London, 1914. Lily’s visions could stop a killer… if she’ll trust a reclusive aristocrat with her darkest secret.
A monster stalks the gaslit streets of Edwardian London, draining the blood of the city’s mediums. Lily Albright knows who’s next.
Lily is plagued by visions of the future she can never change. When a mysterious fiend threatens someone she loves, she’s determined this time will be … she’s determined this time will be different.
But she can’t do it alone. To save a life, Lily must reveal her darkest secrets to someone she has little reason to trust—the reclusive Lord Strangford, a man haunted by his own unusual powers.
From the glittering galleries of Bond Street to the rookeries of Southwark, Lily and Strangford plunge into a dark conspiracy that lies at the heart of England’s rising eugenics movement.
To thwart it, Lily must face a past rife with betrayal—and embrace the power she has spent her entire life trying to escape.
This gripping historical fantasy series is perfect for those who love supernatural suspense and slow-burn romance.
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I found The Fire in the Glass through the author’s review on one of my own works. I do feel obliged to be transparent–it was a very nice review–but my interest in the novel was genuine, and I’m so glad that I followed up on that interest, because the novel shines in all of the ways that I crave in my own reading. The Fire in the Glass blends fantastic storytelling, exacting research, and scathing social commentary–with a satisfying dash of magic and mystery. Jacquelyn Benson’s careful eye for historical detail shines through on every page, especially on the subject of Edwardian mediums, mysticisms, and occult matters. And no wonder! When I parsed through her biography, I saw that she studied anthropology and wrote her thesis on paranormal investigators! The book drips with this knowledge, but it’s all woven in with the sort of casualness that only real experts can accomplish.
The Fire in the Glass explores the concept of “charismatics,” in the more mystical sense of the word–human beings with an inherent talent which transcends the mundane. The main character, Lily Albright, is a Cassandra-esque prophetess; though she often catches surreal glimpses of the future, she has never been able to prevent their occurrence. When a serial killer targets someone she loves, however, Lily decides to try and prevent her awful visions one last time. This determination leads her down a dark path, where she confronts both the semi-state sponsored eugenicists of the time period and the unsettling understanding that not all victims are considered equally valuable by English society. The magic system was fascinating, but it was this storyline which inevitably gripped me and kept me reading far past my bedtime. I am obviously a great proponent of un-romanticizing history, and this book does a fantastic job of exposing ugly issues which parallel real crimes from the period.
That said, Lily also discovers that she is not the only one in London who is possessed of strange abilities, and this was another real delight. Though the romantic interest, Lord Strangford, has another very compelling ability and a fantastic storyline to go with it, I was surprised to find myself unreasonably attached to Sam Wu, a less prominent charismatic who nonetheless played a large role in the investigation. Sam is a polylingual Chinese immigrant with the ability to speak with animals–an Edwardian-era Saint Francis of Assisi. I immediately thought of the comparison, and was pleased to see it referenced directly! I found Sam intriguing and compelling, with just enough hints of his character that I’ll be happy to read more in this series in the hopes of diving deeper beneath the surface (and I feel it is implied that we will be seeing more of each charismatic in turn, so I am confident that I will get my wish).
I feel it would be remiss of me not to mention the romance–there is one, and it is very lovely. I did not initially warm up to Lord Strangford, but the complexities of his ability drew me in and made me feel for him, and I became absolutely fascinated by his conflict. There was at least one genuinely moving conversation between him and Lily that sold me entirely on their relationship. If you are not as enamoured of romance, however, I would implore you to keep reading past the initial setup, for the investigation itself is full of magic, intrigue, and crunchy historical social commentary. The romance is by no means the only draw to this story.
Overall, I was charmed and gratified by this book, and I look forward to further instalments in the series.
The best way to describe this book is X-Men set in the Edwardian era 🙂 Supernatural abilities and the prelude to the Great War are my catnip and this book didn’t disappoint and kept me turning the page. There are a few minor wobbles in pacing, but overall a great read and I’m awaiting book #2. The one big disappointment was that the author doesn’t have a larger back catalogue for me to devour! LOL
Love, love, love! A wonderful historical gaslamp fantasy set in Edwardian London. I finished this book and immediately started reading The Shadow of Water.
I noticed this book in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-off and loved the cover. And I loved the story too. This was a page-turning, exciting read. A gaslamp romantic thriller with a gutsy British heroine and a wonderful three-dimensional villain — with real menace. Some upsetting themes but handled with finesse. I’m very much looking forward to reading Book 2!
What a book! So intriguing till the very end…
If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on NōvelStar.
I read this book based on the recommendation by Olivia Atwater (Thank you Olivia!). I really couldn’t put it down. There are multiple characters and although there is one main plot, there are parallel stories that are smartly weaved into the fabric of the book and provide depth to the characters. I agree with Olivia in that this is not a typical romance, although there is romance in it. The book tells the story of a gifted HN trying to prevent the murder of someone dear to her. The HN is guilt-ridden about the events that she has been unable to prevent in the past and is looking for redemption and acceptance from others, but more importantly, herself. As she embarks on the search for the killer, she finds other gifted individuals and discovers that she doesn’t have to face evil alone. Once she finally embraces her gift, she stops fighting her feelings and surrenders to tender, earth shattering and precious love.