The Glittering World
Robert Levy
Published: Feb. 10, 2015 (Gallery Books)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review
Reviewed by: Amanda
Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars
The thing I love about fantasy is its ability to surprise. You think you know something, and then an author comes around and shakes his finger at you and says, huh-uh. Not so fast.
Blue’s a chef on the verge of losing his restaurant. After the recent death of a grandmother he barely remembers, he returns to Starling Cove, where he was born, to finalize the sale of her house. He’s hoping the money he gets will pay off some of his debts and give him room to breathe. Along for the ride are his best friend Elisa, her husband Jason, and Gabe. No one’s quite sure what Gabe is to Blue. Not even Blue knows.
Their very first night, they hear whispers and rumors of events past, of people disappearing and returning changed. Blue was one of them. He vanished into the woods one day and reappeared weeks later, seemingly the same and yet altogether different.
The longer the four stay in Starling Cove, the more secrets come out. What’s hiding in the woods? What happened to Blue all those years ago? And what—or who—are the Other Kind?
For a fantasy, there’s comparatively little world building. Much of the story is centered on a search for answers, and every so often someone will talk about the Other Kind and what they do to you. One by one, Blue, Elisa, Jason, and Gabe all confront their own ugly secrets and question their sanity. Do the Other Kind exist? Are they hearing things, seeing things, searching for logical explanations when the illogical is what’s true?
Then there’s the question of what the Other Kind are. These are not the fae you think you know. They are not charming and sinfully gorgeous and ancient, capable of magicks thought long dead. These are creatures straight out of the movie Pan’s Labyrinth, right down to the pointy teeth.
The book is broken into four parts, with each character tackling the question of who they really are and what they want to be. Jason had a near miss with death on 9/11; he watched his coworkers jump from the Towers. Gabe’s whole life has been one nightmare after another. Elisa’s been forced to find a new definition for herself when professional dance is no longer an option. And Blue? Blue’s the glue that holds them together, even as he denies it. Each encounters the Other Kind, and how each responds is what ultimately shapes them going forward.
It’s less about fantasy and more about questioning what you think you know—and finding the reality is more frightening than you’re prepared for. The Glittering World will screw with your mind, frustrate you because you swear the answer is right there (it’s not. It’s really not). You don’t want to meet the Other Kind, though. Because once you do, you’ll never be the same.
Sexual content: references to sex
This sounds really interesting. I’ll have to check it out.
Ditto. Amanda sold me. I want to read this.
*dusts off hands* My work here is done 🙂
Love your review, now I really need to read this book. Thanks
Somehow I had a hard time associating the cover with the creepy creatures from Pan’s labyrinth, but the cover does look creepier after reading your review.