The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

The Glass Spare (Glass Spare, #1)

by Lauren DeStefano

The first in a new fantasy duology, The Glass Spare is a gorgeously told tale of love, loss, and deadly power from Lauren DeStefano, the bestselling author of the Chemical Garden series. Perfect for fans of Shannon Hale and Renee Ahdieh.

Wilhelmina Heidle, the fourth child and 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, though, 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 Wil’s 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?

Reviewed by Ashley on

3 of 5 stars

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Such a cool idea and there were some interesting characters, but I was kind of bored. :( It felt like a slow book and it just wasn't grabbing me for some reason. It took me 6 days to get through it, which is a lot for me.

Also I had some issues with the world building. Clearly a lot of thought went into everything, but I don't feel like it was conveyed very well. I had a hard time grasping it and really understanding what the world was all about. It's very unique but it felt like information was just thrown at me rather than neatly woven into the story. I saw it, but didn't really understand it, maybe.

There's also a pretty serious case of insta-love. I thought I was liking the romance, but then at the end the "I love you" bomb dropped. They barely even knew each other yet! Especially because the Wil hadn't told Loom a single thing about herself.

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Reading updates

  • 16 May, 2017: Started reading
  • 21 May, 2017: Finished reading
  • 22 May, 2017: Reviewed