Lo specchio delle fate

Di Jenna Black

Avalon, dove il mondo umano e quello incantato magicamente si incontrano

Dana Hathaway non lo sa ancora, ma sta per cacciarsi davvero nei guai. Quando sua madre si presenta al saggio di fine anno ubriaca, la ragazza capisce di averne abbastanza: è giunto il momento di prendere un volo che dagli Stati Uniti la porterà fino alla lontana Inghilterra. È diretta verso la mitica città di Avalon, l’unico posto sulla terra in cui il mondo umano e quello delle fate entrano in contatto e dove vive il suo misterioso padre. Ad Avalon però, il viaggio comincia ad andare storto e Dana si trova invischiata in un gioco molto pericoloso: qualcuno sta cercando senza dubbio di farle del male. Ma soprattutto, sembra che tutti vogliano qualcosa da lei: sua zia Grace, Ethan, un affascinante ragazzo dotato di straordinari poteri, e Kimber, sua sorella. Ma cosa, esattamente? Persino suo padre pare intenzionato a tenerla all’oscuro di tutto quello che le sta accadendo… Intrappolata tra due mondi, coinvolta in oscure trame di potere, la ragazza non sa più di chi può fidarsi, ma ha capito bene che la sua vita non potrà più tornare quella di una volta.



Jenna Black

è laureata alla Duke University in Antropologia. Vive a Pittsboro, nel North Carolina, dove scrive a tempo pieno romanzi di genere paranormale e urban fantasy. Lo specchio delle fate è il primo capitolo di una trilogia. Il suo sito è jennablack.com.

• Lingua: Italiano
• Editore: Newton Compton Editori
• Data di uscita: 16 dic 2013
• ISBN: 9788854142398

Anteprima del libro

Capitolo uno

Avevo le mani sudate e il cuore in gola mentre l’aereo cominciava la discesa verso Londra. Non riuscivo a credere che lo stessi facendo per davvero, e nemmeno di aver trovato il coraggio per scappare di casa. Strofinai i palmi contro i jeans e mi domandai se mamma si fosse già resa conto della mia fuga. Quando ero uscita di casa stava dormendo della grossa dopo una colossale sbornia, e a volte, in casi come quello, riusciva a dormire anche ventiquattr’ore di fila. Avrei voluto essere una mosca per vederla trovare il messaggio che le avevo lasciato. Forse perdermi le avrebbe finalmente acceso la famosa lampadina in testa e avrebbe smesso di bere. Ma non ci avrei proprio scommesso.

Non avevo avuto problemi nel trovare e contattare mio padre. Mamma non mi aveva mai detto il suo nome mentre era sobria e non era neanche registrato sul mio certificato di nascita. A tutto questo però avevano posto rimedio un paio di domandine fatte mentre era sbronza e in una di quelle fasi chiacchierone. Avevo scoperto che il suo nome era Seamus Stuart. A Faerie, mi aveva detto, i fae non usano cognomi, ma coloro che vivono ad Avalon hanno adottato l’usanza per adeguarsi alle abitudini degli esseri umani.

Nel complesso Avalon è piccola, la sua popolazione conta meno di diecimila abitanti, così quando mi ero collegata e avevo cercato l’elenco telefonico della città, non avevo avuto problemi a trovare mio padre: era l’unico Seamus Stuart. Quando poi l’avevo chiamato e gli avevo chiesto se conoscesse nessuno col nome di mia madre, aveva ammesso che era il nome di una delle fidanzate che aveva avuto in passato, quindi sapevo di aver trovato la persona giusta.

Prima che la conversazione finisse, lui mi aveva già chiesto di fargli visita ad Avalon. Mi aveva persino procurato un biglietto di prima classe per Londra, e non aveva mai domandato di parlare con la mamma o se avessi il permesso di andarlo a trovare. All’inizio ero rimasta sorpresa, poi però avevo pensato che forse mia madre aveva ragione, non appena lui mi avesse trovata mi avrebbe fatto scomparire ad Avalon senza pensarci troppo. A caval donato non si guarda in bocca, mi dissi.

L’aereo colpì la pista con un tonfo stridente. Inspirai profondamente cercando di calmarmi. Sarebbero passate ore prima del nostro incontro. Essendo originario di Faerie, mio padre non poteva mettere piede nel mondo degli esseri umani. (Se avesse deciso di rapirmi, avrebbe dovuto chiedere aiuto a un complice umano). La particolare magia di Avalon risiede nel fatto che la città esiste sia nel nostro mondo che in quello di Faerie – è insomma l’unico luogo in cui i due piani di esistenza coincidono. Se mio padre si posizionasse al confine della città e guardasse in lontananza, riuscirebbe a vedere solo Faerie, e se scavalcasse quel confine, noi che stiamo nel mondo mortale non riusciremmo più a vederlo.

Si era organizzato in modo che un suo amico umano venisse all’aeroporto di Londra e mi portasse ad Avalon. Solo dopo aver passato il controllo immigrazione della città avrei potuto vederlo.

Passai il controllo passaporti e la dogana un po’ stordita. Non ero riuscita a dormire sull’aereo per l’eccitazione e il nervosismo, ma avevo decisamente sonno in quel momento. Seguii la massa di passeggeri fino al terminal e cominciai a cercare il mio nome tra il mare di cartelli.

Non lo trovai.

Guardai di nuovo, esaminandone ognuno con attenzione, perché il mio nome poteva essere stato scritto male e forse non l’avevo notato. La folla di autisti cominciò a scemare e io continuavo a non vedere nessuno che mi cercasse. Mi morsi il labbro e guardai l’orologio che avevo regolato sul fuso di Londra. Erano le 8:23 del mattino e l’ultima volta che ci eravamo sentiti al telefono mio padre aveva calcolato che, se l’aereo fosse stato puntuale, sarei arrivata alla dogana alle 8:15 circa. Il suo amico avrebbe dovuto trovarsi già lì.

Respirai nuovamente a fondo, ricordandomi di stare calma. L’amico di mio padre era in ritardo di soli otto minuti. Non c’era bisogno di farsi prendere dal panico. Cercai una sedia comoda vicino alle porte d’ingresso. Il mio sguardo continuava a saettare di qua e di là sperando di trovare una persona che si affrettasse verso il terminal, come se fosse in ritardo. Ne vidi diverse, ma nessuna portava un cartello con il mio nome scritto sopra.

Si fecero le 8:45 e non c’era ancora nessun segno del mio accompagnatore. Decisi che era il momento giusto per lasciarmi prendere un po’ dal panico. Accesi il cellulare per chiamare mio padre, ma scoprii che c’era campo. Era troppo tardi per chiedersi se i cellulari americani funzionassero anche a Londra. Deglutii in preda al nervosismo. Mi ritrovai a giocherellare ansiosamente con il delizioso regalo di benvenuto, un cammeo con una rosa bianca, che mi aveva inviato mio padre.

Ho preso un sacco di aerei sin da piccola e, se il volo durava abbastanza, mia madre era sempre irrimediabilmente ubriaca prima che noi fossimo atterrate. Persino quando avevo otto anni ero capace di trascinarla fuori dall’aeroporto, trovare i nostri bagagli e prendere un taxi che ci portasse a destinazione. Va bene, il posto più esotico in cui ero stata era il Canada, ma cavolo, mi trovavo in Inghilterra, mica in India.

Mi dissi di rimanere calma e cominciai a cercare dei telefoni pubblici. Dato che mia madre non era affidabile in fatto di bollette e cose simili, mi aveva procurato una carta di credito, che usai subito per fare un’interurbana ad Avalon.

Lasciai che il telefono a casa di mio padre squillasse almeno dieci volte, ma nessuno rispose. Misi giù e mi morsi nuovamente il labbro.

Ero già abbastanza nervosa per tutta quell’avventura, e adesso ero bloccata all’aeroporto di Heathrow con mio padre che non rispondeva al telefono. Se si aggiunge un tremendo jet lag, sarà facile intuire perché tutto ciò di cui avevo voglia in quel momento fosse accoccolarmi in un letto caldo e comodo per fare una bella dormita. Cercai di trattenere uno sbadiglio – se avessi cominciato a sbadigliare non sarei più riuscita a fermarmi.

Alle 9:15 mi ritrovai ad ammettere che non c’erano più possibilità che l’amico di mio padre si presentasse all’aeroporto. Lui probabilmente non rispondeva al telefono perché mi stava aspettando al confine di Avalon, come aveva promesso. Ok, tutto quello che dovevo fare era prendere un taxi che mi portasse fino ad Avalon, che distava circa quaranta chilometri da Londra. Nulla di così grave, giusto?

Cambiai del denaro e mi infilai in uno di quei grandi taxi neri tipicamente inglesi. Mi sembrava davvero strano che il tassista fosse seduto dalla parte sbagliata della macchina, ma soprattutto che guidasse anche dal lato sbagliato.

Andava come un pazzo e continuò a parlare per tutto il tempo fino all’ingresso sud di Avalon. Non fui in grado di identificare il suo accento, forse era cockney, in ogni caso capii solo un terzo di quello che mi stava dicendo. Per fortuna non sembrava aspettarsi una risposta, gli bastavano un sorriso e un cenno del capo. Speravo che non si accorgesse dei miei sussulti ogni volta che sembrava prossimo a investire qualcuno.

Come tutti a questo mondo, avevo visto un sacco di foto di Avalon. Esistono migliaia di guide turistiche dedicate alla città – io ne avevo due nella valigia – e in quasi tutti i film fantasy ci sono almeno una o due scene girate lì, è l’unico luogo nel nostro mondo in cui la magia funziona per davvero. Vedere Avalon con i miei occhi mi fece ricordare la prima volta che avevo visitato il Grand Canyon: nessuna fotografia può rendergli giustizia.

Avalon si trova in cima a una montagna. Sì, una vera e propria montagna, che si innalza verso il cielo, sopra la piatta e verde campagna punteggiata di pecore, e sembra che qualcuno abbia preso un pezzo delle Alpi e l’abbia lasciato lì per caso, in un contesto in cui non c’entra nulla.

Ogni singolo centimetro di Avalon, abbarbicata lungo il fianco della montagna, era occupato da case, negozi e uffici e un’unica strada asfaltata saliva a spirale dall’entrata della città fino a quello che sembrava un castello posto in cima. C’erano anche diverse viuzze acciottolate che partivano dalla strada maestra, l’unica grande abbastanza da far circolare le auto.

La base della montagna era completamente circondata da un fossato pieno di fango denso, a sua volta delimitato da un’alta recinzione elettrificata. Esistono solo quattro accessi alla città, uno per ogni punto cardinale. Dovevo incontrare mio padre all’ingresso sud. Il tassista mi lasciò davanti all’ufficio doganale – un edificio a tre piani, lungo circa mezzo isolato – e mentre l’auto si allontanava sentii un’altra fitta di apprensione. Alle macchine era consentito entrare ad Avalon, ma era necessario essere in possesso di un visto d’entrata. Con lo zaino in spalla, cominciai a spingere la mia valigia lungo una serie di curve, seguendo i cartelli per i turisti. Ovviamente la fila per i residenti era molto più corta.

Quando riuscii ad arrivare in fondo alla coda, stavo praticamente dormendo in piedi, nonostante l’ansia. C’era un piccolo parcheggio appena dopo aver superato il controllo e, come all’aeroporto, riuscivo a vedere le persone con vari cartelli. Non vidi comunque nessuno con il mio nome, mentre aspettavo che l’ufficiale della dogana timbrasse il mio passaporto.

«Un momento, signorina», mi disse il doganiere dopo aver esaminato il documento per un tempo infinito. Sussultai confusa mentre si allontanava dalla sua postazione portandolo con sé.

Sentii la gola seccarsi non appena lo vidi parlare con una donna alta dall’aria distinta che indossava una divisa blu scuro – con una pistola e delle manette legate alla cintura. Si seccò ancora di più quando vidi l’ufficiale indicarmi e la donna guardare nella mia direzione. Subito dopo cominciò a camminare verso di me. Vidi che l’uomo le aveva dato il mio passaporto. Non sembrava un buon segno.

«Per favore, venga con me signorina…». Aprì il mio passaporto per controllare. «Hathaway». Aveva un accento strano, un po’ british, ma senza particolari inflessioni. Nel frattempo l’ufficiale aveva fatto un cenno alle persone in fila. Dovetti avvicinarmi ulteriormente alla donna per evitare di essere travolta da una famiglia di cinque persone che si era avvicinata al bancone.

«C’è qualche problema?», chiesi cercando di nascondere la mia preoccupazione.

Lei fece un sorriso che però non le raggiunse lo sguardo. Poi mi si avvicinò e, appoggiando una mano sul mio braccio, mi spinse verso una di quelle porte con serratura magnetica, sul lato dell’edificio.

Cercai di afferrare la maniglia della valigia, ma un ragazzo in uniforme la prese prima di me. Attaccò una targhetta arancione fluorescente e poi la nascose dietro il bancone della dogana.

Mi domandai se fosse il momento giusto per fare una scenata. Pensai però che avrebbe peggiorato la situazione, qualunque essa fosse.

«Non avere paura», disse la donna continuando a spingermi verso la porta. In realtà non stava proprio spingendo. Il suo tocco sul mio braccio era delicato, come se mi stesse gentilmente accompagnando. Ma avevo la sensazione che se avessi rallentato, non sarebbe stata più così cortese. «È una procedura standard, facciamo un colloquio con una determinata percentuale di visitatori», aggiunse sorridendo. Il sorriso le si allargò sul volto non appena strisciò la tessera magnetica. «È soltanto il tuo giorno fortunato».

Ormai avevo fatto il pieno di stanchezza e preoccupazioni, così i miei occhi si riempirono di lacrime. Mi morsi il labbro cercando di non piangere. Se era una selezione casuale, per quale motivo l’ufficiale aveva guardato il mio passaporto così a lungo? E perché mio padre non mi aveva avvisato? Io non avevo letto nulla al riguardo nelle mie guide.

Mi condussero in un anonimo ufficio grigio, i mobili sembravano gli scarti di un dormitorio universitario e c’era uno strano odore, come di lana bagnata. La donna dall’aria distinta mi fece segno di accomodarmi su una delle sedie di metallo, poi ne fece scivolare una girevole dall’aspetto molto più comodo fuori dalla scrivania. Mi sorrise di nuovo.

«Mi chiamo Grace», disse. Non sapevo se si riferisse al suo nome o al suo cognome. «Sono il capitano della polizia di frontiera e ho bisogno di farti un paio di domande sulla tua visita ad Avalon. Poi potrai andare».

Deglutii. «Va bene», dissi. Non avrei potuto fare diversamente.

Grace si piegò e prese un piccolo bloc-notes da uno dei cassetti, poi impugnò una penna d’argento intarsiata. Scommetto che i fae non usano le Bic.

«Qual è lo scopo della tua visita ad Avalon?», mi domandò.

Be’, sveglia, ho sedici anni, non sono certo qui per un viaggio d’affari. «Sono venuta a trovare la mia famiglia».

Prese un appunto, poi mi guardò oltre il bordo del quadernetto. «Non sei un po’ troppo giovane per viaggiare da sola?».

Raddrizzai la schiena. Va bene, è vero, ho solo sedici anni, ma non sono poi così giovane. Sono abbastanza grande da poter usare un libretto degli assegni, pagare le bollette e portare mia madre in giro quando è troppo ubriaca per riuscire a guidare. Lo sguardo di Grace sembrava divertito dalla mia reazione e cercai di controllarmi prima di risponderle.

«Qualcuno doveva venire a prendermi all’aeroporto», le dissi, anche se non era la risposta alla sua domanda.

«Non è venuto nessuno e ho preso un taxi. Avrei dovuto incontrare mio padre una volta passata la dogana».

Grace annuì con approvazione, mentre scribacchiava qualcosa. «Come si chiama tuo padre?»

«Seamus Stuart».

«Indirizzo?»

«Ehm, Ashley Lane 25», risposi, contenta di averglielo chiesto prima di partire. A quell’epoca non sapevo che mi sarebbe servito.

«L’hai visto nel parcheggio? Posso chiedergli di venire qui, se vuoi».

«Veramente non l’ho mai visto di persona, quindi non so se sia qui o meno», risposi sperando di non arrossire. Non so perché ma trovavo imbarazzante il fatto di non aver mai incontrato mio padre.

Annotò qualcos’altro. Mi domandai perché stesse scrivendo così tanto. Non le stavo raccontando la storia della mia vita. E perché mai alla polizia di frontiera dovevano interessare tutte quelle cavolate? Avevo già risposto a domande simili quando avevo richiesto il visto.

«Posso riavere il mio bagaglio?», chiesi, troppo nervosa per continuare a rimanere seduta in silenzio.

«Naturalmente, cara», rispose con un altro dei suoi sorrisi poco sinceri.

La porta dell’ufficio si spalancò proprio in quel momento. Il ragazzo in uniforme che aveva preso la mia valigia mise dentro la testa in attesa che Grace gli prestasse attenzione. La donna lo guardò inarcando un sopracciglio.

«È confermato», disse.

Per la prima volta, un sorriso sincero apparve sul volto di Grace.

«Che cos’è confermato?», domandai. Il sorriso sincero di Grace mi aveva spaventato più di tutti quelli falsi.

«La tua identità, cara. Sembra che tu sia veramente la figlia di Seamus Stuart».

Spalancai la bocca. «E come avete fatto a confermarlo?».

«Permettimi di presentarmi», disse senza rispondere direttamente. «Il mio nome è Grace Stuart», aggiunse sorridendo con fare astuto. «Ma tu puoi chiamarmi zia Grace».

Capitolo due

Sono sicura di essere rimasta seduta come un’idiota con la bocca spalancata. Grace aveva cominciato a ridere vedendo l’espressione del mio viso mentre cercavo di riprendermi e di pensare.

Per la prima volta da quando l’avevo incontrata, cercai di guardare al di là dell’uniforme e del modo di fare distinto, per osservarla veramente. Era alta e magra come una modella, il corpo senza curve sembrava quasi androgino. Somigliava al mio. Le speranze di diventare formosa in futuro scemarono in un attimo. Grace aveva folti capelli biondi e splendenti, raccolti in una treccia che le lasciava scoperto il viso spigoloso e scendeva fino alla parte bassa della schiena. I suoi occhi erano azzurri come i miei, ma dalla forma allungata, all’insù. Una caratteristica fae.

«Sei la sorella di mio padre», le dissi. Era allo stesso tempo un’affermazione e una domanda.

Grace applaudì come se avessi appena fatto una piroetta. Sentii il viso arrossire violentemente.

«Molto bene, mia cara», disse con un tono che lasciava intendere mi ritenesse un po’ lenta. «Seamus è, diciamo, indisposto al momento. Ma mi ha chiesto di prendermi cura di te fino a quando non potrà farlo lui stesso».

Alzai lo sguardo verso di lei. «Se questa è la tua idea di prendersi cura di qualcuno, forse farei meglio a pensarci da sola».

Di solito non sono così maleducata – sicuramente non verso i rappresentanti dell’autorità – ma il jet lag, lo stress e la confusione mi avevano resa alquanto nervosa. «Avresti potuto presentarti sin dall’inizio invece che spaventarmi a morte con i tuoi modi da nazista».

Grace sbatté le palpebre un paio di volte. Dubito che qualcuno le avesse mai parlato in quel modo, tanto meno una ragazza umana e adolescente. Il sorriso scomparve dalle sue labbra e lo sguardo si fece gelido.

«Una ragazza, di cui nessuno ha mai sentito parlare, viene ad Avalon dicendo di essere la figlia mezzosangue di uno dei più importanti Signori Seelie, e noi dovremmo lasciarla entrare senza farle nessuna domanda?», mi chiese con una voce altrettanto gelida. «Seamus non aveva idea di aver messo incinta tua madre e, mentre lui è stato così rapido ad accettarti in famiglia, c’era la fondata possibilità che tu fossi un’imbrogliona».

Uno dei più importanti Signori Seelie? Mia madre aveva detto che papà era un pezzo grosso tra i fae, ma l’affare sembrava ancora più serio di quanto avessi immaginato.

«Mentre noi parlavamo, i miei uomini hanno cercato una spazzola nella tua valigia. Sono riusciti a stabilire che tu sei veramente chi dici di essere».

La violazione della mia privacy mi fece proprio arrabbiare, ma mi lasciò anche sconcertata. «Avete fatto un test del

DNA

in soli quindici minuti?», domandai incredula.

Grace mi guardò nuovamente come se fossi un po’ stupida. «Non un test del

DNA

, cara».

Oh. Magia. Me ne ero dimenticata. Arrossii nuovamente. Grace riusciva alla grande a farmi sentire un’idiota, e sono quasi certa che lo facesse apposta. Non so cosa avesse contro di me, ma qualcosa c’era di sicuro. Mi sentivo ulteriormente confusa, e ancora una volta avrei desiderato raggomitolarmi in un letto comodo. Nonostante lo stress – e l’irritazione – uno sbadiglio si fece strada fino alla mia bocca.

L’espressione di Grace sembrò addolcirsi in un misto di preoccupazione e gentilezza. Non potevo crederci.

«Poverina, devi essere esausta per il viaggio». Si alzò con un gesto inspiegabilmente grazioso. «Vieni». Mi domandai se si rendesse conto di avere il tono di chi si rivolge a un animaletto domestico. «Dobbiamo trovarti una sistemazione in modo che tu possa riposare».

Rimasi seduta, non ero sicura di cosa volesse dire. «Quindi sono libera di andare, ora?»

«Chiederò a un altro ufficiale di sostituirmi per un paio d’ore», disse con un’altra delle sue non-risposte. «Ti porterò a casa. Se vuoi fermarti a mangiare qualcosa prima, basta che me lo dici. Ci sono un sacco di ristoranti carini vicino casa mia».

Sentii un gorgoglio venire dal mio stomaco, ma ero sicura che non fosse per la fame. Sapevo per certo che non volevo andare a casa di Grace.

«Non puoi portarmi a casa di mio padre?», chiesi sapendo già che la risposta sarebbe stata negativa.

Il viso di Grace divenne triste. «Mi dispiace ma non si può, cara. Non è a casa al momento, e non ho la chiave. Ma non temere, dovrai stare con me solo un giorno o due. Poi tuo padre verrà a prenderti».

Sembrava che non avessi voce in capitolo, quindi mi rassegnai all’idea. «Va bene», dissi alzandomi e sperando di non sembrare troppo imbronciata.

«Splendido!», rispose Grace con falso giubilo.

Splendido? Chi dice splendido al giorno d’oggi? Naturalmente, poiché mia zia è di origine fae, doveva avere tipo un milione di anni, anche se sembrava una ventenne.

Seguii Grace attraverso un confuso labirinto di corridoi. Non potei fare a meno di notare tutte le telecamere di sorveglianza che spiavano ogni nostra mossa.

Si fermò in quella che sembrava una saletta ristoro, dato che c’erano un forno a microonde e alcuni distributori automatici. Un gruppetto di ufficiali in uniforme stava seduto attorno a un tavolo. Grace sbraitò qualche ordine – chiedendo che qualcuno la sostituisse durante la sua assenza – e poi continuammo per la nostra strada.

Alla fine arrivammo a una porta con serratura elettronica. La zia Grace tirò fuori la sua tessera e la porta si aprì sul parcheggio che io avevo intravisto mentre facevo la fila alla dogana. Mi condusse fino a un’elegante Mercedes nera. La macchina era così immacolata che sembrava uscita dal concessionario cinque minuti prima. Aveva quel delizioso odore tipico delle auto nuove, alquanto rovinato dal pessimo deodorante a forma di rosa appeso allo specchietto retrovisore. Almeno non era uno di quelli a forma di pino che si trovavano nei taxi.

«La tua valigia è nel bagagliaio», mi disse Grace prima ancora che lo chiedessi. Poi mise in moto la macchina e ce ne andammo.

Il ponte sopra il fossato era stretto, a due corsie, e i guard­rail ai bordi della strada sembravano inconsistenti. Forse perché l’acqua sporca e fangosa del fossato mi dava i brividi.

Cercando di ignorare il baratro, mi guardai indietro – con un po’ di malinconia – e vidi l’ufficio doganale che segnava il confine tra Avalon e il mondo dei mortali. Una parte di me stava già desiderando di non aver mai messo piede fuori dalla casa di mia madre. Sì, vivere con lei, prendersi cura di lei e mentire agli amici per lei faceva veramente schifo. Ma almeno sapevo a cosa andavo incontro.

Fui colta da un’ondata di nausea e la vista mi si appannò per un attimo. Mi girai e ripresi a guardare avanti.

«C’è qualcosa che non va?», chiese Grace.

Scossi la testa e deglutii per far passare la nausea. «Sono solo affaticata dal jet lag, stressata e con un po’ di mal d’auto». Chissà se le sarebbe scocciato vedermi vomitare nella sua macchina nuova fiammante. Penso proprio di sì.

«Cosa intendevi quando hai detto che mio padre era indisposto?», le domandai mentre il mio stomaco – fortunatamente – sembrava calmarsi.

«Ha avuto un po’ di… problemi legali, penso che si possano chiamare così». La Mercedes cominciò senza sforzo la sua salita lungo la strada a due corsie che abbracciava la montagna. «Ma non preoccuparti. Sarà tutto chiarito in un paio di giorni. E mi prenderò io cura di te finché tuo padre non sarà a casa».

«Dov’è?».

Fece una piccola smorfia ed ebbe una breve esitazione prima di rispondermi. «Be’, se proprio lo vuoi sapere», disse come se l’avessi tormentata per ore, «è in prigione».

Rimasi senza fiato. Grace allungò svogliatamente una mano per darmi un colpetto sul ginocchio. Dovetti resistere alla tentazione di spingerla via.

«È un semplice disguido», aggiunse con falso tono rassicurante. «Verrà ricevuto dal Consiglio domani, o dopodomani al massimo, e sarà sicuramente rilasciato».

Mio padre era in prigione. Tra tutti i problemi che pensavo di dover affrontare ad Avalon, quello non era contemplato. La mia mano scivolò di nuovo verso il cammeo e con le dita accarezzai nervosamente la superficie in rilievo. Gli occhi di Grace seguirono il mio gesto. Le sue labbra si assottigliarono non appena vide il cammeo, ma non disse niente. Io comunque lasciai cadere la mano.

Avevo ancora molte domande sull’argomento, ma proprio in quel momento Grace svoltò in un piccolo parcheggio, che poteva ospitare al massimo una dozzina di macchine. Uscì dall’auto e prese il mio bagaglio ancor prima che potessi fare una qualsiasi domanda. Ritenni nuovamente che non si trattasse di una coincidenza.

Ero troppo stanca per pensarci. Dopo aver fatto un pisolino e aver superato quella fase di stanchezza mortale, mi sarei seduta a fare una conversazione a cuore aperto con la cara vecchia zia Grace, perché mi doveva qualche spiegazione su cosa stava succedendo a mio padre. Tipo, il motivo per cui era in prigione. O, che cos’era il Consiglio che doveva

Recensioni su Lo specchio delle fate

[krau0098 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

I have had this book on my TBR pile for quite a while to read. It ended up being an okay book, but wasn’t great. It’s the first book in the Faeriewalker trilogy. I listened to this on audiobook and, although the narrator did a great job creating different character voices, the voice she picked for the main heroine sounded somewhat gnomish...it was raspy, childish and unpleasant to listen to. I wouldn’t recommend listening to this on audiobook. I had a lot of issues with this book. Dana comes across as very childish and naive, which is completely at odds with the fact that she grew up taking care of her alcoholic mom. You would think she’d be a bit more wise and less silly about thinking that traveling to Avalon will solve all her problems. This book is very politics heavy; from the moment Dana steps foot into Avalon she is immersed in politics. This book was more about Dana’s issues with her mom and Avalon politics than anything else. Dana does have a love interest in this book, but I was not impressed with this either. Ethan basically coerces her with magic from the beginning and comes across as more slimy and creepy than swoon-worthy. I don’t plan on reading more of the series, but I sincerely hope that the author does not make Ethan and Dana a couple going forward. I hate the whole misunderstood stalker turned heroic guy thing in YA novels. Overall there just wasn’t anything I really liked about this book. It was okay but nothing special. The characters were childish and lackluster, the story was boring, and the world-building was only so-so. I personally wouldn’t recommend. There are too many really excellent paranorma YA books out there to waste your time reading something this mediocre.

[mlsimmons-1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

This was not a bad book. It is a young adult with a slight hint of romance with mystry and magic around every turn. I am interested in reading the next book.

[kcarrigan-1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Review from finished copy from GoodReads (Yay! Thank you!)

Fairly enjoyable. A little predictable.

[whatsmacksaid · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I wish I could give this three and a half stars, but I did enjoy Glimmerglass, so I thought I'd round the stars up.

Glimmerglass is enjoyable because it is written better than a great deal of other YA fantasy out there. The main character is a special, rare and highly sought after half-breed (faerie and human), but there is so much life in her--real life, like she could attend anyone's high school and fit right in--that such a premise is easier to swallow.

The main character's father was also particularly interesting. Parents tend to be shunted aside or hidden away for one reason or another in YA fiction--such as the main character's mother is--but her father is a fully-fleshed out character in his own right, and it was fascinating to read about his interactions with his daughter. The same goes for the main character's bodyguard, who is also an adult that isn't abandoned at two dimensions.

Overall, I enjoyed Glimmerglass quite a bit. I was relieved to find a YA fantasy that wasn't poorly written and I have already purchased the sequel. I'm going to start reading it asap.

[kmartin802_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

Tired of being the grown up in her relationship with her alcoholic mother, sixteen-year-old Dana decides it is time to spend some time with her powerful fae father in Avalon, the only human/fae city on Earth. That has to be better, right? Well, not so much.Dana finds herself mixed up in fae politics that she doesn't understand and that no one will explain to her when she reaches Avalon. She kidnapped by her Aunt Grace, rescued by teens Ethan and Kimber, and learns that she is a very rare faeriewalker who can travel between both worlds bringing magic to Earth and technology to Faerie. Everyone has a use for her and she doesn't know who she can trust.I liked Dana. She was forced by her family situation to be too old for her age. At the same time, because she had moved around so frequently with her alcoholic mother, she was younger than her age too. She didn't have any experience making friends and certainly knew nothing about having a boyfriend. Ethan seems more than willing to add to her boyfriend knowledge but she doesn't know if she can trust him.This was a fast-paced story with a bit of romance. I liked the whole concept of a city where humans and fae interact. I liked that she was getting to know her father. I liked that he was honest with her even when she didn't want to hear what he had to say. This is the first book in a trilogy. I'm eager to read the rest.

[camibrite · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

A very promising beginning to the YA "faerie" genre. Not as dark as Wicked Lovely, but don't hold that against it!

[pollywannabook · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyGLIMMERGLASS is the only paranormal YA book that I can think of that has an open world system involving faeries. Both the human and Fae sides know about each other, but physically cannot exist in the other’s world. Avalon, however, is the one place where they live together. It’s also the place where Dana was conceived and the reason she is a Faeriewalker, an uber rare human/faerie hybrid able to live in both worlds.There are a number of interesting and well drawn relationships going on in GLIMMERGLASS beyond just the obligatory romances (and yes that’s romances plural). Dana has two very different relationships with her parents. With her alcoholic human mother we see Dana as the adult who would give anything not to have to be, and the reverse with her strict fey father. Then there is the sibling rivalry/jealousy between Kimber and her brother Ethan (the golden boy fey and one of Dana’s romantic interests). And an additional father son pairing that I won’t spoil. These character dynamics never overshadow the main plot with Dana and her struggle to survive caught between two frightening worlds, but they did add a layer of realism that allowed me to become equally invested in the supporting cast as I was with the main characters.The romance in GLIMMERGLASS is a little steamier than usual for YA, not ever graphic, but super steamy. And surprising in a lot of ways too. Dana is in a position where everyone wants something from her and it’s impossible to know who to trust. Her heart and her head are constantly leading her in opposite directions and I have to give her props for recognizing that it’s dangerous to blindly trust her feelings.Overall, GLIMMERGLASS is the start of a mesmerizing new series. Fey feuds, risky romances, and charismatic characters abound. I can’t wait for more Faeriewalker books and thankfully I don’t have to. Remedial Magic is a free short story that is available now and the next full novel called SHADOWSPELL will be published on January 4, 2011.Sexual Content: Kissing and mild sensuality.

[pandaris_1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

The cover is what initially drew me to this book. When I read the description, I thought that this could be interesting. So it sat on my plan to read virtual shelf for a while, until I went to the bookstore looking for something they ended up not having at the time, and came home with this instead.Glimmerglass gets right into it with the first few pages. No slow start for this book, which was nice. I was actually disappointed that I started it on a day I worked, since I was only able to read it during breaks that first day. Overall I enjoyed it very much, and only had two slight problems with the book. How the prospective love interests work, and what was happening with her singing in the beginning. I'm assuming however that those issues, or at least the latter one, will be resolved in the sequel Shadowspell, coming out next month! 3 out of 5 stars.

[staceymacwrites · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Jenna Black created a world that exists as an in-between for the human world and the faerie world, Avalon. A place where both kinds can exist. Her world included those who simply existed, the mundane. Then her world included those who were abnormally good looking with magic running through their blood, some in small amounts and others in impressive quantities. This world, to our main character’s disadvantage, also included the power struggle between those who were Seelie and Unseelie, and other power hungry individuals of Faerie. Did I forget to mention those afraid of Faeriewalkers? With the parental roll reversed in Dana’s single parent home, she sets out to find her Fae father who she has been given contradicting stories about, time and drunken-time again. Never really knowing the reason why her mother ran with her, nor knowing if her Father was the horrible man her sober mother claimed, or the wonderful man her drunken-mind claimed, Dana sought out to find her own answers. Beyond answer Dana needed to take a much needed break from her emotionally draining alcoholic mother. With her mother Dana never stayed anywhere for long and her social life reflected so.Jenna Black introduces the rest of the primary characters in quick and eventful ways once Dana hits the Avalon border. She is swept into a world of Fae politics leaving her a prisoner who is rescued, emotionally betrayed, physically assaulted by a dangerous living-pile-of-sticks, and unsure of who to trust all in a few days time.I found myself connecting with the secondary characters more then the primary. There were two characters that were memorably real to me. A Knight and his un-knight son. These two characters had strong, even if quiet, personalities that helped form the underlying story adding action, silent compassion, and humor to this tale. I can only hope their small roles expand in the next installment of the series or at least that they still a close part of Dana’s life.There was so much about this Glimmerglass to really enjoy but I found myself struggling to hold on and flip the pages several times throughout the book. I had a hard time connecting to the primary characters and their lack of common ground and relationships. There was so much distrust between Dana and those around her it was hard to see past her immature and pessimistic attitude. Dana herself, at times, was quite a contradictory character, claiming her maturity yet acting the opposite. Acting on impulse at the most inopportune times was one of the leading lady’s downfalls as was her inability to reason within herself clearly. At times she confused me as well as herself with her over analyzing personality.Glimmerglass is just the start for the only known living Faeriwalker, Dana. Once I am able to get my hands on a copy of Shadowspell, the second Faerwalker book, I will be devouring the lines looking for the same action and the same Fae politics that Jenna provided us in the first of the books.

[larissabookgirl_1 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

Dana has been living with a secret, one she has kept hidden from the rest of the world and its not just that her Father is a Fae from Avalon making her half-faerie half-human, although that is a big secret too, no this secret is about her mother.Ever since she can remember Dana and her mother have been moving from place to place running from an invisible enemy, invisible to Dana that is but to her mother it was an ever present threat that only alcohol was able to help her cope with. For as long as Dana could remember her mother had been a drunk.Having put up with her mothers drunkenness one too many times, Dana has decided to run away. Surely living with the father she has never met would be better then living with a mother who's always out of it. Only once she arrives in Avalon Dana's not so sure any more.What Dana finds in Avalon is not the magical place of happiness she was expecting, instead she is kidnapped, imprisoned, rescued, attacked, lied to, kissed, beaten, threatened and encounters one very fierce water witch. All Dana ever wanted was to be a normal teenage girl, but Dana is anything but normal.Glimmerglass introduces a new world where faeries and humans exist side by side; at least they do in Avalon. It is a complicated world of politics and danger with enough magic and romance to satisfy every reader. The first in a new and exciting series.

[feloniouslypink_1 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Didn't like the protagonist. Too selfish. Too immature. But would still read the sequel just to see what happens next.

[ylin20621 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

Taking care of herself since the age of 6, Dana Hathaway has finally had enough of her alcoholic mother. Dana reaches out to her father, someone whom her mother ran away from when she was pregnant with Dana. But visiting her father after 16 years bring more than awkward goodnights as her Faerie side comes with a bit more political influence and power than she ever realized.Glimmerglass is quite easily one of the quickest novels I have ever read in one sitting—and that is saying something. The novel is by far not the most impressive works I have read, but there is something easy on the eye the way it was written and something heart pounding the way the story flowed. Glimmerglass is definitely not short of hot guys and life-ending fights, which makes for a nice balance between the two.At first I was quite hesitant about Dana being half-Fae because it never went in depth of her reaction when her mother told her, but that quickly dissipated when it turns out that it is a known fact that Faeries exist. Hello tourist attraction! Okay I’m lying when I say that I completely understand the whole human-with-Faeries ordeal. Faerie politics—needs to understand more. Creatures and rankings—needs to know more. Thank goodness this is only the first book.It is an addicting novel I will tell you that. Dana is that elusive teenage character that you don’t know if you like, understand (ahhh I’ve been there), or that almost Mary-Sue. I suspect a lot of male leads in the upcoming books, which I am petrified about.

[pattylouise_1 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I just finished this a few minutes ago and it was really lovely. Sort of mystical but with tons of dangerously evil characters and lots of running for your life...love that kind of a book...it was quite fun to read. I have been avoiding books about fairies for a while but this one was quite good. Not really in the mood to officially review it...just saying that it was time well spent. I loved the fact that the fairy world was known to humans and that you could travel there. All you need to get there is a passport and a ticket to to London. From there it is easy to get to Avalon...the home of the fae.Dana...the main character...has powers that she is unaware of. She has lived in the human world for all of her life. She is going to Avalon to find her father and that is where all of the excitement and mystery begin.

[maidenveil · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

Dana is a teenager wrestling with her trouble as being the "adult" in her family, while taking care of her mother who is never sober and take care of herself long enough to be sane. She thought coming to her father would be better for her but it took on a whole new meaning of making a wrong turn. Jenna Black had crafted a magical story of teens who find themselves caught between their own need to be in control and the manipulativeness of adults. Set in the world of Avalon, where faeries and humans coexist, as well as magic and technology. If you think politics is dirty, then throw in some fae magic and you've got yourselves an interesting concoction. Not to mention that most of the faeries are definitely hot and irresistible not to be tangled-up with. After reading the haunting, Mockingjay and jumping on to the equally mind-altering, Clockwork Angel, Glimmerglass was a feel-good read that is a definitely got me all fired-up for faeries again! You better read it up as its sequel, Shadowspell is already in the works.

[gubry · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

Dana was an easy character to get into, sometimes not very bright, but overall she was likable. I did question her sometimes, like why she never took her mom to rehab to help stop her drinking. I find that strange, since Dana is practically the adult one between her mother and herself. Nevertheless, the writing was good and I do wonder what hot posset would taste like, hm...The faeriewalker thing was confusing at first, but once it was explained more, I got used to the concept of Dana being a Faeriewalker after the big scene. Fighting scenes were okay, but the big one actually didn't really feel like a big fight scene to me other than the hostage part.The romance was short, but I do think that there will be a love triangle in the future. Since there are two guys, Ethan and Keane. In the next book, I really do hope we see more of Keane, and if we do teams, I'll pretty much side with Keane because I liked him better and would like to see more of him. I wonder what's going to happen in the sequel, since I'm curious about that.

[deedee10_1 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I loved this book! Dana isn't a weak heroine even though she has moments when she shows that she is still a teenager. The guys in the book are hot and funny. I loved the plot and can't wait for the next book in the series.

[millett23 · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I found this book to be very different from all the other fairy books out there, and was very pleased with what I read. The story was a great one and it was a great read.

[squishy133 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

‘Glimmerglass’ is Jenna Black’s first novel for Young Adults, and it was brilliant. It’s a novel about Faeries, but at the same time, it’s a novel about so much more. The elements that Black has woven into this story are so well done that I couldn’t read it fast enough. Glimmerglass just draws you in and keeps you there. Trust me, once you pick it up, you’ve got no hope. Glimmerglass centers around Dana, our protagonist. Her mother is an alcoholic, and Dana is really starting to feel the drain that is having on her life (I seem to be reading about alcoholics a fair bit lately, huh?). Eventually, after yet another embarrassing experience with her mother, Dana decides to leave her home in the USA and travel to England, specifically Avalon, the place where the both the human world and the Land of Faerie can be accessed. When there, Dana realises that not everything is as good as she expected it to be, and Avalon (as well as it’s inhabitants) may be more trouble than they’re worth.Jenna Black’s world is entirely unique. She has taken our everyday, normal world and turned it upside down. Pretty much everything functions as normal, except that right in the middle of London lies the city of Avalon. It’s a country unto itself, governed by a council of humans and Fae, with one leader (sort of like a Mayor I guess) that alternates between human and Fae. When Dana arrives, the election fast approaching and this time it’s the Fae’s turn.In Dana’s world, everyone knows about Avalon and the faerie realm, but only incredibly rare faeriewalkers (half human, half Fae – so it’s a bit more complicated than that, but you get the drift) can enter both, as well as the human world.Dana’s father, a faerie that her mother has kept her from since birth is one of the Fae running in the election. This, of course, causes some serious problems for Dana who finds out that she is a valuable commodity in her own.So as I said, Jenna’s world is incredibly new, exciting and in my opinion, unheard of in today’s YA. I loved the descriptions of Avalon that were full and easy to follow.The characters were likeable, and well described. I loved Dana, and aside from her having an alcoholic mother, I connected with her really well. In fact, she’s sounded a whole lot like me at 16. She was humorous, serious, and she reacted well to the things that had happened to her.I loved the secondary character as well – especially Kimber, Ethan, Dana’s father and Finn. Ok, so I pretty much loved Finn. Not in the ‘you’re-so-gorgeous-oh-my-gosh‘ way, but in the ‘you-are-hilarious-get-more-page-time‘ way. When he first appeared, I just couldn’t help from laughing out loud. And let me tell you, when a book can make me laugh you know it’s good (NB: I have a very serious reading face). Dana’s father was a really interesting character in my opinion. Unlike the normal angry, high-class faerie Dad’s you tend to read in YA these days, he was modern, classy and pretty normal. I mean, sure, he was a little bit ambitious, but he is a politician, so I guess some things are universal. I liked how he was always blunt about what he thought, never trying to hide things from Dana. And he cared too! Seriously, I know he could be a bit annoying at times, but he was a relief from the stereotypical supernatural jerk-Dad’s that YA seems to portray.Anyway, my point is that I liked the characters. They were fun to read about, they kept me interested and I genuinely liked them.The plot of Glimmerglass was interesting, but I felt that there wasn’t enough inclusion of magic. I mean, I loved what Black did include, and I couldn’t get enough of the explanation of how it worked (this was written so well! It couldn’t have been explained it better!) but I needed more! Maybe in the next book there will be more… we can only hope.The novel ends on a sort-of cliffhanger, so the plot is clearly going to continue into the next novel (and hopefully we’ll get to see some of Faerie then too!).Overall, I really enjoyed Glimmerglass, and I can’t wait for the sequel, ‘Shadowspell’ which is released in January of 2011. That’s too long!

[urbanfan · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I very much enjoyed Glimmerglass and anxiously awaiting book 2. Glimmerglass offers all the great elements of a good fantasy book, and the added romantic struggle we like to watch and antagonize over. This books does move more slowly with the love interests, but in a good way, leaving the reader hungry to know more. The main character does seem a bit whiny at first, but I see where, hopefully, the author is setting her up to be a strong leading lady, mentally and physically. The plot moves along well. I read this book in one day, a very easy, smooth read.

[abookwormshaven · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

This is one of those books that I felt like I did not really hear a lot about and I kept putting it off to the side in lieu of other books that were getting more buzz. I have to say though, after reading it I am not really sure why it is not getting more attention. I really enjoyed it. One of the things that caught me off guard from the very beginning was the fact that humans are aware of Fae, not like in a myth kind of way. As in, they know they exist and actually on some occasions live with them, in the city of Avalon. This is not something I am accustomed to reading, so I found that whole concept very intriguing.As the book begins we are almost immediately taken on a journey with Dana to the city of Avalon. Many events transpire in a very short about of time and you almost get a head rush just reading about it. I don’t mean that in a bad way though, it was nice to be taken on a journey so quickly and skip what I call “the fluff factor.” If you cannot guess what “the fluff factor” is then I will explain further. I view it as unnecessary information that just takes up pages to fill the space. It does not advance the plot, tell you about the characters in any way and is well, boring. The fluff in this book was very minimal and I greatly appreciated that. You are given quite a bit of information in a short amount of time, but I would not call it fluff. I think it is all very important to the story, it is a wealth of information coming at you very quickly and you will have to pay attention to keep track of it all.Another interesting plot twist in Dana’s story was who to trust. There are so many people Dana meets at the beginning and you are left just as confused as she is. Dana knows nothing about these people and therefore you do not either, so it is hard to pick up on everyone’s motives and intentions. I thought I had it pretty well pinned, but then some new information arose and I was left guessing again. I do like Dana though, and I think she made good choices, based on the information that she was given. At the end of the story you are still left wondering about some people, but I think if all the mysteries were solved then it would not be fun.One of those mysteries would Ethan and his sister Kimber. I thought I had those two figured out at one point just to be thrown a curve ball a couple of pages later. I do like being kept on my toes though, and those two are doing a good job of keeping me there. Ethan also plays a little bit of a love interest for Dana, which you will have to read about to decide if that is a good or bad thing. I will say though, I do see a potential love triangle that might form later in the series and I am already leaning in one direction. But that is something you will have to decide for yourself, so I am not going to try and sway any opinions.I have seen online that there is going to be a second book in this series called Shadowspell, which I think will be great. This is a good book and I really enjoyed it. I feel like there is still more exploring to do in this world and while Glimmerglass did lay some excellent groundwork I will be eager to see what Shadowspell will bring.

[alliebeth927 · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

Glimmerglass was a pretty good book that could have been great. I loved the dialog and flow, but the story itself just wasn't very strong. Dana is a typical female protagonist who seems to rely on the supporting characters for most of her substance. Unfortunately, the best of them weren't utilized as much as they could have been. Also, several seemingly important characters were introduced late in the game, leaving the story feeling incomplete--and not in the 'setting this up for a sequel' kind of way. The last hundred pages felt the most promising, which has me hoping the momentum will carry into the next installment. So, if you're a fan of the teen fairy genre, you'll still want to give this one a try despite its shortcomings.

[bluesalamanders · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

ARC from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.Dana is half-human and half-Fae teenager and when she can no longer stand living with her drunken (human) mother, she runs away to find her Fae father in Avalon, the city connecting the human and faerie worlds. But as soon as she walks through the gate, everything starts going wrong.Glimmerglass is an exciting story of a girl caught in a world she knows nothing about, forced to trust people she barely knows and being betrayed at every turn. I was concerned toward the end that too much plot would be worked into the last few pages, but it is the first in a series, so things wrapped up this book's story and set up for the next book. My only complaint is that I am tired of women falling for men who are nasty to them. None of the boys Dana's age are nice to her, and yet she's drooling over them because they're Fae-gorgeous. Those bits were incredibly boring, unlike the rest of the story.

[dr8688 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

this is about a girl who is half human and half fae with an alcoholic mother who wants to find her dad and winds up getting involved with the faerie politics, which she knows nothing about. She has know idea of her own powers, others are trying to find out if she has them and how strong they are. All in all, it was an o.k. read, it kept me entertained. I will read the second one when it comes out to see what happens, because now I'm intrigued. Black brought in some faerie lore that I had not heard about, and that is rare for me because I read a lot of faerie literature. But, the glimmerglass is something new for me, so this is something I am going to have to look into.

[dasuzuki · Valutazione: 3 su 5 stelle]

The world the story takes place in was wonderful. I found it fascinating to see a world in which faeries are well known and have been for centuries. Avalon is a town in which faeries and humans are supposed to be able to live in peaceful co-existance apart from the influence or the Faerie Seelie and Unseelie courts. As the reader sees throughout the story this is not completely true. For the most part I enjoyed all the characters although one of Dana's potential love interests, Ethan, took awhile to grow on me. Dana's giddiness around him was almost nauseating to read about. I will admit this is most likely because I was not a huge fan of Dana herself. She is portrayed as this older than her age teenager who has always been responsible and adult-like in taking care of her alcoholic mother. Yet most of her actions throughout the story made me think of your typical teenager having a temper tantrum. She obviously doesn't think through her plan to seek out her father, the decisions she makes usually doesn't take into account what is practical or how they may affect those around her and even when she gets her way she still comes across as ungrateful. Still the other characters like her body guard Finn, his sexy son Keane, her father and Kimber, the sister of Ethan all more than made up for it. I found them all intriguing and some of them make you want to smile or laugh out loud. The story is also fascinating and will leave you wanting to read more.

[monsterofbooks · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

If Need is a book that you must read before you die, and Shadow Hills is currently the best book of 2010 then Glimmerglass is the cherry on top that completes the perfect recipe that these three books stir up.Seriously, if I could only read 3 books this year then these would be the three I pick. I mean I know Need is a 2008 published book, but still I love these three. All are very different in their own way.Glimmerglass is Jenna Black's debut Young Adult Novel. She has written Urban Fantasy and Paranormal before, but not young adult. And you can tell this isn't her first book because she does such a amazing job at getting inside of Dana's (protagonist) head and writing through first person point of view.This novel is the first of a series and I'm already looking forward to the next. I literally did not want to finish Glimmerglass because a) I didn't want it to end and b) the next book doesn't come out till 2011.It is a very fast paced book, and you'll never get bored with it. All the characters have there own charm, and you can't help but feel connected to them. Dana is a strong girl, but finds herself in a rather sticky mess and as a reader you really sympathize for her.My favorite characters were Ethan, Kimber and Dana. Ethan is so cocky, and some of his lines are priceless. Kimber reminds me of someone who would wear lolita clothing. And Dana is Dana. I can't explain her, she's just so mature and responsible. Also she deals with a problem that a lot of teens have to go through, which is having a alcoholic parent. I give three claps for making her very down to earth, realistic and a amazing protagonist.I like the fact, that Miss. Black didn't make the protagonist and the potential/already love interest go to fast. What I mean is, the protagonist and the guy she likes do not rush things. They aren't boyfriend and girlfriend by the end of the novel. I liked that because in a lot of YA novels these days romance is way to rushed and that makes it feel unrealistic. In this novel the growth of liking each other felt real. Also their is another character in this novel who I hope becomes a potential love interest/ love rival.What I did not enjoy was the lack of imagery of Avalon (setting). I really had a hard time imagining it, and that made me really frustrated at times. I thought if there was a bit more imagery, it would be a lot easier for the readers to fully grasp the beauty of Avalon.Overall Glimmerglass is a amazing start to a series, and I highly recommend this book to anyone. I will definitely be on the look out for the next book in the series.

[ruthiesbookreviews · Valutazione: 5 su 5 stelle]

I've never read a book by Jenna Black and I was quite pleased when I got the opportunity to read this one. I've been working on it for a while now, but not that it's the books fault, Life just loves to get in my way. But this book I just finished and really it was a great read. The main characters are quite young, but yet live in this world where there is magic and Fae and all different kinds of beings intermingling with humans in Avalon. Although Dana feels that she trying escape the life that she lived with her dunk mother, really towards the middle of book she starts thinking that it really might not have been that bad. Now everyone seems out to get her and really, is she free to do what she wants or is she going ot be kept a prisoner because of what and who she is? I never knew who to trust which went right along with how Dana was feeling. I mean, so much had taken place in such a short period of time, it was ridculous, but it added nicely towards the story. Even with any ending such as it had, ya know there is going to be more from this series! I can't wait!

[flemmily · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

An interesting, unique story with a very likable heroine. Not long on fairy mythology (which is a good thing in my mind), but excellent characterization.

[willowone_1 · Valutazione: 4 su 5 stelle]

I was intrigued by the thought of this book. When I was not chosen to receive it through ER I immediately went to my local library and told them about it, they in turn ordered a copy for our library and I got first stab at it. I was not disappointed, well maybe I am disappointed that I will have to wait until 2011 to read the next installment in the series.Dana Hathaway is known as a faeriewalker (half fae and half human). This can be good, but it can also be very bad and it all depends on whose purpose is to be served. As Dana meets her father for the first time she is thrown into a political storm and she is now the center.

[shellyquade · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

Glimmerglass is the first book in a young adult fantasy series. Chronicling the adventures of a teenage girl named Dana, this book follows her from whining about her alcoholic mother to whining about being in Avalon to whining about her father to whining about missing her alcoholic mother to whining about more stuff.As you might be able to tell, I was not a big fan of this book. The plot was okay -- the plot actually dealt with some pretty interesting ideas. It moves along quickly, but it's not very effective due to the way it was written. It feels hurried. There's a lot that happens, but it all feels too fast. I also did not care about the characters.I feel like most of the writing is simply not as sympathetic as the author wants it to be.Having an alcoholic mother and constantly being on the move is hard. Not knowing a parent is hard. Running away is a stupid action that usually doesn't turn out the way a teenager thinks it will.But I just felt like Dana was whining.

[beserene · Valutazione: 2 su 5 stelle]

This was an early reviewer book for me and, as such, I'd like to give it high praise... but I really can't, because it simply wasn't that great. Not that it was terrible -- in the realm of YA fantasy, there are WAY worse books out there -- but it was a bit forgettable. 'Glimmerglass' is a contemporary fantasy that approaches the classic fantasy concepts of the realm of Faerie and half-fey offspring and has a few things going for it in how it characterizes Faerie itself -- the descriptions of border control are particularly enjoyable -- but there is little here that doesn't seem borrowed from more experienced authors. Of course, Faerie is a politically volatile realm, full of scheming lords and ladies, large bodyguards (most of whom have hearts of gold), smokin' hot young men, and one or two random monsters, just for thrills. And of course, amidst this whirlwind of emotional and physical stimulation, our heroine (a pretty girl with daddy issues who, SPOILER, turns out to be the most powerful type of half-breed possible) feels lost, confused, and angsty. Yup, I have read this before. The funny thing is, I would not mind reading the same old set-up again, if things really made sense in the novel. Unfortunately, the super-rare-and-powerful-half-breed reveal seems disconnected from the heart of the story and many of the money shots (monsters, the heroine rescued, the heroine in danger again) feel anticlimactic or illogical. Add to that the heroine's realization that her alcoholic mother is really just misunderstood, and the whole thing starts to feel like the fantasy version of an after-school special (for those who are old enough to get that reference).Like many of its ilk, this novel is a pleasant enough read, as long as you don't slow down to think about it. Once you do, what pleasure you had seeps away as you remember the other fantasy authors you have read who have simply done this better. I think Jenna Black has potential -- this novel isn't terrible -- but I suspect that if she keeps tripping down the Stephanie-Meyer-inspired primrose path, her books will not get much better. On the flipside, her publication timing is good, so she may make a boatload of money regardless.