Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove

Glass Sentence (Mapmakers Trilogy, #1)

by S. E. Grove

For fans of The Golden Compass, this New York Times bestseller will take you on a fantastic journey across worlds and time.
 
Boston, 1891. Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who, for generations, have been traveling and mapping the New World—a world changed by the Great Disruption of 1799, when all the continents were flung into different time periods. Eight years ago, Sophia's parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned.

Then Shadrack is kidnapped. Sophia must search for him with the help of Theo, a refugee from the West. Together they travel over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounter pirates and traders, and rely on a combination of Shadrack’s maps, common sense, and Sophia's unusual powers of observation. Little do they know that their lives are in as much danger as Shadrack's.


A New York Times Bestseller!

“I am in no doubt about the energy of S.E. Grove as a full-fledged, pathfinding fantasist. I look forward to the next installment to place upon the pile. Intensely.”—Gregory Maguire, The New York Times Book Review

* “Wholly original and marvelous beyond compare.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

Reviewed by ammaarah on

4 of 5 stars

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"That is almost always the way with stories. True to their very core, even when the events and the people in them are different."
 
An impressive world, a love letter to maps and a wonderful main character.

The world-building is the most fascinating part of The Glass Sentence. An event known as the Great Disruption has placed the continents of the world into different eras and time periods - past, present and future. The world is interesting and unique and contains elements of fantasy, history, mythology and science fiction. 

Because the world in The Glass Sentence has become unknown, exploration, research and cartography are extremely important. The main character, Sophia, lives with her Uncle Shadrack, an extremely skilled and well-known cartography. The map-making process, the different types of maps and the maps themselves are so magical. The Glass Sentence is a love letter to cartography and maps

Sophia is a lovely main character. She's an extremely mature and logical 13-year-old who acts wise beyond her years. An interesting thing about Sophia is her lack of an internal clock which leads to mishaps and miracles. The other characters are likable, but they are underdeveloped and stereotypical. However, I enjoyed the interactions between Sophia and Theo as they become friends (and maybe something more much later). 

The Glass Sentence is a magical and unique read with a classic adventure story feel. It's also one of those books where you have to go with the flow and suspend disbelief in order to enjoy it.

I couldn't put this book down! 
"Make of the time what you want."
 

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 7 June, 2020: Finished reading
  • 7 June, 2020: Reviewed