Review: The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

The Glittering Court has a brilliant romantic, other-worldly concept that will no doubt appeal to female readers who are on the younger end of the YA spectrum. Our heroine is a well-brought up young lady who, since the death of her parents, has lived with her grandmother. The family fortunes are beginning to dry up and to help the family retain their respectable position within society, a match is made between our heroine and a young man who she is not in the least bit attracted to. Our heroine finds an escape in the unlikeliest places, trading places with a maid and running away to the Glittering Court, a place where impoverished young women are groomed in the ways of the rich and are shipped off as brides to men living in the new world. There, she changes her name to Adelaide and does her best to conceal her identity. And then, Adelaide does the one thing that she shouldn't, and falls in love, with a man whom she cannot marry ...

This was a great idea, and a perfect blend of romantic story telling and a mild fantasy, set in a world that is similar but not quite like ours. The storytelling wore a little thin after a while for me, though I feel a big part of that may have a lot to do with age--after all, this is a book for teens and I'm just a little (actually a lot,) older than that. Some of the plot twists felt a bit convenient at times. Still, this one was an enjoyable enough distraction, and never gave any less than what was promised on the back cover.

Recommended for teens and hardcore Richelle Mead fans.

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