Wow.

This book is a work of art; it is truly a masterpiece.

Katharine Orton is an artist, twisting words into something beautiful and unique. Her prose is like poetry: each word is selected for maximum impact and purpose. Reading one of her books is like visiting a museum or listening to a piece of music. I am never more aware of my inability to eloquently articulate than when I read her writing, which makes this review all the more difficult to write!

Glassheart is an amazing story of courage, determination and love. Set just after the Second World War, it deals with issues such as loss and emotional trauma with great sensitivity. It is a haunting tale which has the perfect combination of dark and light. It will really appeal to so many young readers.

Nona is an orphan of war, who has gone to live with a glassmaker. A mysterious commission sends them to the moors of Dartmoor where they enter a world touched by magic and spirits. Here Nona must face an enemy she didn’t know she had and discover a power hidden deep within.

For me, as with Nevertell, the greatest strength of Katharine Orton’s writing lies in her descriptions. She paints pictures with words and so the reader feels like they have a window into the world that she has created. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It was unique, unpredictable and immersive.

Glassheart By Katharine Orton
Release date 5/11
Date read: 20/8
Rating: 4.5 stars
This was an arc kindly sent to me by @netgalley and @walkerbooks.
Tags: Middle-grade, family, supernatural, magical, spooky, children.
Synopsis:
An enchanting magical adventure set in the wild moors of Dartmoor - the second middle-grade novel from the bestselling author of Nevertell.

Through the glass, the magic is waiting...

Nona and her uncle travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings. When a mysterious commission takes them to the lonely moors of Dartmoor, Nona discovers a wild and powerful magic which threatens everything. Can Nona protect those she loves - even if it means fighting darkness itself?

A beautifully imaginative and rich adventure about determination, courage, and the power of love, set in the aftermath of World War Two.

Thoughts on the book: The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover it intrigued me, and I wanted to give it a read. From the start of the book the setting was wild and drew the tension to the story which had me wanting to know more. It also had a spooky feel to the story which had me on the edge of my seat all in the backdrop of world war two. Nona is a girl who has gone through horrific lost with the aftermath of the world war and you could feel the impact on that with moving to her ‘uncle’ who like her has gone through a huge sense of lost. The theme of found family is very prevalent in this book and how much are you willing to risk for people who are your not your blood. I loved the paranormal/ magical elements in this book which took the forms of spirits, spells and imps and others. This book will be perfect if you are looking for a magical but spooky read a post Halloween book read. I found this with a unique way of using historical and magical elements that I am looking forward to seeing more from this author, the villain was not what I was expecting but I feel the payoff was very sweet which made me cry.

Overall, as someone who has not read from this author before I really enjoyed it and I will be picking up more from this author and I cannot wait to add this to my middle-grade collection and to recommend it to people who would like to read a new magical adventure about a girl who thinks she is unable to do much but believing in herself she will be able to do what she feels is right in powers that have been playing with her since the war.

What a stunning book!

Katherine Orion pulls you straight into Glassheart with a wonderful opening. We meet Nona, a young girl, who is living with Uncle Antoni after her mother and brother died during the blitz (I will definitely be reading extracts from the book to my class when we do WW2 as a topic.) Uncle Antoni is a glasssmith and he ends up being asked to complete a project at an abandoned church in Dartmoor. Once they get there,it becomes obvious that Antoni is in a trance and under a spell.

That’s where the magic begins ... Nona ends up meeting Castor, Alesea and Serafin who aim to protect Nona when it emerged that the mysterious and powerful Soldier is wanting to sacrifice her to make his son come back - a life for a life.

What then follows is a wonderful tale about friendship, magic, loyalty and bravery where Nona ends up being magical and learns how to harness this ability to face the Soldier in a daring battle for survival.

This story had me hooked from the beginning and I fell in love with the characters, particularly Nona. She was head strong, loyal and brave and it was wonderful reading a story about a female protagonist like her.

Thank you for the adventure.

Set in the post-war period, this story takes it's female main character, Nona on an adventure against the 'darkness'. Nona has already experienced so much, with losing her family during the war, so this chapter of her life pushes her through the realisation that she holds something precious - the glass heart - but she also has the strength inside her to make a difference. I loved the characters that supported her through this, especially Castor. The setting of Dartmoor just enhanced the suspense created by the use of the weather and the wildness of the natural world. A really absorbing read that held my attention throughout, and left me with the need for more from this character!

'Glassheart' is a thoroughly enchanting, magical adventure set in the wild moors of Dartmoor that had me utterly captivated from the very first chapter. A deliciously enchanting tale of the supernatural and sorcery, set in the aftermath of World War 2 ,

Nona is sent to live with her uncle Antoni after her mother and brother are killed in the Blitz in London. Her uncle is a glazier and they travel to a job he's been commissioned at a derelict church in a lonely spot on Dartmoor. All Nona has left of her life in London is a pink shard of glass from her shattered living room window - her Glassheart. She was found clutching it in the rubble after the dust had settled and she has a mysterious scar on her cheek.

Haunted by memories of the war and grieving for her family, Nona discovers that the heart has the ability to give her glimpses into the spirit world. She catches reflections of a beautiful woman with honey-coloured hair who speaks in hypnotic, singsong tones.

But there is something or someone else...

A chilling darkness gathers out in the wilds and Nona sees a vision of a man cloaked in black with a stag's head on the horizon of the rolling hills. All is not as it seems at the dilapidated church and an unusual and powerful energy overcomes uncle Antoni. A malevolent spirit is at work and Nona must find a way to protect herself and her uncle.

Discovering there is magic is all around her, both good and bad, Nona learns she has her own magical abilities. She must harness these, along with courage, determination and the help of the allies she meets along the way, to overcome this dark force.

Glassheart explores the themes of war, loss and grief so delicately. The link throughout the story between our world and the spirit world, fantasising about the possibility that one could move between the two is simply irresistible.

"Through the Glass, the magic is waiting"

A must read for a Year 5 or 6 class.

Glassheart is a captivating story that is told beautifully by Katharine Orton. It will delight younger readers with magical and enchanting elements.

In the same way that most children get excited at the mere mention of Christmas, there are many readers for whom news of certain authors’ new books raises the same level of anticipation. For me, Katharine Orton is one such writer, after having fallen head-over-heels in love with Nevertell earlier this year.

Having been thrilled to read on Twitter on Monday that this book would be published later this year, my brain was a little slow on the uptake making the connection that this might be available through Net Galley and having had that ‘light bulb moment’ a short while later, it was with a racing heart that I logged on to see whether or not it was; having successfully located it there, I immediately requested it. Being a somewhat disciplined reader, I very patiently finished the middle grade book I had already started before allowing myself to read this, hoping desperately that my waiting would be amply rewarded.

Oh but it was.

A curious Nona is awake during the night, listening out for clues as to what has been causing her beloved uncle to creep about recently after dark, when she becomes aware of footsteps outside her bedroom. Uncertain that it is him passing her door, she realises that if it is not him it might be a thief and creeps downstairs only to find her uncle apparently sleepwalking. Following him to his painting room, she is surprised to overhear him talking to a woman with a hypnotic, singsong voice and, intrigued, spies on the pair through the keyhole. After she is spotted by the woman, Nona flees back to her room, her mind ablaze with questions.

Overwhelmed with emotions, she calms herself down by fetching the piece of glass she keeps propped up on her windowpane – a piece of glass from a window in her old home which has been destroyed during the Blitz. This object is more than just a memento, however, as Nona is able to see visions when she holds it and she now sees the mysterious woman within a place unfamiliar to her and, further away, the figure of a man with the head of a stag.

On waking, Uncle Antoni tells her they are leaving immediately to carry out a job he has been commissioned to undertake, repairing stained glass windows at a location in Dartmoor. During the journey, Nona tries to find out about the woman, who she believes to be responsible for hiring the craftsman for the job, but to no avail as Uncle Antoni appears not to be fully aware of what is going on. Arriving at a disused and rundown old church, Nona wonders why anyone would want to repair its windows but helps her uncle to take in the materials and tools they will need. Once inside, she is further puzzled by the recently refurbished interior, which is in sharp contrast to her first impression of the building. Somewhat disconcerted by this inexplicable difference, she also realises that she recognises the church as the setting from the previous night’s vision.

As Uncle Antoni starts work, he becomes absorbed in the task and again appears to be oblivious to Nona’s presence. Nona, however has other concerns when she becomes aware that they are not alone and on investigating comes across a creature with a long tail with a forked end – a creature whose explanation of the church’s significance and the role of the mysterious woman in this does nothing to reassure Nona. As she comes to understand who the woman and the deer-headed man are, Nona and the creature – an imp who introduces himself as Castor – must work to protect the church and Uncle Antoni, and, more importantly, keep Nona safe from those who would wish her harm.

As in Nevertell, Katharine Orton shows an incredible lightness of touch in her writing, particularly in her descriptions of Nona and the emotions she experiences as she discovers the danger in which she finds herself and battles against what appears to be her destiny. By doing so, the reader cannot help but feel transported to the heart of the story rather than simply being an onlooker. Nona has known such terror and pain in her young life after surviving the Blitz and, although she is strong and determined in her actions, she has a vulnerability about her that the protagonists in so many books do not possess.

As she faces up to the realisation that there is magic around her, both good and bad, and discovers that she has her own magical abilities, Nona feels a deep sense of needing to make her own way through the challenges thrust upon her to prove herself. This yearning to be both independent and to make things right leads her to make mistakes in her actions for which she is truly sorry, and to fall out with those who are trying to guide her. Despite the awful things that have happened to her, she is still prepared to look for the best in those she encounters which places her and those around her in very grave danger.

It is all too easy to see books in the fantasy genre as being simply about magic – dragons, witches and suchlike – but to call this book ‘just’ a fantasy is underselling it enormously. To me, it is so much more than this. This is a story of humanity, redemption and forgiveness – not only towards those who have wronged you but also forgiving yourself for the mistakes you have made, especially for those whose wrongdoings are as a result of the best of intentions. It also caries a very powerful message about families where the relationships between individuals are not defined by genes but simply by mutual love.

I consider myself to have been extremely lucky to have read this ahead of publication in November courtesy of Net Galley and Walker Books but, unlike the majority of titles I have read in this way, this is one I will most definitely be buying a ‘proper’ copy of to add to my little library so that I can share it with both my old Year 5 class and the new one I will be teaching from next month. I cannot give this anything less than a fantastical 5 out of 5 stars.

A wild magic set on the wild moors! A hauntingly gothic tale set on Dartmoor, where Nona must find the courage to save those she cares about, embracing her fate to overcome the darkness.
This was a wonderfully rich and evocative adventure, the wild eeriness of Dartmoor has been captured beautifully to create a unique story that will be perfect for upper key stage 2.