Glass Heart was an enjoyable fairytale to read with an easy to follow plot and likable characters. Nothing too complicated, the story is of a young girl who finds herself in a middle of a prophesy where she either must defeat or be killed by The Soldier. I raspy enjoyed this book and would do so again. Definitely one to put on the shelf

This was a really fun middle grade read, the story was just a tad bit spooky and that made it all the more fun to read.

The MC Nona was a delight, strong, loyal, kindhearted and determined. She has so much happened to her and even with this adventure she's taking it all in stride.

The pacing is well done, nothing drags and it kept me engaged the whole way. The villain was appropriately evil enough and I think it was set up just fine for an MG book but I. did find his motivation very slightly lacking.

The magic is fantastical and the final battle was set up well.

Fun read and definitely worth a read for any MG fantasy fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this atmospheric and magical tale. It was full of suspense and I was hooked right from the start.
In the aftermath of WW2, Nona now lives with her 'Uncle', a stained glass craftsman, who has taken her in after she lost her family in the Blitz. With little memory of the event, all she has left to remind her of her mother and brother is a small shard of glass. When he begins acting strangely, Nona decides to investigate and finds out something is going on, although she doesn't know what. The mystery mounts as they head to Dartmoor for his next job and Nona soon find herself mixed up in a dangerous battle between spirits and a mysterious, ominous villain - 'The Soldier'.
This is a well-paced story full of beautiful description and heart-felt characters. I will now definitely be seeking out her previous book Nevertell.

This is a fast paced, action packed story, that draws you in quickly and keeps you hooked from start to finish.
Katherine’s writing style is smooth, and enticing. It flows beautifully which makes it very easy to lose yourself in her magical world and enchanting tale.
Her characters are believable and well crafted. Her settings and descriptions make it easy to imagine yourself there alongside Nona and Caster. Feeling what they feel, in a way that other books often fail to do.
This is a definite must read for fantasy lovers and a book I could see any one being able to enjoy. It certainly one I’ll be recommending to my son, as I know he would love this. I’ll certainly be reading more by this author in the future.

Katharine Orton’s second novel Glassheart will first chill you then charm you with the story of Nona; a child whose life has been shattered by the bombs of World War II. With just a fragment of magical glass in the shape of a half-heart to remind her of the home she once shared with her mother and brother, Nona’s own heart cannot afford to be so fragile - tempered by her inner strength and determination, Nona finds a new home with a master craftsman, a man she comes to know and love as ‘Uncle’.

But when a journey to an enchanted Umbrafell puts Nona, Uncle and, ultimately, the fate of many others in her hands, she must face a disturbing villain and his army of creepy rattlesticks, and an unsettling truth about herself, to save her found family and budding friendship with Castor.

Steeped in the magical mists and moors of Dartmoor, this tale shows us how grief and loss can set people on very different paths, and the picture we piece together at the end is as intricate and multi-faceted as the stained-glass windows that feature so beautifully in the tale.

This is a wonderfully enchanting book full of magic and mystery.

It's gripping from the very start and holds you until the end.

The characters are very well written and developed throughout, which I really love. Nona is a brilliant character who is curious and brave.

The story is very well written and thought out. It has everything I could want from a story, magic, mystery, danger, slight heart-break, and wonderful characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher @walkerbooks and the author Katharine Orton for an eARC of this book.
Having fully enjoyed Nevertell I was really looking forward to this book by the same author. I was not disappointed. This is a really enchanting, middle-grade book full of adventure and magic. It is set in Dartmoor in the moors and centres around Nona and her Uncle Antoni. Her Uncle is a stained glass window maker and repairer who works on war-torn buildings and Nona, who was orphaned in the Second World War, lives with him. They travel everywhere together. After an explosion during the war, the only possession Nona has is half a glass heart. that she discovers has magical properties and she can see things in it. There is a dark and powerful magic which threatens everything. How will Nona prevent this from happening and protect the people she cares about? Will she have to fight against this dark power? A really beautiful read and great characters. An overall lovely adventure.

Glassheart is a magical middle grade book that follows Nona who was orphaned during WWII and taken in by Uncle Antonio, a talented Polish glass maker, he teaches Nona his skills and loves her like she is her own.
This story starts with Uncle Antonio being mysteriously bewitched by an enchantment at a church that converges the line beiween real life and the magical realm.
Nona is drawn into a battle between two fantastical sisters and a dark presence known only as The Soldier. She becomes firm friends with an imp called Castor who helps guide Nona through the magical world she finds herself in.
For younger readers I think this would be a delightful read. It has great characters and the relationship between Nona and Castor is adorable. There was a sense of urgency at the end as we drew towards the conclusion. The magical elements were quite unique. I would have liked more of the relationship with Uncle Antonio and little more of his background as he was a super lovable and interesting character.
All in all this was a an enjoyable read and for the right age group would really hit the mark.

This is a good middle grade story for confident readers that mixes a tale of grief and loss after war with a magical tale of spirits and healing. I liked Nona's character a lot, she is strong despite her loss and shows great courage when facing the soldier, a dark character made terrible by his own great loss. I felt the soldier was well developed and a slightly more complex villain than I expected. The stories resolution was both hopeful and convincing and I felt that the idea of stained glass holding magic made for a good tale.

I wanted to love this one a lot more than I did. It was ok, but I thought the premise had a lot of promise that wasn't really fulfilled. The story was good, although perhaps a little more conflict would have made it more interesting. I thought with the length that it would be aimed more at slightly older readers, but it definitely seemed more suitable for younger readers.

This beautiful atmospheric tale is set in the aftermath of WWII. After her mother and brother are killed in the Blitz, Nona goes to live with 'Uncle', another survivor, taking with her, a heart shaped glass, the shard being a reminder of home. But there is a greater significance to the glassheart than is first thought. 'Uncle' is a glazier but something mysterious is happening to him; he takes Nona with him to a remote and derelict church set in the wilds of Dartmoor where he sets about restoring the beautiful stained glass windows. Nona hears him talking but to whom and why is a mystery waiting to be uncovered. Whilst in the church Nona finds herself beset with sightings of spirits from the beautiful woman with the melodic voice to the man cloaked in black and who is clearly not a kindly spirit.
As I read Glassheart, I found myself holding my breath so as to not be spotted by 'The Soldier'; a maloevelent spirit. What is the significance of the heart shaped glass & who uncle speaking to and why? As the story unfolds, Nona discovers that the veil between our world and that of the spirit world is connected, if only one chooses to take the first step.
 
Glassheart is a beautifully written story about loss, grief and hope.
Perfect for Upper Key Stage 2 readers and older.
 I was generously permitted to read Glassheart via Netgalley by Walker Books in exchange for honest feedback.

Nona lives with her ‘Uncle’ after losing her mother and brother in an explosion during the war. Her Uncle is a stained glass artist and he takes up a mysterious commission in the spooky moors of Dartmoor. Nona accompanies him all the while watching for signs of mystery surrounding her uncle. Feeling spooked herself, Nona soon meets an Imp. This imp will become an ally she needs to draw upon in the future fight against evil.

There is a soldier who haunts Nona’s dreams, and it turns out she will need to battle him to save her uncle!

This is a magical story by the author of Nevertell, another brilliant book with an adventurous story, fierce female lead and a cast of incredible characters.
This captivating story surrounds a “glassheart” which survived the same explosion Nona did and this heart is key to the strength of the soldier. He must have her glass in order to do something important. What that is I cannot tell you!
The wilds of Dartmoor bring an added eeriness to this story of light and dark, good and evil, love and grief.

This is an unforgettable book and it is superbly written. I felt as though I were in the wilds of the moors, felt the soldier invading my own dreams and worried as the battle began.

This is a top pick of 2020!

Wow, wow, wow! This was a beautiful story. It is magical and real & touches upon the beautiful truth that if you show someone kindness when they are hurting then you can truly change a life.

Nona is strong & fierce whilst also being the right balance of confident and insecure. Orphaned in the war, her adopted father Uncle Antoni cared for her and teaches her what it means to make beautiful pieces of art with glass. She keeps her own token, a half heart made of glass, close to her not realising how important it will be in shaping her destiny.

I loved Castor and could picture his smile very vividly while I was reading.

Brilliant middle grade book that could be enjoyed by anyone, especially as a class book for Year 5/6.

Having read Orton's previous children's book 'Nevertell', and being swept up in the enchantment and writing style, I knew I would love Glassheart. I wasn't wrong. This completely wrapped me up in its enchanting story of Nona and her uncle, who travel around fixing up stained glass windows in a war-torn Britain.

The story has a wonderful backdrop, set against the blustery and atmospheric Dartmouth moors. It's almost a character all in itself, setting up a magical scene for Nona to explore and discover. I also just really loved Nona. She's brave and resilient, determined and kind. The perfect heroine for a middle Grade. Her story, her compassion, really had me invested in the plot and had me rooting for Nona.

A wonderful middle Grade.

I am no regular candidate for fantasy books, I often find them plain silly or logically sloppy.
This book reeled me in with its lyrical prose: “Under the sepia sky and the lopsided moon, the mist looked like a pale sea carrying diamonds.”
To be sure, it is meant exclusively for young female readers and it often teeters on the Disney cliff - sparkling fairy robes, towering baddies and Dobbie-esque spirits.
Buuuut, it has this poetic quality that is very charming indeed.
The gist: 11-year-old Nona, a war orphan, teams up with “Uncle” Antoni who runs a stained-glass business in post-war London. They are tasked by a mysterious lady to restore a church’s windows in Dartmoor. But Nona notices that Uncle Antoni seems to be like hypnotised, shutting out everything that prevents him from getting this commission done. Nona finds out that the restoration of the windows is but a small part of what really goes on and finds herself, her new companions and her uncle in grave danger...
Lots of the very familiar: the fight of good versus evil, shapeshifters, spells and potions, but enthralling nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.
Glassheart is the story of Nona, a young girl orphaned by the Second World War and taken in by a kindly Polish man and talented glass-worker, who she calls ‘Uncle Antoni’.
Uncle Antoni appears to be the subject of an enchantment that draws him and Nona to a mysterious ruined church, the stained glass windows of which need replacing.
There, Nona meets a mysterious creature called Castor, who tells her more about the church, and helps her with her mission to free Uncle Antoni from his enchantment, all the while trying to steer clear of the ominous ‘Soldier’; a man with a stag’s head who wants to exchange Nona’s life for that of his dead son.
The narrative hopped around a little, and there was some repetition, but younger readers may find the repetition helpful, and this feels like a book written for younger readers. I was expecting it to read a little older, given the number of pages and the fact that it’s not an illustrated book.
You really get a sense of how Nona feels throughout the book, as there’s plenty of description concerning her internal feelings as she encounters different experiences. The surroundings are also described using comparison and analogy and this presents a good opportunity for younger readers to expand their vocabulary at the same time as helping them picture the scenes Nona finds herself in.
There were a number of things that happened which felt a little too convenient; Nona guessing what other characters’ motivations were, and rucksacks just happening to turn up without any real explanation are just a couple of examples, and these felt like a missed opportunity to provide a bit more of a challenge for the characters.
Nona seems quite young for eleven, and this matched the overall feel of the story for me.
The pace and direction of the story picked up at around 60%. There’s a nice little twist that adds some meaning, which for me had been missing up to that point.
Overall I liked the idea for the story, but I felt like it could have been told more succinctly.

I adored this book from the very first page!
Glassheart is set just after the war and follows the story of Nona who has gone to live with a glassmaker, after losing her family in an attack that she can barely remember. The story touches upon loss, love, courage and believing in yourself in the most beautiful way.
Katherine Orton's choice of language and description is stunning, although I have no personal experience of glasswork, I could easily imagine myself in uncle Antoni's studio, I could see the light reflecting brilliantly from the jewel-coloured glass, I could hear the sound of the machinery and smell the materials used to mould the glass together.
Although this story touches upon the serious nature of love and loss it is also a thrilling tale of adventure that you won't want to miss out on!

Thank you, NetGalley, for letting me read this. I really enjoyed it. It has a classic feel to it - it reminded me of reading Joan Aiken as a child - Orton is great at creating atmosphere, and setting up eery, unexpected scenes. There's great compassion here, too.

Nona is a great heroine, fighting her own battle against fear, strong enough to offer forgiveness. Glass is everywhere - in Uncle Antoni's work, in Nona's own talisman, in the strange and powerful glass heart of the title. Nona meets some strange, complex spirits, but in the end it's her human heart that leads the way.

Wow.

This book is a work of art; it is truly a masterpiece.

Katharine Orton is an artist, twisting words into something beautiful and unique. Her prose is like poetry: each word is selected for maximum impact and purpose. Reading one of her books is like visiting a museum or listening to a piece of music. I am never more aware of my inability to eloquently articulate than when I read her writing, which makes this review all the more difficult to write!

Glassheart is an amazing story of courage, determination and love. Set just after the Second World War, it deals with issues such as loss and emotional trauma with great sensitivity. It is a haunting tale which has the perfect combination of dark and light. It will really appeal to so many young readers.

Nona is an orphan of war, who has gone to live with a glassmaker. A mysterious commission sends them to the moors of Dartmoor where they enter a world touched by magic and spirits. Here Nona must face an enemy she didn’t know she had and discover a power hidden deep within.

For me, as with Nevertell, the greatest strength of Katharine Orton’s writing lies in her descriptions. She paints pictures with words and so the reader feels like they have a window into the world that she has created. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It was unique, unpredictable and immersive.

Glassheart By Katharine Orton
Release date 5/11
Date read: 20/8
Rating: 4.5 stars
This was an arc kindly sent to me by @netgalley and @walkerbooks.
Tags: Middle-grade, family, supernatural, magical, spooky, children.
Synopsis:
An enchanting magical adventure set in the wild moors of Dartmoor - the second middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of Nevertell.

Through the glass, the magic is waiting...

Nona and her uncle travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings. When a mysterious commission takes them to the lonely moors of Dartmoor, Nona discovers a wild and powerful magic which threatens everything. Can Nona protect those she loves - even if it means fighting darkness itself?

A beautifully imaginative and rich adventure about determination, courage, and the power of love, set in the aftermath of World War Two.

Thoughts on the book: The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover it intrigued me, and I wanted to give it a read. From the start of the book the setting was wild and drew the tension to the story which had me wanting to know more. It also had a spooky feel to the story which had me on the edge of my seat all in the backdrop of world war two. Nona is a girl who has gone through horrific lost with the aftermath of the world war and you could feel the impact on that with moving to her ‘uncle’ who like her has gone through a huge sense of lost. The theme of found family is very prevalent in this book and how much are you willing to risk for people who are your not your blood. I loved the paranormal/ magical elements in this book which took the forms of spirits, spells and imps and others. This book will be perfect if you are looking for a magical but spooky read a post Halloween book read. I found this with a unique way of using historical and magical elements that I am looking forward to seeing more from this author, the villain was not what I was expecting but I feel the payoff was very sweet which made me cry.

Overall, as someone who has not read from this author before I really enjoyed it and I will be picking up more from this author and I cannot wait to add this to my middle-grade collection and to recommend it to people who would like to read a new magical adventure about a girl who thinks she is unable to do much but believing in herself she will be able to do what she feels is right in powers that have been playing with her since the war.