AUTHOR: Gwen Perkins
PUBLISHER: Hydra Publications
APPROXIMATE LENGTH: 274 pages
Recommended
for fans of medieval and sword-and-sorcery type fantasies.
GENRE
Fantasy—Sword & Sorcery
The
Jealousy Glass
takes place in a medieval-style world of magic and noblemen, reminiscent of the
Game of Thrones series. Like its
prequel, The Universal Mirror, The Jealousy Glass focuses on a small
group of people maneuvering around the political ins and outs of the Empire of
Anjdur. The magic in this novel is understated, and most of the story focuses
on empire’s politics—the new ruler, the people loyal to the old ruler, the
empire’s relationship with the island of Cercia, etc. As such, it reads more
like historical fiction.
The
Jealousy Glass
is the second book in the Artifacts of
Empire series. It can be read without reading the first book, as the story,
while dealing with the fallout from The
Universal Mirror, is divorced from the main plot of the first book, and
Perkins does an excellent job of filling in the necessary details. Quentin, one
of the main characters in the first book, is largely absent, and the story
focuses instead on Asahel and Felix, who had a supporting role in The Universal Mirror. The Jealousy Glass ends on a
cliffhanger.
PACE
In The Jealousy Glass, Perkins takes her time to set up her world and
develop her characters. It’s not exactly a plot-driven page-turner, but it’s
certainly engaging. There’s a fair amount of tension in the second half of the
book, involving personal mysteries and political intrigue.
PERSPECTIVE
Third person. Most of this book
reads like third person limited, and there are a few moments that seem to take
a more omniscient perspective. This book rotates between the perspectives of
the main characters.
CONTENT REVIEW
The island of Cercia has
recently undergone a regime change and can’t afford enemies at present. Thus,
the new leader, Quentin, sends his good friend, a common-born man named Asahel,
and his not-so-good friend, a former noble named Felix, to broker an official
truce with the powerful Empire of Anjdur. Shipwrecked near the empire’s shore,
Asahel and Felix make their way toward the capital, Aulis, to meet with Empress
Irena, who rose to power after defeating her sister, Sophia. After arriving at
Aulis, they find that the empire is not as stable as it seems, as many are
still loyal to Sophia, and Irena will do anything to hold on to her throne.
The
Jealousy Glass
reads more like a medieval political drama than a traditional fantasy. Asahel
and Felix find themselves dealing with a situation they don’t entirely
understand. Not only is the history of Anjdur somewhat opaque, but they are
uncertain as to Quentin’s motivations. Why send a commoner like Asahel as an ambassador?
And why pair him with Felix, who has plenty of reasons to resent Quentin after
Quentin threw him under the bus during the revolution and then stripped him of
his lands and titles?
These questions—and Felix’s
refusal to divulge much personal information—create a lot of tension between
the two main characters, whose personalities are as different as night and day.
Asahel is the epitome of goodness—kind, loyal, and simple in the best possible
way. He seems incapable of the kind of scheming that surrounds him. Felix, on
the other hand, is perfectly willing to scheme. Glib and witty, he is a highly
entertaining character to watch. Much of The
Jealousy Glass is dedicated to the interactions between these two,
developing each one and exploring their relationship.
During their trip to Aulis, they
pick up a third Cercian, a cleric by the name of Nicolas. The concept of a
Cercian cleric is an interesting one, as the Cercians are staunchly atheist.
They believe in the Nietzschean idea that with no worshippers, the gods must be
dead. The citizens of Anjdur, on the other hand, are very religious. Sophia was
believed to be the voice of their God, and thus the loyalists believe Irena’s
ascent to be nothing short of blasphemy. One of the most fascinating elements of
The Jealousy Glass is the interaction
between Nicolas, whose role as a cleric is mostly to be a counselor and
advisor, and the Anjdur citizens who see his atheism as heresy.
The magical aspect in The Jealousy Glass is understated and
largely in the background. Cercia was formerly the island of
magicians—practically a prison for them, as attempting to leave was punishable
by death. There is not much magic in Anjdur, and so the citizens are astounded
by Nicolas’ simple card tricks, which seem absurdly simple to Asahel and
Quentin, both of whom wield real magic. Magic is chiefly used as a bargaining
chip in the truce negotiations, as it is the one thing the tiny island has to
offer the mighty empire.
Perkins writes with a distinct
and almost archaic voice, transporting the reader back in time to a more
mystical era. The old-fashioned lilt serves the story well, adding another
layer to Perkins’ immersive world. While the universe her story takes place in
is a fascinating place, it’s really the characters who take the spotlight.
Through dialogues and internal thoughts, what’s said and not said, they come
alive on the page.
THE NITPICKY STUFF
I received an advance copy of
this novel, which has since been edited, so I can’t comment on typos and the
like.
This novel contains some scenes
with medieval-style violence, which are pretty mild. There are no sex scenes
and no adult language.
AUTHOR INFO
Gwen
Perkins is a museum curator with a MA in Military History from Norwich
University. She has written for a number of magazines, exhibitions and
nonfiction publications. Her interest in history fueled the creation of
the world of The Universal Mirror, inspired in part by people and events of the medieval and Renaissance periods.
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