The Glass Spare audiobook

Really solid fantasy read. Super interesting world building. And I absolutely adored all of the characters.

4.5 Stars!I've been meaning to try this author for awhile now and even though I have many of her books in my TBR pile, I decided this story would be the one I would start with first.I'm so very glad that I did. I opened this expecting cliches galore and a little bit of the same old same old that the YA market has been flooded with and instead I found a read that was not only engaging but easy to pick up and hard to put down. I quickly became not only interested in the story line and what the characters had to reveal but I becamecaught up in it. It quickly captured my attention and I found myself even thinking about parts of it while I had to step away from it to do other things. It was sad in so many ways that I wasn't expecting, I would even go as far as to say emotionally charged at times. Needless to say, this took me by surprise with how much I really enjoyed it. I couldn't seem to get enough of it and it didn't take me long to read through it and be left wanting more by the end. I'm truly excited about this series and can't wait for more. *ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Ok I'm pretty curious how the next book is going to go. Most of this book destroyed my heart but I'm glad I picked it back up and got to finish it. Definitely a good read if you're in to fantasy.

I absolutely loved the worldbuilding in this one, and the way things are always more complicated than they first appear.

“Death itself is no match for you. The day you were born, it shrank away in fear.” I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I was expecting a fun and unique fantasy story (which I got), but I loved the strong family relationships and the science fiction elements seamlessly blended into the story. The Glass Spare follows Wil Heidle, the elusive princess of Arrod. Kept a secret to spy for the king, Wil has a wandering heart and wants freedom and adventure. But, when Wil’s attacked she discovers a dangerous magic - her touch turns people to gemstones. Now Wil wants to find a cure for her destructive power and begins to learn more about herself and the world. Things I Liked I’m a complete sucker for sibling relationships - give them all to me - and I really loved the sibling relationships in the story. Wil, Gerdie, and Owen have an amazing relationship. They have such care and love for each other that it was a joy to see. Baren was the odd sibling out, but I still felt like I got to know him as a person, even though he wasn’t as close as the others.This books was filled with so many great characters - and as a character driven reader, I was very happy! I immediately connected with Wil, who is strong and defiant. She wants so much and actively tries and seek the freedom she’s never been afforded - without putting herself above others. She remains a good person, even in her selfishness. I really loved Gerdie. He is so smart and his relationship with Wil was probably my favorite. Loom was also a great character. He’s another character who is just genuinely a good person - he wants to help people so much and is willing to do anything he can to make the world better for those he cares about.I really liked that we got to see some disability rep in the story! I like that we got to see a Gerdie use leg braces to walk, and he was never limited or looked down upon. Wil’s mom is also show to have OCD (which is own voices). I’m always here for more diverse representation in fantasy stories!I really liked the action in the story. Besides Wil’s touch - which created vivid imagery, we get good clean action, that is not predictable and where you can feel the tension in the scenes.The unique blend of fantasy and scifi might have been my favorite part of the story. It’s just something I haven’t really seen before. The word is filled with magic, alchemy, curses, and powers. But there’s also advanced technology like data goggles, telephones, and sustainable energies . It was just really cool. Things I Didn’t Like I found that time passed weirdly in some scenes. It was like all of a sudden, weeks had passed, when it seemed like only days had. And the inverse happened a few times as well. It just wasn’t as clearly defined in some areas as I would have liked,I also felt like some parts of the story didn’t have enough set up. We get to a solution or stalemate a little too quickly. Especially regarding the war brewing between kingdoms - we know a war is coming, but I never get a good sense of why besides greed. Which is I guess a realistic motivator, but I would have liked a little more.Overall this story immediately hooked me and I cannot wait to see where we go next. I really loved the characters we get to meet and we see so many dynamic relationships. I absolutely loved the world and hope for more a little more clarity in the future. The Glass Spare is a captivating and vibrant story of embracing your power, even if it scares you.I received a copy of the book from Balzer + Bray in exchange for an honest review.

***4.5 STARS***I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was a hard one to rate but I settled on 4.5 because of how unique it was and how well-executed. I feel like it deserves more appreciation.🦊 My ThoughtsThe Glass Spare is a dark, atmospheric story about a girl who can suddenly turn every living thing she touches into gemstone. It’s a gender-bent, King-Midas-Inspired story set in an intriguing world of warring kingdoms, alchemy and magic. The protagonist, Wil, is the only daughter to the king of a rich nation. The king uses all his children as a means to an end and Will’s role is to serve as a spy, secluded from the real world. As a curious and restless child, she has always yearned to go out and explore the world.And her wish to do so comes when she first discovers her powers and accidentally turns her life upside down with an irreversible mistake. Wil is then banished from the kingdom and forced to set off into the unknown world with her mistake haunting her every step, only her gemstones as company. When she meets a cursed prince of the opposing kingdom, she comes to learn of her father’s faults and is faced with the burden of choosing sides.There are few chapters from her brother Gerdie’s pov, as he struggles to find out what happened to his sister and where she had disappeared to. Wil’s relationship with her brothers was so interesting and heart-warming. The love they have for each other and their dynamics are uncommon in YA and one of the things I absolutely loved about this book. I also appreciated how incredibly complex and intriguing all the characters were, how layered and complicated the different types of relationships featured.There is a heavy, burdening atmosphere throughout this whole novel that fit Wil’s story so well, as she struggles with the consequences of her actions, rooted out from the only world she knows and forced to survive away from the brothers she so dearly loved. Even with all the interesting characters, her story felt lonely and sad; at the same time, strong and persevering. I don’t know how to explain it beyond that but it was my favorite aspect of this novel. It just really resonated with me and touched me in some subtle way. It’s rare to see a dark, almost-melancholy book like this in YA. I LOVED THE WRITING in here. It’s stunning just how talented this author is and how much of an emotional punch she can pack in just a few words. It is my favorite type of writing style. Beautiful and intricate but not at all flowery (which almost never works for me). I see that this book is a bit polarizing. And I honestly can’t tell if anyone else would enjoy it as much but this book just resonated with me in a special way. It’s just such a well-crafted novel and this is what I want to see more of in YA. Something atmospheric, original and completely it’s own.🦊 Praise / Criticism👍🏾Unique, atmospheric and dark YA (which we need more of)👍🏾Portrayal of close and complicated sibling r/ships👍🏾Complex and intriguing characters👍🏾Complicated relationship dynamics featured 👍🏾Beautiful writing👍🏾Unpredictable .....................................................................................................👎🏾 Slower paced👎🏾Drags a bit✪ Check out more reviews at my blog:

Sono troppo indecisa sul rating, ma comunque il libro mi è piaciuto troppo. Bisognerebbe parlarne di più a mio avviso. The glass spare è una storia piuttosto originale con degli ottimi personaggi e un world building affascinante e che ha sicuramente del potenziale. Ho apprezzato tantissimo anche il riferimento alla legge da del Re Mida, così come mi è piaciuta tutta l'idea della "maledizione" di Wil. L'ambientazione poi è stata la ciliegina sulla torta, ci troviamo infatti in un mondo che sta appena scoprendo la tecnologia, quindi oggetti come il telefono e così via. Se potete leggetelo perché è veramente carino!

Full review can also be viewed on Lair Of Books:https://lairofbooksblog.wordpress.com...PLOTThe Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano can very well be seen as a gender-bend version of the King Midas & the Golden Touch myth. We are introduced to Wil Heidle the only daughter to the Northern King as well as her 3 brothers & mother. The King himself is a man who will stop at nothing when he sets out to seize lands & so the North is at the brink of war with the South. The South may not be wealthy like the North however, the King knows that the land itself is rich in medicinal plants that can produce miracle cures.The King sees each of his children as pawns & as such has groomed each of them to serve a purpose in his Kingdom. Wil however is the child he has always feared & never loved due to the circumstances revolving her birth. She wasn’t born with her mothers beauty but rather with what appeared to be a birthmark over her heart. From the moment she was born she was said to be carrying a great evil… EVERYTHING Wil touches that has life turns into gemstone. No one including Wil herself are aware of this dormant power & so the King who trusts no one, decides to groom her from a very young age to be a spy to the Kingdom. Until the day Wil’s power manifests itself in the worse possible way leaving tragedy in its wake. Wil is forced to leave the kingdom & chooses to go in search of a cure for what she believes is a curse. Hiding her true identity, Wil ventures into enemy lands in the South on her quest for a cure. Meeting another cursed soul was never in her plans. Finding out that he’s the Prince of the South doesn’t simplify things.CHARACTERSKing of the North- a man only interested in power & the lands he can acquire. He loves his wife who is his Achilles heel but he will use his kids and their skills to his benefit whenever he sees fit.Queen of the North- It scared me how much of myself I saw in this character. The Queen has OCD & her biggest fear is anything bad happening to any one of her kids. She spends nights awake roaming the castle halls checking in on them to make sure they are breathing. Oftentimes counting random things such as the number of kisses she gives each one of them while they are asleep. The Queen has a wanderer heart which she gave up once she became the Queen & a mother but her free spirit lives in on in two of her kids.Wil Heidle- Craves to see the world & experience life in all corners of the world, Wil is very much like her mother. She is also a very talented spy who really just wants to make her father proud. This is her only connection to her father & so she works hard at gathering secrets all throughout the kingdom. It is because of this that she plays all her cards close to the chest & has her walls up high. Wil loves her family, flaws & all but it’s her brother Gerdie she is attached to most.Gerdie Heidle- Struck by Gray Fever when he was a child, Gerdie is a living miracle. He is able to walk with the assistance of metal leg frames & wards off fevers via his homemade remedies. He is an alchemist & therefore the King looks to him for warfare & ingenuity. Gerdie & Wils relationship was my favorite of them all in this book. The scenes in Gerdies lab were some of my favorite & I could vividly imagine the mini explosions Gerdie set off while Wil ran to check on him.Owen Heidle- Oldest son & therefore heir to the throne, Owen will one day be king & perhaps the kingdom would be better off with him in charge. Also a wanderer like his mother, Owen has traveled the world & seen many things. He has a vision for the Northern kingdom & preventing his father from starting a war is top priority. Owen loves all his siblings & is seen as the level headed responsible one of them all.Baren Heidle- The son the king has cast off as useless. He lacks the IQ Gerdie brings to the table & the logistical/physical skills Owen carries. This has made Baren into a very bitter & angry brother/son who hates everyone except his mother. I would’ve liked to have seen more of this character, he was definitely treated as the invisible son.Loom & Zay- Later on in the story we meet the Southern Prince Loom & his traveling companion Zay. The Prince does carry a curse within him & very much like Wil doesn’t agree with the way his father the Southern King is running the land. They are enemies without knowing it & so their relationship is based on lies. Won’t go into detail for fear of spoilery things but I will say that I really did enjoy Looms character. He has a big heart & wants to do more for his people in many ways similar to Owen Heidle. Zay his companion is AMAZING!!!! she is the definition of Momma Bear! very maternal, Zay will fight you to the death if you hurt her loved ones.WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTSA solid start to The Glass Spare series!!! this was my 1st Lauren DeStefano read & it really took my by surprise how invested I got in this story. I picked this book up on a late Friday night & couldn’t put it down, before I knew it I had reached the last sentence. A genderbend version of King Midas & the Golden Touch, one of my favorite myths growing up as a kid. My first revelation was that Wils power although it may sound beautiful at first is actually pretty gruesome when seen in action. No, not everything that glitters is gold & pretty! I still have this one scene in my head that was very descriptive & left me contorting my face & literally shaking my head NO! (yes, yes I am a scaredy cat) & yet I REALLY enjoyed her writing LOL! I kept flinching whenever she came into close contact with another person in fear she’d turn them into a giant ruby, trust me it isn’t pretty. The character relationships were my favorite & even the King in the North managed to make me question whether he was always that cold. Speaking as a person who deals with OCD, I found the Queen to be extremely relatable with compulsions I myself carry out on the daily. I will most certainly continue on with this series & highly recommend to those looking for a strong & fresh take on a tale as old as time ;)*HUGE Thanks to Balzer + Bray/Harper, Edelweiss, and Lauren DeStefano for the eGalley copy of The Glass Spare in exchange for an honest review.

ARC provided by HarperCollins via Edelweiss.Review to come soon!

🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪5 CookiesMy blog! Check out the photos herejeqcbueou!!! Wow you guys... This book was an awesome owlcrate to recieve! I'm was actually thrilled to get it. It has taken me forever to write this review mainly because I wanted to wait until I could express my feelings without totally fan girling over it. Wil Heidle: The totally unique character in this story. Honestly I wanted to jump in that book and just give her a big hug. She was confident in herself without being totally arrogant and this is an awesome trait in a main character. Loom: Aweee! My dear Loom. I really liked Loom, but I felt there were other characters I enjoyed reading about more. He was a intresting... I think love intrest? However I really want to see more backstory on him in book two. Gertie: Gertie is just a little chocolate chip cookie that deserves to be cherished. He was actually my favorite to read about. Mainly because of how much he loved his family. I wanted to use my brainwaves and tell him that Will was still alive... My brainwaves were a little rusty.Baren: I don't really know what to say about Baren. He just irritated me to no end. Yea... I don't really know what else to say about him. The cons: I wanted to start out with the one tiny con I had. I just thought the capture with Loom moved took quickly I really didn't see why I would rate it lower because of this it was just a suggestion. :) The pros: Pretty much everything about this book was a pro. It was amazing and unique and pretty much step one to get out of my reading slum. It was a really fun and intriguing read and I would FOR SURE reccommend this book!

I thought this was actually a rather charming and interested book. It does have the Midas feel obviously but it also has some fascinating characters that are fun to read about. The world building was not extensive, which I like more than the lengthy world building. I will continue this series for sure. I was a little thrown off on the relationships in this book though. Some are very undefined. But it didn't take too much away from the story.My quick and simple overall: an entertaining fantasy that was rather quick to read!

Death itself is no match for you. The day you were born, it shrank away in fear. Wil is the fourth child of the royal family and has grown up nearly invisible. Few outside the castle know what she looks like - which means she can sneak in and out to collect objects from the black market for her brother's experiments without anyone realizing they're trading with a princess. One night, however, something goes horribly wrong as a vendor tries to kill her - and Wil, in turn, turns him to ruby with a simple touch. When she, by accident, turns this power on someone she loves, she is forced to flee the kingdom - and try to figure out a reason for her curse. And a cure.The world building in this book is amazing! Wil's kingdom is steampunk/medieval/modern and - no lie - I want to live there. I also enjoy the characters immensely. Wil in particular; she's a true tomboy princess with a lot of attitude and spunk, who's also trying to deal with the fact that she might be cursed and cannot touch anything living without turning them or it to gemstones. Loom, a character she meets while on the run, is also really interesting, with an intriguing backstory and family of his own.What I did not like as much was the romance between those two characters. At times, it felt a bit forced - and I actually wouldn't have minded leaving the romance part be. The story would have worked perfectly well with them as friends - or as people who fall in love in future novels of this series. But other than that this was an entertaining story and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

This was SUPERB! I'm already reading the sequel. Well written and fast paced. Often I found myself saying aloud, "Wait, what! How can that happen?" Lol. I started feeling sad for the MC. This adventure is a must read for any YA fan. It's going on my favorite shelf!