The Shadow Glass

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Something that I loved about the second book, The Heartforger is that it explores how Tea wrestles with her place in the world and what she wants from her own life. The third book extends this, and offers some satisfying conclusions.

How do I read another book after THAT ending?! Sobbing because it was absolutely beautiful seeing Tea's journey throughout the whole trilogy - from a naive and innocent trainee with the ability to raise the dead, to a powerful and revered Dark Asha who can control powerful daeva (demons) from the grave. In this book especially, the plot is intricate, complicated, and never boring. As this is the finale of the trilogy, many of the plot threads come to fruition in this book: tensions mount then explode, characters face obstacles that they never saw coming, and the both timelines reach their zenith. As I this was my first time reading this book (but definitely not the last, I can feel the tug to reread this book already ), Rin Chupeco's plot twists continue to surprise me. I was legitimately left gasping at so many of the reveals: Althy being the Faceless traitor, the oracle being the last Faceless all alone, as well as the ways the land's history intersect with the plot are all such amazing plot points. I am also, once again, left in awe of the way Chupeco utilizes the two timelines to weave a story so beautifully complex yet understandable. It's truly masterful, and it's something I hope to have the skill to do one day. It keeps the reader guessing and provides more questions than answers. There's also something also beautiful about the way Chupeco never wastes any of the characters that are introduced, utilizing them in the story to create a full-circle quality. The Shadow Glass speaks to a generation who hold a deep fondness for their childhood, who still long to believe in magic and adventure, but also to those who are proud to be different. Ultimately Winning writes a love letter to 80’s fantasy fans, fandoms, and those enamoured by nostalgia.

Advance Praise

These books feel so realistic when it comes to the people you love - sometimes they let you down and disappoint you, but at the end of the day, it's a test of whether the bond you share is worth it. It felt like Tea's relationships with her friends - and brother - came full circle here, and it just felt so real. This is very much a final book in the series. Because of the structure there has been things set up since the start, but nevertheless the previous two novels have built the story until things now feel like they’re rushing towards a conclusion in this last volume. The result is that the pacing of this one is quite fast, everything feels like it’s moving along well and truly and that sometimes it’s tough for our characters to get some space to breath as there’s a lot going on here. Although that’s not to say that there’s no down time at all, as there are wonderful little moments here and there between not only our two main characters, but also others within the story. I always enjoy these little moments because these more vulnerable sides of the characters are what really make me empathize with them. I love feeling what the characters are feeling and for me it’s in these more…quiet and subtle moments where characters can really come alive.

Epic, edge-of-your-seat fantasy in its own right, with just enough horror to keep things interesting. The world-building is fantastic, but it’s the beautifully drawn characters that I think will capture readers’ hearts, as they force us to think about growing up, growing old, and the importance of hanging on to that sense of wonder that the best fantasy (like The Shadow Glass itself) can inspire.”— Elizabeth Corr and Katharine Corr, authors of The Witch’s Kiss trilogy I feel like I can’t say that much more of a synopsis, because this is the last book in a trilogy, but watching Tea grow, from this girl who was so unsure of her future and her new powers, to this woman who learned to love not only others, but also herself and this power that felt so uncontrollable, and it was an honor to read, truly. And seeing this new journey that Tea has to take for herself in The Shadow Glass was completely enthralling and such a treat to read. Content and trigger warnings for violence, death, loss of a loved one, grief depiction, brief mention of past parental abuse, and war themes. Pros: Fresh spin on the portal fantasy trope/puppet fantasy genre with grown-up protagonists. Stuffed (pun intended) with action and heart. Reads like an impassioned love letter to '80s cinema (and fandom of any kind), but will resonate with anyone regardless of age.

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There are also some beautiful side stories in here, with some positive trans rep which was so wonderful to see. I also loved Fox and who he was, and his whole relationship unfolding here, because he deserves all the happiness in the world. The Shadow Glass is probably one of the most creative fantasy books I’ve read in a long while. I loved the whole idea of puppets coming to life, leaping across worlds and trying to take over. It’s a book I could so clearly see coming to life on screen, and I think that also helps when it comes to its plot. That it’s a book about a film, that you can so easily see being a film itself, is great. I have always known darkness. It has been my friend. Yet it has also been my enemy. Some days, it is a mist over my eyes, leaving me blind to what should be obvious. But some days, I wipe away that fog and see more clearly in its aftermath than I ever have before it." I already knew Rin’s writing was spectacular but this book took it to a whole new level. While all of the kingdoms are mentioned throughout the books, I never expected to get the opportunity to travel to all of them but the author ensures we do and this makes for a great journey and an awesome job at more expansive world building - each kingdom unique in its own way. The writing in this book is so layered, each chapter uncovering some manipulation or treachery, the anticipation only building up more because of the way the two timelines are alternately written and surprising us every step of the way. There are liars and traitors in the guise of elders and friends and while I had some doubts, I never could guess their identities confidently. That’s why the reveals had a very high impact. The plot also moves much faster in this book because there is a lot riding on Tea’s shoulders, and there are even more amazing action sequences than the previous books. I continued to be impressed but the last few chapters really gutted me but it was also so perfectly tied up.

Will appeal to: Lovers of '80 cinema (especially if it involves puppets). People who have never seen an '80 movie, but can get behind the idea of love moving mountains - or better, conjuring up worlds. Ultimately though this is a story of the power of fandom. I love, love, love the way Winning portrayed fandom and our obsessions; the way we collect as much merchandise from the movie as we can - figures, games, posters, novelisations. The way we also collect as much information as we can, always trying to delve that bit deeper. How we band together in our nerdom. Movies, books and games can have such a wonderful impact on our lives. The scene with The Dragon Con illustrated this perfectly and was an absolute delight. In the Eight Kingdoms, none have greater strength or influence than the asha, who hold elemental magic. But only a bone witch has the power to raise the dead. Tea has used this dark magic to breathe life into those she has loved and lost...and those who would join her army against the deceitful royals. But Tea's quest to conjure a shadowglass, to achieve immortality for the one person she loves most in the world, threatens to consume her. I’ve been trying to write this review for a few minutes now, but I still can’t convey the words to describe this third and final book. I really can’t understand how this trilogy is so underrated, because I truly believe this is one of the best YA fantasy stories out there. Rin Chupeco has created a powerful story with an intricate world-building, complex siblings relationships, a beautiful and heartbreaking romance, and an outstanding cast of characters. The darkness was inside me, I think, long before I raised my brother from the dead. My silver heartsglass merely gave it a mouth, made the darkness realize that it too can hunger…"This audiobook was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed this 80s nostalgia dark fantasy novel. I would recommend it to all who like Labyrinth, Neverending Story, and similar 80s fantasy novels or movies. There’s a stirring sense of adventure, excitement, and terror running throughout…a treat for fans of the movies that inspired it.”– Publishers Weekly The dual stories were just a bit of a negative for me, there were better ways to structure the novel I think. I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Positives are that it's EXTREMELY imaginative and manages to write a cool, fun 80s inspired fantasy world nestled into a real world setting. It uses multi media between chapters to flesh out the production experience of said world, and tell the stories of how fans reacted to it. The "Puppet" characters are pretty cool and the scenes gracefully transition and take you through a cinematic experience as they hunt down the artifact known as the shadow glass to save the world.