Magic Under Glass- Summer Reading Challenge
Magic Under GlassBy Jaclyn Dolamore
Published by: Bloomsbury Printing
Published on: February 2010
Summary by Goodreads:
Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir.
Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.
Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.
I loved the summary about this book- steampunk, automatons, romance, faeries- what isn't to love? This book combines the best of everything I like in YA fantasy. I was worried, though, because the ratings for this book were up and down on Goodreads.
I loved the romance between the automaton and Nimira- I thought it was sweet and fantastically written. I was quickly swept up into the story. Jaclyn Dolamore is a brillant writer- what she wrote in this book is the stuff of great fairytales. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I loved that every time I thought I had the story "figured out" and thought " oh here is the part where I can now predict what the rest of the story will be"- the author surprised me with new twists and turns in the plot.
This is a book that I would absolutely LOVE to see as a movie. I could imagine Nimira singing in front of the piano, dressed in her mother's blue performance outfit. I could imagine the stiff movements of an automaton with human like eyes, pleading for help.
I can't wait to read the second book in this series- I want to learn more about Nimira and her fairy prince. If you haven't checked this book out yet- do it!
