Beginning where A Winter's Tale ends, with Morton Winter’s sinister plot to control Hinterlünd suspended in ice, the witch Ingamald and her young charge, Yda, step through the mirror device into the green world of Gyldden in search of a solution to the problem besetting their own land. But as the proverb warns, all that glitters is not gold, for Gyldden is similarly beset with a serious puzzle: there are no children. All youngsters have mysteriously disappeared. Ingamald is compelled to find out why and how. Yet no one seemingly can help her, not the carnies who first give shelter, not the librarian, not the ancient trees, not the Rowan peoples, not the pirates paid to aid Ingamald in her search. What she learns about the reasons behind the disappearances curdles her witch blood. Third in this YA series, A Glass Darkly explores collective responsibility and collective solutions for the ills of the world, whether fantastic or real. Once again, a colourful cast of characters join the intrepid Ingamald to reach beyond magic to confront difficult and dangerous problems. Aimed at Jr/Sr high and gifted readers. What the critics say about A Glass Darkly...
"The novel adheres to conventions of fantasy literature providing a quasi
medieval setting for the richly developed fantasy world complete with laws
of nature that allow magic and sorcery; a well-defined main character, appropriate
secondary characters, and stereotypical stock characters; an invented language
rife with dialect, complex vocabulary, and mystical words and phrases; and
strong themes involving the conflict between good and evil. As in the previous
entries in the series, A Glass Darkly features Ingamald, an appealing and dynamic
heroine, who uses her considerable abilities and powers to benefit her fellow
creatures. Strong and independent, she can certainly resort to brutal means
when necessary, but she constantly struggles against abusing her skills. She
strives to maintain a high standard in using her sorcery and subjugates her
personal romantic aspirations in favour of pursuing her self-perceived responsibilities." http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol13/no10/aglassdarkly.html “With a fantastically stylized narrative and a diverse cast of
characters, Albertan Gail Sidonie Sobat brings her gorgeous Ingamald
trilogy to a close. Picking up after the cliffhanger ending in A
Winter's Tale, witch Ingamald and six-fingered, mind-bending
Yda have been transported to the world of Gyldden. They're in a search
to find a solution to the frozen conflict of their home land. But,
along the way, the witch and child find things in Gyldden are not as
they should be – more
specifically, there are no children in the world. Ingamald is forced
to find a solution to Gyldden's problem while pondering her own issues
back home. With Sobat's style further developed in a new world, she
addresses moral and ethical dilemmas not seen before in young adult
literature. The cast – a blend of circus performers, forest fairies
and childless townfolk – is dynamic and unique, and their dialogue
is A Glass Darkly's greatest strength.” Book Club Questions for Bookclubs and Readers To order A Glass Darkly Contact Gail directly sobina@telusplanet.net |