Sea Glass (Glass, Book 2) [Paperback]

Maria V. Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Student glass magician Opal Cowan's newfound ability to steal a magician's powers makes her too powerful. Ordered to house arrest by the Council, Opal dares defy them, traveling to the Moon Clan's lands in search of Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. Thinks because she is sure another man now her prisoner has switched souls with Ulrick.

In hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn't sure whom to trust. She can't forget Kade, the handsome Stormdancer who doesn't want to let her get close. And now everyone is after Opal's special powers for their own deadly gain....

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira Books; Original edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325806
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325802
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The second installment in Snyder's new Glass fantasy trilogy follows the trite pattern she established in the previous: heroine Opal Cowan struggles to come of age as a glassmaking magician in the two-dimensional environs of Ixia, Sitia, and the Stormdancers' cliffs over the Sunset Ocean. All the while, she endures quest, capture, discomfort and torture, escape-and then does it all over again...and again. Snyder tries to maintain suspense by placing Opal and her indecisive adolescent hormones between hunky Stormdancer Kade and two other boys of interest, Ulrick and Devlen. Snyder's colloquial style jars poorly against her quasi-medieval setting. Ultimately, the plot remains too predictably convoluted to be convincing, and the characters too conventional to be appealing.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Snyder satisfyingly fleshes out her youthful main characters..." – Publishers Weekly on STORM GLASS

"Epic in scope, yet rich with minute details of character and setting, the second book in Snyder's Glass series is a delight. " –RT Book Reviews on SEA GLASS

"Filled with Snyder's trademark sarcastic humor, fast-paced action and creepy villainy, Touch of Power is a spellbinding romantic adventure that will leave readers salivating for the next book in the series."-USA TODAY

"The descriptions are vivid and draw you into the rugged journey across the mountains. You'll want to follow their voyage into the next book."-RT Book Reviews on Touch of Power

"This is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it."-Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Poison Study

"Snyder delivers another excellent adventure."-Publishers Weekly on Fire Study

"A compelling new fantasy series."-SFX magazine on Sea Glass

"As the final book in the series Spy Glass does not disappoint" –FantasyBookReview.co.uk

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Mira Books; Original edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325806
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325802
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

When I was in sixth grade, I learned about meteorologists and decided I wanted to be one. My visions of chasing tornados throughout the Midwest and flying through hurricanes didn't pan out. Mostly because I wasn't good at forecasting, and my grades weren't exactly stellar. Let's face it, I'm a daydreamer--always have been, always will be.

I did graduate from Penn State University and was hired as an environmental meteorologist--try and say that five times fast ;) and I started writing when bored at work. It's never a good idea to get caught just staring out the window, so I wrote my daydreams down. After fooling around with short stories, I wrote my first novel, Poison Study. It was published sixteen years later. A lesson in patience and persistence! I had caught the writing bug and Magic Study and Fire Study soon followed.

Even though I went on to earn a Masters degree in writing from Seton Hill University, I never lost my fascination with storms, which is evident in my Glass Series (Storm Glass, Sea Glass and Spy Glass), and I still consider myself an environmentalist. The green part of me comes out in both Inside Out and Outside In. Trella's world is contained inside a big metal cube and they must reuse and recycle everything. One thing they got right in one otherwise messed-up world!

My latest series is about a healer and I happily let my nurturing side take over. Touch of Power starts the series with Avry on the run in a world recovering from a devastating plague. Scent of Magic is the second book and the third, Taste of Death will be out December 2013.

Aside from a writer, I'm also a teacher and mentor for students enrolled in Seton Hill University's MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. I enjoy working with aspiring writers and helping them complete their novels. I've won a half dozen awards and been on the New York Times bestseller list, but nothing compares to being the proud mentor come graduation day!

Other things I enjoy are playing volleyball, photography and traveling. I'll go anywhere at anytime - much to my mother's dismay since my husband and I frequently bring along our son and daughter on our adventures.

I love my job. Where else can you take fencing lessons, learn how to ride a horse, study martial arts, learn how to pick a lock, take glass blowing classes and get a personal tour of a maximum security prison and call it all research? I'll give you a hint--not working as a meteorologist.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Characters September 4, 2009

By Julieosis

Format:Paperback

Opal Cowen has been summoned back to Sita's Magicians Keep by the high council. Never a good sign. After an unsuccessful trip to find her lost friend Ulrick who has switched souls with her long time enemy, Opal heeds the summons and returns only to be put under house arrest. Her new found power of siphoning the magic of others has the Keep on high alert and she must earn back their confidence.

At the same time, Opal is determined to prove that Ulrick is no longer himself, and becomes entangled in a plot to steal control over the glass messengers Opal creates for Sitia. Unless Opal can figure out who is behind the plot, all of Sitia may be in danger from something much worse than just some stolen magic...

You know the old saying that sequels are never as good as the original? Well Snyder has proved that saying wrong. I enjoyed "Sea Glass" much more than I liked its predecessor "Storm Glass." I found that Snyder developed her characters a lot more than in "Storm Glass" and therefore I found them to have more depth and were more enjoyable to read about.

While I found "Sea Glass" extremely entertaining and exciting, I couldn't give it a five-star rating for several small things. First, "Sea Glass" was an extremely slow starter. I was on page 252 before I really started to become interested in the plot and wanted to find out if Opal would succeed in the end. I'm not saying that the first 250 pages of the book were horrible or boring, I just found this part of "Sea Glass" to be very reminiscent of "Storm Glass." Opal gets either lured into a trap or abducted, and fairly easily finds her way out of it again. It definitely gave me a feeling of déjà vu.

Second, I really didn't understand the title.... Only more than half way through the book do we understand why the title is "Sea Glass" at all, and just as quickly as the topic comes up, the sub-plot around the "Sea Glass" is dropped like a molten slug of glass. Perhaps there's some sort of metaphor Snyder was going for that I missed completely when titling her book, but if she's going to continue with the "Sea Glass" sub-plot in her next "Glass" book one would think she would have waited and named that book "Sea Glass," not this one. I would have called the book "Blood Glass" but without giving away any of the plot, I won't go into detail as to why.

"Sea Glass" also had a tendency to weave in several sub-plots into the main storyline that to me didn't make a whole lot of sense. I get that Snyder is setting us up for the next book in the series, but it seems like she could have been a little more subtle in her placement of these plots. Instead of finding them interesting and intriguing, I found them a little on the annoying side for two reasons: First, they distracted from the main storyline, and second, they were never resolved in any way so I found myself let down and a little confused.

Now, I can't bash Snyder too hard for the sub-plot thing as I understand this is a second in the series book, and therefore to make her final (I'm assuming it will be a trio) book more climatic she had to put in some "teasers." Thing "Empire Strikes Back" kind of disappointment. You know, you're all into the story and you are on the edge of your seat and then the credits start to roll and you're like: "WHAT? It's over?! No way!" For that I have to applaud her.

Overall, Snyder has crafted yet another magical book and has taken readers into a wonderful land of enchantment. Her characters are deep and stirring, and she has an uncanny ability to make the magic of the characters come to life. For those reasons I can overlook the small complaints I may have formed throughout "Sea Glass" and will be very excited to read the third installment. Too bad we have to wait until 2011. Sad. Read more ›

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An indomitable heroine and endearing characters combined with a spellbinding plot make this book a treasure! September 1, 2009

By Bookaholics Reviewer

Format:Paperback

Sea Glass by Maria Snyder
Fantasy- Sept 1st, 2009
5 stars

Sea Glass is another magical triumph by the amazing talented Maria Snyder. Her books have the ability to transport me into a world that seems both magical and familiar. Her finely crafted novels pull me into her story and I feel as if I am one of her characters! In Sea Glass, Maria Snyder begins the 2nd installment of her Glass series involving the student magician Opal. What I found so exciting about this story was how the author seamlessly builds tension and thrilled me as the stakes in Opal's life change dramatically.

Opal is a magical apprentice who has already gained fame when she helped save her country of Sitia. But as a result she has discovered deadly powers including one that allows her to drain the magic from another magician. Now she is being commanded by the Council to return under their custody. Opal is willing to turn herself in because she understands that people are afraid of her powers but she also realizes that once she does her skills maybe manipulated or used against her. Either way she knows the Council plans to keep close tabs on her and any independence will be cut severely short. To trouble her further, she has discovered that her friend Ulrick was tricked/forced to swap bodies with an evil blood magician, named Devlen Devlen tortured and manipulated Opal and she fears the destruction he will cause in his current disguise as Ulrick. Unfortunately, no one believes her claims. To prove the truth, Opal is determined to find and rescue Ulrick and prove to the Council and her friends that the impossible is possible before disaster strikes.

I highly recommend this extraordinary fantasy.... The boundless exuberance of characters like Leif and Janco and the suspenseful storyline will keep you at the edge of your seat! Opal and Janco's adventures as they try to find the real Ulrick, were well worth the price of the book. I love Maria Snyder's endearing characters, their bonding and lighthearted banter made this story a fun filled quest. But Maria Snyder also brings a darker more sinister side to her story that brims with incredible tension.

Opal's admirable force of will and core of decency as she combats seemingly insurmountable obstacles are truly enthralling to read. As Opal tries to prove the truth of Ulrick's true identity she is tested by difficult circumstances. She no longer knows who are her real allies and friends. This adversity transforms Opal into a newer, tougher and more cynical heroine who still manages to keep a good heart. I was captivated by the difficult struggles and sacrifices she had to make to find the truth. And Opal gets much more than she bargained.

This story does resolve the mystery behind Devlen and Ulrick but ends with surprises and changes for Opal that can only lead to a more turbulent and exciting 3rd book. Even though Opal faces an uncertain future, I was happy Opal had friends and family to support her.

This was a fabulous book from start to finish. An indomitable heroine and endearing characters combined with a spellbinding plot make this book a treasure! I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Written Like an Old Time Bodice Ripper October 6, 2009

By Dianne E. Socci-Tetro TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Sea Glass - by Maria V Snyder

Sea Glass is the second offering in this trilogy about Glass Magician, Opal Cowan, who was introduced to us in Storm Glass. The third Glass novel should be on the shelves autumn of 2010. Opal Cowan is a Glass Magician is able to infuse her glass baubles with enough magic so that if you have any magic you can us these baubles as magical...errrrr...cell phones, I guess you could call them. At the end of Storm Glass we learn that Opal has found a new and horrific talent; she is able to siphon magic away from another magician and claim it for her own. Opal is deemed by the Council of magicians, (the same exact plot devise as in Ms Snyder's first trilogy!!!) to be a danger to herself and others. Thus she must be kept a prisoner for her own good. Throw in some evil Blood Magic users who have found the ability to switch souls in people and there you have it! Actually so much of this "Glass Magic" trilogy is like the first set of books that I am really disapointed and disenchanted. I expected something new and fresh yet that isn't what I feel that I got.

This Fantasy novel is filled with wonderful tidbits of glass making trivia, some mystery and a very, busy and somewhat confusing plot. If you haven't read at least the first in this trilogy you will most likely put this down after the first few chapters. For that matter I read the first book and still had a bit of trouble following along. You may even want to read Ms Snyder's first trilogy just to be on the safe side and to know who is who and get a better grasp on this writer's type of storytelling....

What this book does seem filled with (as does the first book in the trilogy) are excessive scenes of Opal up on her horse, running to try and do a job, being tortured, being betrayed, being held hostage, running for her life, fighting and losing, assassination attempts, back on her horse running hither and yon, having her blood stolen, some more torture and betrayal and very little else. This is a very bleak book in my opinion. There is a kind of romance thrown in for good measure too. Opal can't trust anyone and as I said is betrayed by just about everyone she knows and that level of tension throughout the book made for a very uncomfortable read for me.

Opal comes off as the proverbial TSTL heroine. (To Stupid to Live) Although stupid is perhaps to strong of a word, perhaps naive might be better but it`s still not what I`m looking for.. This book reads more like an old time bodice ripper where the heroine constantly puts herself into danger and into the evil villains clutches, than a fantasy novel with a strong female lead. Read more ›