Review--Valour and Vanity

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Valour and Vanity (Glamourist Histories, #4)Valour and Vanity by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story has it all! Pirates, nuns, puppeteers, romance of the married variety, intrigue, Lord Byron, and a caper straight out of The Sting.

Valour and Vanity is an excellent continuation of the story of Vincent and Jane, married English glamourists, working now on advancing their craft among glassmakers in Italy. The trouble begins when they're set upon by pirates and Vincent is injured, and it only gets worse from there. Robinette Kowal is skilled at maintaining the interest and tension in a couple after the initial courtship phrase reaches its conclusion. She shows that happily ever after is only for fairy tales, and true romance requires work and effort. The setting may be a fantasy Regency Europe, but the characters seem very real, as are their problems.

Sure to be enjoyed by fans of the series, and a treat for readers new to the Glamourist Histories (though I'd recommend any reader start with book 1 to get the full experience).


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