Series Review: Burning Glass by Kathryn Prudie

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Burning Glass (from Goodreads):

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, and she can’t always decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the charming-yet-volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

Series: Burning Glass
Author: Kathryn Purdie
# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Heat Rating: warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Dates: March 2016 – November 2018
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook

Disclaimer: I finished Book #1, Burning Glass, but will not be picking up the sequels. Find out why below…

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I love fantasy and dystopian novels for a lot of reasons but one of the biggest draws for me is the politics of the world. I love political intrigue and conspiracy theories and rebellions so this series seemed promising. Throw in a super cool lead heroine power and I was eager to delve into this world.

What I Liked:

–The Concept–

I absolutely adore the concept of this novel. Sonya’s ability to read people’s emotions is such a cool idea and I love that Auraseers play such an important role for the Emperor. And for the most part, I thought this aspect was really well developed (as was the world-building).

–The Audiobook Narrator–

I was super impressed with Fiona Hardingham’s reading of this book! She did a really good job of bring such a flat character (more on that below) to life.

What I Didn’t Like:

–Sonya is “Blah” As a Heroine–

I get that part of Sonya’s problem is that she hasn’t had the time to hone her powers because she arrives at the academy later in life. So I can forgive the ever evolving range of emotions she undergoes throughout the story.

What I can’t get over is her logic. She kinda flops like a fish on issues from one chapter to the next and I just didn’t understand. I vividly remember her approaching one character (“A”) about betraying another (“B”) and then two chapters later, she gets upset when “A” tries to ask her to do the same thing. Um, what?! Girl is simply dumb.

–The Romance–

Sure, there’s a love triangle of sorts but I could look past that. My biggest peeve with the romance is the lack of development. I didn’t get the attraction for any suitors in either direction. Why did they like Sonya besides her outward appearance? And vice versa. Yes, she’s susceptible to other’s emotions but I didn’t know where those feelings were coming from and that was where I struggled.

Will I Finish It?

Actually, I kinda like the way Burning Glass ended. It wrapped up things enough for me to feel good about leaving it there. So I won’t be picking up the sequels.

My Rating: DNF

Burning Glass 2/5 | Crystal Blade N/A | Frozen Reign N/A

To me, there was nothing unique separating this series from other’s out there besides Sonya’s powers. But you can swap out that power for anything in the YA fantasy world and you’d likely share a similar experience.

Read if You Like: fantasy, unique character powers
Avoid if You: want something mind blowing