Glamour in Glass

I read this directly on the heels of “Shades of Milk & Honey”. Glamour starts a few months after Shades ends and immediately the “feel” of the story is different. Jane, as a character, is MOSTLY more confident and strains at the bonds her society binds her in. The story soon changes venue to the European continent, where the moral bounds are looser. Her Kowal's tendency to caricature her characters is apparent as Jane is shocked, shocked I say, by the behavior of women in this society. Fortunately the story really doesn't dwell there, merely uses it to contrast the differences in location and set up the atmosphere for the rest of the story. From this point on, it becomes a quick paced of tale of intrigue and danger, glamour playing a key role in the telling and conclusion.

SPOILER ALERT!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!
SPOILER ALERT!!!

As odd as it might sound, I appreciate the treatment of Jane's miscarriage at the end. While we can never know if it was caused by her use of glamour, the stress of freeing Vincent or a pregnancy never meant to succeed, Kowal relates a realistic rendering of the combination of Jane's relief and guilt. Happy endings aren't always completely happy or without strife.