Book Review: Tempered Glass by Beth Overmyer

Verve survived a dangerous transformation into the Fire Queen, but can she survive the power that was given to her?

In the second installment of the Blade and Bone series, Verve seeks to tame and conceal her magic. But when tragedy strikes, she’s forced to return to a land she never wanted to see again and confront - or evade - a darkness she hoped had died. The Gate of the Dead has been opened and there are few places to hide.

With her secret husband at odds with her way of breaking the curse, Verve finds that love can make an unreliable ally, and that anger is a potent weapon.

Readers of Carissa Broadbent will love this thrilling series weaving an intriguing world of fantasy and folklore.

GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Beth Overmyer was born and raised near Oberlin, Ohio, and she hasn’t moved far since. One of Beth’s greatest inspirations for her writing is found in the author J.R.R. Tolkien, especially his fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Other literary heroes include Brandon Sanderson, Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Douglas Adams, and Neil Gaiman.

When not writing, Beth can be found reading fantasy novels, cozy mysteries, and non-fiction. She has also volunteered at her local public library as a creative writing club leader. Most of Beth’s education was at home, taught by her mother and various moms in P.A.T.H. and N.iC.H.E., two homeschool groups that met at churches in northern Ohio. After high school, Beth attended a community college, studying theatre. She decided that the written word was more her style, so after taking a few courses, Beth took to writing as her career. bethovermyer.com / X: Bethyo / Instagram: bethovermyer

Review

I'm not really into fae/faerie stories as I've mentioned in my review of book 1, but Brittle had me intrigued so I had to come back for more. This time around, we find out more about the prophecies and what drove the actions of the main characters in the previous book, and we learn more about the worlds and the magic and the concept of middlings (middle children).

The writing remains easy to get lost in, even if the chapters are on the longer side. We meet many familiar faces again, as well as some interesting new characters. Verve's still strong, snarky and independent, though I felt like, for most of the book, she was having things happening to her and simply reacting. Isn't that what sucks about prophecies sometimes, especially when they're made in a realm that you're not originally a part of? So many questions, not enough answers.

There were some moments that really got me, like what happened to H, and the surprising "battle of the three" near the end (I don't want to spoil so I hope that's vague enough but also hinting at what I mean LOL). But there were also some parts that played out too conveniently and needed a little more suspension of disbelief.

As of this time I haven't seen an announcement for book 3, but I hope there's one because there's still so much we don't know!

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.