BOOK REVIEW: Stealing Glass by Liv Strom

Cinderella may actually just be a thief in pretty clothes.

I was so excited to get this ARC from Book Sirens in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoy retellings, and I can honestly say that I haven’t read any related to Cinderella. I’m also happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed and am even more excited knowing there will be a sequel - which is good because there is a slight cliffhanger at the end of this one.

Lies, secrets and deceit run deep with this one. There were so many things that I enjoyed, but I will say that it did take a minute to get into it. The first part was a little slow, but once we find our little Cinderella, Vanya, impersonating a princess and in the palace, the story picks up, and it flowed well from one event to the next with the logical transition moments that allowed for the build up and development of the plot and the characters to be strung along.

While this was a Cinderella retelling, the bulk of the story was unique and fresh. We have a girl who, with her twin sister, are indebted to their stepfather after their mother’s death and must deal with the insufferable step-sister as they clean and scrub by day. However, they steal by night trying to earn enough money to buy their freedom. Vanya is set up by a councilwoman and her stepfather to impersonate the princess that is betrothed to the prince in order to steal the jeweled crown. Naturally the in and out job doesn’t go as planned and now Vanya finds herself living in the palace pretending for months to be the princess while her twin, Lumi, is a prisoner, held as collateral to ensure Vanya does as she is told. Her stepsister, Lana, right there as her “maid” to make sure she stays in line and report back.

The dual points of view drives home the individual motivations of both Vanya and the prince she is to marry, Dimitri. Their paths diverge but there is the dependency on each other and the “arrangement” that forces them to become closer even when they argue and fight over it. Neither knowing the truth of the other. I will say there are elements of Dimitri’s character that surprised me a little. There is that moment when thoughts and talk become action and in your mind you really thought that it was going to be mostly talk and not as much action. Through those surprises, I grew to respect and appreciate Alexei’s friendship and how much Dimitri relies on Alexei to help him through the turmoil, pain and grief.  Without Alexi, I would be curious to see how certain moments would have transpired.

This definitely isn’t a happy story, and I’m good with that. There is more here focused on self-discovery on Vanya’s part and revenge and closure for Dimitri. It is only through Dimitri that Vanya is able to begin to discover who she is and what she is capable of. I also think it is only through Vanya, that Dimitri begins to think about his future. This was quite an interesting element to the story and the plot definitely thickens at the end as she learns more about the people who surround her. Everyone has secrets. And the differentiation between the haves and have-nots, the nobility and basically everyone else creates a division that is worthy of a revolution. 

There were moments where the story was very heavy in narration, and I felt there was a desperate need for dialogue and character interaction, but the developments that came about allowed me to be able to move on without difficulty. Strom also isn’t partial to any characters. I feel that you have to appreciate an author who is willing to do whatever is needed to whoever in order to create the emotional background or to change certain plot flows in order for the story to move forward. 

While this is a Cinderella retelling, it is not a Cinderella story. There is not a happy ending, well, there really isn’t a true ending at all. More of a pause until book 2 comes out. But, Vanya is definitely seeking her Cinderella ending, I just don’t think she knows what it looks like besides freedom. I feel there are too many questions that she has about herself and Lumi to be sure of what she needs and wants. There are also too many questions regarding her connection to Dimitri and what to do with her new found understanding of herself.

I’m not an overly big fan of Lumi, but I’m not sure if we are supposed to be. As a character who wasn’t in the direct line of action in this story, there is still much to learn about her and her motivations. There is definitely something there that doesn’t sit well with me. But, I have too many questions about so many things. Lumi isn’t the only character who is hiding something. There are several side characters that we have only gotten glimpses of, and I am eager to see how they continue to develop in the next book.

Where does this book land on my bookshelf?

I’m not sure if it’s a top shelfer, but I’m comfortable putting it high on my middle shelf. I really enjoyed it. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting with a Cinderella retelling, but I was extremely happy there was so much creative freedom and detours from the classic Cinderella story that we all know. It was a quick and mostly easy read. Characters are complicated and flawed with much more to reveal about themselves. Vanya is only beginning to discover who she is, and the character development will be critical as we move into book 2. There is magic and drama and secrets and lies. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read this, and even though Stealing Glass just hit the shelves in October, I am already looking forward to the next one, Claiming Glass.

Thank you Book Sirens, SM Press and Liv Storm for an advanced copy of Stealing Glass.

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