By Maria V. Snyder
Published By Harlequin
Summary (Goodreads): After siphoning her own blood magic in the showdown at Hubal, Opal Cowan has lost her powers. She can no longer create glass magic. More, she's immune to the effects of magic. Opal is now an outsider looking in, spying through the glass on those with the powers she once had, powers that make a difference in the world. Until spying through the glass becomes her new power. Suddenly, the beautiful pieces she makes flash in the presence of magic. And then she discovers that someone has st olen some of her blood--and that finding it might let her regain her powers. Or learn if they're lost forever...
**Spoiler Warning: This will contain spoilers for this book, only because I have some real problems with it that I need to get out.
My Thoughts: I wanted to like this book and for the most part I did. Opals need to find out if she will be able to get her magic back or if it is lost forever was a natural progression for this series. I loved her growth in this final book, from single mindedness to realizing that she can just be Opal. I loved that most of the cast of characters were back for this book. Valek was around a lot, which is always a good thing. There wasn't enough Ari and Janco but they are there also. I was glad that Opal had an HEA but was not happy with who it was with or how it came about.
This is where I complain some. First, Kade just being dropped out of the picture with no warning. This didn't really seem to fit with the characters as we know them. I also didn't like the fact that he was upset but still just accepted it, again doesn't fit with this character, he's a storm dancer you would expect more emotion. Okay on to Devlin. I hated the fact that he was the HEA. I'm OK with reform, growth, and forgiveness but this was an extreme. I was kinda of creeped out with Opal suddenly being in love with the man who tortured and on some levels raped her earlier in this series. I just could not get behind this. Even Valek's support didn't help. Like I said earlier, I was happy that Opal got her HEA just not who it was with.
**There seems to be a lot of controversy over whether what took place was rape or not. I look at it this way. Yes, the sex was consensual, but Opal thought she was with Ulrick. Even if she thought something was up with the personality changes, she still thought it was him. Do any of us really believe that she would have been with Devlin, in Devlin's body, after all the physical and mental torture? I don't which is why I have such a problem with this book.
Rating: 3.5
The reason I stopped reading this series after book 1 is that there was inconsistent behaviour in the characters. Secondly I find Opal too stupid. I found those things too irritating to forgive that I dropped this series despite the good story telling quality. And I really find Maria V. Snyder's author's voice really good to read. She is a good story teller. But I hate her habit of making her characters stupid and behave inconsistently. I noticed this in the Yelena Zaltana trilogy but because the story telling quality is so good that I forgave it and continued on to this series. What a mistake!
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