I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

Fans of Glitter will love the sequel, SHATTER! I had trouble getting back into the GLITTER world so this is a DNF for me (for now at least, I may try again in the future).

My Review: I didn't really love book one and I only rated it 2 stars. But I wanted to see if book two was any better and I have to say that it was. But not by much. So the first part of this one was kind of on the choppy side as well as on the repetitive side. Like book one I felt like I was missing something. But for this one it was the story itself and not the characters. The last few % of this story was very good and I kind of wished that the rest of it was as well. For me I will still be checking out titles by this author but this one just didn't work out for me as much as I wished it would have.

Great continuation, even better than the first book. I like how Danica is developing. I am really liking this series..

my review of the first one was as follows:

"the concept is fascinating. the lack of more backstory to that concept is disappointing. the love story is also blah. the drug trade is interesting to a point. I will maybe read the sequel? I will maybe skim the sequel."

I did actually more read this sequel than skim it. I wish I hadn't bothered. everything I said about the first held true in this one except the drug trade was SLIGHTLY more interesting. the slave trade was less interesting. The love story was even worse. this was so not love. this was ownership and entitlement and rudeness.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher.

I liked the first book, Glitter, a lot. I loved this futuristic world where this rich population tried to live like the historical era of Marie Antionette, yet had the latest technology despite that. This second book was a good conclusion to the story, although it didn't quite have the little extra for me that the first book did. For awhile in this one I thought that the main character, Danica, might actually turn out to go down a different path to finish the story. In the end though, she went where she should have gone. And the way that she was able to outsmart her enemies was a little bit of a surprise, I didn't quite see it coming in some ways. And I like that in a book. Still a great series, and there were even more historical bits spiced throughout this one as well as the first one. A duology I've purchased for my school library, as I think my students will enjoy it. And, as with the first book, a beautiful cover!

Did not finish. I found that I wanted to see how this played out after the first one but slowly lost interest in the story.

First line: I march down the aisle, my face shrouded beneath a veil of tulle, and if my eyes are empty or haunted, no one can possibly tell.

Summary: Living a life in the palace of Versailles sounds like a dream but it is anything but for Danica. In order to escape this life she delves into the drug trade. Everything turns upside down when she is blackmailed into marrying the king and being forced to be the center of the palace.

Highlights: I really enjoyed the first book. I love the cover. It is very pretty and eye catching.

Lowlights: I was bored with the story from the start. I think if I had started it right after finishing the first one it would have been better. Maybe I will try again another time.

FYI: Book 2.

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. Ahhhhh this was so good and I can't wait to see where the next book will take the story. So much action and drama and intrigue.

This review was provided by one of my book club members named Jenessa who agreed to read and provide an honest review for this book.

"I loved the first book and was really excited to dive back into the palace of Versailles! In this book we start out following Danica after her wedding to the king of Sonoman-Versailles and we see a more devious and mischievous side of Danica that is a contract from Danica’s character in Glitter. In Glitter, Danica is doing whatever it takes to get out of Versailles so she doesn’t have to marry the King, Justin. In Shatter, Danica is now playing the game of being the Queen of Sonoman-Versailles. This character arc was unexpected but also necessary. In order for Danica to figure out how to get out of the Palace of Versailles, she must be more cunning than ever before.

The one thing I felt could have been stronger in Shatter is the relationship between Danica and Saber. I felt like the relationship fell flat. To me there was a lack of heat and chemistry between the two. I didn’t really feel invested in their relationship and there was a lot of telling rather than showing. However, I did appreciate how much insight we got into the slave trade that Saber is an unwilling participant of.

The relationship between Danica and Justin was interesting to watch. At first they start out hating each other but towards the end of the novel they have mutual respect towards each other and they almost seem to get along. They are both playing the game of King and Queen and it has become a sort of dance. Danica quickly learns that in order to get things she wants in court she has to play Queen of Versailles in a way that shows her power.

My favorite thing about this book is we see how Danica uses technology to her advantage. The world Danica lives in dresses like the era of Louis XIV but they have technology that makes their life easier such as dressing bots and contact lenses that allow the court of the Palace of Versailles to communicate with each other easily. Before Danica was taking classes to learn how to become a proper lady, she was taking classes to be a programmer. In Shatter we see Danica’s programming as well as Lord Aaron’s programming shine through.

At the core of Shatter, is a young girl trying to earn her freedom. We may not think all of Danica’s actions are moral but there are reasons, at least to her, as to why she had to make the decisions she did. This raises the question of: What are you willing to do for your freedom?"

While I lived the first book in the series I adored this one. I found that the political aspect drew me in far more then I originally anticipated. I loved the further development of the characters and continued additions to world building.

After Danica marries Prince Justin to become Queen of Versailles, she finds that she cannot escape the morally objectionable decisions that she made in the past, including dealing the drug Glitter. While she tries to get out of her life as queen and as a drug dealer, she finds that doing either is easier said than done. Shatter is the type of book in which everyone speaks in exclamation points. Everyone is either a schemer or an accomplice. The novel is from Danica's point of view but she is a hard character to root for and everything is a world class dilemma for her. It seems like every page has some sort of plot twists but Pike never really slows the narrative down to show the reader what's at stake. Every so often you have a character tell us why something is right or wrong but that is nothing more than an explanation to provide background to the plot. While many characters are often introduced, more likely than not they are hastily written out, never to be seen again. The only characters Pike care about is Danica, Saber, Reginald, and Justin with other characters just being wallpaper. For those readers who love high drama full of scheming characters may like this book but there are many books with high, soap opera drama that does the same thing so much better.

Shatter by Aprilynne Pike is the second book in the young adult fantasy Glitter series. The series is set in a futuristic version of Versailles in which people have modern technology and comforts yet they still live as if it’s the eighteenth century as far as dress and society is concerned.

The main character Danica was being pushed by her mother towards a future as the queen of Versailles but she had other plans of trying to escape. Dani had gone to the extreme measure of secreting dealing a new drug, Glitter, by lacing cosmetics to try to raise the cash to be able to disappear but things had not gone as planned.

Now Dani has been forced to wed the very man she had wanted to run from but still has the backlash of her drug dealing to sort through. As the new queen Dani needs to find a way to not only make her own escape but to secure the freedom of Saber, the man she really loves.

When reading Glitter last year I absolutely fell in love with the creativity of the setting in which this story takes place. Danica however was a character that wasn’t exactly likable in her do whatever it takes to saver herself personality but she was one that was fun to dislike. When I got to the end of that book I was under the impression that it was a standalone and rather liked the way it had ended but learning of a book two I know I wouldn’t be able to resist reading about Dani again.

Now that I’ve read Shatter I actually think the story improved a great deal. The first book was weighed down with clothing descriptions that slowed the pace in my opinion and those have gone away. And now Dani is more a character that you can see some growth from her unlikable ways and had the potential to even become liked.

However even though I enjoyed the second a bit more it seemed the romance between Dani and Saber got ignored a bit. While this installment still didn’t get a full five stars I did actually really enjoy this and was glad it had continued on. Definitely a fun series overall and worth the read just for the imaginative setting.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Books for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover though!! So beautiful!

Shatter is book 2 in the Glitter series. As Danica’s plan to escape the Palace of Versailles slips through her fingers she finds herself married to the murderous King. As Danica settles into her new role she becomes addicted to her role as Queen and her new found power.

There is a lot going on in this book as well as some unexpected twists and turns. This book keeps you in suspense in a world filled with disloyalty, love and power. If you are a fan of Glitter than Shatter is a must read.

Danica thought she had the perfect plan to acquire a lot of currency and a way to escape the Palace of Versailles, but when her plan goes sideways not only is she not able to get away, she ends up married to the King. Now, Danica, has the court addicted to Glitter and must find a new way to escape this life she is trapped in. Danica is Queen, but she must learn to take the power that should be hers by right. Will she be able to contrive a new deception and leave the palace for good? Will the power she is slowly given be too tempting to give up?

Shatter is the second book in the Glitter series. Pike uses several different literary techniques to remind the reader of the events from the first book. At first, I was getting frustrated, but then I quickly remembered the tantalizing storyline and found myself fully invested in this next installment. Readers will see many correlations between this future world and ours, yet many will find this a great escape from our “modern” times. Presently Goodreads does not have a third book listed, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is in the works.

Book two in the Glitter series. Dani thought her escape was all paid for and she was betrayed. Now she is married to the ruthless king. Now Dani is addicted to the power that comes with marriage to the king.

Now she must try to see if this new power will secure Saber's freedom and secure them a life together. Or will she decide to stay queen?

I liked the first book Glitter. I read it when I was in a dystopian mood. I loved the whole idea of a Versailles of the past with technology of the future. The descriptions were absolutely marvellous. I loved how developed Dani became in this one, she slipped right into the role of being queen. Overall, I loved the character development in this sequel except for Saber's. The world is still beautifully described, and the storyline is great.

<i>GLITTER</i> was a thoroughly engrossing, intoxicating read, one that left me on the edge of my seat with my heart in my throat, <i>craving</i> it's sequel.

I love a well-written, smartly executed anti-hero, and that's exactly what Pike delivers with Danica. She is cunning, ruthless, and at times, terrifying. Power has a way of doing that to a person though. When I think of the saying, "Sometimes people do bad things for the right reasons," I think of her.

<i>SHATTER</i> is a worthy sequel, leaving no stone unturned, no question unanswered, and even threw in a few twists, but the one area I found lacking was the romance. The stakes didn't seem as high for Danica and Saber's relationship as they did in <i>GLITTER</i>. It felt as if Saber had been relegated to the background, existing more to be the voice of reason for Danica and less of a love interest. Aside from that, the ending left me satisfied.

I look forward to seeing what Aprilynne Pike writes next.

After the ending of Glitter, I was quite eager to see what the sequel had in store.

My main interest is that I wanted to see if Danica would redeem herself. I liked her and just like with the first book, she was easy to hate. Some of her decisions were questionable, even if her intentions are good. I loved the tension in Danica’s scenes with Justin and how they balanced the underlying sweetness of the scenes with Saber.

Plot wise, it did get a bit repetitive here and there, but there were a few things I didn’t see coming. The build up is a small, quiet one, but ultimately gets the job done.

Overall, I enjoyed this world and concept and was quite satisfied with the ending.

**Huge thanks to Random House Books for Young Readers for providing the arc free of charge**

The Quick Cut: Girl turned queen continues to try to survive in the palace without losing the precious few she cares about. Royal drama ensues.

A Real Review: Thank you to Random House books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

My eyebrow raised a lot during this book because it was so satisfying to see soapy drama play out on the page. It can be extremely difficult to make this type of drama enjoyable without it coming off as ridiculous or over the top, but this book does that balance like an expert. I kept finding myself thinking of the TV show "The Royals" because the antics level is similar and the emotional intensity is the same.

This sequel book to Glitter is split into 2 parts. Our queen Dani spends a good portion of Part 1 absolutely rejecting her marriage status and it's fascinating seeing that transition from "I refuse to acknowledge this!" to "I can use this..."

The only attitude that definitely does not change for her is the feelings she has towards Saber. Her dedication and refusal to leave him behind is the driving force for a significant amount of the story here, although I did hope to feel a little more romance from these two. Many times, it felt a bit stiff overall.

My biggest issue with Part 1 of the book is all of the entangled dramas with the secondary characters. So many names with a ton of title changes, moves to different locations, and alliances to different people? It is very easy to lose track and I did a number of times. I ended up re-reading sections to make sure I caught that detail correctly (and it's a good thing I did because it makes a big difference later on). If you have a not so great memory like mine, that becomes an issue.

In Part 2, the story takes a dynamic pacing shift towards more action, less drama. I enjoyed this part more personally, but it's also the shorter one. I won't spoil the ending with any details, but I found it a very satisfying way to end the series.

At the end of the book, I didn't really like Dani (although I understood her life choices). You agreed to sell drugs to get out of your life that you were signed up for and a marriage to a man you hate. However, Dani comes off a little too much as self seeking intead of protecting those she loves. Her interactions with Justin are intriguing because they both know they're manipulating each other, but at some point Dani manages to get the advantage. Her ability to manipulate is unparalleled (and on some level, unnerving).

Overall, the book is strong and well written. However, the littany of secondary characters and their drama is distracting from the core story. Without a lead character I like to get behind, I found it hard to get truly passionate about this one.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5