A fire has ravaged the capital city of Morenia, destroying much of the city itself, introducing a new and deadly disease, and sucking up its resources. In a desperate bid to save his people, King Halaravilli has borrowed an outrageous sum from the church and agreed to terms that will strangle his ability to rule should he fail to pay his debt. At the same time, the mysterious and powerful Fellowship is placing demands on the king that he dare not ignore if he's to make a bid for power within the cabal. In an attempt to find the funds he will need to placate the church and the Fellowship, protect his people, as well as to secure his bloodline on the throne, the King goes to Liantine to make a bid for the hand of their princess and her dowry, taking several from his court, including Ranita, with him. In Liantine, Ranita must aid her king while she herself falls under the spell of a group of players who can teach her secrets of the glasswrights. An impossible bid for a part of the silk trade becomes Ranita's and Halaravilli's hope, but they must break the stranglehold of the Liantine silk guild to succeed.
Impression:The Glasswrights' Journeyman is, so far, the best in the series. There are 2 more books that follow it, but of the 3 I've read so far, this one drew me in and kept me in despite the distraction of another book I want to really get into. In fact, I've already begun book 4 because of how well Journeyman held my attention. I'll probably end up reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire and The Glasswrights' Test at the same time since I really want to continue the Glasswrights' journey in spite of being very drawn to the other book. And this is a good, and rare, thing.
Journeyman comes alive primarily in the plot. There's tension and conflict that draws the reader along, making you want to read more. Klasky vividly draws out the characters and the new land of Liantine and its culture. Reading the book didn’t force me to work at filling in any gaps; I was able to sit back and enjoy. The political plotting was intricate, yet clear and understandable -- important for reader like me who can find politics (fictional and otherwise) confusing and boring. The characters are full and rich, with well drawn motivations and the setting lush and deep. It was a very pleasant surprise after my disappointment with the previous book. I highly recommend this book as a good read, and, if you're reading the first book and debating the second, you could go to book 3 without book 2, but there are details from book 2 that are important, so I suggest reading through the whole series. Book 3 will more than make up for anything you may find lacking in book 2. Besides, I've found I'm in the minority as regards to book 2 anyway. ;)
