Thank you to Black & White Publishing for granting my wish to review an ARC of The Theatre of Glass and Shadows by Anne Corlett.

First and foremost, Anne Corlett is a good writer - her style is smooth and engaging - her dialogue flows easily - and you can tell she put a lot of thought into the world building and creation of the Theatre District.

The plot summary intrigued me, and I had anticipated a story about a young woman searching for secrets to her dead parents and their past in the Theatre District. For the first 28% of the story that was the plot I was engaged in, especially as we saw Juliet finding her birth certificate and looking for details in the Shipping News and trying to make sense of her roots as she entered the thrill of The Show.

After that point I think the plot loses it's way, and Juliet's acceptance of the minimal information she has seen seems to take over her character in a way that doesn't feel developed, and, if anything, makes her seem unstable to the point I was worried the plot would just devolve into some sort of descent into madness. The characters around Juliet are not fleshed out enough to have a strong standing with the reader - I think this is because Juliet continuously moves from one group of relationships to the next - first her stepmother/half sisters, then the Shipping News fans, then the District, and she is immediately trusting of every instance in a way that makes me distrust every decision she makes

Then, as the plot expands quite exponentially to include a potential decades old serial murderer and multiple other threads that convolute the original intentions of Juliet - it just seems like so much danger is manufactured, but sprung on the reader in a way that is more confusing than engaging. Perhaps the summary should be about more than her search for truth on her parents and that would help? The story has larger layers and mysteries, and I think a more in-depth focus on these threads would have strengthened the story that Corlett is telling.

Do you remember as a child when you believed in a bit of everyday magic? Maybe it was the Sunday Disney night program or when you believed MAYBE there was another world inside your wardrobe?

The Theatre of Glass and Shadow brings that magic! Emboldened with a thread of the excitement of Broadway, you can feel the energy and expectation in the Theatre District's Show.

The Show, is an ongoing, for centuries, program of dancing and mystery and acting and more that draw in the public of London for entertainment nightly. The district is a labyrinth of walksways and hallways and no show is ever the same, all controlled by The Director and Choreographer.

Our protagonist is suffering in a Cinderella type situation. Juliet years to learn more about her real mother as her stepmother treats her dreadfully. Following the death of her father she is pulled towards the Theatre District to find out more about her birth. What she finds is beautiful, complex and beguiling. When a performer offers his hand to her, the choice is hers to take it or walk away.

Join Juliet in the Theatre of Glass and Shadows, you will be bewitched and enchanted and leave wanting more!
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I couldn’t stop talking about this book from the moment I started reading it. I loved discovering the mysterious world of the Theatre District and of the Show itself, which was such an imaginative creation. It reminded me in some ways of the Rivers of London series, with the mixture of police investigation and a hidden world set in an alternate London. In other ways, of the Harry Potter series, with an initially oblivious protagonist discovering the truth about their family and unusual heritage.

If you’re at all interested in immersive theatre, it’s a must read. I defy anyone to pick this up and not want a ticket to the Show! I can imagine this making a stunning film because it has so many wonderful visual aspects and the descriptions of the settings and performances are so vivid.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot, which kept me guessing. I can easily imagine further novels set in this world and look forward to seeing more from this author.

This was a great read, which was full of tension! The author clearly knows plenty about immersive theatre, and she brought the mysterious Theatre District to life with vivid descriptions.

I was intrigued to find out how Juliet fitted in with the district, and how her past linked her to it. It was clear that her idealistic view of the district wouldn’t survive her journey through the story’s events, which didn’t disappoint in terms of twists and keeping my interest high.

The book had satisfying antagonists, even if I didn’t know who all of them were to begin with. It was definitely worth the wait to find out what was going on!

It started well with a girl losing her father and realising she did not know her own history. I enjoyed the first third of the novel but found the mystery parts confusing and certainly not interesting enough to work it out. Such a good idea for a story with Theatre Land a law unto itself but I couldn’t help comparing it, unfavourably to The Night Circus. Needs a bit more work

This is such a fun concept, catnip for me, and I enjoyed a lot of it. Unfortunately it tipped into melodrama during the last third, as various villains (or are they?) pontificated while twirling their moustaches, and I couldn't take it as seriously as I'd have liked. But the setting is wonderful and I loved this twisted version of Theatreland, complete with excerpts from an in-world book detailing its history. I'd read more set there.

My thanks to Black and White Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Theatre of Glass and Shadow had a slow start for me, but after about 50 pages I got into the story. The idea of the Theatre District was fascinating, and it was fun to learn more about it as we followed Juliet's own journey of discovery. It was a novel with rich description, so you got a great sense of the detail in each scene. I also liked the mystery elements at first. However, I felt the story lost its way a little towards the end. After the slow start, the ending felt rushed as the author tried to tie off as many of the loose threads as possible, and with one reveal coming hot on the heels of another they began to loose impact. I nevertheless found it an enjoyable read and it was certainly a fresh idea that was mostly well presented. I am therefore giving it four stars. Recommended if you like magical realism with a darker, almost-thriller edge.

An intriguing highly visual concept
This novel starts with an apparently straightforward story about a young girl who has just lost her father recently ,the story is apparently straightforward and naturalistic. We then start to hear about the theatre district which is an area of London that has been developed completely separately from the, rest of the town and country and where there is a constantly running immersive theatrical production. This show has been running for thousands of years and the district is developed into a closed world of its own where even the police do not have jurisdiction.
The initial experience within the theatre district reads rather like an episode of Doctor Who one of the good ones written by Russell, T, Davies
The main concept for the novel is Intriguing and highly visual I could imagine it making a great TV series
The mystery element to the story was slightly weaker than the rest of the concept, and I felt rather lost at certain times in the story . Without giving away, the story as spoilers It’s difficult to explain why this happened. I found the final third of the novel, not a satisfactory as the opening sequences.
Copy of the novel on NetGalley UK, the book is published in the UK on the 23rd of May 2024 by Black and white publishing
This review will appear on NetGalleyuk. good reads and up my book blog, Vic bionicSarahsbooks.wordpress.com
After Publication the review will also appear on Amazon, UK