The Glasswrights' Apprentice

Rating:
Summary: derivative sludge
Review: Yes, I know that many of us read fantasy novels as a form of relatively mindless entertainment. But this highly touted novel doesn't meet basic standards. Instead of borrowing from history, anthropology, literature, or some type of material with complexity and depth, Klasky appears to root her wholly non-credible portrait of a young girl in the cliche of "coming of age of girl in peril" fantasy novels. Now, this is a genre I enjoy. But in addition to bringing nothing new to her story, Klasky centers her novel on a stunningly stupid character. Yes, she's supposed to be young, but one would think she'd be capable of learning... Instead, she begins and remains a petty, self-centered superficial social climber from beginning to end. Without even any sense of why she's climbing. She's supposed to be gifted, but despite Klasky's occasional efforts to tell us this, she can't seem to show it-- there's nothing of the passionate talent that makes MacCaffre's Dragonsinger books work so well, for example. Instead, one is left with an obnoxious brat who causes carnage around her, blames everyone else for her problems, and nevertheless rather improbably survives in a noticeably cardboard and cliche environment.