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The Circle Opens #4
Shatterglass
Part of the 8-book Tamora Pierce reissue for Fall 2006, this title in the Circle Opens quartet features spellbinding new cover art. Coincides with the release of WILL OF THE EMPRESS in trade pb. Kethlun Warder was a gifted glassmaker until his world was shattered in a freak accident. Now his remaining glass magic is mixed with lightning, and Tris must teach him to control it (if she can teach him to control his temper first). But there's more at stake than Keth's education. With his strange magic, he creates glass balls that reflect the immediate past and expose the work of a murderer. If he can harness his power properly, he'll be able to see the crimes as they take place. Keth and Tris race against time, and the local authorities, to identify a killer who's living in plain sight.
357 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2003
237 people are currently reading
5,524 people want to read
About the author
Tamora Pierce
107books84.8kfollowersHey, folks! I just discovered that apparently I have given some very popular books single-star ratings--except I haven't. How do I know I haven't? Because I haven't read those books at all. So before you go getting all hacked off at me for trashing your favorites, know that I've written GoodReads to find out what's going on.
I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!
Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!
I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.
I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings� by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.
Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!
I return to my regularly scheduled profile:
Though I would love to join groups, I'm going to turn them all down. I just don't have the time to take part, so please don't be offended if I don't join your group or accept an invitation. I'm not snooty--I'm just up to my eyeballs in work and appearances!
Also, don't be alarmed by the number of books I've read. When I get bored, I go through the different lists and rediscover books I've read in the past. It's a very evil way to use up time when I should be doing other things. Obviously, I've read a lot of books in 54 years!
I was born in South Connellsville, PA. My mother wanted to name me "Tamara" but the nurse who filled out my birth certificate misspelled it as "Tamora". When I was 8 my family moved to California, where we lived for 6 years on both sides of the San Francisco peninsula.
I started writing stories in 6th grade. My interest in fantasy and science fiction began when I was introduced to ‘The Lord of the Rings� by J. R. R. Tolkien and so I started to write the kind of books that I was reading. After my parents divorced, my mother took my sisters and me back to Pennsylvania in 1969. There I went to Albert Gallatin Senior High for 2 years and Uniontown Area Senior High School for my senior year.
After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, I wrote the book that became The Song of the Lioness fantasy quartet. I sold some articles and 2 short stories and wrote reviews for a martial arts movie magazine. At last the first book of the quartet, Alanna: The First Adventure was published by Atheneum Books in 1983.
Tim Liebe, who became my Spouse-Creature, and I lived in New York City with assorted cats and two parakeets from 1982 - 2006. In 2006 we moved to Syracuse, New York, where we live now with assorted cats, a number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, opossums, and woodchucks visiting our very small yard. As of 2011, I have 27 novels in print, one short story collection, one comic book arc ("White Tiger: A Hero's Compulsion") co-written with Tim, and a short story anthology co-editing credit. There's more to come, including a companion book to the Tortall `verse. So stay tuned!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 389 reviews
August 13, 2015
Despite all my caterwauling over the formulaic nature of this series, I've really enjoyed the last three books. This one is probably tied for my favorite with the second one. That one had that sweet ass battle where Briar goes to town all over the bad guy's house with his super magical plant powers, and this one had Tris being grouchy and getting a tiny glass dragon for a pet. Plus I really liked the way that T. Pierce dealt with issues of culture and religion and class in this one. Such a socially conscious writer is our Tamora Pierce.
Tris, like the other three Circle members, takes on a student. She discovers him by accident as she's exploring the city where she and her mentor, Niko, are staying while he's at a conference. He is an adult ambient mage whose powers went unnoticed until he was struck by lightning months back. The lightning strike disabled him and he had to work really hard to recover. It also wrecked his ability to work in his trade as a glass blower. The lightning merged with his already powerful glass magic to form something new and scary.
I liked seeing fourteen year old Tris deal with her older student, Keth, who is wary of her and treats her more like a child than she deserves. It's his wild, uncontrolled magic that accidentally creates a living glass dragon, who Tris names Chime. Chime is adorable. She eats glass-making materials, and poops and vomits and breathes fire into beautiful glass coils and balls and natural sculpted flames. She is tinkly and likes to comb her little glass paws in people's hair to soothe them. I seriously love her.
All of this happens while a series of murders terrorize the lowest caste of people in the city, and Tris and her new student become wrapped up in it when the lead investigator (also a mage) discovers Keth can create glass balls that seem to predict where and when the next murder will occur. If only Keth can get a handle on his new powers in time to stop things from escalating to horrible levels. (Spoiler: He can't.)
At times, I did feel I was being emotionally manipulated by a couple of things that happened, which seemed designed solely to make me feel bad and sad about what was happening, but overall, this was a great way to close out the second Emelan series.
Give me a glass dragon. GIVE IT TO MEEEEEE.
Tris, like the other three Circle members, takes on a student. She discovers him by accident as she's exploring the city where she and her mentor, Niko, are staying while he's at a conference. He is an adult ambient mage whose powers went unnoticed until he was struck by lightning months back. The lightning strike disabled him and he had to work really hard to recover. It also wrecked his ability to work in his trade as a glass blower. The lightning merged with his already powerful glass magic to form something new and scary.
I liked seeing fourteen year old Tris deal with her older student, Keth, who is wary of her and treats her more like a child than she deserves. It's his wild, uncontrolled magic that accidentally creates a living glass dragon, who Tris names Chime. Chime is adorable. She eats glass-making materials, and poops and vomits and breathes fire into beautiful glass coils and balls and natural sculpted flames. She is tinkly and likes to comb her little glass paws in people's hair to soothe them. I seriously love her.
All of this happens while a series of murders terrorize the lowest caste of people in the city, and Tris and her new student become wrapped up in it when the lead investigator (also a mage) discovers Keth can create glass balls that seem to predict where and when the next murder will occur. If only Keth can get a handle on his new powers in time to stop things from escalating to horrible levels. (Spoiler: He can't.)
At times, I did feel I was being emotionally manipulated by a couple of things that happened, which seemed designed solely to make me feel bad and sad about what was happening, but overall, this was a great way to close out the second Emelan series.
Give me a glass dragon. GIVE IT TO MEEEEEE.
December 8, 2023
Tris is older and wiser with a better hold on her temper, solving a serial killer murder mystery and managing her first magical student. Plus there's an adorable living glass dragon! Loved it.
September 24, 2015
Fourth in The Circle Opens fantasy series for middle-grade readers (and eighth in the overall Emelan Universe) revolving around a circle of four friends. The focus in Shatterglass is on Tris and Keth Warder.
My Take
This is the conclusion for this second quartet of stories in the Emelan Universe. I'm hoping that the next, The Will of the Empress , finds the friends back together.
I'm with Tris. I don't like these people with their obsession with cleansing and the untouchable. With torturing the prathmuni from the start. Their sense of equality is definitely skewed. And she gets her own revenge at the end…ROFLMAO…wait'll you read that!
Tris certainly has a different take on government, decrying the "democracy" of Tharios in favor of one person being in charge. So everyone knows where to point the blame. Yeah, it's still an idealistic viewpoint, but how wonderful if that were how it worked!
Dema gets his own street education when he discovers that all that studying to become a credentialed mage isn't worth squat in the eyes of his coworkers and superiors. He carries his own prejudices with him; however, he's intelligent enough to know when his city's policies are wrong. He does try to get around them, and if it weren't for Tris and Keth, his career and the reputation of his clan would have dropped like a stone. Yet another example of religion run amuck and paying no heed to the truth of the seed of their religious practices.
Those crazy cleansing-obsessed priests jump right in and cleanse everything: clues, traces of magic, everything that could help find the killer. I'd bet anything that if the giladha were being murdered, the Keepers would close the Khapik district in a heartbeat.
Tris has the same problems in Tharios that the other three have had with adults in their stories. No one wants to believe that such a little girl could have such power or be credentialed. Or if they do believe her, they're intimidated. Keth is doubly handicapped. Tris has him terrified with her lightning, and she's just a little girl. What could she possibly teach him?! It takes awhile, but Keth's attitude will change.
Living in the Khapik district in a house populated with entertainers, Keth is emotionally involved in finding who is murdering the yaskedasi, and his new abilities cause him to appear involved. It will leave an even worse impression on Tris, who will insist on moving in to help care for Glaki, who reminds Tris too much of her own childhood.
This is a great story � well, hey, it is a Tamora Pierce! � and has good moral lessons for your kids.
The Story
Kethlun Warder was a gifted glassmaker until his world was shattered in a freak accident. Now his remaining glass-magic is mixed with lightning, and Tris must teach him to control it (if she can teach him to control his temper first).
But there's more at stake than Keth's education. With his strange magic, he creates glass balls which reflect the immediate past and expose the work of a murderer. If he can harness his power properly, he'll be able to see the crimes as they take place.
It will be a race against time as Keth and Tris go up against the local authorities to identify a killer who is living in plain sight.
The Characters
Trisana "Tris" Chandler has a gift for weather, and an ability to direct the breezes which comes in handy in a hot climate. Those breezes also bring back snippets of conversation. Chime is the glass dragon with the lightning blood whom Kethlun blew to life. Little Bear is the big, shaggy, white dog the kids adopted and who has accompanied Tris on her travels. Her starling, Shriek, took off to join a flock of starlings. Great-uncle Murris is primarily in charge of the Chandler family natron imports.
Niklaren "Niko" Goldeye is the teacher who found them, a mage whose specialty is seeing magic and has credentials in glass magic, teaching magic, seer's magic, and star magic. Dhasku Jumshida Dawnspeaker, First Scholar of Mages' Hall and Second Scholar of Heskalifos, is their hostess in Tharios.
Kethlun Warder is a journeyman glassblower who had been caught in a freak accident during a thunderstorm. He has slowly been recovering from it, but the lightning strike jumpstarted some unexpected power � even as it left him with slow speech, a stammer, and a slight clumsiness. Before the storm, he had been a brilliant glassblower on the fast track. Now, he's having to relearn what he used to know and do instinctively.
Keth lives at Ferouze's Lodgings on Chamberpot Alley in Khapik and his housemates include Yali, who will take in Little Glakisa "Glaki" Irakory whose mother, Iralima, was murdered; Xantha a northern dancer; and, Poppy.
Antonou Tinas is a fourth cousin once removed who owns a glass shop in Tharios. He prefers to work on the finishing touches as he waits on customers, so he welcomes Keth into his shop to work. Keth's homeland is Namorn (Daja's story, Cold Fire , 3 (7), took place in Namorn), and Guildmistress Hafgwyn suggested he explore outside Namorn and learn new techniques.
Tharios is�
…the city, renowned for its glassmakers, Tris and Niko are visiting, partly for the glass and partly for the symposium on vision magics. Heskalifos is its university. Here people wear a stole the color of their profession: mages wear blue, shopkeepers green, priests red. Noskemiou is the city's hospital for the poor; Thanas is the wing for the dead. The Keepers rule the city from Serenity House.
It's also a city obsessed with cleanliness after a disastrous experience during the fall of the Kurchal Empire. The priests of the All-Seeing are quite industrious. Aethra Papufos is the high priestess of the All-Seeing. University mages who work in glass include Vishaneh Amberglass, Dhaskoi Rainspinner, and Jumshida.
Dema Nomasdina is a new investigator mage, an arurium dhaskoi, assigned to the Fifth District at the Elya Street aururimat for law enforcement. Brosdes and Magnuna are two of the arurimi , policemen.
The victims, so far, wear the yellow veil of the yaskedasi , the licensed entertainers in Khapik: Nioki was a tumbler, Farray a dancer, Ophelika a musician, Stenatia a courtyard yaskedasu, and Zudana a singer besides the two from Ferouze's.
The Ghost is what the poor of the city call the murderer.
Prathmuni are the invisible ones. Despised for handling the bodies of the dead and night soil. If a giladha , a visible person, someone who counts, sees a shenos , a foreigner(s), speaking to a prathmun, the shenos must be ritually cleansed while the prathmun will be whipped. Deiina is the patron goddess of Khapik, the entertainment district. Baoya the Golden is the Queen of Khapik, a dancer.
Ambient magic is the magic inherent in all things around us. It's not a common sort of magic at all and very difficult to test. A dhasku is a female mage. A koris is a male mage. Lark is a thread mage in Winding Circle Temple and one of Tris' foster mothers.
The Cover and Title
The cover is so very Tris with her so-very-intricate pattern of braids, her glasses, and her lilac gown with a teal sash, standing in profile but with her head turned to Chime, a glass dragon. Her right arm is upraised with a dish of colorful lightning lighting up her fingers against a backdrop of a golden wall of shelves filled with a variety of blown glassware in muted pastels, the wall punctuated by a beautiful, arched, stained glass window.
The title is what Keth does, Shatterglass, as he doesn't understand that he even has magic.
My Take
This is the conclusion for this second quartet of stories in the Emelan Universe. I'm hoping that the next, The Will of the Empress , finds the friends back together.
I'm with Tris. I don't like these people with their obsession with cleansing and the untouchable. With torturing the prathmuni from the start. Their sense of equality is definitely skewed. And she gets her own revenge at the end…ROFLMAO…wait'll you read that!
Tris certainly has a different take on government, decrying the "democracy" of Tharios in favor of one person being in charge. So everyone knows where to point the blame. Yeah, it's still an idealistic viewpoint, but how wonderful if that were how it worked!
Dema gets his own street education when he discovers that all that studying to become a credentialed mage isn't worth squat in the eyes of his coworkers and superiors. He carries his own prejudices with him; however, he's intelligent enough to know when his city's policies are wrong. He does try to get around them, and if it weren't for Tris and Keth, his career and the reputation of his clan would have dropped like a stone. Yet another example of religion run amuck and paying no heed to the truth of the seed of their religious practices.
Those crazy cleansing-obsessed priests jump right in and cleanse everything: clues, traces of magic, everything that could help find the killer. I'd bet anything that if the giladha were being murdered, the Keepers would close the Khapik district in a heartbeat.
Tris has the same problems in Tharios that the other three have had with adults in their stories. No one wants to believe that such a little girl could have such power or be credentialed. Or if they do believe her, they're intimidated. Keth is doubly handicapped. Tris has him terrified with her lightning, and she's just a little girl. What could she possibly teach him?! It takes awhile, but Keth's attitude will change.
Living in the Khapik district in a house populated with entertainers, Keth is emotionally involved in finding who is murdering the yaskedasi, and his new abilities cause him to appear involved. It will leave an even worse impression on Tris, who will insist on moving in to help care for Glaki, who reminds Tris too much of her own childhood.
This is a great story � well, hey, it is a Tamora Pierce! � and has good moral lessons for your kids.
The Story
Kethlun Warder was a gifted glassmaker until his world was shattered in a freak accident. Now his remaining glass-magic is mixed with lightning, and Tris must teach him to control it (if she can teach him to control his temper first).
But there's more at stake than Keth's education. With his strange magic, he creates glass balls which reflect the immediate past and expose the work of a murderer. If he can harness his power properly, he'll be able to see the crimes as they take place.
It will be a race against time as Keth and Tris go up against the local authorities to identify a killer who is living in plain sight.
The Characters
Trisana "Tris" Chandler has a gift for weather, and an ability to direct the breezes which comes in handy in a hot climate. Those breezes also bring back snippets of conversation. Chime is the glass dragon with the lightning blood whom Kethlun blew to life. Little Bear is the big, shaggy, white dog the kids adopted and who has accompanied Tris on her travels. Her starling, Shriek, took off to join a flock of starlings. Great-uncle Murris is primarily in charge of the Chandler family natron imports.
Niklaren "Niko" Goldeye is the teacher who found them, a mage whose specialty is seeing magic and has credentials in glass magic, teaching magic, seer's magic, and star magic. Dhasku Jumshida Dawnspeaker, First Scholar of Mages' Hall and Second Scholar of Heskalifos, is their hostess in Tharios.
Kethlun Warder is a journeyman glassblower who had been caught in a freak accident during a thunderstorm. He has slowly been recovering from it, but the lightning strike jumpstarted some unexpected power � even as it left him with slow speech, a stammer, and a slight clumsiness. Before the storm, he had been a brilliant glassblower on the fast track. Now, he's having to relearn what he used to know and do instinctively.
Keth lives at Ferouze's Lodgings on Chamberpot Alley in Khapik and his housemates include Yali, who will take in Little Glakisa "Glaki" Irakory whose mother, Iralima, was murdered; Xantha a northern dancer; and, Poppy.
Antonou Tinas is a fourth cousin once removed who owns a glass shop in Tharios. He prefers to work on the finishing touches as he waits on customers, so he welcomes Keth into his shop to work. Keth's homeland is Namorn (Daja's story, Cold Fire , 3 (7), took place in Namorn), and Guildmistress Hafgwyn suggested he explore outside Namorn and learn new techniques.
Tharios is�
…the city, renowned for its glassmakers, Tris and Niko are visiting, partly for the glass and partly for the symposium on vision magics. Heskalifos is its university. Here people wear a stole the color of their profession: mages wear blue, shopkeepers green, priests red. Noskemiou is the city's hospital for the poor; Thanas is the wing for the dead. The Keepers rule the city from Serenity House.
It's also a city obsessed with cleanliness after a disastrous experience during the fall of the Kurchal Empire. The priests of the All-Seeing are quite industrious. Aethra Papufos is the high priestess of the All-Seeing. University mages who work in glass include Vishaneh Amberglass, Dhaskoi Rainspinner, and Jumshida.
Dema Nomasdina is a new investigator mage, an arurium dhaskoi, assigned to the Fifth District at the Elya Street aururimat for law enforcement. Brosdes and Magnuna are two of the arurimi , policemen.
The victims, so far, wear the yellow veil of the yaskedasi , the licensed entertainers in Khapik: Nioki was a tumbler, Farray a dancer, Ophelika a musician, Stenatia a courtyard yaskedasu, and Zudana a singer besides the two from Ferouze's.
The Ghost is what the poor of the city call the murderer.
Prathmuni are the invisible ones. Despised for handling the bodies of the dead and night soil. If a giladha , a visible person, someone who counts, sees a shenos , a foreigner(s), speaking to a prathmun, the shenos must be ritually cleansed while the prathmun will be whipped. Deiina is the patron goddess of Khapik, the entertainment district. Baoya the Golden is the Queen of Khapik, a dancer.
Ambient magic is the magic inherent in all things around us. It's not a common sort of magic at all and very difficult to test. A dhasku is a female mage. A koris is a male mage. Lark is a thread mage in Winding Circle Temple and one of Tris' foster mothers.
The Cover and Title
The cover is so very Tris with her so-very-intricate pattern of braids, her glasses, and her lilac gown with a teal sash, standing in profile but with her head turned to Chime, a glass dragon. Her right arm is upraised with a dish of colorful lightning lighting up her fingers against a backdrop of a golden wall of shelves filled with a variety of blown glassware in muted pastels, the wall punctuated by a beautiful, arched, stained glass window.
The title is what Keth does, Shatterglass, as he doesn't understand that he even has magic.
September 3, 2015
I don't think I can be particularly objective about any of these books -- I love them all so much! I'm so glad the Mark Reads community was so into Tamora Pierce's work that he decided to do all of it; it's all been so wonderful, and I'm so happy to have them in my life.
Also, where can I sign up for Tris's personal breezes that help keep her cool? I have a mighty need.
Also, where can I sign up for Tris's personal breezes that help keep her cool? I have a mighty need.
December 28, 2015
Wow, this is a much more fascinating read than I remember. And much, much more inconsistent. I love the idea that someone getting hit by lightning would be saved by his glass magic - but would then have the lightning mingle with his magic and ruin his glass. And the idea of Tris teaching someone older than she is is great.
But then Niko pops in every once in a while just to remind you how much better the book would be if he was around all the time - and weird inconsistencies keep niggling at you, like, why is Keth blowing glass balls with crime scenes in them? What on earth is his "itch"? Why do they sometimes show scenes post-murder and sometimes prior? And why is it that, after all the money spent and all the hours searching, the entire book is resolved on a fluke incident?!
There are some parts that are just plain fascinating, too, like Tris getting annoyed at the 300-member Assembly for being unproductive and then thinking that one monarch is a much better system, because he knows that everything's on him and he can't pass blame onto any co-ruler. It's not inconsistent, but it still feels out of place.
And then there's that final dropped-in detail, after Tris warns the prathmuni: It's an odd ending, that's for sure.
But Tris is great, and so is Keth, and so is Niko - if only there was more of Niko.
But then Niko pops in every once in a while just to remind you how much better the book would be if he was around all the time - and weird inconsistencies keep niggling at you, like, why is Keth blowing glass balls with crime scenes in them? What on earth is his "itch"? Why do they sometimes show scenes post-murder and sometimes prior? And why is it that, after all the money spent and all the hours searching, the entire book is resolved on a fluke incident?!
There are some parts that are just plain fascinating, too, like Tris getting annoyed at the 300-member Assembly for being unproductive and then thinking that one monarch is a much better system, because he knows that everything's on him and he can't pass blame onto any co-ruler. It's not inconsistent, but it still feels out of place.
And then there's that final dropped-in detail, after Tris warns the prathmuni: It's an odd ending, that's for sure.
But Tris is great, and so is Keth, and so is Niko - if only there was more of Niko.
December 30, 2020
My usual gripes about criminality in this series aside (and in the acknowledgements she does go into talking a little bit about her sources in terms of criminal justice techniques, especially about The Mind of the Pathological Criminal, so I was right, thank you everyone) this maybe was my favorite one? Though I am uh Wary of Fantasy India's Caste Systems (and the Chekov's lowest caste) but I am not super qualified to comment there.
All that said, I did love the character relationships; it feels like Tris's apprentice was so beautifully constructed to clash with her in the most perfect ways, and to watch her grow and appreciate her being Mean but also so deeply kind and determined to stick to her obligations. Keth was such a great foil, it was fun having some more disabled representation in the series, and the magic stuff was super cool to watch unfold. It made me want more with him, and I'm excited to see what happens in the next series!
All that said, I did love the character relationships; it feels like Tris's apprentice was so beautifully constructed to clash with her in the most perfect ways, and to watch her grow and appreciate her being Mean but also so deeply kind and determined to stick to her obligations. Keth was such a great foil, it was fun having some more disabled representation in the series, and the magic stuff was super cool to watch unfold. It made me want more with him, and I'm excited to see what happens in the next series!
July 6, 2021
If you had told me before I started this series that I'd enjoy Tris' instalment the most I would have never believed you. She was the most frustrating character in the Circle of Magic, always snapping at everyone and making things more difficult than they needed to be. Four years later, she's still got a quick temper, but she's much better at recognising and controlling it.
From the very beginning, this story was much more interesting than the rest of the series. An older student with newly discovered magic and complex history, living blown glass that is complicated and unexplained, and a city with a serious caste system that's allowing a serial killer to take out their lower class because cleaning away the stench of death is more important than the lives of their people.
Surprisingly, Tris is an excellent teacher, especially considering all of the variables here. Her student is older than her, doesn't really believe she knows more than him, and is afraid of her lightning. She knows when to be forceful and when to be lenient and let him discover his own limitations. And the Glaki storyline is heartbreaking and a serious redemption arc for Tris.
No one is more surprised than I am, but this is one seriously good addition to the Emelan universe. Niko and Tris work off each other well, both being massive brainiacs and mild loners. Tharios is a unique city in Emelan and it sounds absolutely terrible. And even though Keth can get self-righteous and annoying, he's still the most interesting new student mage in this series.
Other books in the Circle Opens series:
#1: Magic Steps ⭐⭐
#2: Street Magic ⭐⭐�
#3 Cold Fire ⭐⭐
Other books in the Emelan Universe:
#1: Sandry’s Book ⭐⭐�
#2: Tris’s Book ⭐⭐�
#3: Daja’s Book ⭐⭐�
#4: Briar’s Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#5: Magic Steps ⭐⭐
#6: Street Magic ⭐⭐�
#7 Cold Fire ⭐⭐
#9: The Will of the Empress ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#10: Melting Stones ⭐⭐
#11: Battle Magic ⭐⭐�
From the very beginning, this story was much more interesting than the rest of the series. An older student with newly discovered magic and complex history, living blown glass that is complicated and unexplained, and a city with a serious caste system that's allowing a serial killer to take out their lower class because cleaning away the stench of death is more important than the lives of their people.
Surprisingly, Tris is an excellent teacher, especially considering all of the variables here. Her student is older than her, doesn't really believe she knows more than him, and is afraid of her lightning. She knows when to be forceful and when to be lenient and let him discover his own limitations. And the Glaki storyline is heartbreaking and a serious redemption arc for Tris.
No one is more surprised than I am, but this is one seriously good addition to the Emelan universe. Niko and Tris work off each other well, both being massive brainiacs and mild loners. Tharios is a unique city in Emelan and it sounds absolutely terrible. And even though Keth can get self-righteous and annoying, he's still the most interesting new student mage in this series.
Other books in the Circle Opens series:
#1: Magic Steps ⭐⭐
#2: Street Magic ⭐⭐�
#3 Cold Fire ⭐⭐
Other books in the Emelan Universe:
#1: Sandry’s Book ⭐⭐�
#2: Tris’s Book ⭐⭐�
#3: Daja’s Book ⭐⭐�
#4: Briar’s Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#5: Magic Steps ⭐⭐
#6: Street Magic ⭐⭐�
#7 Cold Fire ⭐⭐
#9: The Will of the Empress ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#10: Melting Stones ⭐⭐
#11: Battle Magic ⭐⭐�
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September 2, 2015
I really loved this book- Tris is my favorite of the four, or at least the one I most relate to, so I was eagerly anticipating her focal point in this series.
And it really didn't disappoint at all! The mystery was solid (resolution perhaps a tinge weak), I adored Tris's work with Keth, some of the supporting characters were really great, and we got yet more amazing worldbuilding.
So why only 4 stars instead of 5? Well, mostly because this is the last book of the series, and the series as a whole let me down JUST a bit. Obviously Tamora Pierce owes me not one thing, but there was something I really wanted to happen, and it didn't, and my disappointment in that is the reason for 1 lost star. Ah, well.
Still really great- and can't believe I'm moving into her LAST series!! Wow what a ride. Starting WILL OF THE EMPRESS on Sept 8!
And it really didn't disappoint at all! The mystery was solid (resolution perhaps a tinge weak), I adored Tris's work with Keth, some of the supporting characters were really great, and we got yet more amazing worldbuilding.
So why only 4 stars instead of 5? Well, mostly because this is the last book of the series, and the series as a whole let me down JUST a bit. Obviously Tamora Pierce owes me not one thing, but there was something I really wanted to happen, and it didn't, and my disappointment in that is the reason for 1 lost star. Ah, well.
Still really great- and can't believe I'm moving into her LAST series!! Wow what a ride. Starting WILL OF THE EMPRESS on Sept 8!
January 9, 2024
2024: I want more stories in this setting, it’s so interesting
2018: Tris isn't usually my favorite of the Circle kids but she's fantastic in this one, especially seeing her through other people's perspectives.
2018: Tris isn't usually my favorite of the Circle kids but she's fantastic in this one, especially seeing her through other people's perspectives.
July 20, 2016
review to come :)
April 22, 2019
I loved this book bc of its references to the rest of the circle.
December 9, 2023
Every time I read one of these books I decide on a new favorite protagonist 🤷🏻♀�
CW: Murder, violence, grief, poverty
CW: Murder, violence, grief, poverty
March 19, 2020
I was a little torn between three and four stars on this book, but decided to go with the lower rating.
I had a lot of fun with the story overall. It grabbed me easily and I never had to push myself to finish. I was just excited to pick it up and read, which seems like a small thing but I haven't felt that way about many of the other books in the first two quartets. I liked Tris's student as well. I think it's an interesting relationship to explore, a student who's so much older than their teacher.
I also quite enjoyed the mystery/crime element. This is the only book in the series where you don't know who's committing the crime or why, and I found myself quite intrigued because I didn't remember. It doesn't really matter, the main focus is much more on the high fantasy magic elements, but I still think as a side story it's quite well done.
What I had an issue with was the culture Tris is visiting. She's traveled far south to a different country with very different customs and this book is heavy on othering people of that country. It's possible to critique the customs of a place without othering the people as whole, like what was done with Daja's book, but it didn't succeed here. Instead it fell more into the category of white savior trope, and this isn't the only one of Pierce's books that feels that way to me.
But I did still like this one, and it's probably my second favorite of this quartet. At least it didn't drag like the first two books did. It's left me very excited to get to The Will of the Empress, which is by far my favorite.
I had a lot of fun with the story overall. It grabbed me easily and I never had to push myself to finish. I was just excited to pick it up and read, which seems like a small thing but I haven't felt that way about many of the other books in the first two quartets. I liked Tris's student as well. I think it's an interesting relationship to explore, a student who's so much older than their teacher.
I also quite enjoyed the mystery/crime element. This is the only book in the series where you don't know who's committing the crime or why, and I found myself quite intrigued because I didn't remember. It doesn't really matter, the main focus is much more on the high fantasy magic elements, but I still think as a side story it's quite well done.
What I had an issue with was the culture Tris is visiting. She's traveled far south to a different country with very different customs and this book is heavy on othering people of that country. It's possible to critique the customs of a place without othering the people as whole, like what was done with Daja's book, but it didn't succeed here. Instead it fell more into the category of white savior trope, and this isn't the only one of Pierce's books that feels that way to me.
But I did still like this one, and it's probably my second favorite of this quartet. At least it didn't drag like the first two books did. It's left me very excited to get to The Will of the Empress, which is by far my favorite.
July 16, 2012
Tris is the most talented weather mage in generations, but that's just her problem. She's so powerful that people either doubt that she's telling the truth, or want her for war magic. Tris travels the world with her friend and mentor Niko Goldeneyes, trying to find a way to use her magic to help people. In Tharios, an ancient city obsessed with death and cleanliness, she stumbles across a mage with both glass and lightning magic (a terrible combination). She tries to teach him to control his magic, but all he cares about is finding the serial killer stalking Tharios.
I have read too many mysteries and watched too many police procedural shows not to feel a little impatient with the mystery plot. I understood why the characters were having such trouble with the investigation, but it seemed like it moved very slowly, and depended too heavily on magic. However, Tris remains the awesomest. I love, love, love her. She is cranky and ambitious, she can price someone's outfit at a glance but still shies away from getting close to people. She takes on far too much responsibility and has absurdly lofty goals (when we first met her, she tried to stop the tide--now she just controls hurricanes and looses lightning from her braids). She is unafraid of madness or weakness in others, but impatient to get things done. Basically, she is the bestest ever, and I loved getting to read more of her adventures.
I have read too many mysteries and watched too many police procedural shows not to feel a little impatient with the mystery plot. I understood why the characters were having such trouble with the investigation, but it seemed like it moved very slowly, and depended too heavily on magic. However, Tris remains the awesomest. I love, love, love her. She is cranky and ambitious, she can price someone's outfit at a glance but still shies away from getting close to people. She takes on far too much responsibility and has absurdly lofty goals (when we first met her, she tried to stop the tide--now she just controls hurricanes and looses lightning from her braids). She is unafraid of madness or weakness in others, but impatient to get things done. Basically, she is the bestest ever, and I loved getting to read more of her adventures.
September 13, 2021
Tris has to stretch her patience further than ever when she discovers Keth - an adult who is dealing with the power of lightning in a way never seen before. She's also figuring out how to care for the living glass dragon Keth accidentally creates when they first meet. And then there's the murders... someone is systematically killing local street performers and grotesquely displaying their bodies in sacred places in a city obsessed with cleanliness. Can Tris find the murderer before he or she escalates?
This is another reread that just gets better with time. Tris has always been, to me personally, one of the most admirable mages in this series. She has to hold tight to every feeling, every fleeting second of passion to keep from hurting others with her connection to all forms of weather. Now she has to deal with Keth and that dude is seriously stubborn. I mean wow. I get that you're hurting and scared but chill on the hostility just a little. He does become more endearing as the story progresses so I supposed I'll forgive him. The whole murder mystery thing is pretty intense too! Highly recommended.
This is another reread that just gets better with time. Tris has always been, to me personally, one of the most admirable mages in this series. She has to hold tight to every feeling, every fleeting second of passion to keep from hurting others with her connection to all forms of weather. Now she has to deal with Keth and that dude is seriously stubborn. I mean wow. I get that you're hurting and scared but chill on the hostility just a little. He does become more endearing as the story progresses so I supposed I'll forgive him. The whole murder mystery thing is pretty intense too! Highly recommended.
February 1, 2017
Oof this is getting repetitive. I enjoyed the relationship between Tris and Keth, and the world building of Tharios was good (why hello fantasy version of ancient Athens), but this book had the beginning of all those things that I didn't like in her Beka Cooper series: a heavy focus on fantasy law and order (I'm here for the wizards), so many invented words to learn, too heavy on boring menial detail and the adoption of every wayward whatever that walks past (at least this time it was a child, as opposed to four colly birds, three french hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree, oh how tired I was of Beka's menagerie) The lather-rinse-repeat of Keth trying to make his glass ball and have it clear in time to see the murder and then wearing himself out and being sick got old after the first three iterations, and then all that build up for a really weak ending where the whodunnit aspect seems to have just been thrown in as an after thought. The Ghost even did a convenient exposition monologue at the end, and it was pretty heavy handed.
There were some really nice ideas in this one but it just got dragged way out beyond its welcome.
There were some really nice ideas in this one but it just got dragged way out beyond its welcome.
December 19, 2016
This book was a bit of a dud for me. I liked the fact that Tris had an older student and that she had to learn patience as much as he did. The concept of Keth's magic was also pretty interesting. But the mystery of this story was a bit of a letdown for me. They just kind of threw out a motive and didn't really give the reader a chance to guess who or why. Also, it seems like there were too many side characters to keep track of. Despite this, Niko, who had such a prominent role in Tris's life, barely gets a mention. I liked the fact that this series put the four main characters in more mature situations and allowed them to grow as individuals, but I'm hoping that they are brought together again in the next series.
August 10, 2008
My favorite line from the whole book still has me laughing. In response to being called a slave driver, Tris says, "A bad name is just a fart with consonants." (Gross, I know. Potty humor, yes. But as a mother of 3 boys, I think it has now become my favorite quote ever.)
July 31, 2020
Ah Tris, so very grouchy. I really enjoyed this one - seeing Tris become someone else's teacher was definitely an interesting development. As much as I enjoyed this quartet, I can't wait for the next book where I get to see them all together again.
December 5, 2017
I adore this series! You can see my series review .
October 23, 2018
Can I just say first of all that Chime is amazing, and that these books are just automatically better when there's an animal sidekick (or two ;D) in them? I love books with animal sidekicks so much ;u; It's just so unbelievably neat to have a living glass miniature dragon (that breaths "fire" and shoots "needles") and I hope there's more books with Chime in it. Plus the relationship between Chime and Little Bear (and Tris and Glaki) is just awesome and I love it :|
I really loved how while in this one Tris also gets her first student, she has much more difficulty in regards to being able to teach her student as, with him being much older than her (...and by that I mean in his twenties :P) he's already pretty set in his ways, and what he can and can't do, and finds it pretty difficult to be taught by someone that's just 14. Though I loved how he said that she basically appeared to be a short grumpy old lady until scolded by Niko for something XD;;
The killings that took place in this book were really well done, and I loved the idea of the "Ghost" being able to essentially hide in plain sight. I did suspect that . I am incredibly glad that when they caught the killer, Tris
I think one of my favourite things is that at the end, when
4.5 / 5
I really loved how while in this one Tris also gets her first student, she has much more difficulty in regards to being able to teach her student as, with him being much older than her (...and by that I mean in his twenties :P) he's already pretty set in his ways, and what he can and can't do, and finds it pretty difficult to be taught by someone that's just 14. Though I loved how he said that she basically appeared to be a short grumpy old lady until scolded by Niko for something XD;;
The killings that took place in this book were really well done, and I loved the idea of the "Ghost" being able to essentially hide in plain sight. I did suspect that . I am incredibly glad that when they caught the killer, Tris
I think one of my favourite things is that at the end, when
4.5 / 5
July 30, 2019
This book was an absolute delight to read, and though I haven't read any other book in this series, this one definitely stood on its own. The magic system is so beautifully explained and illustrated, and the world itself felt very organic. Just as a personal opinion, but some of the worldbuilding felt a little infodump-y at the beginning in particular, which wasn't my taste, but it A) didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story, and B) gave me some hope for my own writing, as I am guilty of either heavily infodumping or not explaining anything at all and no in-between)
Tris is a kickass protagonist for sure, but Keth is also a strong secondary lead. It was very refreshing to see a plus-sized young heroine who isn't conventionally attractive as the most powerful character in this book--and it means a lot to see a sensitive male lead with a disability with powerful magic of his own.
Also, I hope I'm not alone in feeling the chemistry between Keth and Dema because WOWOWOW (you think I wouldn't notice a convenient fade to black after they decide to go out to dinner together and then we see none of the scene in question...but I DID)
Speaking of Dema--what an absolute hot garbage fire of a man, amirite, I hecking love this boy so so much
Tris is a kickass protagonist for sure, but Keth is also a strong secondary lead. It was very refreshing to see a plus-sized young heroine who isn't conventionally attractive as the most powerful character in this book--and it means a lot to see a sensitive male lead with a disability with powerful magic of his own.
Also, I hope I'm not alone in feeling the chemistry between Keth and Dema because WOWOWOW (you think I wouldn't notice a convenient fade to black after they decide to go out to dinner together and then we see none of the scene in question...but I DID)
Speaking of Dema--what an absolute hot garbage fire of a man, amirite, I hecking love this boy so so much
August 28, 2020
My take on this, reading it in 2020, is different than ever before. The problem in this case is a serial killer rather than a pandemic, but the fact that the government refuses to close the tourist district where the killings are taking place because "it would alarm the populace and cause financial hardship to those who with there" hits close to home. More people continue to die because of the government's failure to act, their half-measure solutions coming far too late to make a difference.
By the way, this was written in 2003. Tamora Pierce is once again eerily prescient.
And also Tris is my favorite of the Circle protagonists, and she's grown so much since the initial series, it's amazing to see her increased control.
By the way, this was written in 2003. Tamora Pierce is once again eerily prescient.
And also Tris is my favorite of the Circle protagonists, and she's grown so much since the initial series, it's amazing to see her increased control.
October 5, 2023
Definitely our least favorite from this second quartet. I’m still giving it four stars, but really should be 3.5. It dragged a lot. The connection between glass blowing and crime seeing was never explained (or even questioned). Tris is our least favorite of the four young mages. Unlike the other three books in the series, there is no insight into the killer or any background information or perspective from them. In the other three books, the bad guys are characters too and we read some sections from their perspective. So, the “reveal� in this one felt very, very drawn out and yet abrupt when it finally happened. C/W: If reading aloud, this book does deal with a serial killer murdering female entertainers from the “pleasure district� of the city. The murder details are pretty gruesome and since I still have a nine year old that I’m reading to (as well as 12-20 year olds too), I opted to edit out some of the specifics as I read. So, for example, I just said: “they found the dead woman on the floor� and left out the eyes bulging and purple face details.
October 25, 2020
4.5 stars
This was my favourite of this quartet. Tris is such a wonderfully snippy and brave character. I love that she's also very kind and caring though she'll endlessly deny it.
I also thoroughly enjoyed that this was a bit more of a mystery as we never saw the murderer's perspective so it was all a guessing game until the big reveal.
I liked that Keth was older and the dynamic that that produced with Tris, though you knew from the start that she'd still have no problem handling him.
This was my favourite of this quartet. Tris is such a wonderfully snippy and brave character. I love that she's also very kind and caring though she'll endlessly deny it.
I also thoroughly enjoyed that this was a bit more of a mystery as we never saw the murderer's perspective so it was all a guessing game until the big reveal.
I liked that Keth was older and the dynamic that that produced with Tris, though you knew from the start that she'd still have no problem handling him.
July 8, 2024
I always read this one at top speed! Seeing Tris from an outside perspective is such a treat. She's a prickly person but kind underneath it. Giving her a student in Keth, older but still new to magic, is SUCH a nice shakeup of the 'formula' of this quartet.
July 22, 2019
This was awesome, the best one in the series. Apparently Tris is my favorite.
March 30, 2017
Ah the dilemma of not having half stars. I liked this more than Daja's book and almost as much as Briar's. Maybe it should get five stars? But I don't feel like there was anything that got me super psyched or that will remain imprinted on me to warrant five stars. Perhaps because Tris, while awesome, is just not my favorite. She's always seemed over powered compared with the rest and I guess I want more from it, more inside her head and process. I did love the component of glass blowing though and Keth and Glaki were awesome companions. Dema was a bit dull and the running around only to be to late got very old very quickly. I wasn't really kept in suspense for the main plot line, just to see the character development. Dialogue was the best because Tris and Keth have some great repartee, but there wasn't enough. Here I am complaining when in reality I loved this book. Definitely won't disappoint in the scheme of things. As per usual, I want more.
September 5, 2012
Two and a half stars. Giving it two stars seems too harsh, but I don't feel like it deserves three, either. I really liked the Circle Opens quartet, because the world we knew in the last quartet expands dramatically and it's amazing, and typically where Tamora Pierce really shines. I know most of her books are well-researched, from whichever culture she's taking her cues from, to weapons, to food, to dress. She has an extra level in the Circle Opens, that she has to research the craft being displayed. At the end of this book, there are several people and a book listed as references for the glass portion of the book. But a lot of the glass making in the book simply isn't correct. I might be able to let it go as artistic license, Thanos glassblowing isn't (Venetian, Czech, Indian, pick a culture) glassblowing, but with that much research I'd expect it to be right. Which of course makes me second-guess, maybe the other books aren't as well researched, I just don't know as much about weaving/rocks/gardening/metal/whatever to pick up on it.
Disclaimer: I've read this book three times, but it is possible that I'm just picturing it wrong or I misread and Pierce got it absolutely right. If I'm wrong and just being an asshole, please fire back.
Hot glass comes out of the furnace at two thousand degrees. Even if it could slide back down the pipe to burn someone's mouth (which, given the length of the pipe and narrowness of the tube inside, it would be cooled long before it reached the end... almost like it was designed that way), it would be a serious injury. The dismissiveness that Pierce describes it makes it seem like it's akin to taking a mouthful of tea that's really hot.
Why is everyone standing to blow glass instead of sitting at a bench? Have you ever tried completely support and turn a four foot long pole with one hand while you try to do something to the end?
Why did Keth put his octopus in the annealor for a few hours instead of a full day?
When the mages tear the glass off the pipe, why isn't there a big ol' hole in the glass bubble because they forgot to close down its connection where the air comes through?
Why is Keth blowing glass solo? (this one I can let go; plenty of glassblowers work alone. But typically you have someone at the bench with someone else assisting. The only reason I nitpick that is it's my favorite part of glass.)
The plot is okay; but it suffers in comparison to the other three--it's kind of a Jack-the-Ripper style tale, and the only real complication preventing him from being apprehended is the ritual purifications required by the city, which is culturally terrified of death and decay. Chime is wonderful, though not really that different from Kitten/Skysong in the Immortals books. So I might buy it simply to complete the quartet, but it's definitely not one of Pierce's best.
Disclaimer: I've read this book three times, but it is possible that I'm just picturing it wrong or I misread and Pierce got it absolutely right. If I'm wrong and just being an asshole, please fire back.
Hot glass comes out of the furnace at two thousand degrees. Even if it could slide back down the pipe to burn someone's mouth (which, given the length of the pipe and narrowness of the tube inside, it would be cooled long before it reached the end... almost like it was designed that way), it would be a serious injury. The dismissiveness that Pierce describes it makes it seem like it's akin to taking a mouthful of tea that's really hot.
Why is everyone standing to blow glass instead of sitting at a bench? Have you ever tried completely support and turn a four foot long pole with one hand while you try to do something to the end?
Why did Keth put his octopus in the annealor for a few hours instead of a full day?
When the mages tear the glass off the pipe, why isn't there a big ol' hole in the glass bubble because they forgot to close down its connection where the air comes through?
Why is Keth blowing glass solo? (this one I can let go; plenty of glassblowers work alone. But typically you have someone at the bench with someone else assisting. The only reason I nitpick that is it's my favorite part of glass.)
The plot is okay; but it suffers in comparison to the other three--it's kind of a Jack-the-Ripper style tale, and the only real complication preventing him from being apprehended is the ritual purifications required by the city, which is culturally terrified of death and decay. Chime is wonderful, though not really that different from Kitten/Skysong in the Immortals books. So I might buy it simply to complete the quartet, but it's definitely not one of Pierce's best.
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