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ewil6681's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
daumari's review against another edition
4.0
It was sitting in my library pile, so I couldn't resist moving on to this one after finishing [b:Without a Summer|15793208|Without a Summer (Glamourist Histories, #3)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359199328s/15793208.jpg|18147162]. Our glamourists Jane & Vincent take a trip to Venice to visit the island of Murano and its glassmakers, pursuing the idea of copying down a glamour in glass (like weaves in the Wheel of Time, glamours must usually be woven by an individual and don't really have a form for muggles to use... until potentially now). They make it to their destination, but are left penniless and stranded after pirates and betrayal. You though this was a romance based on the cover? SURPRISE, it's artisans having to figure out how to start from the bottom up. They do catch a break and it quickly becomes a heist story (definitely felt the influence of [a:Brandon Sanderson|38550|Brandon Sanderson|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1394044556p2/38550.jpg], [a:Dan Wells|2740668|Dan Wells|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269559505p2/2740668.jpg], and [a:Howard Tayler|516182|Howard Tayler|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-09ae6e5eb554f8a5ab0515c05488ea34.png]- Writing Excuses wooo).
I still feel like these are very short, but it *is* YA I believe...
Spoiler
fakeI still feel like these are very short, but it *is* YA I believe...
eyreguide's review against another edition
5.0
Jane and Vincent have to be one of my favorite fictional couples EVER. There's something about the two of them together that makes me all melty inside. They are just perfect. And in this book, their relationship takes a strain but that only makes them stronger. It's wonderful!
The story has the premise of Jane Austen meets Ocean's Eleven. The Regency romance aspect recedes into the background when the Vincents are taken advantage of by some unscrupulous thieves and they have to find a way to get back their money. The story takes an unexpected darker turn when the Vincents are faced with poverty and hardship, and I have to say it was difficult to read through that section. I thought it was also painful to see Vincent's pride take such a blow and how difficult it was for him to bear it. But with Jane's help he was able to overcome his depression. It was truly glorious to see how their hardship made them a closer and more loving couple.
With the darker turn the story took, it just made the 'heist' near the end even more satisfying. It had all the ups and downs and suspenseful moments to make it a perfectly unputodownable read. I really can not get enough of how varied this series is - and this installment was full of excitement and drama. It's a fantastic continuation of Jane and Vincent's relationship, a thrilling adventure read, and completely satisfying. So far, this is my favorite book in the series!
The story has the premise of Jane Austen meets Ocean's Eleven. The Regency romance aspect recedes into the background when the Vincents are taken advantage of by some unscrupulous thieves and they have to find a way to get back their money. The story takes an unexpected darker turn when the Vincents are faced with poverty and hardship, and I have to say it was difficult to read through that section. I thought it was also painful to see Vincent's pride take such a blow and how difficult it was for him to bear it. But with Jane's help he was able to overcome his depression. It was truly glorious to see how their hardship made them a closer and more loving couple.
With the darker turn the story took, it just made the 'heist' near the end even more satisfying. It had all the ups and downs and suspenseful moments to make it a perfectly unputodownable read. I really can not get enough of how varied this series is - and this installment was full of excitement and drama. It's a fantastic continuation of Jane and Vincent's relationship, a thrilling adventure read, and completely satisfying. So far, this is my favorite book in the series!
rikerandom's review against another edition
4.0
Again, the series got clearly better after the pretty mediocre first installment though it's still pretty shallow - but entertaining nevertheless!
drajon's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable, and the moments of the heist were good, but I felt they were just a touch too trusting.
zlibrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lisawreading's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent book in the Glamourist Histories series! This one reads more like a high-stakes caper than the others, but it's all quite fun.
elenikin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kayrencar's review against another edition
4.0
Super fun read. Loved Lord Byron, the excitement and intrigue, the feisty nuns, and of course, the Dr. Who cameo.
daffz's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like I enjoyed this book most out of the series so far. I usually have a bit of a problem with the pacing at the start of these books, but this time that was not the case. The story was compelling from the start, and had a few very nice twists and turns. I felt like I grew closer to the characters in a way, even if they frustrated me at times. I enjoyed seeing their struggles in this book, and seeing how they dealt with it. It was also a very clever book, especially the last part.
I really appreciated that there were some issues in the relationship between Jane and Vincent. It felt very realistic and almost refreshing to see relationship problems that had nothing to do with a love triangle or anything like that. I'm still often a bit confused when it comes to the specifics of glamour, but that doesn't hinder in my enjoyment of the book. I am more interested in the characters, relationships and plot. Sometimes the descriptions of specifics of glamour bored me a little, but I can appreciate the thought and detail the author put in it.
I really appreciated that there were some issues in the relationship between Jane and Vincent. It felt very realistic and almost refreshing to see relationship problems that had nothing to do with a love triangle or anything like that. I'm still often a bit confused when it comes to the specifics of glamour, but that doesn't hinder in my enjoyment of the book. I am more interested in the characters, relationships and plot. Sometimes the descriptions of specifics of glamour bored me a little, but I can appreciate the thought and detail the author put in it.