Review: Of Noble Family

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Of Noble Family
Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a heavyweight – and not just because it’s almost twice as big as the earlier ones.

(mild spoilers follow)

Whereas Valour and Vanity was a historical heist novel, Of Noble Family could be seen as a psychological thriller. What should have been a simple engagement or even a relaxing vacation turns soon into horror, and Jane and Vincent have to bear the effects of … (Read more)

Review: Valour and Vanity

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Valour and Vanity (Glamourist Histories, #4)Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Poor Jane and Vincent cannot get a break.
On the trip to Venezia their ship is assaulted by corsairs and all their goods are stolen, their host Lord Byron is nowhere in sight, and they’re now forced to face the city penniless, without documents nor a letter of presentation.
So begins the latest Glamourist book, a tale of deceptions, financial struggle, and heists. With nuns. And racing … (Read more)

Review: Without a Summer

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Without a Summer (Glamourist Histories, #3)Without a Summer by Mary Robinette Kowal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the book where Melody comes into full as a character and is a great third instalment in the series.
The story is smaller and more familiar than the previous book, even though the plot is once again set in motion by global events (the year without a summer and subsequent famine) and touches upon class issues, prejudice, and political intrigue.

I was glad to see … (Read more)

Review: Glamour in Glass

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Glamour in Glass (Glamourist Histories, #2)Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Glamour in Glass follows the turbulent honeymoon of Jane and David as they travel to a small town in Belgium right during Napoleon’s return from exile.
This is a good book and I enjoyed reading it but I think it’s not as compelling as the first in the series. First of all, Shades of milk and honey was a straight-up Austen with magic, while Glamour in Glass … (Read more)

Review: Shades of Milk and Honey

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Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories, #1)Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quick and easy read in the style of Jane Austen, set in a world where magic exists in the shape of glamour, complicated sensory illusions, and is considered one of the arts a proper girl must know in order to fetch a good marriage. The story follows Jane Ellsworth, a gifted glamourist but unlucky in love, as she accidentally stumbles into a series of … (Read more)