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A review by hrjones
Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal
3.0
Back when I reviewed the first two books in this series, I observed "It seems implausible that no one is exploiting [glamour] on a grunt-level commercial scale. In such a context the physical cost of using the ability suggests some rather horrifying potential consequences of that exploitation." As was pointed out in comments to that post, the third book addresses exactly this topic, with the protagonists Jane and Vincent getting dragged into the resulting social and political upheaval. The "year without a summer" (an actual historic event due to worldwide volcanic fallout) has simultaneously undermined the market for the services of coldmongers and led to them being blamed for the unseasonable weather.
Jane and Vincent have come to London to refurbish the glamurals in the house of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, bringing Jane's still-unmarried sister Melody with them as a treat. A chance encounter with a persecuted coldmonger, Melody's attraction to the son of their employer, and the son's involvement with political unrest in the coldmongers' guild results in a legal, political, and very personal tangle that forms the crux of the story.
I enjoy Kowal's world-building and the precise and measured way she works to recreate prose appropriate to her era. The magical techniques are familiar now, so less time is spent immersed in the technical details. The interactions between the sisters are believable and their relationship continues to develop. This is, when it comes down to it, a relatively simply-structured story and follows tropes that are familiar enough to be predicted. There is no doubt that Melody will fall for the apparently-unsuitable young man, or that he will be be vindicated. There is one twist that I hadn't expected until the essential clue was dropped, but when dropped, it was unsurprising. The book touches on themes of religious and ethnic prejudice, but in a somewhat heavy-handed way, as if Kowal doesn't entirely trust her readers to be familiar with the underlying issues. I'm once more not entirely certain I will continue with this series. (I've now read all the books I have in-hand.) More plot complexity or a bit more character depth would make a difference for me. When it comes down to it, the books are a pleasant read but don't grab me and suck me in.
Jane and Vincent have come to London to refurbish the glamurals in the house of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, bringing Jane's still-unmarried sister Melody with them as a treat. A chance encounter with a persecuted coldmonger, Melody's attraction to the son of their employer, and the son's involvement with political unrest in the coldmongers' guild results in a legal, political, and very personal tangle that forms the crux of the story.
I enjoy Kowal's world-building and the precise and measured way she works to recreate prose appropriate to her era. The magical techniques are familiar now, so less time is spent immersed in the technical details. The interactions between the sisters are believable and their relationship continues to develop. This is, when it comes down to it, a relatively simply-structured story and follows tropes that are familiar enough to be predicted. There is no doubt that Melody will fall for the apparently-unsuitable young man, or that he will be be vindicated. There is one twist that I hadn't expected until the essential clue was dropped, but when dropped, it was unsurprising. The book touches on themes of religious and ethnic prejudice, but in a somewhat heavy-handed way, as if Kowal doesn't entirely trust her readers to be familiar with the underlying issues. I'm once more not entirely certain I will continue with this series. (I've now read all the books I have in-hand.) More plot complexity or a bit more character depth would make a difference for me. When it comes down to it, the books are a pleasant read but don't grab me and suck me in.