Glamour in Glass

Nebula Award nominee 2012, Locus Award nominee 2013.

A fine Austen-esque adventure in wartime from the acclaimed author of Nebula nominee Shades of Milk and Honey

Mary Robinette Kowal recently stunned readers with her charming first novel Shades of Milk and Honey, as a loving tribute to the works of Jane Austen in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence. This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. Shades went on to earn great acclaim and become a finalist for the prestigous Nebula Award, leaving readers eagerly awaiting its sequel, Glamour in Glass, which brings us further along in the lives of beloved main characters Jane and Vincent, with a much deeper vein of drama and intrigue.

In the reprieve after Napoleon abdicates, during the Seventh Coalition, Jane and Vincent go to the continent for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed Emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, they struggle to escape. When Vincent is captured as a British spy, Jane realizes that their honeymoon has been a ruse to give them a reason to be in Europe. He has been using a new technique to capture glamour folds in glass in order to send vital information back to England, where the court has great interest in the politcal unrest in the region. Jane is angry, not at Vincent's reason for going to Europe, but that he had lied to her. "Had I know, I would have come willingly. Do I not love King and Country as much?"

Left with no outward salvation, Jane is left to overcome her own delicate circumstances and use all the glamor at her disposal to rescue her husband from prison, and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country's war.

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Fantasy Alternate History

Release date: April 5, 2012

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Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal writes stories where the boundaries of science fiction and fantasy blur, creating worlds that feel both fantastical and grounded in human experience. Known for her lyrical prose and insightful explorations of technology, emotion, and society, Kowal’s work invites readers into captivating, thought-provoking realms, where the magic of storytelling is intricately woven with real-world issues.

A proud graduate of the prestigious Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, Kowal’s early career in puppetry and voice acting helped shape her storytelling style, infusing it with rich character voices and a tactile sense of the physical world. She’s a multi-talented creator, with experience both on stage and behind the scenes in theater. This deep appreciation for the art of performance manifests in her writing, where characters come to life with the same vividness as a puppet brought to life on stage.

Kowal’s most notable series, The Glamourist Histories, combines alternate history with magic, delivering tales that blend Regency-era manners with the ethereal beauty of glamour, a form of magic used to manipulate reality. Her writing is often praised for its blend of historical accuracy with speculative elements, using the social mores of the 19th century to explore the intersections of power, gender, and class through a fantastical lens. Kowal’s commitment to nuanced character development makes these novels both deeply emotional and intellectually engaging.

Her Lady Astronaut series, beginning with The Calculating Stars, further expands her reach, diving into an alternate history where women fight for a place in space exploration in the wake of a catastrophic event. This series highlights Kowal’s passion for writing women into spaces where they have often been underrepresented, creating complex characters who challenge the boundaries of both their time and the stars.

Kowal’s voice has also resonated beyond her novels, with her short fiction appearing in high-profile venues such as Lightspeed and Tor.com. As a Hugo Award-winning author, Kowal has made her mark not only with her engaging stories but through her advocacy for underrepresented voices in speculative fiction. She’s become a recognized figure in the science fiction community, both for her works and her dedication to fostering inclusivity in genre spaces.

With a keen eye for the emotional complexity of her characters and an ability to craft worlds that feel both intimately human and wildly imaginative, Kowal has made a name for herself as a storyteller who isn’t afraid to ask big questions about who we are and where we’re going.

Mary Robinette Kowal’s works resonate with fans of speculative fiction who appreciate rich world-building, complex characters, and a deep engagement with societal issues—whether they’re exploring the intricacies of a magical Regency or the vast possibilities of space. For readers looking to escape into a world where both the heart and the stars are explored in depth, Kowal’s books offer a journey worth taking.

The Glamourist Histories

Hugo Award-winner Mary Robinette Kowal’s Regency romance fantasy series, The Glamourist Histories, chronicle the adventures of Jane Ellsworth. Gifted with the magical ability to cast glamours, she and her husband travel Europe and become embroiled in intrigues.

The Glamourist Histories consists of five books. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

★ 7.26 / 8

Glamour in Glass (The Glamourist Histories #2)

★ 7.16 / 6

Without a Summer (The Glamourist Histories #3)

★ 8.00 / 3

Valour and Vanity (The Glamourist Histories #4)

★ 8.50 / 2

Of Noble Family (The Glamourist Histories #5)

★ 7.50 / 2

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