Ratings Overall: 8 Sensuality: 4 Fantasy Element: 8

This is an Official Review by a Fantasy Romance Writer Official Reviewer

Review for Storm Glass
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Date of Review: 05/07/09
Reviewed by: Heather

Reviewer Comments: Opal Jaymes is a student glassblower who tries to get through each day without antagonizing anyone around her. She misses her family as she lives at the Keep while in training. Opal is selected for an important mission, to assist glassblowers who assist the Stormdancers, and try and discover why the glass orbs are not functioning properly. Opal learns she has more powers than she realized as she has always felt she is a one trick wonder. Just to get to the destination provides a challenge for Opal and the Master as they are attacked by the man they have called “Blue Eyes”. Opal gains esteem and respect and continues to assist with missions and finds she must always be on her guard from those trying to stop her.

Kade is a Stormdancer. He is devastated when his sister dies and feels he has nothing to lose. When two of the glassblowers are killed he sets off to find the killer and crosses paths with Opal again. There is an attraction between them which neither is prepared to act upon. Both KAde and Opal have lost siblings but will not acknowledge the pain. Into the mix is Ulrick, a village friend of Opal’s and then her bodyguard and protector who wants to take their relationship further but feels that Kade will steal her away, until the day Ulrick tricks Opal.

There is constant adventure and interaction between the characters and the reader can sense the reluctance of the characters to come together but the attraction between them. There is encouragement from other characters for them to get together. Fantasy is the major driving force of this story not romance so this may disappoint some readers. It took me a little time to actually begin to really get into the story as I felt I was missing some elements of the background particularly as these were characters in previous stories. This can certainly leave the reader unsure and at time a little unhappy. However, once I grasped the elements, the story progressed smoothly and was very enjoyable.