Reflections

I enjoyed this second book in the Glamourist History series even more than the first--by the end I had to delay dinner for over an hour because the story was so heart-in-the-throat exciting that I could not put the book down. While Shades of Milk and Honey was sort of a Jane Austen lite with magic, Glamour in a Glass is more like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell lite (one of my favorite books ever) and is set in 1815 while Napoleon is on the march after escaping from Elba. 

Now that (SPOILER ALERT FOR THE FIRST BOOK) Jane and Vincent are newlyweds, part of the character development involves the two of them figuring out how to be a couple while working together doing glamour for wealthy clients like the Prince Regent. Vincent is not used to having anyone in his life he can trust, and Jane, though talented and determined, has insecurities, so there are some misunderstandings. For most of the book Jane and Vincent are on a working honeymoon in Brussels, which leads them into danger because its people are sharply, sometimes violently, divided in their loyalty between the newly liberated Napoleon and William I of the Netherlands. 

As in the first book there are lovely descriptions of the beautiful, moving illusions that are part the magical art form Jane and Vincent are masters of, but there is also more “glamour science” because Jane and Vincent are working on an idea that would greatly expand the practical uses of their craft. Unfortunately, some players in the political conflicts are interested in the possibilities of glamour too, which ratchets up the plot tension. Book three in this charming series is Without a Summer, which I am looking forward to enjoying.