The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea

Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea! Thanks so much to Jenny for organising the tour. And don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops!

The Synopsis

Jón Eiríksson buried one wife this year. How long before he buries a second?

1686, ICELAND.
AN ISOLATED, WINDSWEPT LAND
HAUNTED BY WITCH TRIALS AND STEEPED IN THE ANCIENT SAGAS.

Betrothed unexpectedly to Jón Eiríksson, Rósa is sent to join her new husband in the remote village of Stykkishólmur. Here, the villagers are wary of outsiders.
But Rósa harbours her own suspicions. Her husband buried his first wife alone in the dead of night. He will not talk of it. Instead he gives her a small glass figurine. She does not know what it signifies.
The villagers mistrust them both. Dark threats are whispered. There is an evil here - Rósa can feel it. Is it her husband, the villagers - or the land itself?
Alone and far from home, Rósa sees the darkness coming. She fears she will be its next victim . . .

My Review

The Glass Woman is quite simply an absolutely stunning read.
Despite the beautiful cover, it’s probably not the kind of book I would usually be drawn to straight away, as I tend to choose something in a more contemporary setting, but when I got invited to the blog tour and I read the synopsis I thought it looked brilliant - and gosh was I right or what!
By the opening few pages, Lea had ensured that I wouldn’t be putting The Glass Woman down any time soon, by instantly drawing me into the extremely atmospheric setting she created. I have no personal experience of Iceland but I could picture every detail.
I remained completely engrossed for the entirety of my train journey, and even managed to ignore someone’s music playing loudly through their headphones!
I finished the book in just 2 days and its grip on me didn’t falter once. It’s really well paced and expertly creates intrigue and a growing sense of foreboding as the story progresses.
The characters are unique and fascinating to read. All of them are well-developed and explored, allowing me to feel really strongly what they were all experiencing - especially Rósa.
The ending is beautiful, moving and absolutely brilliant. It’s so well written and felt really right.
Overall, I’m giving The Glass Woman 4.5 out of 5. It’s dark, emotive and compelling. A beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable read.




*Just a brief word of warning to those who are slightly squeamish, the later parts of the book can be a little graphic in places, so do be prepared for that. It’s definitely bearable and worthwhile though, so please don’t let that stop you reading it!*

Click to buy from Book Depository

This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Author

Caroline Lea grew up in Jersey and gained a First in English Literature and Creative Writing from Warwick University, where she now teaches writing. Her fiction and poetry have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize.