Caroline Stevermer’s The Glass Magician is a magical mystery you’ll want more of

A story of shapeshifting and stage magic gone horribly awry, Caroline Stevermer’s The Glass Magician is a novel that you’ll want more of.

Although fantasy series can give readers a long-lasting story to dive into, magical standalones hold a special place on many of our bookshelves. Although standalone stories aren’t as common in the fantasy genre, well-written ones do a solid job of capturing the reader’s interest just as much as a series would — and leaving them wanting more when it’s over.

This is exactly what you’ll experience upon reading Caroline Stevermer’s The Glass Magician, a story that combines shapeshifting and stage magic to offer readers a fantastical mystery they’ll want more of when it’s through. Set in New York in the early 20th century, The Glass Magician presents a world where three factions exist: Solitaires, Traders, and Sylvestri.

Our main character, Thalia, has gone her entire life believing she’s a Solitaire, one of the many people who doesn’t possess magic. That hasn’t stopped her from becoming well known for performing magic onstage — but that’s an act. At least until Thalia transforms into an animal one day, revealing that she’s actually a Trader — a member of the faction who can turn from human to animal and back again.

Given that dangerous creatures called Manticores pose a threat to Traders who can’t control their powers, this realization upends Thalia’s life — and that’s not the only thing. After one of her rivals is murdered during a performance, Thalia also finds herself at the center of a criminal investigation in which she and her mentor are the primary suspects.

The Glass Magician builds from there, interweaving both of these plotlines to help Thalia uncover the truth behind the murder. Of course, she’ll also need to master her ability to turn into a swan — something that’s easier said than done, and that can hold serious consequences if she fails.

Thankfully, the Ryker siblings — two Traders themselves — are there to help her survive the ordeal, and to give readers a supporting cast to root for. One of The Glass Magician‘s strengths is making readers fall for the characters who take the sidelines in Thalia’s story — and, to be honest, since we want more of this world anyway, Stevermer could easily write a compelling narrative about any of them and we’d dive right in.

It’s not just the characters that make The Glass Magician such a lovely tale to fall into, though. The atmosphere of the story is magical of its own accord, and it makes the reader want to visit the New York described within the books pages — and maybe give stage magic a go, or at least watch a performance of it happening.

And although the magic isn’t always front and center in The Glass Magician, the stage magic more than makes up for it. Between Thalia and Nutal’s cunning antics and the mysterious murder that occurs right before their eyes, it’s hard to draw yourself away from any part of this novel. If you’re a fan of theatrics and magic, strap in, because Stevermer’s latest will take you on a thrilling ride.

The Glass Magician is now available in print, e-book, and audiobook formats.