Author: S.E. GroveReleased: 12th June 2014
Series: The Mapmakers Trilogy #1
Pages: 489 approx.
Links: Goodreads | Series Website | Author's Website | Buy the book!
It is 1891. Almost a century ago, the Great Disruption threw all the continents into different time periods, from prehistory to the far future. It remade the world. Explorers took their lives into their hands; mapmaking became a fine art, a mixture of science and magic.
Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers. Eight years ago, her parents went on an urgent mission, and never returned. She lives with her brilliant, absentminded uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, who is teaching her everything he knows. Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Her new friend Theo, a refugee from the West, comes along. From the moment the two of them get on the train, their lives are in as much danger as Shadrack's - because he has entrusted Sophia with the most important artifact in his collection.
She has only seen the world through maps. She had no idea they were so dangerous.
Sophia Tims comes from a family of explorers and cartologers. Eight years ago, her parents went on an urgent mission, and never returned. She lives with her brilliant, absentminded uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, who is teaching her everything he knows. Then Shadrack is kidnapped. And Sophia, who has rarely been outside of Boston, is the only one who can search for him. Her new friend Theo, a refugee from the West, comes along. From the moment the two of them get on the train, their lives are in as much danger as Shadrack's - because he has entrusted Sophia with the most important artifact in his collection.
She has only seen the world through maps. She had no idea they were so dangerous.
The Glass Sentence is one of the most complex and intricate books I've ever read in my lifetime and I absolutely loved it. Every moment I spent reading it, I was in complete awe of the world and plotline being crafted in front of my eyes and the sheer scale of detail and thought that S.E. Grove must have put into creating it. It was an astounding story and one that could only have been written by a master storyteller.
The world in this book is overwhelming in its complexity and richness - you will never have read a book with a world even remotely similar to this one before, I assure you. Every time I picked up this book, I'd flick through the pages at a deliberate slower pace, soaking up every stray detail of the world I could find and storing it away in a treasure chest in the back of my mind, revelling in the sheer and utter intricacy of it all. Grove's writing, the way she describes the world and builds it up until you feel lost in the pages, is one of the most entrancing styles I've come across. I think I'll still be processing this world in days to come.
Though Sophia is of a middle grade age, the book does not read like middle grade at all. I truly believe anyone of any age could find something to admire and love in this book, if not everything about it. However, I really liked the way Sophia's age came in to play in the storyline. It gave the story a layer of child-like imagination and fantasy. I loved how serious and determined and caring Sophia was yet still with a childish boldness that made her question everything around her. There were also a great variety of side characters who I couldn't help but adore because they were all so different from one another.
I really don't get why this book isn't being screamed about from every rooftop everywhere. It really deserves way more attention - which, after reading, you seriously think it would be drowning in already! I can't wait for the next book. I can only wonder at how it will delve into this unbelievably developed world and reveal yet some more of its secrets!
To conclude, The Glass Sentence is a stunning debut from an author who implements imagination like nothing you've ever seen. I still find it jaw dropping how complex and original the world is and how the plotline propels the story forward in a way which makes the whole book seem like something so special. If I've convinced one of you to read this book, or even to consider it, I'll be very happy indeed. An astounding novel.
FOUR AND A HALF TOADSTOOLS TO THE GLASS SENTENCE!
Happy Reading,
Rachel xoxo
This book looks really interesting! I love great worldbuilding so when you said that the world was incredibly intricate I basically decided to read it then and there. I read a lot of adult fantasy and the worlds in those can be truly gigantic (there's one series that spans six continents and has a world history than goes back hundreds of thousands of years. It's just insane). This is a great concept and your review really made me want to give it a go. That being said, I'm terrible at getting around to reading books on my TBR list seeing as it is in the hundreds at this stage, so I honestly don't know how long it'll take me to read this book, but thanks for the great review anyway!
ReplyDeleteKillian
http://leaf-on-the-breeze.blogspot.ie/
If you love great world building, you'll be in awe of how complex this one is! I hope you do get around to it soon and, when you do, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :D
DeleteTo be honest this doesn't sound like my type of book just because I'm not really into the whole historical fiction thing but you've sorta sold me at master storyteller. Will have to look into this one. Glad you enjoyed it, fab review as always!
ReplyDeleteI'd say it reads more fantasy than historical fiction. A fantastical adventure book, I'd say. I hope you give it a go one day! Thank you! :P
DeleteOKAY OKAY DUDE. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I WANT THIS. STOP TRYING TO MAKE ME WANT IT EVEN MORE WHEN YOU KNOW I CAN'T GET IT. UGH. WHAT TYPE OF FRIEND ARE YOU.
ReplyDeletep.s your review are awesome, <3
pp.s if i finally read it and love it, i'll scream about it from the rooftops trust me - i just need to purchase a ladder to get there..
Sorrryyyyyy. >.> but thanks. ;D
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