Reviews

Shatterglass by Tamora Pierce

rebecca713's review against another edition

5.0

2024: I want more stories in this setting, it’s so interesting 

2018: Tris isn't usually my favorite of the Circle kids but she's fantastic in this one, especially seeing her through other people's perspectives.

garnetofeden's review

4.0

Since the books in The Circle Opens series don’t need to be read in order, I went ahead and read Shatterglass before Cold Fire. Tris has grown into a self-possessed young woman with a backbone of steel who uses her fiery temperament to the defense of others. Tris’s core of kindness was shown again and again throughout the story to Chime (the most adorable new character), Keth, and the child Glaki. It was interesting to see Tris deal with the challenges of being the younger teacher of an older student while they also tried to solve a mystery. The expert mixing of genres creates a truly fantastic tale.

Rating reviewed 1/20/2023.

jenlouisegallant's review

3.0

This is unfortunately my least favourite read and took me so long to get through. I like Tris and the characters, but the plot felt like it dragged on and on. Still looking forward to re-reading the Circle Reforged books though.

juliannegern's review

3.0

This is my least favorite of this quartet and of the books I’m re-reading. Of course, it’s lovely and nostalgic, but the story and setting in this one fell a little flat.

tellingetienne's review

4.0

Tris is not always my favorite character, but I really enjoyed this book. It was great to see how she evolved away from the other three, and to see her teaching. I loved her student, and the little girl in the novel as well.

jameyanne's review

4.0

3.5 stars. I'm torn about this book. It pulled together for me in the last 150 pages, but the first two thirds of it dragged for me. Partly because we've seen this three times before: one of the four mages is on their own, finds a student, learns of their responsibility to teach that student, teaches that student, gets involved in some sort of crime. I also partly had a hard time with this because I didn't really get Tris's motivation--borderline obsession--to find the killer at first. After she takes in Glaki I can see it, but until then I was sort of confused why she was so invested in it. I do like that Tris and her student become a team, more like Briar and Evy do in the second book than Sandry and Daja and their students in the first and third books. I'm intrigued by the issues surrounding religion and government addressed in this book too. And who doesn't love a glass dragon? Allin all, there was a lot of good stuff here, but it took a while to get to that point for me, and I'm left feeling like Tris really didn't learn much from her experience except some new skills. I'm normally a raving Tamora Pierce fan, especially about the Circle books, but I'm considerably less fond of this book.

magaramach's review

4.0

This entire series is just kids rule grownups drool and as a teenager it’s occasionally very cathartic to read. Also worldbuilding everywhere. It’s kind of annoying how much Tris judges this world without ever saying anything good about it, but it’s still a marvellously fleshed-our place.

lizlbarrett's review

4.0

This was well plotted and I liked a lot of it but I really don’t think it has aged super well. It had a lot of shades of Alanna 3 white savior of a barbaric people that perhaps don’t read as well in 2021

bookishpapercuts's review

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.75

nbhatta's review

5.0

I very much enjoyed watching Tris mature. I liked Keth and Dema And Glaki too.
But my favourite has to be Chime!