping it stay stable. She's on a journey for a lot of the book with the other characters to find the heart...
I'd say the story is a bit of a slow one after the first scene. Personally I found it hard to connect and maybe that's why the chapters fell a bit flat for me at times and I didn't really have the emotional investment in the characters' stories. I would have liked to have more development on the characters and also more world building and plot. Basically, it hinted at a lot but I didn't feel that it truly achieved as much as I wanted from what seemed to be a witch-hunt at first. Maybe my expectations were way off, but I don't think this one had the power to change my mind about how I felt, and sadly by the end I was just pleased I had finished it and had no urge to keep going.
Overall, it's not a bad book but it didn't work for my reading tastes or style. I think there were good moments, but I didn't love the whole vibe and I found it hard to enjoy it and want to come back to it. 2.25* which is 4.5/10 for #SPFBO.
I'm fairly sure I'll be a minority in my review of this title, but it just didn't work well for me from the start. The book opens with a witch trial of our main character Ris, which I thought was snappy and exciting and promised a lot. Ris' POV is first person and her story sounded interesting to me from the start, but I quickly realised that there was a very overbearing good Vs evil plotline here.
Ris is our main lady and her POV is first person and immediate. I think the author intends for the reader to connect with Ris as the other characters are third person, but I found it super jarring to change the POV so much chapter by chapter. The other characters of Bran and Michel all felt flat to me, and Ris was unfortunately a 'girl with a destiny' stereotype for me. I never felt a real sense of connection with any of the characters and I particularly struggled with Ris as the main one.
The magic and darkness of this world are in eternal competition and we know that Ris is heavily connected to everything. Some how she is integral to banishing the darkness from the world (a literal character called Darkness) and helping it stay stable. She's on a journey for a lot of the book with the other characters to find the heart...
I'd say the story is a bit of a slow one after the first scene. Personally I found it hard to connect and maybe that's why the chapters fell a bit flat for me at times and I didn't really have the emotional investment in the characters' stories. I would have liked to have more development on the characters and also more world building and plot. Basically, it hinted at a lot but I didn't feel that it truly achieved as much as I wanted from what seemed to be a witch-hunt at first. Maybe my expectations were way off, but I don't think this one had the power to change my mind about how I felt, and sadly by the end I was just pleased I had finished it and had no urge to keep going.
Overall, it's not a bad book but it didn't work for my reading tastes or style. I think there were good moments, but I didn't love the whole vibe and I found it hard to enjoy it and want to come back to it. 2.25* which is 4.5/10 for #SPFBO.
January 6, 2020
Two years ago I went on a somewhat masochistic adventure trying to read 100 SPFBO books and leave reviews for all of them. I succeeded, but boy was that challenging. One of the books I read was the Snow White Files by Sonya M. Black. I remember that I enjoyed it despite the fact that I hadn't dipped my toes into fairytale retellings all that much. I was struck by how something so familiar could be reimagined to provide a fun fresh experience with it. When I saw the author's name pop up this time around I got excited since I was already familiar with her writing style and knew it was something I may click with. That said, this is not a fairytale retelling, this is something entirely different and I definitely enjoyed it.
This opens with a witch trial scene for the main character, Ris, who has been accused by an Inquisitor of casting spells. She's the town healer and although that requires some magic, that's not the kind of thing that would typically get someone branded as a witch. The setting resembles the 1800's from Earth, there are trains, pocket watches, gas lamps lining the streets, witch trials etc. Ris is sentenced to death and gets thrown in prison. She was able to escape with the help of her friends, but she still had to deal with the Inquisitor's men hot on her heels. To make matters worse, demons have also located her and are intent on killing her. She may not be a witch but she has a secret that if it got out, it could mean the end of the world.
This story was told in both the first person and the third person depending on which POV you're on. Ris is the only first-person viewpoint, the other POV's are all in the third person. I found this a little awkward at first, but after a few character rotations I adjusted to it. It definitely brought Ris to the forefront as the main character and made her stand out. However, because of that, I think I got to know Ris much more than I did some of the other characters which felt a bit unbalanced. I felt like Ris was very fleshed out and felt like her own person, but sometimes Michel, Bran, and Aeron were a little too similar and I'd find myself forgetting for a second which character I was reading.
The magic system in this isn't exactly a hard defined magic system like a Sanderson book, but it definitely has different classes of magic with distinct characteristics and rules to them. There's an element of music to the magic where one of the character's magic sounds like violins, while another sounds like brass instruments. They are also broken up into elemental classes, with earth magic, water magic, fire magic, and air magic all having different properties, strengths, and weaknesses. These magics can be used to counter each other or enhance one another, but it's said that no one can wield more than one kind of magic. "Darkness" can also taint someone's magic, turning it red and out of tune. This book has heavy overtones of good vs evil, light vs darkness. One of the villains in this is literally called Darkness and it's actively looking for Ris. There's a lot going on as far as fantasy elements - there are demons capable of possessing human hosts, long-lived humans over 500 years old, paladins, knights, secretive councils, elemental magic, shapeshifters, gods and goddesses etc.
The pacing for this was super quick, I was able to read this within a day. The style is more straight forward rather than flowery which allows for quick easy reading. It's not a super long book either, there's not a lot of "fat" that I would have cut to keep things more tightly plotted which is something I found myself thinking with some other finalists. It was well edited and well put together with a professional-looking cover that grabs the eye. I'd recommend this for people who like multi povs, set in the Victorian era, lots of magic, light vs dark/good vs evil, and easy quick reads.
Ratings:
Plot: 10/15
Characters: 11.5/15
World-Building: 12.5/15
Writing: 11.5/15
Pacing: 12/15
Originality: 10/15
Personal Enjoyment: 6.5/10
Final Score: 74/100 or 7.4/10 for SPFBO
This opens with a witch trial scene for the main character, Ris, who has been accused by an Inquisitor of casting spells. She's the town healer and although that requires some magic, that's not the kind of thing that would typically get someone branded as a witch. The setting resembles the 1800's from Earth, there are trains, pocket watches, gas lamps lining the streets, witch trials etc. Ris is sentenced to death and gets thrown in prison. She was able to escape with the help of her friends, but she still had to deal with the Inquisitor's men hot on her heels. To make matters worse, demons have also located her and are intent on killing her. She may not be a witch but she has a secret that if it got out, it could mean the end of the world.
This story was told in both the first person and the third person depending on which POV you're on. Ris is the only first-person viewpoint, the other POV's are all in the third person. I found this a little awkward at first, but after a few character rotations I adjusted to it. It definitely brought Ris to the forefront as the main character and made her stand out. However, because of that, I think I got to know Ris much more than I did some of the other characters which felt a bit unbalanced. I felt like Ris was very fleshed out and felt like her own person, but sometimes Michel, Bran, and Aeron were a little too similar and I'd find myself forgetting for a second which character I was reading.
The magic system in this isn't exactly a hard defined magic system like a Sanderson book, but it definitely has different classes of magic with distinct characteristics and rules to them. There's an element of music to the magic where one of the character's magic sounds like violins, while another sounds like brass instruments. They are also broken up into elemental classes, with earth magic, water magic, fire magic, and air magic all having different properties, strengths, and weaknesses. These magics can be used to counter each other or enhance one another, but it's said that no one can wield more than one kind of magic. "Darkness" can also taint someone's magic, turning it red and out of tune. This book has heavy overtones of good vs evil, light vs darkness. One of the villains in this is literally called Darkness and it's actively looking for Ris. There's a lot going on as far as fantasy elements - there are demons capable of possessing human hosts, long-lived humans over 500 years old, paladins, knights, secretive councils, elemental magic, shapeshifters, gods and goddesses etc.
The pacing for this was super quick, I was able to read this within a day. The style is more straight forward rather than flowery which allows for quick easy reading. It's not a super long book either, there's not a lot of "fat" that I would have cut to keep things more tightly plotted which is something I found myself thinking with some other finalists. It was well edited and well put together with a professional-looking cover that grabs the eye. I'd recommend this for people who like multi povs, set in the Victorian era, lots of magic, light vs dark/good vs evil, and easy quick reads.
Ratings:
Plot: 10/15
Characters: 11.5/15
World-Building: 12.5/15
Writing: 11.5/15
Pacing: 12/15
Originality: 10/15
Personal Enjoyment: 6.5/10
Final Score: 74/100 or 7.4/10 for SPFBO
December 2, 2019
When the Lady fell to the Darkness, evil and corruption gained a foothold, allowing Ruin, War, and Plague to be released upon the land.
The Lady’s daughters are meant to carry her power – the power of Light. Marissa (Ris) is a healer and the last vessel of the Lady. She needs to find the Heart of Creation- the Lady’s last hope to break the darkness that has her bound, and restore the balance of power.
Ris is accompanied by the Paladins: Aeron, Bran, and Michel, they are her cloak, shield, and sword respectively. Their job is to keep Marissa safe from the Darkness because if she falls, the Darkness wins and there is no more hope of the Lady returning the Light to the land.
***
This was a fun read! Enjoyable and well-paced. Things get interesting fast, and there is a good tension build straight through to the end with the relationships growing and falling apart as the Heart, and the Darkness get closer.
There are some neat ideas with the world, government, and the magic.
The world is Victorian inspired and the story has a tinge of a romance feel to it which lends itself nicely to the setting. (If you don’t read romances you probably won’t even notice).
The Bastion (the government of sorts) before the Lady’s fall, was made up of the Paladins, they were her closest circle. Now, the true Paladin’s numbers are down to just a few from the Lady’s days and the rest are made up of sworn members. But with a dying belief in the Lady; the Darkness, greed and corruption are becoming prevalent in the order.
Excerpts from The Lady and the Darkness, a translated work at the beginning of each chapter give us a glimpse of the Lady’s fall and her plan to fix where things went wrong.Other information is well placed and gives us hints about the relationship between the Light and the Dark. I particularly loved the balance of it all- in the magic, and in the order. How even with the Paladins, their counterpoints were either dark (Bran and Aris) or they had to battle the dark within themselves, like Aeron. It added a nice touch, and again, it fits with the Paladin shiny pure image that we tend to associate to them (or at least I do) and gives this world and magic, a well thought-out and complete feel.
The magic – both the Light and the Dark are demonstrated to us in instrument sounds, when the user’s magic joins it works a bit like an orchestra combining the sounds to create a stronger piece of music or clashing sounds when they’re battling. I liked the use; it works for helping to imagine what’s occurring and made for some cool visuals, but I didn’t feel it like I have in other stories with a music-based magic.
I liked that there was a lot of backstory for our main pov’s characters and with the Paladins- some of it is quite tragic and painful. But I also found myself feeling a little detached to it all too.
I think this is one of those times when more showing would have been helpful, especially with the past relationships, because the telling gave me just enough distance to these characters and their emotional wounds, that I felt a little disconnected from their pain and/or happiness, keeping me from totally falling in love with these characters and their stories.
Outside of that there were some very minor issues: repetitiveness, a few typos, and words that felt like they were supposed to have been removed, and my least favourite thing – the retelling in an overlap POV. (ugh)
Enjoyable read, great pacing and solid all-around storytelling. There was just very little to complain about with this story.
Did I tell you I read this in two days? I should have led with that, right?
Go here to find out more about SPFBO contest and to find links to all the participating bloggers/authors and reviews!
https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...
Go here to see the announcement for Nick's team choice!
https://starlitbook.com/2019/11/17/sp...
spfbo score 7.3/10
January 27, 2020
A good solid good versus evil gunpowder fantasy, maybe with a touch of the grey involved.
This the 3rd spfbo 2019 finalist I have read so far, in the competition.
Decent magic system, decent male and female characters glad these are not perfect in all ways. World building shows great promise nice to have steam trains.
So I recommend this book to all fantasy readers.
This the 3rd spfbo 2019 finalist I have read so far, in the competition.
Decent magic system, decent male and female characters glad these are not perfect in all ways. World building shows great promise nice to have steam trains.
So I recommend this book to all fantasy readers.
February 13, 2020
In a world setting that takes a bit from here and a bit from there, Sonya M. Black give us a multi POV narration of a battle between Dark and Light. The Final third of the book employs a device that I have encountered many times in Science Fiction but not that often in High Fantasy. There are plenty of nice touches in this first in a series that I plan on continuing. I enjoyed all the characters and their interactions. I continue to be surprise by the quality of the books that have made up SPBO 5.
April 24, 2020
Sea of Broken Glass is a fun, light, slightly breathless, slightly romantic, fantasy adventure. The prose is often charming. The characters are relatable, and in the case of the men, invariably hot. There are some very neat ideas, including a music based magic system.
For my taste, the world building was a little too broad and shallow. It seemed to me more of a wish-list of cool ideas included for fun (which they were) than a fully realised, believable secondary world. I had particular trouble reconciling the quasi-Victorian setting, complete with newspapers, revolvers, and trains (but oddly, no telegraph) with the relatively unquestioning high-fantasy social and political attitudes of its inhabitants.
Overall, SoBG is probably going to be a lot of fun for people who want fast paced action, but its quite far removed from the dense speculative fantasy I typically enjoy.
I received a free advance review copy of this book in return for an honest review.
For my taste, the world building was a little too broad and shallow. It seemed to me more of a wish-list of cool ideas included for fun (which they were) than a fully realised, believable secondary world. I had particular trouble reconciling the quasi-Victorian setting, complete with newspapers, revolvers, and trains (but oddly, no telegraph) with the relatively unquestioning high-fantasy social and political attitudes of its inhabitants.
Overall, SoBG is probably going to be a lot of fun for people who want fast paced action, but its quite far removed from the dense speculative fantasy I typically enjoy.
I received a free advance review copy of this book in return for an honest review.
July 25, 2019
This book was a great read. The first thing that stands out to me is the prose. The author has a great rhythm to her prose, varying sentence lengths perfectly to fit with what's happening on the page. It's one of the few books I've read recently in which I've noticed the prose (in a good way).
The world is also fascinating. It remains quite mysterious throughout, and I didn't always understand everything that was going on, but that was okay because the mystery kept me interested.
The plot was fast-moving, and the characters were both sympathetic and flawed.
Overall Rating: 9/10
The world is also fascinating. It remains quite mysterious throughout, and I didn't always understand everything that was going on, but that was okay because the mystery kept me interested.
The plot was fast-moving, and the characters were both sympathetic and flawed.
Overall Rating: 9/10
March 25, 2020
I really enjoyed this! The characters are captivating, and the story kept me reading. A brilliant good vs evil plot. What more could you want? Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a fast paced dark fantasy. I’m looking forward to reading Black’s next book!
Read
January 14, 2020Got 12% in but just wasnt doing much for me. Victorian vibe. Light dark magic. Was decently written. Had a weird steampunk feel but with fantasy characters which was a little off putting .
May 6, 2020
I read A Sea of Broken Glass as it was a finalist in the Fifth Self Publishing Fantasy Blog Off - organised by Mark Lawrence, and I was a contributing judge for the Fantasy-Hive Blog team.
The story rattles along at a brisk - almost exhausting pace - as it follows a first person female protagonist point of view and the third person perspective from three of our four male protectors.
There are some interesting flashes of world building in what feels a bit like a YA book. I would have liked to see more depth in the characterisation if I was going to rate it more highly.
You can see more about what I and the rest of the team thought of it here.
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2020/04/a-...
The story rattles along at a brisk - almost exhausting pace - as it follows a first person female protagonist point of view and the third person perspective from three of our four male protectors.
There are some interesting flashes of world building in what feels a bit like a YA book. I would have liked to see more depth in the characterisation if I was going to rate it more highly.
You can see more about what I and the rest of the team thought of it here.
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2020/04/a-...
March 17, 2020
So my absolute favourite part of this book was the way Sonya Black described the different types of magic as musical notes, instruments and harmonies...it was absolutely delightful. Ris is a great protagonist, tough but human, and her three bonded protectors are all interesting and complex in their own right (Michel is secretly my fav though). The pacing is terrific, the story never felt like it was getting bogged down, and the writing keeps you engaged the whole time. This is a flintlock fantasy, not what I'd normally pick up, but I REALLY enjoyed it! The SPFBO finalists this year are fantastic and I highly recommend you one, or more, next time you're looking for a fantasy read
March 29, 2020
Full review is here, on my blog!~
This is the story of Ris and her guardians. The world they live in has Light (The Lady) and Darkness (The… uh… Darkness). Ris is the last vessel of the Lady, which means that she is not only gifted with a pretty great talent in magic, she is also wanted very badly by the Darkness, because she is pretty much the only person that can stop it from destroying the world.
Rin’s identity was secret, but somehow got out, and Rin is falsely accused of witchcraft and imprisoned and tortured for months until Bran, her Shield, freed her. Having seen a vision from The Lady, Ris takes her two other guardians, Aeron and Michel, into the haunted and demon-infested Bonelands (the titular Sea of Broken Glass) to find the Lady’s Heart, the only thing capable of stopping the Darkness.
I quite liked this one. I didn’t love Ris overmuch, but I liked Aeron and Bran quite a bit, and we do see things from several points of view here, Bran and Aeron included. Ris’ point of view chapters are in the first person, while everyone else’s are in the third person. I didn’t really have a problem with this, as each chapter, with the exception of one, was labelled with the name of who we were hearing about. But, this might rub some people the wrong way, all the same.
The world that this takes place in was an interesting one to me. It’s… not steampunk, and it’s not flintlock, but it’s sort of adjacent to both. There are trains in this world, and there are pistols, but a lot of the other technology seems to be magical in nature. I wish that it had just a tad more worldbuilding, because I would have liked to know more about the place.
The theme of Light versus Darkness comes up a lot here. Their religion revolves around the idea, but it is also very much real, as the Lady and the Darkness were once tangible beings who lived in this world in human form (this is, somewhat, the cause of the problems that have arisen). I thought that part was pretty well fleshed out.
The magic system was neat. It’s based in the elements, and each element controls a different kind of magic. When they use magic, it produces music, and each type produces a different kind. Fire magic, which Ris has, is healing magic, and produces brass tones like trumpets. Bran’s magic is Wind, and sounds like woodwinds. It’s used quite interestingly, especially when more than one type of magic is used at the same time, as it either harmonizes, or doesn’t, depending on what the magic is doing.
My one real complaint was the romance that was included. “But Kristen, you love romance!” you say, and you would be right. This one was rushed and it just didn’t take with me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike instalove if it’s done well (to me, anyway), and there is a significant plot-related reason for it to happen as it happens. There very much is, in this case, but it still bounced right off me. I think that my problem was believing these two were suddenly super, super attracted to each other and yet didn’t actually do anything significant about it any point?
All told, I had a pretty good time with A Sea of Broken Glass, but I do wish that it was a little more in depth about some of the aspects of the world. I think that I will absolutely read more into this series when I have time, as the ending left me wanting more (I wouldn’t call it a cliffhanger, but it was dipping its toes into cliffhanger-like behavior). I’d say that I had 7/10 stars of fun with A Sea of Broken Glass.
This is the story of Ris and her guardians. The world they live in has Light (The Lady) and Darkness (The… uh… Darkness). Ris is the last vessel of the Lady, which means that she is not only gifted with a pretty great talent in magic, she is also wanted very badly by the Darkness, because she is pretty much the only person that can stop it from destroying the world.
Rin’s identity was secret, but somehow got out, and Rin is falsely accused of witchcraft and imprisoned and tortured for months until Bran, her Shield, freed her. Having seen a vision from The Lady, Ris takes her two other guardians, Aeron and Michel, into the haunted and demon-infested Bonelands (the titular Sea of Broken Glass) to find the Lady’s Heart, the only thing capable of stopping the Darkness.
I quite liked this one. I didn’t love Ris overmuch, but I liked Aeron and Bran quite a bit, and we do see things from several points of view here, Bran and Aeron included. Ris’ point of view chapters are in the first person, while everyone else’s are in the third person. I didn’t really have a problem with this, as each chapter, with the exception of one, was labelled with the name of who we were hearing about. But, this might rub some people the wrong way, all the same.
The world that this takes place in was an interesting one to me. It’s… not steampunk, and it’s not flintlock, but it’s sort of adjacent to both. There are trains in this world, and there are pistols, but a lot of the other technology seems to be magical in nature. I wish that it had just a tad more worldbuilding, because I would have liked to know more about the place.
The theme of Light versus Darkness comes up a lot here. Their religion revolves around the idea, but it is also very much real, as the Lady and the Darkness were once tangible beings who lived in this world in human form (this is, somewhat, the cause of the problems that have arisen). I thought that part was pretty well fleshed out.
The magic system was neat. It’s based in the elements, and each element controls a different kind of magic. When they use magic, it produces music, and each type produces a different kind. Fire magic, which Ris has, is healing magic, and produces brass tones like trumpets. Bran’s magic is Wind, and sounds like woodwinds. It’s used quite interestingly, especially when more than one type of magic is used at the same time, as it either harmonizes, or doesn’t, depending on what the magic is doing.
My one real complaint was the romance that was included. “But Kristen, you love romance!” you say, and you would be right. This one was rushed and it just didn’t take with me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike instalove if it’s done well (to me, anyway), and there is a significant plot-related reason for it to happen as it happens. There very much is, in this case, but it still bounced right off me. I think that my problem was believing these two were suddenly super, super attracted to each other and yet didn’t actually do anything significant about it any point?
All told, I had a pretty good time with A Sea of Broken Glass, but I do wish that it was a little more in depth about some of the aspects of the world. I think that I will absolutely read more into this series when I have time, as the ending left me wanting more (I wouldn’t call it a cliffhanger, but it was dipping its toes into cliffhanger-like behavior). I’d say that I had 7/10 stars of fun with A Sea of Broken Glass.
January 6, 2020
I came across this book while trying to find a book that would fit the r/fantasy bingo self-published hard mode square and merging it with the books that made it as SPFBO5 finalists. So a shout out to those communities for broadening my reading horizons once again.
What I liked.
This was a fast paced, action packed, fantasy quest adventure. It drops you right into the middle of an ongoing story. Honestly, it starts where the climax of another tale could have been ending and propels you forth from there. It doesn't really start out as your stand fantasy quest but it eventually melds into some of the familiar trappings of that kind of story. I thought the structure of the novel was interesting in this way, dropping you in and asking you to hold on as the plot takes off immediately.
I liked the plotting, the pacing, the magic system, and the main character. The magic system is particularly noteworthy as it blends some soft and hard magic system ideas together. It has a magical class system along with elemental aptitudes which leans more towards a hard system. However, it doesn't quite explain some of the details such as limits or costs to the user. There was also a neat way of describing the magic with musical sounds. How some elements or users sounded different and how it blended with other magic users helped me to understand how certain abilities or interactions worked. It added a level of depth to the story and characters that I found unique. I couldn't help but think that if this was ever adapted to other media (TV, Movie, video game) that the task of making this music magic system work would be difficult but impressive and satisfying.
What I did not like.
The side characters felt flat to me. You get point of views from them but they seemed stiff and one dimensional. Honestly, a lot of the paladins just felt the same to me. They shared a lot of character traits and without a bit of their backstories I would have thought they were like...fire mage 1, water mage 3, earth mage 2, just bodies to fill slots to get us to the ending.
I was also left wanting more. The sea of broken glass referenced in the title was barely described. I felt like there could have been a few repeated points here to help understand the magic or haunting of the place and more imagery given to fully flesh it out. Perhaps more backstory about it as well, just a page maybe to set the stage and bring a weight to the scenes there. It lacked depth and emotion for me when I thought it could have had both in spades.
To me, this book offered up a lot of potential but did not fully deliver on it. There are some good themes that I enjoyed, some fun fantasy elements that could play well into the characters and their interactions, a magic system that could offer a lot of fun but in the end it pulled punches in exchange for incredibly fast pacing. There were many moments of emotional gravity for the characters here but without some more build up, with out some more time to develop some of these plot lines and bring me in as a reader to empathize with them I only felt like a spectator instead of a participant.
Subsequently, while I liked this novel, I was left feeling disappointed. It was entertaining but I think it could have been more captivating if only it had stuck the landing on it's bigger moments. Instead it staggered a little and left me thinking it was more typical than it was distinct.
What I liked.
This was a fast paced, action packed, fantasy quest adventure. It drops you right into the middle of an ongoing story. Honestly, it starts where the climax of another tale could have been ending and propels you forth from there. It doesn't really start out as your stand fantasy quest but it eventually melds into some of the familiar trappings of that kind of story. I thought the structure of the novel was interesting in this way, dropping you in and asking you to hold on as the plot takes off immediately.
I liked the plotting, the pacing, the magic system, and the main character. The magic system is particularly noteworthy as it blends some soft and hard magic system ideas together. It has a magical class system along with elemental aptitudes which leans more towards a hard system. However, it doesn't quite explain some of the details such as limits or costs to the user. There was also a neat way of describing the magic with musical sounds. How some elements or users sounded different and how it blended with other magic users helped me to understand how certain abilities or interactions worked. It added a level of depth to the story and characters that I found unique. I couldn't help but think that if this was ever adapted to other media (TV, Movie, video game) that the task of making this music magic system work would be difficult but impressive and satisfying.
What I did not like.
The side characters felt flat to me. You get point of views from them but they seemed stiff and one dimensional. Honestly, a lot of the paladins just felt the same to me. They shared a lot of character traits and without a bit of their backstories I would have thought they were like...fire mage 1, water mage 3, earth mage 2, just bodies to fill slots to get us to the ending.
I was also left wanting more. The sea of broken glass referenced in the title was barely described. I felt like there could have been a few repeated points here to help understand the magic or haunting of the place and more imagery given to fully flesh it out. Perhaps more backstory about it as well, just a page maybe to set the stage and bring a weight to the scenes there. It lacked depth and emotion for me when I thought it could have had both in spades.
To me, this book offered up a lot of potential but did not fully deliver on it. There are some good themes that I enjoyed, some fun fantasy elements that could play well into the characters and their interactions, a magic system that could offer a lot of fun but in the end it pulled punches in exchange for incredibly fast pacing. There were many moments of emotional gravity for the characters here but without some more build up, with out some more time to develop some of these plot lines and bring me in as a reader to empathize with them I only felt like a spectator instead of a participant.
Subsequently, while I liked this novel, I was left feeling disappointed. It was entertaining but I think it could have been more captivating if only it had stuck the landing on it's bigger moments. Instead it staggered a little and left me thinking it was more typical than it was distinct.
March 13, 2020
A Sea of Broken Glass by Sonya M. Black is a fun and brisk tale of the fragile battle between good an evil. It's a story that follows the misadventures of a young healer as she journeys to save the world from absolute destruction, but shadows plague her at every turn, threatening to tear out pieces of her true self along the way. An homage to classic fantasy, it promotes the idea that even when all seems lost to the darkness, hope and faith should never be abandoned. The first entry in her The Lady & The Darkness series, it's a solid foundation for an epic tale of fate, demons, and resolve.
The story is told through the eyes of four separate characters; Ris and her pack of ancient wardens. It begins by dropping readers right into the thick of things as Ris is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic Inquisitor, as well as Black assigning her the only first-person viewpoint, it was easy to quickly feel sympathy for her. Bran, her Shield, is portrayed with a hardened constitution, but also masks the pain of what he has endured. Aeron, her Cloak, a rogue with an easy smile, yet haunted by his past sins. Michel, her Sword, a master swordsman, but a lone wolf hesitant to get too close to anyone. Each chapter focuses on a specific character, allowing for small insights into the past, but their brevity and central focus more on the journey itself also prevents from making the strong emotional connections that I always hope for.
Let's talk about worldbuilding. I'm going to be honest here - I wanted more. I want to know more about the fall. I want to know more about the curse that fractured and blighted the land. I want to know more about the relationship between the Lady and the Darkness that sparked it all. There's a world defined by an implied rich history - give it to us! Brief dreams and visions build upon these elements, but they can be unclear at times. I'm hoping future installments offer answers to my lingering questions.
While I enjoyed my journey alongside Ris and Crew, there was one essential thing missing for me: tension. We're presented with the idea that the stakes are high - the fate of the world rests in Ris' hands - but I just never felt the severity of what was laid before me. The start of the story is strong with a perfect loathsome antagonist, but he's quickly removed from the equation and replaced by a threat made of shadows. The journey is quickly embarked on, mini-bosses quickly dispatched, an underlying conflict of betrayal hinted at, but not yet developed - things just felt a bit shallow for me at times. The ideas are there, the foundation is set, but I was waiting for that extra something to add the wow factor.
Well written and edited with very few errors between the covers, a straightforward plot, and a dark and gloomy tone with the light of hope shining in the distance, A Sea of Broken Glass left me needing to know what happens next. I found its mysterious magic system both beautiful and intelligent, using the law of opposites to both bring people together and tear them apart - a concept touched upon often throughout. There were some great moments that I hope to see built upon in the future, and I'm looking forward to the continuation of Ris' journey in From Bone and Ash.
The story is told through the eyes of four separate characters; Ris and her pack of ancient wardens. It begins by dropping readers right into the thick of things as Ris is accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic Inquisitor, as well as Black assigning her the only first-person viewpoint, it was easy to quickly feel sympathy for her. Bran, her Shield, is portrayed with a hardened constitution, but also masks the pain of what he has endured. Aeron, her Cloak, a rogue with an easy smile, yet haunted by his past sins. Michel, her Sword, a master swordsman, but a lone wolf hesitant to get too close to anyone. Each chapter focuses on a specific character, allowing for small insights into the past, but their brevity and central focus more on the journey itself also prevents from making the strong emotional connections that I always hope for.
Let's talk about worldbuilding. I'm going to be honest here - I wanted more. I want to know more about the fall. I want to know more about the curse that fractured and blighted the land. I want to know more about the relationship between the Lady and the Darkness that sparked it all. There's a world defined by an implied rich history - give it to us! Brief dreams and visions build upon these elements, but they can be unclear at times. I'm hoping future installments offer answers to my lingering questions.
While I enjoyed my journey alongside Ris and Crew, there was one essential thing missing for me: tension. We're presented with the idea that the stakes are high - the fate of the world rests in Ris' hands - but I just never felt the severity of what was laid before me. The start of the story is strong with a perfect loathsome antagonist, but he's quickly removed from the equation and replaced by a threat made of shadows. The journey is quickly embarked on, mini-bosses quickly dispatched, an underlying conflict of betrayal hinted at, but not yet developed - things just felt a bit shallow for me at times. The ideas are there, the foundation is set, but I was waiting for that extra something to add the wow factor.
Well written and edited with very few errors between the covers, a straightforward plot, and a dark and gloomy tone with the light of hope shining in the distance, A Sea of Broken Glass left me needing to know what happens next. I found its mysterious magic system both beautiful and intelligent, using the law of opposites to both bring people together and tear them apart - a concept touched upon often throughout. There were some great moments that I hope to see built upon in the future, and I'm looking forward to the continuation of Ris' journey in From Bone and Ash.
January 29, 2020
2.5 out of 5 (SPFBO rating: 4.5/10)
There were some things about this title that I liked, such as the musical descriptions of magic and some well-written action sequences, but other aspects didn’t work for me at all, and I'm afraid I DNF'd it at 20%. I had trouble developing connections to the characters because backstory was so often substituted for character development. For me, the narrative would have been more engaging had the novel begun with Ris’s arrest rather than her escape from prison. This would have given us time to get to know and empathize with her through the traumatic events that we're told profoundly shape her character, and we would also not be puzzled as to why her protectors weren’t around to help her upon her arrest, or why they took so long to rescue her (apparently she was imprisoned in her home town for several months before her friends busted her out). I also would have liked to see more cohesion between the musical, elemental, and color aspects of the magic, which seemed random and disconnected to me. Perhaps the connections become more clear later in the novel, but there wasn’t enough here to hold my interest so I could find out.
There were some things about this title that I liked, such as the musical descriptions of magic and some well-written action sequences, but other aspects didn’t work for me at all, and I'm afraid I DNF'd it at 20%. I had trouble developing connections to the characters because backstory was so often substituted for character development. For me, the narrative would have been more engaging had the novel begun with Ris’s arrest rather than her escape from prison. This would have given us time to get to know and empathize with her through the traumatic events that we're told profoundly shape her character, and we would also not be puzzled as to why her protectors weren’t around to help her upon her arrest, or why they took so long to rescue her (apparently she was imprisoned in her home town for several months before her friends busted her out). I also would have liked to see more cohesion between the musical, elemental, and color aspects of the magic, which seemed random and disconnected to me. Perhaps the connections become more clear later in the novel, but there wasn’t enough here to hold my interest so I could find out.
March 27, 2020
Actual rating 3.5
A sea of Broken glass has decent prose and characters but they're hampered by a lot of telling from the author and not enough 'real' choices and actions. The use of music for the magic was initially interesting but didn't exhibit enough variety or nuance as the story progressed. This isn't necessarily bad, but it results in an interesting concept being boiled down to flavor text.
Finally, the story is called a 'dark flintlock fantasy' and this is accurate, but not immersive, extending primarily to them riding a few trains and using guns.
A sea of Broken glass has decent prose and characters but they're hampered by a lot of telling from the author and not enough 'real' choices and actions. The use of music for the magic was initially interesting but didn't exhibit enough variety or nuance as the story progressed. This isn't necessarily bad, but it results in an interesting concept being boiled down to flavor text.
Finally, the story is called a 'dark flintlock fantasy' and this is accurate, but not immersive, extending primarily to them riding a few trains and using guns.
March 16, 2020
I picked up this book because it is a finalist for the 2019 SPFBO and I want to read all of them this time. I really enjoyed this story. The beginning opens with a bit of a mysterious aspect as to why she has been imprisoned. As things progress more is revealed about Ris and the special power she could possess. Ris is an interesting character and has the most depth of any in this story. The others have prolonged lives and as such only glimpses of their history is revealed leaving little understanding of anything besides their current objectives. This works in the context of the story told, but there is a lot of history to this world of which there are only hints. The Lady fell and The Darkness is trying to take over. All that happened in the past, now we follow Ris on a new journey. There is an aspect of very high stakes which adds tension. The magic is interesting with everyone having a different element. I do not quite understand how the magic is used, so I would not recommend for those seeking defined or hard magic systems. Overall a good start to a series and I would definitely read more.
For those interested in the writing style. The pacing is good overall. There are some slow paced sections and some high tension sections. There are very few fast paced action sequences however the novel is compelling to keep reading. I wanted to know what would happen next since the tension was spread out so well (if any of that makes sense). Ris learns a lot and has to face some difficult decisions about herself along the way. There is not much flintlock in this story about all I can say is there are guns and they are sometimes used.
For those interested in the writing style. The pacing is good overall. There are some slow paced sections and some high tension sections. There are very few fast paced action sequences however the novel is compelling to keep reading. I wanted to know what would happen next since the tension was spread out so well (if any of that makes sense). Ris learns a lot and has to face some difficult decisions about herself along the way. There is not much flintlock in this story about all I can say is there are guns and they are sometimes used.
Read
May 18, 2021This is an interesting tale and starts off with a bang before settling into a more traditional journey-quest story. The world of Sea is bleak and getting worse, and the backdrop of corruption and betrayal adds suitable urgency to the situation and the pace builds to a suitable climax. While I found the story's concepts intriguing (specifically the tainted Gods), I wasn't able to empathize with the characters on more than a surface level, which keeps me from fully immersing myself in a story. I liked the protagonist Ris but her companions never felt sufficiently developed. Overall, not a bad story to kick off the series's adventures.
February 12, 2020
This review was originally published over at Booknest.eu for SPFBO 2019.
A Sea of Broken Glass is the first of three books I am to read for Booknest’s SPFBO finalist phase, the shortest among them, and handpicked by my friends over at RockStarLit Book Asylum. I was curious to read it. The author also employs a mixture of first-person and third-person points of view in her telling of the story, which I have always been fond of. The stream-of-consciousness of its main character, in particular, was very much to my liking.
A Sea of Broken Glass never quite fulfills the promise of its opening. Here is a healer on trial for witchcraft, innocent in fact but pronounced guilty through the machinations of an Inquisitor whose motives are unknown to us. This opening establishes the voice of the main character, Marissa or Ris, as she’s also known, in an engaging way; she is horrified and outraged in equal measure, and that struck a spark. Sadly, as the novel continued onwards, that spark went out for me. Above all else, I found myself incapable of connecting with the main characters at an emotional level; worse yet, the reactions of several of them in tight spots across the length of the novel came across as unbelievable. I simply could not buy into a lot of what was happening between Ris and her guardians, Aeron and Michel. All of them started off engaging enough but they lacked veracity too often throughout both dialogue and non-dialogue cues.
Sonya M. Black’s novel comes across as a pastiche of 80s sword’n’sorcery; its uncomplicated battle of good versus evil is straightforward and very familiar to every one of us fantasy nerds. The magic system leans heavily on music; the characters, all of whom have access to one set of magical skills or another, are empowered by the Light and weave their variety of magic into sounds and even songs. Interesting descriptions that weren't pushed nearly far enough to make the magic truly exceptional.
Manifestations of Darkness and Light as beings is always a fun concept to play around with, but the Darkness was never as threatening as the Inquisitor it possessed at the opening of A Sea. After a few scenes in the dream-world the characters call ‘Beyond,’ I found myself familiar with the blueprint of each encounter between the Darkness and one or another of the protagonists. This extends to other elements of the novel – I can’t, for the life of me, think of any one revelation which surprised me or brought something outside my expectations to Ris' story.
This isn’t a bad book but having reached its end, I already find myself blanking out on the events within its covers. A Sea of Broken Glass didn’t engage with me, though it certainly had elements I enjoyed – the elements of steampunk, the opening, the musicality of the magic. Booknest's SPFBO score for this one is a 5/10.
I wish Sonya the very best of luck – I’m sure A Sea of Broken Glass has its audience, and I regret that it wasn’t to my taste.
A Sea of Broken Glass is the first of three books I am to read for Booknest’s SPFBO finalist phase, the shortest among them, and handpicked by my friends over at RockStarLit Book Asylum. I was curious to read it. The author also employs a mixture of first-person and third-person points of view in her telling of the story, which I have always been fond of. The stream-of-consciousness of its main character, in particular, was very much to my liking.
A Sea of Broken Glass never quite fulfills the promise of its opening. Here is a healer on trial for witchcraft, innocent in fact but pronounced guilty through the machinations of an Inquisitor whose motives are unknown to us. This opening establishes the voice of the main character, Marissa or Ris, as she’s also known, in an engaging way; she is horrified and outraged in equal measure, and that struck a spark. Sadly, as the novel continued onwards, that spark went out for me. Above all else, I found myself incapable of connecting with the main characters at an emotional level; worse yet, the reactions of several of them in tight spots across the length of the novel came across as unbelievable. I simply could not buy into a lot of what was happening between Ris and her guardians, Aeron and Michel. All of them started off engaging enough but they lacked veracity too often throughout both dialogue and non-dialogue cues.
Sonya M. Black’s novel comes across as a pastiche of 80s sword’n’sorcery; its uncomplicated battle of good versus evil is straightforward and very familiar to every one of us fantasy nerds. The magic system leans heavily on music; the characters, all of whom have access to one set of magical skills or another, are empowered by the Light and weave their variety of magic into sounds and even songs. Interesting descriptions that weren't pushed nearly far enough to make the magic truly exceptional.
Manifestations of Darkness and Light as beings is always a fun concept to play around with, but the Darkness was never as threatening as the Inquisitor it possessed at the opening of A Sea. After a few scenes in the dream-world the characters call ‘Beyond,’ I found myself familiar with the blueprint of each encounter between the Darkness and one or another of the protagonists. This extends to other elements of the novel – I can’t, for the life of me, think of any one revelation which surprised me or brought something outside my expectations to Ris' story.
This isn’t a bad book but having reached its end, I already find myself blanking out on the events within its covers. A Sea of Broken Glass didn’t engage with me, though it certainly had elements I enjoyed – the elements of steampunk, the opening, the musicality of the magic. Booknest's SPFBO score for this one is a 5/10.
I wish Sonya the very best of luck – I’m sure A Sea of Broken Glass has its audience, and I regret that it wasn’t to my taste.
March 19, 2019
I have been trying to put my thoughts into words for the past few attempts at this review but I just can't comprehend what I just read! It's was so damn good!
Firstly the cover is one of the most stunning covers I think I have seen in years. It's a prefect insight into what you are going to be reading.
The characters are all doing something! (Nothing worse than following a character that doesn't do anything) and there own personal storylines and background is shown throughout the whole book so you always feel like the book is going somewhere even if it's insights into the past events and history.
All the characters push the storyline along at some point which I think it very important to an easy reading book!
Now let's talk about the storyline.
1. Interesting
2. Captivating
3. Eventful
4. Seriously intense
The way the magic is described is nothing I have some across before and I think it's a perfect recreation of light and dark forces.
I serious have no words for this book. I have read it twice now and I could easily read it again no problem. Super interesting and fast paced. I want another now please hahaha
Firstly the cover is one of the most stunning covers I think I have seen in years. It's a prefect insight into what you are going to be reading.
The characters are all doing something! (Nothing worse than following a character that doesn't do anything) and there own personal storylines and background is shown throughout the whole book so you always feel like the book is going somewhere even if it's insights into the past events and history.
All the characters push the storyline along at some point which I think it very important to an easy reading book!
Now let's talk about the storyline.
1. Interesting
2. Captivating
3. Eventful
4. Seriously intense
The way the magic is described is nothing I have some across before and I think it's a perfect recreation of light and dark forces.
I serious have no words for this book. I have read it twice now and I could easily read it again no problem. Super interesting and fast paced. I want another now please hahaha
September 14, 2022
What It's About: Ris isn't a witch. So what is she going to do about having been captured and condemned to die for witchcraft? And how can she serve her goddess, the Lady, in her eternal battle against the darkness?
What I Thought: From the first pages, I was totally engrossed by this book. The beginning is unforgettable, and I was holding my breath waiting to find out if Ris would even survive that first chapter. All her adventures to come kept up that tension, as she faces everything from misogyny to literal demons in her quest to serve her goddess. My only critique is that Ris stood out to me so much as a character that it was hard for me to connect with the other POVs nearly as much--I was always hurrying to get back to her chapters. But that made for an overall unforgettable read.
What I Thought: From the first pages, I was totally engrossed by this book. The beginning is unforgettable, and I was holding my breath waiting to find out if Ris would even survive that first chapter. All her adventures to come kept up that tension, as she faces everything from misogyny to literal demons in her quest to serve her goddess. My only critique is that Ris stood out to me so much as a character that it was hard for me to connect with the other POVs nearly as much--I was always hurrying to get back to her chapters. But that made for an overall unforgettable read.
Read
January 20, 2020SPFBO for FF
April 7, 2020
Enjoyable.
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