I CAN NOT WAIT!!!
From the first page to the last I loved every bit of this! I've always found myself in love with fantasy types with fae and weres and magic! This author has given it all AND added in a twist in this amazing book! I'll try not to give too much away here. Nasya's character development was perfect, the plot was just captivating! Adding in the magic was just the chefs kiss! I could vividly imagine every scene with how well written this is! I was lucky enough to get to enjoy this book and absolutely can not wait for more! 9798988219620 ***Warning. This Review may contain spoilers.*** I received this book as an ARc in exchange for an honest review and I can honestly say that I love this book. The story follows Nasya who was sold to the Order by her parents who may or may not be her parents. There she is trained with other girls and out through the most rigorous of training where only 6 will conokete their training. The story will also flash forward to current times as Nasya prepares for an assigment as well as flashing back to an event from the past. Nasya's character and her character growth throughout was very relatable and amazing. Due to her parents selling her, she struggles with abandoment issues and wanting to be someone's first choice which greatly impacts her character. This book held me captive the entire time and I cannot wait for book 2. 9798988219620 Fairytale retellings are some of my absolute favorite books. There’s just something about taking my childhood, comfort stories and twisting them into something new that soothes my soul. This book? One of the most unique Cinderella retellings I’ve ever read. I’m obsessed.
Nasaya was still a child when her parents sold her to the Order, a group of women who basically trains/raises young girls to become assassins. Here she would learn the history of the order, how to control her magic, and meet Scarlet. Now Scarlet is really her only friend at first and of course over the years feelings begin to develop. She always treats Nasaya with kindness, helps her through her vivid (and prophetic) nightmares, and they even visit with each other after Nasaya is sent off to learn to control the new, stronger magic she has developed. But Scarlet is harboring her own secret which could just change the course of their relationship (spoiler alert it does).
Nasaya’s dream sequences were some of my absolute favorite scenes. They were so vivid that the lines between what was actually happening in the story and the dreams were blurred which I think added a little suspense/tension. The people around her really don’t know how to handle or really even to believe these dreams, especially the dreams that seem to tell stories of the past, which makes things a little more difficult/complicated for her.
This book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger after Nasaya takes out her biggest target to date and it looks like Scarlet might be in a little bit of trouble. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book.
Huge thank you to the author for the gifted arc of her debut, this is my honest review 9798988219620 Holy wowzers!!
Ok, wow....blown away. I don't know where exactly to start, but I'm going to try.
Our MC is basically sold to a lady and while it seems harsh( and it is to a degree), it somewhat saves her impoverished family( one less mouth and a lot of coin) and saves her in a manner of speaking.
She's brought into the Order, a group of Assassins that are all female. Not all make it. They're educated highly, trained even more and molded into exquisite machines to carry out their assignments. Along the way, our MC discovers she has magic and her roommate is her best friend and she loves her.
The majority of the book switches between the past, a generation or so before, the present where she's grown and making her way and fulfilling her assignments and the past where she is in training. I know it seems like a lot, but it fits seamlessly and it offers a lot of insight.
Yes, there are several sex scenes and they are well done. Crafted perfectly to show the emotion and depth in some aspects, and the joy of it in others.
The work assignments are well thought out and shown to have depth, planning and some harrowing escapes. These are very well written and reminiscent of Thriller/action books in that the pacing keeps you going strong and wanting the next bit.
Last bit, pay a lot of attention to the visions and dreams. They offer valuable insights and are integral to the story as a whole. There's also a couple plot twists and a small cliff hanger, but the story ties up nicely.
All in all, it's a superb read and I highly recommend it to all.
Well done intrepid Author! 9798988219620 An Original, Engaging Twist on Female Driven Fairytales
I loved this book. Set in the early beginnings of time in a fictional land, protagonist Nasya is a very young girl reluctantly sold by her destitute parents into a secret all female order. The purpose of the order, and Nasya’s role within it, is drawn out slowly and deliberately. There is magic, mysticism, fantasy, friendship , romance, mystery and suspense.
What quickly pulled me in was the excellent writing; the author has a deep, rich vocabulary and knows how to use it. The descriptions of character emotions and Nasya’s internal dialogue are thoughtful and believable as she ages from preteen to young woman. The solid presentation of place(s) are well constructed, making one easily able to smell, taste, hear, and envision each setting: a walk deep into the woods is alive with sound and shadow; the unfolding seasons featuring the (sometimes) harsh elements paint scenes of hope and despair. The development of a not so surprising romance between friends is presented tastefully and realistically, rich with the struggle of the young characters’ understandings of the complicated feelings of love. It had me remembering my own past romantic relationships, fraught with both the difficulties AND the breathtaking lust between two people experiencing a magical time.
The story includes many examples of the importance of female support, survival, determination, loyalty, respect, and strength.
I was left wanting more! Book two will be available in June 2024. I will be preordering! 9798988219620
At eight years old, Nasya Ember was sold into a mysterious organization called The Order. She and several other girls were taken and trained by a group of women known as The Mothers. Training was extreme. The Mothers were ruthless. The girls who graduated from training were lethal. And for Nasya, training did more than prepare her to become a Hand of The Order. Each step forward in training awakened new things from inside of her, things neither she nor The Mothers can completely explain. Her search for answers runs parallel to her life within The Order. Will she choose power? Will she choose love? Or will other forces work against her? Hands of the Order: A Kiss of Glass: A Sapphic Legends \u0026 Mythology Dark Fantasy
***BOOK REVIEW***
Name: A Kiss of Glass
Author: J.D. Brubaker
Rate: 4/5🌟
~This is the first time I read a book from J.D. Brubaker. She had sent me her book for an honest review. Sorry it took me this long to read it. As I had mentioned when I did my unboxing revealed I had no idea what this book was about or what to expect about it. Yes, I had a guess that it had a hint of Cinderella vibes but not sure how it would have intertwined in this book. Once I started to read it I was not expecting the magic, the FMC is a fae, and the book sure has a great twist. I enjoyed how the storyline gives us the background of the characters from how they got to where they are from where they were in the past. It does end with a cliffhanger. So what will happen next??? Now we have to wait for book 2.
~A Kiss of Glass starts off when Nasaya was a child and gets sold to the order. Poor girl felt betrayed. The order is an organization who trains girls to become future assassins. She unlocks a powerful power in her and becomes a great assassin. Nasaya and Scarlet are best friends but they eventually sleep with each other. This is a LGBTQ+ fantasy and if that is a bother for you then too bad get over it! Because this book is a great read. So if you enjoy reading Dark Fantasy Mythology then this is the book for you… Please go and support this indie author… Thank you again J.D. Brubaker for giving me the honor of reading your book.
9798988219620 The story begins with our main character, Nasya, who is sold to an enigmatic lady, providing a bittersweet salvation for her impoverished family. Despite the initial harshness, this twist of fate leads Nasya into the mysterious Order, an elite group of female assassins.
Brubaker weaves a tale that seamlessly transitions between past and present, offering a deep and engaging narrative. The story is enriched with elements of magic, mysticism, and intense training, drawing you into Nasya's world as she discovers her powers and forms an unbreakable bond with her best friend and roommate, Scarlet. The relationship dynamics are beautifully explored, adding layers of emotion and depth to the characters.
The action sequences are thrilling, with meticulously planned assignments that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Brubaker's pacing is reminiscent of the best thriller and action novels, making it impossible to put the book down.
What truly stands out in this novel is the vivid world-building and descriptive imagery. Brubaker's rich vocabulary brings every scene to life, from the intense training sessions to the serene yet dangerous landscapes. The dreams and visions interspersed throughout the story offer valuable insights and adding an element of suspense.
This book is a journey of survival, loyalty, and self-discovery. The themes of female empowerment, strength, and friendship are prevalent, making it a compelling read. This book is a must-read, and I can't wait for the next one in the series! 9798988219620 A Kiss of Glass is from a genre I don't often read, which is why I was pleased to find myself engrossed in this story. I admit that I didn't read the book jacket (I read this on Kindle), and dove right in to reading. This is why the glass slipper image puzzled me as I read the tale of a Nasya, a young girl who grows into a fierce woman. Fierce in vocation while also dealing with her upsetting and confusing past, and the shoe image seemed to be in contrast to that. My puzzlement was on me though, not the author, and the slipper does indeed make sense as you journey with the main character.
Brubaker kept my interest throughout, and I remember the first surprise moment that piqued my interest even more (I won't share here as it would be a spoiler). Brubaker does a great job of keeping the reader informed of the timeline which does include flash backs and flash forwards. I appreciated the assists such as providing Nasya's age in these moments so as to best understand where the main character was and her actions and interactions at that time. I'm looking forward to the second installment in this series!
Notes: This is an adult situation novel. If you appreciated the Handmaid's Tale, the storyline of the movie Salt with Angelina Jolie, and/or new retellings of classic fairytales, in this case of Cinderella, you're going to devour this book. 9798988219620 I am currently still reading this book but MANNN has it pulled me into a wonderfully fantastical world! Honestly, it has really reawakened the spark and nostalgia of reading novels! I had taken a huge break from reading books for a long time to pursue my own creative endeavors, but I am just IN LOVE with the language, descriptions, and labor put into the story-telling of this vastly amazing and mystical world. And let me tell you...EVERY TIME this author describes the meals that Nasya and the rest of the Order eats, I get hungry myself and get so many urges to order food! LOL I love that! I can visually see the appearances of each character and even the atmosphere and scenery. The world building in this book is truly amazing and worth it! I can smell the scents of all the foods described as I turn through the pages and overall I really can connect with Nasya and her feelings on this crazy, unexpected journey of hers. It feels like I'm watching a legit movie in my head and this is certainly more entertaining than watching tv! Thank you so much for reigniting my spark in reading long-prose novels again! I am definitely looking forward to finishing this book up as it is definitely a hard one to put down! 9798988219620 Our main character, Nasya Ember, lives with a family that is so poor they struggle to survive. One day they are given hope by a mysterious woman who offers to buy Nasya. Nasya’s desperate parents agree, and Nasya soon finds out that she is to be trained as an assassin by a secret society called The Order of the Hand. We follow Nasya through her childhood, her teenage years, and falling in love with a fellow trainee named Scarlet. The Mothers of the Order seem to think Nasya is useless until they discover that she’s Fey, and can wield magic.
It’s called a dark reimagining of Cinderella. There is the name (which Nasya uses as an alias) and a glass slipper comes into the plot. But it owes more of its inspiration to Game of Thrones and Assassin’s Creed.
A rambling, fun-filled epic fantasy that I found very entertaining.
Could I have more, please?
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