Richelle Mead, well-known for the Vampire Academy series has written a new book, The Glittering Court. While there are no vampires or werewolves in this new fantasy series, there is instead, Adelaide, Countess of Rothford. Adelaide lives with her grandmother and has no source of income, leaving marriage her only choice. At least that's what her grandmother has told her.
The gentleman her grandmother has arranged for her to marry is the Barron of Ashby, Lionel Belshire. He owns two estates, farms barley and makes his house servants eat barley every morning to boost morale. He really hopes that she will like barley too. However, when a stranger invites her maid to “The Glittering Court” where she will be transformed into a lady, Adelaide quickly forms a plan of escape. If she takes the maid’s place at the Glittering Court, can she fool everyone into thinking she is just a servant girl and not a Countess? Her adventure truly begins at school, continues as she sails across the sea and ends in the wild frontier, where anything can happen.
The story is slow to start but the pace builds quickly.
Fans of The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard and The Selection by Kiera Cass will enjoy Mead’s addition to the regency/new frontier genre-blend.