The Glittering Court (audiobook) by Richelle Mead

The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1)

by Richelle Mead
Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands…Published April 5th 2016 by Listening Library (Audio)    Received a copy from readingteen.net for review

I suppose that my anticipation for the book did me in this time. I absolutely love Richelle Mead's writing but I felt this book fell flat as far as the plot and storyline. As a lover of history I had a hard time not comparing this story to the colonization of the United States. Sailing across the ocean to a new land full of people from all over the world trying to establish a "new world". Socializing, settling new areas, having to work with the aboriginals and mining for gold. I suppose I was a bit irked by the idea of "selling" the women to the single men, the best trained woman getting the biggest amount of money.

I listened to the audiobook, while I enjoyed the narrator's voice I was impressed with how many different voices were being portrayed to represent all the peoples. But towards the end I felt that some of the characters began to sound similar and at times was confused if it was Adelaide or Cedric that was speaking. As I stated I believe that the high expectations I had going into the novel was my biggest upset, I think I wanted  more from the story, but felt it lacked a feeling of something new and exciting for me, personally.

I would have a hard time saying that this is not something I would recommend, because it didn't mesh with me, because I do recommend any of her books, to everybody. I think she's a really great writer and knows how to tell a imaginative and thrilling story. I believe that everybody will get something different out of this book, it touches on a lot of different subjects and it really helped me form my opinion on some issues.