A Shadow On the Glass by Ian Irvine

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Submitted by Richard 
(Oct 19, 2003)

This book does have a lot of detail for building its world (or, apparently three worlds).

But I always felt there was a prequel book that I had missed. The references to the 'Histories' and the thousands of years into the past are never substantially detailed. Conversely, every twist and turn through tunnels, swamps and forests are laboriously explained.

Then, after getting thru 570 pages.. pages 571 and 572 finish the book in an unexplained direction, and again no detail comes thru. No motivation is explained for the end game. As 'Shane' has said, it's just a jumble of lines. I mean, I don't think I am un-intelligent, but I'll be damned if i know what brought down the end of the story. I can guess at some of the motive, but talk about being left high and dry.

It's obviously a ploy to get you to buy the next book.. tune in next week for the continuing episode. Now, I don't mind reading a series of books, but I will not be conned into buying four books by using soap-opera endings.

Such a shame, the ending is a complete left down/disappointment... can someone give me back my time wasted reading the book please.

I got the first volume of Irvine's saga when I was in Australia two years ago. The development of the characters, the description of the races and their plight to keep Rulke firmly bound kept me many nights awake. As the story develops we form stron bonds with Karan and Illian. The storyline is fluent and convincing, no unnecessary roundabouts here! I made sure to get the following two volumes since they were not available in the US at that time. I recommended this series to all my fantasy/scifi friends and all thanked me for it.

I just finished reading this book for the first time, and I have to say I will not be reading the rest of the series. The front cover shows us a blurb of a review from Locus, "Compelling... stands out as a world-building labor of love". If only that were the case. Other than learning about the ancient history of the world of Santhenar very little detail is put into making this world live. Aside from the plight of the Aachim and their exotic city which we get a brief glimpse of, there is nothing we learn at all of the cultures of the different cities. If any of the people have a religion we learn nothing about it. The main characters go from city to city while the author hardly writes anything to flesh out the locations and make the people and places come alive. Sith is beautiful, (according to a line or two on one page), and Thurkad is filthy... the feeling I got after finishing the book was that the "world-buliding labor of love" comment was a joke. We do learn about characters in the book, many of them are suppsed to be "powerful mancers", but the most showy display of powers that we learn about are a few illusions and charms. Also many of them are thousands of years old or perhaps immortal, but we really don't get a sense of their age or importance. Mendark especially seems like a very weak and innefectual character in spite of his vast age. I also felt that the book was sometimes clumsliy written, events and dialogue at times seem very lame. The ending especially seems a jumble of lines. The back cover exclaims that, "(A Shadow on the Glass) rivals the works of Robert Jordan", not even close.

One of the ways I measure great fantasy is the extensive world-building by
the author.The author's ability to create a living breathing world and make
his world so believable that you actually think it exists! That's the opinion I
got after finishing The Shadow on the Glass. Irvine's world-building skills are
incredible.He gives us a world with competing races:Charon,Faellem, and
Aachim.This epic tale is seen through the eyes of two memorable
characters: Llian, chronicler who seeks to solve 3000 year old murder and
Karan, a sensitive who comes to regret fulfilling a promise to make a
dangerous mission for a friend.Karan is in possession a powerful mirror that
gives the ability to see places at a distance and twist reality. Soon she and
Llian will be hunted by ruthless mage,Yggur and his sinister minions called
the Whelm! Irvine's novel has seen of lyrical beauty as he describes all of
the exotic cities and ports of the lavish world.The other characters in this
book also are memorable like Karan's friend,Maigraith who embroils Karan
in her mission to steal the mirror from Yggur and is tortured by
fanatical Whelm.Faelamor-Maigraith's ruthless patron who will stop at
nothing to gain the mirror for herself.Magister Mendark, cunning ruler of
Thurkad who has ruled the city for thousand years! Another thing I love
about this book is plot twists as our hero and heroine must escape from
various forces that seek the mirror for themselves.Unlike other books that
seek to retread tired themes of quests, elves, dwarves and dragons; Irvine
writes a original fantasy where the lines of good and evil are blurred and
heroes who can be selfish or cowardly and villians who can be sympathetic.
So begin the journey to this fabulous world like I did and enchanted and
enthralled!