Review: The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano
The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano
The Glass Spare #1
A banished princess.
A deadly curse.
A kingdom at war.
Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.
Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.
But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.
With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?
THE GLASS SPARE is a very fascinating take on the King Midas lore. I'll admit I've never really been a huge fan of those stories as they seemed so implausible to me. I mean how could a man survive if EVERYTHING he touched turned to gold? How could he eat, etc, etc? However, the blurb for THE GLASS SPARE intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. Not only was this book a fresh new take on the old legend, but it handled the "everything" issue by making it only under certain circumstances. I felt the way it was both intentional and unintentional, but NOT everything she touched really enriched the story and I was hooked from the first page.
I really enjoyed all aspects of THE GLASS SPARE Not only do you have the interesting "midas" lore with Wil, but the world behind it was truly fascinating as well. Two kingdoms fully at war with one another, full of curses, and hatred on both sides. But what really made it stand out to me, was that at times I wasn't sure which side I wanted to root for. At the core both kingdoms seemed to have a root of evil with the two main characters stuck in the middle, and I loved the multi-faceted nature.
I really enjoyed this fresh and unique YA fantasy novel, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
I really enjoyed all aspects of THE GLASS SPARE Not only do you have the interesting "midas" lore with Wil, but the world behind it was truly fascinating as well. Two kingdoms fully at war with one another, full of curses, and hatred on both sides. But what really made it stand out to me, was that at times I wasn't sure which side I wanted to root for. At the core both kingdoms seemed to have a root of evil with the two main characters stuck in the middle, and I loved the multi-faceted nature.
I really enjoyed this fresh and unique YA fantasy novel, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
(Received a copy from the publisher)
Rating:
Other Reviews:
The Moonlight Library
Gizmo's Reviews
My Guilty Obsession
