Shatter by Aprilynne Pike (Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Published by Random House Children's Books on February 13th 2018
Genres: Action & Adventure, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 384
Danica planned to use beauty, blackmail, and a glittering drug to control her own fate. Her escape from the twisted world of the Palace of Versailles was perfectly orchestrated and paid for. Or so she thought.
Betrayed by the man who had promised her freedom, Dani is now married to the murderous King. It's a terrifying position to be in...and yet it's oddly intoxicating. Power may be an even stronger drug than Glitter--a drug Dani can't resist, in the form of secrets, manipulation, and sabotage.
In her new position at the head of the court, Dani must ask herself who she really is. Can she use her newfound power to secure her real love, Saber's freedom and a chance at a life together outside the palace? Or is being Queen too addictive to give up?
Shatter is book two in the Glitter series by Aprilynne Pike and I think I liked this one better than the first book. I was successfully pulled back into this world of deception, blackmail, and intrigue and I found myself unable to stop reading.
If you recall from book one, Danica was looking for a way out of the world she was trapped in. As her escape from the Palace of Versailles was thwarted, Danica finds herself back with the King (Justin) and trapped in a world where she doesn’t feel she belongs. Add to that the fact that Saber has been locked up, and Danica has no choice but to dive into her role as Queen.
Danica’s relationship with Justin is interesting. It is clear she is using him and that she will do whatever she needs to in order to get what she wants but I have to say, I was kind of surprised she went as far as she did. While throughout the story it was clear she was looking for a way out for her and Saber, I actually kind of liked her better when she wasn’t so manipulative. However, in her role as Queen, she had to establish herself otherwise people would continue to walk all over her and I get why she did what she did.
In addition, despite her disagreement with Saber about it, Danica continues to sell glitter and it gives her the money and cushion she needs if she ever hopes to get away. It also created some challenges but in the end, it was what she needed to help herself.
I think the issue I had here is that Danica was willing to do whatever she could to get Saber out of slavery (including put herself in danger with Reginald) but he took this fatalistic view and discouraged her from doing anything at every opportunity. I suppose I get it, he didn’t want to hope, and I can’t blame him for that, but I wanted him to be more than just the guy who is by her side no matter what. He just didn’t seem to be as critical to the story as he used to be.
As the story moves forward, Danica becomes almost ruthless. She bargains with the King, she takes on Reginald, and she takes down her nemesis in court. She goes toe to toe with Justin and comes out in pretty good shape. I was curious to see how she was going to wrap this up and thought Pike did a good job of bringing everything together at the end. If you liked Glitter, consider checking this book out – there was a good mix of action and character development to keep the story moving along. I’m glad I picked it up to see how things turned out for Danica.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy.
About Aprilynne Pike
Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.
Aprilynne Pike's #1 New York Times best-selling debut, WINGS, is the first of four books about a seemingly ordinary girl with a not-so-ordinary destiny. In this tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever...
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