This book was enjoyable enough but is also deeply mediocre. It's not the worst YA I've read but it also doesn't distinguish itself in any other ways.

A love triangle dominates the majority of the story; it drives most of the plot and the heroine angsts over it almost constantly. Torn between the affections of the passionate (ie selfish and occasionally violent) young Emperor Valko and his reserved brother Anton, the main character, Sonya, gets 'lost' in both of them so many times I felt like I was reading chapters again.

Sonya is an Auraseer, a class of women who can feel the emotions of others, and is not very good at it. Due to some plot conveniences, Sonya grew up being sheltered by this fantasy world's version of Romani, being passed from caravan to caravan to avoid being sent to a convent to learn of her powers. The friend that taught her to read is, of course, a secret poet revolutionary.

I didn't think Burning Glass completely devoid of merit, just as falling short of the mark. Sonya's learning curve is far too slow, which leads us to repetitive scenes that do little to move the story along. The politics - the most interesting part of the story - were hardly touched on, very little ever coming from it until the people rise up and attack the palace.

All in all, not the worst of young adult fantasy, but very far from the best either, Burning Glass rests firmly in the middle of the pack. ( )

CW: Self-harm ( )

"The mighty isn't one, but many."

I'm honestly stumped as to why Burning Glass isn't rated higher. Let me tell you why.

Whoever described Burning Glass as Red Queen meets Shadow and Bone captured the tone and setting of this book perfectly. Major vibes all the way. I'm just shocked more people haven't read this series considering the popularity of the aforementioned books.

Burning Glass has a dark, intricate plot with characters who mercilessly pull you under. The prose is beautiful, the overall tone could be described as melancholy, and the romantic intrigue is more sweeping and complicated than any other YA love triangle I've read. If you've read Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series, imagine the attraction and emotional tension between Mare Barrow, Maven, and Cal, but much more complex and intoxicating in its own way.

Burning Glass boasts aching romance, and I can't argue with it—it really, honestly does. The melancholy, the burning love interests, all of it makes for the perfect wintry read. I couldn't put it down.

The extreme emotional tension in this series is exponentially compounded by the fact that our protagonist, Sonya Petrova, is an Auraseer. What does that mean exactly? Imagine if your superpower was empathy, and imagine your empathy being so all-consuming and vast that you can literally feel the emotions of everyone around you without having to touch them. If they harbor hatred or envy, uncontrollable lust and desire, profound sadness, physical torture, violent intent... Sonya can stand in the middle of a crowd and feel ALL of it. Imagine not knowing whether the emotions you felt belonged to others, or if they were actually your own. That is who Sonya is. This is further complicated by the fact that she isn't just any ordinary Auraseer—she can also feel the final emotions of those who've died when coming into contact with their blood or other organic matter. Even that of animals.

And while the story seems to be about Sonya sorting through her feelings toward each royal brother—Anton and Valko—there is something deeper happening beneath the surface. This is a YA Fantasy trilogy with lots of political intrigue, games, and ideologies. If you enjoy those elements along with the heavy-handed romantic element woven throughout, you may want to see what Burning Glass is about.

I will also mention: the first chapters have one of the most tragic openings I've read in YA Fantasy to date. Sonya has been through a lot, she's coping with the terrible things she's wrought, and that makes her an incredibly fascinating protagonist in my opinion.

"I am Sonya Petrova. And I am not broken." Oh, my dear, but you are.

From those riveting opening chapters to the very last sentence of the book, book one came full circle and I was feeling rather weepy for our heroine.

The author Kathryn Purdie was a pleasant discovery of mine, and now I'll be interested in reading whatever else she creates. I just finished Burning Glass 2 (Crystal Blade), and I enjoyed it so much. Can't wait to read book 3: Frozen Reign.

Don't sleep on Kathryn Purdie. ( )

Rubbed me the wrong way. ( )

This just didn't work for me. I love the concept, I think it's well developed too. But Sonja as a heroine is a weak aspect. I can forgive the ever ranging emotions but her logic (or lack thereof) stunned me. The romance wasn't developed as well as I wanted it to be either; again, I know she is susceptible to others emotions but I didn't get the attractions for any suitor. I won't be continuing on with the series (and TBH, I kinda like how this one wrapped up and I'm good either leaving it there).

The audio narrator was fabulous though!

Perfect for Red Queen fans!

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-2JQ
Actual Rating: 2/5 ( )