hgranger's review against another edition
3.0
Decent story with a protagonist that slowly grows on you and an interesting cast of side characters. Doesn't quite have the same level of magic that Mead reaches in some of her other books though. Hopefully the story will get better as the series goes on.
meglang's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ark99's review against another edition
4.0
i feel like this was a weak start strong(ish) finish kind of book. I was not liking it early on, but the more i got invested in the plot the more i liked it. This is kind of a selection ish book but like a historical romance version. It doesn't really feel like a fantasy like I thought it was going to be, because of the setting and stuff like obviously its not a real country theyre talking about and the way the society works isnt really real this was definitely a historical romance with some weird fantasy vibes thrown in. i think some parts were a little off, but i really enjoyed it!
nannasa16's review against another edition
3.0
I just don't understand if Richelle Mead is not Richelle Mead anymore or I've outgrown this kind of plot. If it's the latter I'm pretty sad about life. Just going to cry a bit about growing up and becoming disillusioned.
regina_adl's review against another edition
4.0
خلاصه
کنتس، دختری جوان و بسیار زیبا از خانواده های اشرافی کشور آسفرید ، زندگی خوشی را می گذراند تا روزی که پدر و مادرش را از دست داد و مجبور شد با مادربزرگش زندگی کند.
تا مدتی ثروت خانواده اش خرج آن ها را فراهم می کرد اما زمانی که کنتس پا به جوانی گذاشت، مادربزرگش برای تضمین آینده شان او را وادار به ازدواج اجباری با پسر یکی از خانواده های ثروتمند می کند.
کنتس از ازدواج بدون عشق با آن پسر جوش جوشی بیریخت اصلا راضی نیست.
درست زمانی که مادربزرگش تصمیم می گیرد بیشتر خدمه خانه شان را اخراج کند تا هزینه کمتری بپردازند ، مردی به نام سدریک از راه می رسد.
سدریک به یکی خدمتکار های اخراجی به نام ادلاید پیشنهاد میکند قراردادی را امضا کند تا همراه چند دختر زیبای دیگر در دربار درخشان تعلیم ببیند بعد به کشور کمتر شناخته شده آن طرف آب برود و همسر یکی از مردان ثروتمند آنجا شود.
در آن لحظه فکری به ذهن کنتس می رسد.
و همین فکر باعث می شود او به خدمتکارش رشوه داده، اسم خودش را به ادلاید تغییر دهد و همراه کاروان دختران راهی سرنوشت نامعلومی شود با این تفاوت که این بار خودش برای آن تصمیم می گیرد✨
نکات
ژانر کتاب رومنس و رئال هست.
داستان در دوره الیزابت و ویکتوریایی اتفاق می افتد و در بین کلمات کتاب میشه دنیایی پر زرق و برق و گسترده از کاخ های سفید و جواهرات طلایی پیدا کرد.
از رابطه تدریجی اما محکمی که بین ادلاید و سدریک تشکیل شد بسیار لذت بردم چون حتی در دلهره آور ترین لحظات و در سرزمینی ناشناخته در هم نشکست.
من خواننده ای وابسته به ژانر فانتزی ام و علاقه ای به کتاب هایی که #عاشقانه در مرکز داستانشون باشه ندارم اما این کتاب تمام انتظارات من از یک داستان زیبا و نفس گیر رو محقق کرد.
من اتفاقات غیرمنتظره کتاب رو پشت هم دنبال کردم و مطمئنم شما هم نمیتونید در خوندنش تاخیر بندازید.
شخصیت پردازی کنتس(ادلاید) رو خیلی پسندیدم چون نمونه شخصیت محکم اما در کنارش دارای توسعه شخصیتی بود برای همین این داستان با وجود داشتن محوریت عاشقانه جلوه فمینیسم هم داره.
ترجمه بسیار روان و (با توجه به شرایط) کمترین سانسور رو داشت واقعا ممنونم از خانم پورعسگر برای پدید آوردن این اثر هیجان انگیز.
کنتس، دختری جوان و بسیار زیبا از خانواده های اشرافی کشور آسفرید ، زندگی خوشی را می گذراند تا روزی که پدر و مادرش را از دست داد و مجبور شد با مادربزرگش زندگی کند.
تا مدتی ثروت خانواده اش خرج آن ها را فراهم می کرد اما زمانی که کنتس پا به جوانی گذاشت، مادربزرگش برای تضمین آینده شان او را وادار به ازدواج اجباری با پسر یکی از خانواده های ثروتمند می کند.
کنتس از ازدواج بدون عشق با آن پسر جوش جوشی بیریخت اصلا راضی نیست.
درست زمانی که مادربزرگش تصمیم می گیرد بیشتر خدمه خانه شان را اخراج کند تا هزینه کمتری بپردازند ، مردی به نام سدریک از راه می رسد.
سدریک به یکی خدمتکار های اخراجی به نام ادلاید پیشنهاد میکند قراردادی را امضا کند تا همراه چند دختر زیبای دیگر در دربار درخشان تعلیم ببیند بعد به کشور کمتر شناخته شده آن طرف آب برود و همسر یکی از مردان ثروتمند آنجا شود.
در آن لحظه فکری به ذهن کنتس می رسد.
و همین فکر باعث می شود او به خدمتکارش رشوه داده، اسم خودش را به ادلاید تغییر دهد و همراه کاروان دختران راهی سرنوشت نامعلومی شود با این تفاوت که این بار خودش برای آن تصمیم می گیرد✨
نکات
ژانر کتاب رومنس و رئال هست.
داستان در دوره الیزابت و ویکتوریایی اتفاق می افتد و در بین کلمات کتاب میشه دنیایی پر زرق و برق و گسترده از کاخ های سفید و جواهرات طلایی پیدا کرد.
از رابطه تدریجی اما محکمی که بین ادلاید و سدریک تشکیل شد بسیار لذت بردم چون حتی در دلهره آور ترین لحظات و در سرزمینی ناشناخته در هم نشکست.
من خواننده ای وابسته به ژانر فانتزی ام و علاقه ای به کتاب هایی که #عاشقانه در مرکز داستانشون باشه ندارم اما این کتاب تمام انتظارات من از یک داستان زیبا و نفس گیر رو محقق کرد.
من اتفاقات غیرمنتظره کتاب رو پشت هم دنبال کردم و مطمئنم شما هم نمیتونید در خوندنش تاخیر بندازید.
شخصیت پردازی کنتس(ادلاید) رو خیلی پسندیدم چون نمونه شخصیت محکم اما در کنارش دارای توسعه شخصیتی بود برای همین این داستان با وجود داشتن محوریت عاشقانه جلوه فمینیسم هم داره.
ترجمه بسیار روان و (با توجه به شرایط) کمترین سانسور رو داشت واقعا ممنونم از خانم پورعسگر برای پدید آوردن این اثر هیجان انگیز.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
The Glittering Court is a book I have been looking forward to for a while. I have loved Richelle Mead’s stories since I cracked the cover of the first Vampire Academy book and once I read the summary of this book I knew I needed to have this in my hands.
The main character, the Countess of Rothford, is facing a future she isn’t completely on board with. While she has a title and pedigree, she and her grandmother don’t have the means to do anything other than seriously consider the first good offer she gets for marriage. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, that means considering her cousin who happens to be the exact opposite of everything she wants for herself. As their household is downsizing, Elizabeth meets Cedric Thorn, the son of the proprietor of the Glittering Court and immediately she decides what she needs to do and her life changes completely.
Elizabeth takes on the identity of her maid and going forward is Adelaide, a former ladies maid on her way to becoming an upper-class marriage in the new world. See, the Glittering Court trains young ladies on all of the areas of etiquette and high society to transform them into women fit for marriage to the wealthy in the New World.
As Adelaide embraces her new life, she becomes friends with two other girls. Tamsin is ambitious and motivated while Mira is quiet. All three of these characters have secrets but despite that, they build a friendship that allows them to be able to count on each other. There are definitely some bumps for them all along the way and their secrets definitely create issues but I loved how despite all of that, when they really needed help, they were able to count on each other.
Adelaide does her best to stay in the middle of the pack during her training. As a former lady, she definitely has knowledge and experience that will help her stand out but because she is trying to hide, she knows she can’t come out on top. That is, until she finds out something about Cedric that influences her to rethink what she needs to do. Since he helped her escape, she feels she owes him and the only way she knows of how to do that is to be the top ranked girl (the Diamond) and get him a big commission.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was the historical feel. It felt like a combination of Victorian and new frontier to me with the class structure and nobility and then add to that the voyage across the ocean to the New World along with the conflict with the native people for land and that is where my head went.
One of the things Mead always does well (in my opinion) is the swoony stuff. As Adelaide is planning to marry a wealthy man, what began as a friendship with Cedric, eventually becomes something more which is dangerous for both of them. When something happens that forces them to admit their feelings, the story shifts and puts them both in danger. Despite that, the way their relationship develops was great and I loved the way things progressed because…kissing and stuff is always good.
I absolutely didn’t get even close to talking about all the other pieces that tie this book together which means I didn't give anything away. There are bad guys, great friends, adventure and action, and a story that will have you wondering what is going to happen next. Definitely consider checking this book out when you can. I can’t wait to add a finished copy of this to my library!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
The main character, the Countess of Rothford, is facing a future she isn’t completely on board with. While she has a title and pedigree, she and her grandmother don’t have the means to do anything other than seriously consider the first good offer she gets for marriage. Unfortunately for Elizabeth, that means considering her cousin who happens to be the exact opposite of everything she wants for herself. As their household is downsizing, Elizabeth meets Cedric Thorn, the son of the proprietor of the Glittering Court and immediately she decides what she needs to do and her life changes completely.
Elizabeth takes on the identity of her maid and going forward is Adelaide, a former ladies maid on her way to becoming an upper-class marriage in the new world. See, the Glittering Court trains young ladies on all of the areas of etiquette and high society to transform them into women fit for marriage to the wealthy in the New World.
As Adelaide embraces her new life, she becomes friends with two other girls. Tamsin is ambitious and motivated while Mira is quiet. All three of these characters have secrets but despite that, they build a friendship that allows them to be able to count on each other. There are definitely some bumps for them all along the way and their secrets definitely create issues but I loved how despite all of that, when they really needed help, they were able to count on each other.
Adelaide does her best to stay in the middle of the pack during her training. As a former lady, she definitely has knowledge and experience that will help her stand out but because she is trying to hide, she knows she can’t come out on top. That is, until she finds out something about Cedric that influences her to rethink what she needs to do. Since he helped her escape, she feels she owes him and the only way she knows of how to do that is to be the top ranked girl (the Diamond) and get him a big commission.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this story was the historical feel. It felt like a combination of Victorian and new frontier to me with the class structure and nobility and then add to that the voyage across the ocean to the New World along with the conflict with the native people for land and that is where my head went.
One of the things Mead always does well (in my opinion) is the swoony stuff. As Adelaide is planning to marry a wealthy man, what began as a friendship with Cedric, eventually becomes something more which is dangerous for both of them. When something happens that forces them to admit their feelings, the story shifts and puts them both in danger. Despite that, the way their relationship develops was great and I loved the way things progressed because…kissing and stuff is always good.
I absolutely didn’t get even close to talking about all the other pieces that tie this book together which means I didn't give anything away. There are bad guys, great friends, adventure and action, and a story that will have you wondering what is going to happen next. Definitely consider checking this book out when you can. I can’t wait to add a finished copy of this to my library!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!
allicyn_a's review
1.0
Made it half way through this book and I just could not will myself to read any more than that.
I could not get past the empty shell of a main character or the bland writing style. I won't even get started on the nonsensical plot.
Had I picked this up 10 or 11 years ago, I probably would have enjoyed it.
I could not get past the empty shell of a main character or the bland writing style. I won't even get started on the nonsensical plot.
Had I picked this up 10 or 11 years ago, I probably would have enjoyed it.
haylisreading's review against another edition
3.0
I'm going to be honest... it got kind of weird beyond the last 130 pages. It really changed from the beginning portion of the book. I also didn't expect religion to be as big of a part as it was. And I didn't particularly care for it myself since I am not very religious. But I did enjoy the earlier parts of the book where she was actually "training" to become a well respected lady for Adoria.
nakedsushi's review against another edition
3.0
Eh...this wasn't my favorite. Nothing exciting really happens and I *think* this is supposed to be some commentary on the stifling gender roles of Victorian times, but it also suffered from sliding into those same roles. I can see the setup for different characters in the series, so maybe those other books will be better, but I didn't love this one. The main character didn't seem to have much going for her and was still elitist even though that was the construct she was supposed to break out of.