≫ Download The Glittering Court Richelle Mead 9781595148414 Books

The Glittering Court Richelle Mead 9781595148414 Books

Download As PDF : The Glittering Court Richelle Mead 9781595148414 Books

The Glittering Court Richelle Mead 9781595148414 Books

* Reviewed by Wendy for North of Normal Book Reviews (dot com)

THE GLITTERING COURT by Richelle Mead is the first book in a YA fantasy series. It has mild language and makes mention of sexual situations. It may be appropriate for anyone 13+.

As a part of nobility, Elizabeth hates her life. Everything is decided for her including her upcoming nuptials. When an opportunity presents itself, she impersonates Adelaide, one of her maid servants. She is whisked off to The Glittering Court where she will learn to be a noble woman in order to marry a wealthy man of her choosing. Now she must continue the façade of a servant to avoid returning to her prior life. As Adelaide, she makes friends, falls in love and attempts to make a life in a new world.

I am a big fan of Richelle Mead. Her Vampire Academy series is one of the best I have read. I did not feel the same affection for this book. The story seemed to be all over the place. The book’s title and cover were misleading in that the Glittering Court was only a portion of the book. It was actually just a means to end. The people she meets remain with her throughout the book but the Court is not the focus. I think that was a miss by Mead. The best parts of the book took place before and during Adelaide’s time at the Court and while meeting her suitors. I would have liked that to be the true story instead of departing to other lands and other plotlines.

I give this book 2 stars. I do not intend to continue the series, which is a shame. I think Mead is a gifted writer and I had hoped to fall in love with this book.


Tags : The Glittering Court [Richelle Mead] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>A #1 NEW YORK TIMES </i>BEST SELLER The Selection</i> meets  Reign</i> in this dazzling trilogy of interwoven novels about three girls on a quest for freedom and true love from #1 internationally bestselling author Richelle Mead. Brilliant and original,Richelle Mead,The Glittering Court,Razorbill,1595148418,Fantasy - General,Historical - General,Romance - General,Arranged marriage,Family secrets,Fantasy,Fantasy fiction,Fantasy.,Impersonation;Fiction.,Interpersonal relations,Interpersonal relations in adolescence,Nobility,Rich people,Runaway women,Runaways,Secrets,Social classes;Fiction.,Young adult fiction,Children's BooksAll Ages,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Fantasy & Magic,Fiction-Romance,JUVENILE,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Love & Romance,Monograph Series, any,Social Themes - Friendship,TEEN'S FICTION FANTASY,TEEN'S FICTION HISTORICAL,TEEN'S FICTION ROMANCE,United States,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Friendship,Young adult fiction,fantasy; fiction; ya; young adult; teen; historical fantasy; royalty; new world; first in series; romance; vampire academy; bloodlines; vampire academy author; adventure; regency romance; frontier; first in trilogy; teen romance books; young adult romance; tween books for girls ages 11-14; books for 12 year old girls; books for 12 year old boys; fantasy books for teens; young adult fantasy books; books for 13 year old girls; teen fiction books; books for 14 year old girls; teen books for boys; books for 13 year old boys,fantasy;fiction;ya;young adult;teen;historical fantasy;royalty;new world;romance;vampire academy;bloodlines;adventure;regency romance;frontier;fantasy books;tween books for girls ages 11-14;teen romance books;books for 12 year old girls;books for 13 year old girls;teen fiction books;friendship;romance books;teen books for boys;books for 12 year old boys;books for 14 year old girls;books for 14 year old boys;teen books;young adult books;books for teens;friends;teen girl books;ya books,Fantasy & Magic,Love & Romance,Social Themes - Friendship,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Fantasy General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Romance General,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Social Themes Friendship,Children's BooksAll Ages,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)

The Glittering Court Richelle Mead 9781595148414 Books Reviews

I can't say this is my FAVORITE Richelle Mead work, but who am I kidding? It's Richelle Mead's work and I still had a blast.

The Glittering Court follows Adelaide as she flees from a life of entrapment and undesirable marriages and follows a more interesting prospect into a foreign land. She poses as a lady's "help" and, thanks to her beauty, is accepted into the Glittering Court to become one of the jewels. She has to hide her knowledge and pretend to be a common girl with no true lady-like skills in order to blend in, but slips up--especially when it comes to falling for the enigmatic, exitable, and kind-hearted Cedric, who's supposed to be helping to upsell her to the highest bidder.

I'm not really a fan of the "glitz, glamor, pretty dresses" type of story, though it can be done well and I'm always down for a fresh perspective. I like how Mead tackled this one--it's definitely about dresses and finery, but more important, it's about Adelaide's journey from a somewhat pampered young woman to abject poverty to finding her way along with her love. I was pleasantly surprised by her "wild west" journey in the latter half, and it actually blended in very well due to Adelaide's curious and stubborn nature.

One thing that I couldn't quite get over, despite understanding the premise, is that for being her close friends, Adelaide doesn't do much with Tamsin or Mira. I know their stories come in later books, from their perspectives, and the mysteries are left open and I AM deathly curious, enough that I'm buying the next novel as soon as I can. I think the friendships could have been explored a little better. In VA, Richelle Mead explored the friendship between Rose and Lissa in the first book incredibly well. Bloodlines, she kind of dropped the ball as the series went on, but Sydney's friendships still had a solid outline. So missing out on more friendship moments is the only reason I couldn't completely be enthralled like I typically am with her work.

It sure as hell won't stop me from buying the next book, though!
This book! Be still my heart, this book!

Okay, so I’ll be honest, from the books description, I wasn’t sure I was going to like The Glittering Court. All of the comparisons to The Selection had me weary, because I really didn’t like that book very much. The early reviews weren’t looking all that good either. (But really, they were mostly complaining that this is labeled a fantasy, when it’s really not. It’s a fantasy world, but contains no fantasy elements like magic or dragons.) But you know what? I took a leap and preordered. On April 5, release day, I dove right in and ended up staying up until two am the night of April 7th finishing. #WorthIt

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! Never again will I ever doubt Richelle Mead’s storytelling abilities. I will read anything and everything she writes.

If the TV shows 'Reign' and 'When Calls The Heart' had a baby, it would be 'The Glittering Court'.

When the young Countess of Rothford is forced into an engagement with her “itchy” cousin, she panics. Taking a risky leap, she assumes the identity of her maid, Adelaide, and takes her place in The Glittering Court. The Glittering Court is basically a finishing school for young women of the lower castes. For a year they are trained to behave like noble women, and eventually are to be sent overseas to Adoria to wed the wealthy men who have made their fortunes in the new world.

The first half of the book takes place in the finishing school of The Glittering Court. Adelaide makes friends with her roommates, Tamsin and Mira, and ends up with an enemy in mean girl Clara. You’d think this school would be easy for her, considering she already excels at everything they’re teaching. However, in order to keep her true identity a secret, she has to purposely fail to avoid attention, which is sometimes easier said than done.

Along the way, the only person who knows her true identity is Cedric, the son of the man who co-owns The Glittering Court. Their relationship is tenuous at first, if she is caught they’ll both be in trouble. Big trouble. But along the way they become friends as well as partners in crime. Adelaide and Cedric partake in some not so legal activities, but as a reader I couldn’t help rooting for them, hoping they’d pull it off!

The second half of the book takes place in Adoria, the new world. Think of it as the wild frontier of America. Everything is new and dusty, men are staking their claim of land in search of gold, and taming the wild frontier.

As much as I love everything about the nobility, it was the second half of the book that won me over. Seeing Adelaide so out of her element in Adoria was great. And Cedric, poor pampered Cedric, such a good sport with where life leads him!

“Don’t you know that I’d lie with you in groves, under the light of the moon? That I’d defy the laws of gods and men for you?”

The romance was the best part of this book. It’s obvious from the beginning that Adelaide and Cedric are meant to be. I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed, hoping they could find a way to be together.

And the ending! Oh my, the ending! I can’t say much, except it opens the doors for the next books in this series, which I’ve heard will follow the same time line, but in the POV of Adelaide’s friends, Mira and Tamsin.

“You need to stop this. Stop . . . Um, being a heretic.”
“It’s not something I can just stop being. It’s part of me.”
“They could kill you if you’re caught!”

Richelle also explores many themes in the book, weaving them seamlessly into a beautiful story I couldn’t put down. There’s the yearning for true love, and changing your fate to make your own destiny; religious persecution; friendship and betrayal; etc.

Something that is very common in books these days, especially YA, is to end on a cliffhanger and keep the audience waiting for the next book. This book could have ended any number of times, but it didn’t. Richelle Mead chose to keep the story going until the actual end of Adelaide’s adventure. Having that true ending helped (a bit) with my P.B.D. (Post Book Depression) upon finishing.

This book is 100% worth the read. So much so that even though I already purchased the edition, I’m going to be buying the hardback as well to have Richelle sign when she’s in town next month.
* Reviewed by Wendy for North of Normal Book Reviews (dot com)

THE GLITTERING COURT by Richelle Mead is the first book in a YA fantasy series. It has mild language and makes mention of sexual situations. It may be appropriate for anyone 13+.

As a part of nobility, Elizabeth hates her life. Everything is decided for her including her upcoming nuptials. When an opportunity presents itself, she impersonates Adelaide, one of her maid servants. She is whisked off to The Glittering Court where she will learn to be a noble woman in order to marry a wealthy man of her choosing. Now she must continue the façade of a servant to avoid returning to her prior life. As Adelaide, she makes friends, falls in love and attempts to make a life in a new world.

I am a big fan of Richelle Mead. Her Vampire Academy series is one of the best I have read. I did not feel the same affection for this book. The story seemed to be all over the place. The book’s title and cover were misleading in that the Glittering Court was only a portion of the book. It was actually just a means to end. The people she meets remain with her throughout the book but the Court is not the focus. I think that was a miss by Mead. The best parts of the book took place before and during Adelaide’s time at the Court and while meeting her suitors. I would have liked that to be the true story instead of departing to other lands and other plotlines.

I give this book 2 stars. I do not intend to continue the series, which is a shame. I think Mead is a gifted writer and I had hoped to fall in love with this book.