Shatterglass

March 1, 2003
Tamora Pierce closes her The Circle Opens quartet of fantasy novels with Shatterglass. Tris, the weather mage introduced in the previous series, Circle of Magic, now travels to Tharios, where a glassmaker's magic may help him identify a serial killer-if Tris can teach him how to use his power.

July 1, 2003
Gr 6 Up-In this concluding volume of the second quartet of novels about four young mages with unusual powers, it is Trisana Chandler's turn to take on her first student. Tris's visit to Tharios, a medieval city of castes, brings her into contact with a glassblower named Kethlun Warder. Keth has been struck by lightning, which has awakened his latent magical gifts and remains a part of his powers. He creates a living glass dragon and globes that show images of the victims of a serial killer. The Ghost has been murdering members of the city's entertainer caste and leaving their bodies displayed in various public areas. Along with a police mage, Tris and Keth follow the images, which results in a face-to-face confrontation with the killer. Like Pierce's Cold Fire (2002), this is a successful combination of fantasy and mystery, though this book is a more traditional mystery with the killer's identity not revealed until the conclusion. Keth's status as an adult and his existing knowledge of his craft make the relationship between him and Tris interesting, and their often-sarcastic repartee adds humor to a serious plot. The mage's guardianship of a girl who has been orphaned by the Ghost, and her responsible use of magic, shows how she has matured since Tris's Book (1998, both Scholastic). This fast-moving, action-filled story can stand alone, and is sure to be a hit with Pierce's many fans.-Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2003
Gr. 6-9. Visiting Thalios, 14-year-old student mage Tris is fascinated by the city's beautiful architecture and its glass-blowing arts. She meets Kethlun Warder, a journeyman glass-blower mage with rare, uncontrolled powers of lightning magic and the ability to create glass balls that reveal brutal murders. As a weather mage in training, Tris becomes Keth's teacher, and the two, working with investigator mage Dema, pool their powers to stop the crimes. In lively prose laced with wry humor, Pierce creates realistic, dimensional characters--Tris is spunky, independent, and thoroughly likable--and places them in exotic, imaginatively detailed locales. Kethlun and Dema's stories add depth to the plot, and there's plenty of suspense, as well as a social commentary simmering beneath the surface of the story (the human rights of the lower classes are being ignored by the city in an effort to maintain its beautiful facade). Like previous books in the Circle Opens Quartet, this one is an engaging blend of mystery, magic, and timeless social themes. It will stand well on its own, and it's also sure to satisfy Pierce's many fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2003
In this fourth book in the quartet, Trisana Chandler, a plump, headstrong weather mage, takes on a student and stops a murderer while abroad in Tharios, a hot, Mediterranean/Indian-flavored culture obsessed with castes and the uncleanliness of death. Pierce has quite a few balls to keep in the air; that a few drop before the end won't bother fans of her down-to-earth characters, earnest magical effects, and low-key mysteries.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)