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The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock
Apr. 22nd, 2014 11:13 pmThe Blurb On The Back:
Pen’s life revolves around secrets: the secrets behind her three-month disappearance from school last winter, the secret cause of the scars that mar her face, and, most secret of all, her twin sister Parva: her doppelganger in London-Under-Glass, the city behind the mirrors.
Pen’s trying to forget Reach, Filius Viae and the Wire Mistress and get back to a normal life, but when Parva vanishes, she has no choice but to seek out London’s stranger side. And when Pen journeys through the mirror, she finds a world where scars make you beautiful and criminals will klll you for your face – a world in which Pen’s sister was keeping secrets of her own …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
The second in Tom Pollock’s SKYSCRAPER THRONE TRILOGY is a stunning YA fantasy novel with strong themes of beauty, oppression and fear. The plot centres on Pen and her attempts to come to terms with what happened to her and my favourite scenes are those between Pen and Parva and how they feel normal around each other. Beth isn’t forgotten, however, and I enjoyed the way her plot moves on the overall arc while also dovetails in with Pen’s plot. The star of the novel though is undoubtedly London-Under-Glass, with its reflection of London’s geography, twisted notion of beauty and sinister hints at a totalitarian state. Pollock deserves praise for the scope, inventiveness and cleverness of imagination on display here and I’m on tenterhooks for the final book in this trilogy.
Pen’s life revolves around secrets: the secrets behind her three-month disappearance from school last winter, the secret cause of the scars that mar her face, and, most secret of all, her twin sister Parva: her doppelganger in London-Under-Glass, the city behind the mirrors.
Pen’s trying to forget Reach, Filius Viae and the Wire Mistress and get back to a normal life, but when Parva vanishes, she has no choice but to seek out London’s stranger side. And when Pen journeys through the mirror, she finds a world where scars make you beautiful and criminals will klll you for your face – a world in which Pen’s sister was keeping secrets of her own …
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
The second in Tom Pollock’s SKYSCRAPER THRONE TRILOGY is a stunning YA fantasy novel with strong themes of beauty, oppression and fear. The plot centres on Pen and her attempts to come to terms with what happened to her and my favourite scenes are those between Pen and Parva and how they feel normal around each other. Beth isn’t forgotten, however, and I enjoyed the way her plot moves on the overall arc while also dovetails in with Pen’s plot. The star of the novel though is undoubtedly London-Under-Glass, with its reflection of London’s geography, twisted notion of beauty and sinister hints at a totalitarian state. Pollock deserves praise for the scope, inventiveness and cleverness of imagination on display here and I’m on tenterhooks for the final book in this trilogy.
