Book Series Review: Glittering Court Series

The Glittering Court (Book #1) by Richelle Mead

Reserve the eBook | Print Book | Playaway audiobook

Lady Elizabeth Witmore hates her life despite being as a part of the nobility with a great title and name because her fortune has been dwindling ever since her parent’s death. Realizing that she’ll be forced into an engagement with her cousin to survive, Elizabeth decides to take a risk and assumes the identity of her maid, Adelaide Bailey. Taking her place, Adelaide is soon sent to the Glittering Court, where it trains young ladies from disadvantaged lives to become noblewomen, and eventually sent overseas to Adoria (also known as the New World) to wed wealthy men. As Adelaide’s story travels from her world to the New World, she struggles to keep her true identity a secret, for if found, she’ll lose her only chance to freedom. Yet, along her journey, there’s one person who knows who she is: Cedric Thorn, the son of the man who co-owns the Glittering Court. Soon, the two begin to work together to help each others’ goals and soon find themselves falling for each other despite their unfavorable circumstances. Both must keep each other and their own aims a secret, bringing their relationship down a dangerous road.

Going into the book, I didn’t have any expectations since I’ve never read a book written by Richelle Mead. To be fair, I almost didn’t borrow this book from the e-library for reasons that I have already forgotten about, but let’s just say I’m so glad that I did. Now, I know that a lot of reviews compare this book to The Selection series, but let me assure you that it’s not like those books at all; it’s not another selection set in another world. For me, I was surprised by the book because, though it focused heavily on Adelaide and Cedric’s romance, it didn’t revolve around their relationship, which I genuinely appreciated. By doing this, Mead allows the reader to understand the ins-and-outs of the Glittering Court, as well as Adelaide’s roommates and close friends, Mirabel (Mira) Vianna and Tamsin Wright. It made the book feel more natural through the mix of Adelaide’s experiences, friendships, and relationships, and a great read overall. I was constantly rooting for Adelaide and Cedric, laughing at the conversations between the three roommates, and praising Adelaide’s daring actions.

This 100% worth the read. It’s the perfect book for those who love historical fiction with a twist of romance.

The Midnight Jewel (Book #2) by Richelle Mead

Reserve the eBook | Print Book | Book on CD

Midnight Jewel is the second book to the Glittering Court series, and it follows the storyline of Mirabel (Mira) Viana, a strong-willed and independent girl who’s always been an outsider and shunned for where she came. After losing touch with her brother, Mira decides to go to Adoria (also known as the New World), where her brother had escaped to, by joining the Glittering Court. The Glittering Court is essentially a program for young ladies that come from underprivileged backgrounds that trains them for a year to become “proper”, and then ship them off the New World to marry the men who have settled there, where the men pay the Glittering Court for the ladies. For Mira, she only wants to go to Adoria to find her brother, and she cares less about who she marries; however, things take a turn when she meets Grant Elliott, a spy, and starts an alliance by working with him. As the two grow closer together, Mira starts to wonder if there’s more than friendship between her and Grant, and she questions herself about her previous statement about marriage.

Personally, I enjoyed this book more compared to The Glittering Court because I resonated with Mira’s character, and I liked how the plot focused more on Mira’s experience outside from the eyes of the Glittering Court. Additionally, I adored the relationship between Mira and Grant because it feels so raw, for it makes you want to rejoice at one moment and punch the wall immediately the next; it’s just so different from any other relationships I’ve read in books. The main reason why I loved Midnight Jewel is that it doesn’t continue the story from The Glittering Court but instead retells the story from another character’s lens, showing how the same place and time can tell a completely different story. By doing this, I was also able to understand a lot of other characters and their backgrounds that weren’t present in the first book. The only negative thing that I can find to say about this book is that if you haven’t read The Glittering Court, you may not fully understand how the Glittering Court operates since most of Mira’s story focuses on her time after she’s arrived at Adoria. Obviously, it’s okay if you didn’t, but you may be a bit confused, so I’d recommend that you do.

Now, should you read this? Yes. Midnight Jewel is no doubt beautifully combines romance and adventure into a book that you can’t put down. Whatever your taste is, I’d strongly recommend you give this book a shot.

The Emerald Sea (Book #3) by Richelle Mead

Reserve the eBook | Print Book | Book on CD

The final book of The Glittering Court series follows the adventures of Tamsin Wright, a girl who’s willing to sacrifice everything for her family. After being accepted into the Glittering Court—a program that trains common girls into proper ladies and then sends them off to Adoria (or the New World) to marry the rich men there—Tamsin has her heart set on becoming the best and marrying the richest husband she can find, for the sake of her family’s future. During her time at the Glittering Court, Tamsin becomes best friends with her roommates, Mirabel (Mira) Viana and Adelaide Bailey. However, when Adelaide managed to snatch Tamsin’s spot of being the best out of the Glittering Court girls, Tamsin becomes angry and upset, ultimately cutting herself from her roommates to pursue her goal by taking a different ship to Adoria. When a storm strikes, Tamsin finds herself separated from the Glittering Court’s other ship, discovering they are far north from their destination. Gradually, Tamsin becomes the leader of this group of girls, as she learns about new cultures and forms alliances. Yet, when she crosses paths with tradesman Jago Robinson and kind-hearted minister Gideon Stewart, Tamsin finds herself falling in love. As she struggles with her attraction and her primary intent of coming over to the New World, Tamsin understands what she must do: no matter what, she must put her family first before her the secret that could ruin her plans comes out.

The Emerald Sea wonderfully wraps up the Glittering Court series, concluding all three girl’s journies. This book is just as amazing as the prior ones, and it will whisk you away while reading, as Tamsin’s unstoppable nature overcomes every obstacle in her way. Something that I extremely enjoyed about this is how Tamsin’s storyline is a bit different from Mira and Adelaide’s since she did take a different ship and ended up in another location due to the storm. Although it’s still parallel to The Glittering Court and Midnight Jewel, it uncovers another story that was much needed to be explained, nicely wrapping up the loose ends of the trilogy. Additionally, it feels really satisfying for me to finally have the answers to all my questions about Tamsin and her disappearances. Another reason why I loved this book lays in Tamsin emerging to be a more complicated and interesting character than I had previously imagined; I knew her story is complex and holds dangers, but never in the way that was revealed in the book. Everything I read was so eye-opening and fell in place perfectly.

I would definitely suggest you read The Emerald Sea and all the books in the Glittering Court series because this series is unlike any other I’ve read (especially its concurrent events)—just read it!

-Review by Teen Advisory Board Member, 11/21/20