Such a fast paced, well-executed sequel to a beautiful, lyrical story that sparks your imagination beyond your limit.
Enjoyed it so much!

I’ve been eager for this sequel ever since I finished Brittle, and it didn’t disappoint at all. It’s always really satisfying to see a second book that shines as well as the first one, and everything in this one lived up to the hype my mind had given it. The worldbuilding and characters are great, and the first chapter reminds the reader of just enough to get back into the swing of things.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars!

Following on the heels of Brittle, Beth Overmyer takes the reader back to a land of magic in the second book of the Blade and Bone series, Tempered Glass. Overmyer has captured my attention in a genre that had largely left me behind and Overmyer, along with the other fantasy writers on the Flame Tree Press roster, have begun to restore my faith in fantasy. I entered into Tempered Glass hoping for an entertaining follow-up to the first novel.

When Verve made it through her transformation into the Fire Queen, she thought the hardest part was behind her. She now had the power but she had no idea how to use it. The power was growing within her and beginning to run wild without being harnessed. Verve is forced to put all her focus on learning how to reign the power in and use it. She is making progress and hope begins to spark in her mind, and then disaster strikes.

Verve's past comes crashing into her present and she finds herself in a struggle to save not only herself but the world at large. She had hoped to forever leave Letorheas behind, but destiny had different plans for her. Verve must once again journey to the land of the fairies to face the darkness she thought she had defeated for good. Verve is surprised, however, to find that she must also struggle with her husband, who has a very different belief about the nature of the curse put on her, and this struggle may be more dangerous than the darkness itself.

Overmyer does a good job of building on the momentum of Brittle in Tempered Glass and takes the story to the next level in intrigue and world-building. This series is a slow building fantasy that is not heavy on action but full of detail and imagery. What the story lacks in epic battles it more than makes up for in the lush detail of the world as well as the mental turmoil that Virve goes through as she tries to navigate her new powers in a world that is seemingly turned against her. Overmyer keeps the reader guessing throughout the novel with its twists and turns that come quickly and keep the reader from comfortably settling into the narrative.

The only thing holding this book back from a five-star rating is that the detail and characterization sometimes caused my mind to wander and lose track of the story. Overmyer does such a strong job of developing the characters, especially Verve, that it was easy to get caught up in that at times and then have to reset and get back to the story. This was a bit of distraction that made me have to backtrack at times to pick up the story. While this is not a long novel, it reads much longer than it is and takes more of a time investment than I expected when I started. Overall, Tempered Glass is a strong fantasy novel and a solid second novel in the series. I would have liked the story to be a bit more story-driven, but this is also a common symptom of a second novel in a series in which world and character building takes over. I am looking forward to the next book in the series and would recommend this one to any fan of the genre.

I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Tempered Glass was released today.

I just want to start off by saying that I only realised this was book 2 once I finished it. However, I feel like that did not make a difference to my reading experience.

I absolutely loved this book! I was in such a slump and this book pulled me out.

The dynamic between Fenn and Verve is incredible. I love that there’s banter and that Fenn was willing to help out when Verve could not contain her power. I strive to have a fae boyfriend like that🤭. There wasn’t any spice but there was kissing and a few spicy references.

Now, I’m a simp for when the author somehow incorporates the title of the book into the text. So when I read the book and found reference to the title not once, but TWICE, I was over the moon!

I love that twists that I never saw coming and the betrayals that squished my heart a bit. I also loved those who helped along the way and the new friends Verve made.

I highly recommend this book! I also recommend reading the first one🤭

Thank you so much Random Things Tours, NetGalley, and Beth Overmyer for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!