Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Misty (Book Rat)

Nimira is a "trouser girl" singing and dancing for her living in Lorimar
when she is approached by powerful sorceror Hollin Parry.  Hollin wants
to hire her to sing with the accompaniment of a life-sized, piano
playing automaton he owns.  His offer promises to change Nimira's life
drastically for the better -- but there is a catch.  Every other woman
he has hired has run away, terrified of the automaton, which they insist
is alive.  Nimira takes the job, refusing to be afraid of an automaton,
but when it comes alive for her, she finds herself in the center of a
story of a fairy prince trapped in a wooden body, and a dangerous man
who wants the prince dead -- and she must find a way to put things to
rights.







When I won this book from WillowRaven of  Red House Books, I was
excited because I had seen it around and thought it sounded cute, but I
figured it'd be a throw-away read.  A cute little story about a fairy
prince and the human girl who can save him, aww isn't that nice, the
end.  I didn't think I would find myself very invested in the story or
the characters, and I didn't think I would be late coming back from my
lunch break at work because I wanted to finish the chapter...



So Magic Under Glass surprised me.  I actually genuinely liked it.  Not
unreservedly, but more than I expected to for sure.  Nimira is an
engaging heroine, and I absolutely loved how she communicated with the
fairy prince/automaton.  I also liked that things weren't completely
easy for her in her feelings or her decision making, and that her
foreign background wasn't dismissed, but there was some social/racial
tension and some wistfulness for home.  It added a layer of authenticity
and depth to the story, so that even though it wasn't a main issue by
any means, it helped paint the scene.



It's a very fast-paced book with a nice blend of feistiness, romance,
magic and culture.  The drawbacks for me were few, but they are big
enough that they deserve a mention:

1. There is a blurb on the cover saying "For fans of Libba Bray and
Charlotte Bronte" which amused me to no end at first.  I assumed it was
just because of the time-period of the book, and I was like, "Charlotte
Bronte?  Really?  They're just going to throw that out there?"  But when
I got further into the book, I realized why that comparison was made. 
There is a strong resemblance to Jane Eyre in certain aspects of the
book, which I can't go into without being completely spoilery. 
It didn't bother me much, and if you haven't read Jane Eyre, it won't
bother you at all, but I am sure there are those of you who are going to
read this and be a little pissed that it has a rip-off feel at times.

2. I felt the first 1/2 was better than the 2nd.  Now, to be fair, I
read a proof copy, so I don't know how mine differed from the finished
version.  But for me, with the ARC, the first 1/2 was gripping and fast
in an enjoyable way, and really captivating.  I liked the set-up of the
world and getting to know Nimira, and everything flowed really well.  In
the second 1/2, I felt like the snowball was rolling a little too
fast.  I wanted better pacing, more of a chance to absorb what was going
on and let everything develop.  The second 1/2 wasn't bad by any means,
but compared to the first, it felt like a little bit of a rush job.



Those 2 caveats aside, I really enjoyed this book. It was the light, fun
read I expected, but with a little more oomph than I'd hoped for, and
that's a good thing.  If there is more coming (if this turns out to be a
series, which it will, if the rumor mill is right) I will certainly
pick up book 2, and I look forward to reading more from Dolamore in the
future.

Originally posted: http://bookrat-misty.blogspot.com/2010/04/magic-under-glass-by-jaclyn-dolamore.html