The Glass Maker’s Daughter by V. Briceland

Cassaforte is a medieval city full of magic, enchantments, and intrigue. While there is a king that rules the general city, the magic lays within the seven main families of the city, who each contribute a gift. One such family is the Divetri family, makers of the finest glass, whom Risa Divetri belongs to.

Risa is a feisty spirit who is just coming of age to be chosen for one of the two schools in the city where young adults learn to develop their gifts. Risa is prepared to go to school and excel in creating enchanted glass, just like her father, but then the unthinkable happens. When the Gods come down to direct Risa as to where she must go, they leave her unchosen destined to remain at home.  While she is devasted, she soon discovers that there might just have been a reason why she must stay at home.

The city’s magic soon starts to unravel and the threat of corruption becomes apparent, Risa is determined to stop it. Discovering more about herself then she could have ever imagined she sets off on an adventure to save the home she loves, as well as finding her own self.

This was definitely a stunning novel! The cast of characters, as well as the plot was both extremely unique and left the reader wanting more. Also on a totally non-content based note, the cover is magnificent and completely eye catching!

First I must start with the storyline, which absolutely made the book. It combined a historical element, albeit it was fictional, that made the setting really interesting and magic, but not in an over-the-top manner. While many of the objects, houses, etc. were enchanted in the city; none of the characters had powers, which made the fantasy angle of the book just mesh with almost a normalcy. Anyways I also loved how Risa had to take a journey to find herself and not just follow the same path that everyone else in her family had to follow in order to find their gift.

Now, onto the characters. While most of the time I really enjoyed Risa’s personality and drive to fulfill her mission, I sometimes found her to be rather whiny and unsatisfied with what she got. As the story progressed though she became more comfortable with herself and started to stand up for herself and her decisions and became a much stronger character. By the end of the book she had a keen sense of adventure which radiated through the pages of the book.

Overall this was an excellent novel that all readers will enjoy, regardless of their taste in genre. As I mentioned before the fantasy aspect isn’t all encompassing and there is plenty of action to satisfy even the most rambunctious of readers. The author is definitely full of talent and I hope for more novels from him with just as exciting a storyline.