Thank you to the publisher, Tor Books, for providing it in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Stevermer hasn't had a novel out since 2010 with the middle grade book, Magic Below Stairs. The setting is new, early 20th century in an alternative America. There are solitaires--ordinary people, traders--who can change to an animal form, and sylvestri--who have an affinity to nature and appear to be, in the Americas at least mostly First Peoples. I'm not sure that made much sense as there should be a bunch from the "Old World" too who had then emigrated to the new world, but it wasn't explained. Traders stick together and create family trusts. There's a throw-away line deep in the book that in addition to trading between their two or split souls (human and animal), they literally were traders, shipping goods around. Which made me wonder if they were supposed to represent Jews.

The main character, Thalia Cutler, is working as a stage magician as part of vaudeville. Her mother died when she was little and she was taught her skills by her father and his friend, David Nutall. Her father has also died. Something strange happens during one of her shows--she seems to change shape when the trick goes wrong. So could she be a Trader? She's also hit with a non-compete for one of her best tricks so she and Nutall have to find, and finance, some new amazing feat.

Thalia, having lived in show business, is generally able to take care of herself which I appreciated. There are many interesting characters. I'd like to know more about the sylvestri. Thalia meets several Traders who end up helping her out and there are hints of a possible future romance...maybe. I thought I caught a hint that Thalia's and father and David Nutall might have been more than just close friends but Thalia resolutely doesn't want to think about that. <rolls eyes> I may have been reading more into it because of the fanfiction binge where I read many stories about characters being in non-canonical relationships (AKA not in the books/source material).

Honestly, if this hadn't been an ARC and by an author that I've loved in the past, I would probably have stopped reading about 1/3 in. It did pick up pace not long after that and it wasn't a hardship to finish. I will likely read the sequel. While the story ends well, there are several open threads that could be picked up.

Why didn't I like it more? I think the worldbuilding didn't seem deep or broad enough. The book felt relatively short (a check shows the hardcover is 288 pages). It felt like it was written a little young. Solidly trying for young adult maybe? Like I said, I will be on the lookout for the next book.

3.5 stars for me. Full review tomorrow.

An e-ARC was provided to me by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book has all the elements a reader can love in a fantasy novel set in an alternate era, and I was expecting to love this. I ended up just liking it.

First of all, let me talk about the world and the magic system. I LOVE IT. I love the concept of the classes: Solitaire, Traders, and Sylvestri. I love the distinction between the classes and the dangers and intrigues surrounding them which of course make the life of the main characters more interesting as well. In this case, the protagonist Thalia discovered she has powers after a magic trick went wrong. Suddenly, Thalia's life is in danger because having power like hers brings danger.

Right after that first scene, I was so excited. I thought I was really about to read my first 5-star read this year. Not to say, this is also the first book I've read this year. How awesome would it have been if this ended up with 5 stars? Obviously it didn't.

Sure I have the excitement in my heart for quite a while because I love learning about each class. A book with mystery and intrigues surrounding the main concept should be a sure great read. But halfway through the book, I was beginning to realize something, I still don't get what I want from the book. The magic system, the classes aren't still clearly explained. I already know some things about them but there's no explanation as to why there are classes. The author didn't take me deeper into her world, and because of that, I felt like a stranger in the story despite having read most of it.

I don't want to be a stranger, I want to be a part of the book I'm reading. Then overall, I think the book is missing that certain bang. I was expecting more, more revelation, more grandiose. Besides, the heroine is someone who just discovered her power. There should be more shocking revelations, right? Even the last part where there are revelations seem anti-climactic for me. It also felt rushed. Like I said I was looking for a bang,.

But overall I give this one 3.5 stars. I really love the concept and I'm hoping I get more in the next books.

A coming of age quasi-murder mystery, set in an alternate 1920s New York City, where wealthy but short-lived shapeshifters (Traders) live among politically-powerful nature-oriented people (Sylvan) and unmagical humans (Solitaire). A young stage magician finds troubling hints about her heritage make her a target for modern monsters. She must come to grips with new responsibilities, let go of old ties... and solve a murder committed right in front of her.

I love a Victorian/Gilded Age setting, especially for a fantasy. The Glass Magician really used this setting well and incorporated some great worldbuilding. The characters were a little weak in my opinion but I kept reading for the interesting magic system. If you liked the movie The Prestige, you’ll probably like this book. I would be interested in reading more from this world. Thank you to Tor and netgalley for the ARC.

3/5

In the end this actually turned to be an intereting and different read. I have to agree tho with the people saying that this book had so much potential and wasn’t used in its fully power.

The whole concept about Traders and in general the world created were my favorite parts.
I had a few problems sometimes understating the magic, I was confused and sometimes had to re-read a few parts to see if I got it right during the first read and that turned out a little annoying.
I think the book was well executed till its 60% mark. After, all got more confusing and, at least for me, harder to follow.
And I’m saying this when I read the first half on a train journey while the second at home in my “normal and silent habitat”, so something definetly went “wrong” with the book execution.

I liked how in the end everything was wrapped up, how the story was concluded even if maybe a little rushed, but there’s always an open ending for a new chapter.
I had no problem getting into the story at the beginning, on the countrary, I was so interested and excited to start this adventure. The writing style was very good as well.

So in summary, I think that there’s definitely a good story there, a nice set of characters and a very good story/world concept. The plot development could have been worked out a little more.

Thanks to the publisher, Tor Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I received a free copy of THE GLASS MAGICIAN by Caroline Stevermer in exchange for an honest review. In New York 1905, there are primarily three types of people: there are normal people called Solitaires, shapeshifters called Traders, and a third type called the Sylvestry. Twenty-year-old Thalia Cutler is a Solitaire working the Vaudeville circuit as “The Lady of the Lake,” magician extraordinaire. Thalia, assisted by David Nutall-her father’s dearest friend, has been working the act alone since her parents’ early deaths. When a trick goes wrong, something strange happens; Thalia believes an unexpected shapeshift saves her from certain doom. However, she’s definitely not a shape Trader, so what happened? Thereafter, Nutall and Thalia investigate the phenomenon to see if it is possible that Thalia could be a Trader late to blossom, the expert assures them that it’s entirely impossible. Instead, the expert insists that Thalia’s panic simply caused her to hallucinate. The expert congratulates Thalia on being a Solitaire because, if she were a newly-shifting Trader, she would now be hunted by Manticores, warped beings who devour the magic of vulnerable Traders. Assured of Thalia’s normalcy, Thalia and Nutall travel to New York City for their next job. Once in the city, things get really interesting.

I liked this book. I would classify it as turn of the twentieth century historical urban fantasy. I recommend this tale to fans of historical fantasy (such as the Steampunk genre, the Thirteenth Child/Frontier Magic series, the Sorcery and Cecelia series, or the Sorcery and Society series) and to fans urban fantasy willing to delve into the past. Also, as a bonus, the story is seeded with beautiful woodblock-type illustrations.

#TheGlassMagician #NetGalley

Ended up DNF it after i hit the 53% mark at my kindle. I didn't get invested or interested in the story nor did i like much of the main character. It just felt a bit meh and boring to me. I really tried, but i just - i think i'd end up skimming most of it.But, i really liked the cover. Haha.

I had such a fun time reading this book. Caroline Stevermer does a beautiful job of creating a new, completely original and authentic world within New York's society and turn of the century vaudeville theater. The book reminded me a lot of The Night Circus, and that is as high a praise as I can give.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley with many thanks.

The Glass Magician is the story of Thalia, a young woman working the Vaudeville circuit as a stage magician. She gets caught up in a serious crime and her understanding of herself and others around her is permanently challenged.

This (rather poor) description does sum up the general plot, but ignores the fantastical element to this novel which makes it so interesting. Ms Stevermer organically introduces the magical elements and has generally avoided great chunks of expositional text. I appreciate, as a reader, being treated as a person who is able grasp concepts from context, rather than assuming I need to be handheld through the created world.

Overall, this made for an interesting and engaging read. It seems to have ended with a sequel in mind and I would be very happy to return to this world.

I really wanted to love this. The cover is beautiful. Thalia seems interesting but I kept getting distracted. I would have liked more world building in the beginning. I knew it was an American very similar to ours but everything was a little off. The descriptions of places and characters were good. I could picture the costumes. I’m sure others will love this!

First off, I really REALLY hope there is a follow up to this one. I would love to see more of what happens to Thalia and her new friends and world. When I looked the book up again, I saw it compared to The Golem and the Jinni. That is one of my absolute favorites and I can see how it would apply (albeit this I would put in young adult for the content and the former mentioned as Adult fiction). I felt like more could have been added at the end to give more insight, or maybe just more information about the Silvestri, Solitaires and Traders. It kept me up to finish reading it and has been one of the few books to grab my attention recently. Also, the cover! I need a print for my wall at home. It is beautiful. It was an easy read but a fascinating one the same and I hope more is to come from the author about Thalia.

I wanted to like this book. From the description I was curious and excited about this book. I really liked the idea of this book and thought it was well written. I just felt rushed and like it fell short of it's overall goal.

This was delightful, and I'm really really hoping that it's the first book in a series (as it seems to be.) Stevermer does worldbuilding effortlessly, and Thalia Cutler and her world spring to life. There are enough details to give readers a foothold and not disorient them, but enough mystery to leave them intrigued. We know some of what Traders, Solitaires, and Sylvestri do -- but not everything; and throughout this first volume we get glimpses of power dynamics that are crying out for more exploration. Happily, Stevermer doesn't let the intriguingness of the world overtake the main plot, which proceeds at a tight but not overwhelming pace. I opened this just to get a sense of it, and ended up finishing it in one sitting -- and if the sequel were available, I'd already have preordered it.

I've long enjoyed Caroline Stevermer's works of historical fantasy from A College of Magics to The Grand Tour. Now she gives fans a taste of magic (both real and staged) in New York's Gilded Age, in The Glass Magician.

It's 1905 New York, where elite shapeshifting Traders have strong magical powers. Below them in the rungs of the societal ladder are Sylvestri, with Solitaires at the bottom. Solitaire Thalia Cutler performs stage magic, learned from her father, as the Lady of the Lake.

After she learns that she is in fact a Trader, Thalia faces great danger from a Manticore that feeds on young Traders who don't fully control their powers.

Honestly, I'd rate this book 2.5 stars. It has a lot of good ideas but the execution could have been a lot better. For instance, everything that happens in this book just...happens. The mystery didn't feel like a mystery and the ending felt like a cop out. It's like everything just happens too fast- including the character relationships. This made it more difficult to connect with the book and characters and I just flew through it. I think this was one of the instances wherein the book would have been better if it took a more slower-paced approach. The world-building was also sparse, which was a shame considering how interesting the world this book was set in seemed to be. Like, I wanted to know what each of the classes does and how the hierarchy came to be or why the hierarchy was that way. I don't feel like it really answered those questions in a satisfying manner or in some cases, at all.

On the other hand, the book was well-written. There were no obvious anachronisms and it's clear that the author knows the historical setting of the book pretty well. Again however, in this alternate depiction of our world, I'd really would like to know more why things were that way.

I also did like the character of the heroine. She was headstrong and independent and she knew what she wanted to do. In fact, her character was what made me stick with this book and read through it until the ending.

Overall, The Glass Magician is a mixed bag, leaning more towards the disappointing.

The Glass Magician has a great and unique premise. The book fell just a bit short me, another editing could helped. The book was still good, but it could have been better.

I devoured an advance copy of The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer. The story was captivating with its original take on the magic of shape-shifting and its setting in 1900's New York City.

The book is centered around a bright young woman, Thalia Cutter, a popular stage magician on the tour circuit. When a trick fails, she has an almost out of body experience as she watches her hand shift into white feathers to save her from certain injury. Overwhelmed and concerned, Thalia begins investigating her past with the help of her mentor. However, with little information available on her parents, she is left unable to explain why she should suddenly show signs of being a "Trader" at such a late age.

Their tour circuit takes them to New York where they encounter both friends and foes from her past. The story picks up pace as she loses her job, witnesses a murder, shape-shifts again and ends up living in the home of a wealthy Trader family as she tries to find her balance once again.

I read late into the night, desperate to follow her adventures and see what new information Stevermer would reveal along the way. The characters are richly developed and immensely relatable, despite the fantastical elements. The setting was at once familiar and unknown, with the New York landscape revisioned to fit her new world order.

My only complaint with this story is that it ended too soon. I am desperate for a sequel and hope that Stevermer has one in her plans.

If you are a fan of Cogman's Invisible Library series, you will fall in love with this.

This was hard, I really wanted to love this book. A woman doing magic in the Guilded age. I thought it would be a winning book. I just couldn't get into it for the life of me, I tried multiple times and it became a chore to finish. I did finish it, but I didn't enjoy myself. I think the synopsis really sucked me in, but the book wasn't what I was expecting.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is beautifully written however i didn't connect with the characters and it took me a while to get through this novel.

i kept having to put it down and pick it back up.

i think if this novel was a bit longer and written with more depth then maybe i would have liked it a bit better.

overall, i give this novel a 3/5 star review.

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

The Glass Magician by Caroline Steverman, is a creative and unique fantasy set against bustling Gilded Age backdrop

1900s New York City, where wealth and power are a matter not only of birth but of magical ability.
Thalia Cutler is a stage magician, completely confident in her identity as a magicless Solitaire until a horrible life threatening accident during a magic trick forces her into a shape shift. Intriguing storyline when you peel back the layers a mystery unfolds. The book was a fast paced concept, with a strong female protagonist.
I would definitely liked if the characters were a little more fleshed out. The writing is incredibly beautiful and vibrant.