Glass Across the Sea by Sara Ella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Light always finds a way to break free.”

Cinderella has never been one of my favorite fairytales. But after reading Glass Across the Sea, my opinion has radically shifted. This YA fantasy reimagining of “Cinderella”—with nods to The Count of Monte Cristo mixed in—did a beautiful job of paying homage to the original tale while still being very much its own wonderful, compelling story. Ella did a brilliant job of portraying Noelle, her Cinderella, as selfless, kind, and strong in ways that retroactively improved my opinion of the literary figure who served as her inspiration. This is a truly lovely novel, one that stands strong on its own while still leaving me hungry for whatever comes next in the series.

“’Even shattered glass, lost across the sea, finds its way back to shore. But not before it is changed—made more beautiful and more refined than the day it was broken.’”

One of the elements that initially charmed me was the lovely fairytale tone to the narrative. I also immediately appreciated all of the nods Ella made to the original French fairytale in her worldbuilding. The world Ella created was beautifully reminiscent of the France of old, which both honored the story that inspired her while imbuing the novel with a strong, rich sense of place. There are also nods to be found in the names—like Noelle’s father, Charles Perrault, named after the Frenchman who popularized the tale—as well as name references to the Disney film adaptations and to the aforementioned The Count of Monte Cristo. And the ways Ella worked the classic symbols of Cinderella into the tale—symbols like slippers and glass, pumpkins and wishes—was absolutely lovely.

“…anything broken could always been fixed. Even the past.”

Noelle is our main female perspective. She is daughter to the royal glassmaker, Charles. While her early childhood was charmed, featuring parents who adored her and a wonderfully close best friend in our main male perspective, Prince Dante, tragedy enters her life when her mother succumbs to a mysterious illness—or curse—that also effects the queen. This is also where our story shifts from the source material, as Noelle doesn’t have an evil stepmother. What she does have is a villainous caretaker when her father journeys away in search of a cure. The presence of a living but sick, weak, helpless mother complicates things for Noelle in different ways than the situation faced by Cinderella.

“Mark my words, she’ll shine so bright even the darkest cave will not be able to contain her light.”

Prince Dante has loved Noelle for years, even though she’s not of the nobility. But when his younger sister begins wasting away with the same cursed illness that attacked his and Noelle’s mothers, Dante finds himself making a deal with his father, the king: find the magical Vestige that can cure the ailment, and Dante will be allowed to marry whomever he chooses, even if she’s not of noble blood. This sets him off on a complicated adventure, one that negatively impacts his view of his father’s morality. King Edmund and Lady Charmange, Noelle’s caretaker, are tertiary perspectives in this tale, and their goodness or villainy are more nuanced than they seem upon first meeting.

“Memories were shadows, forever leaving their imprint on someone’s life, growing and changing and shaping a person into who they were.”

What are the Vestiges, you ask? That brings us to my favorite element of this novel: the in-world lore. Firefly Isle was one the home of a truly blessed people. But when it could not be decided which of their four Firefly should rule them–the Glassmaker, the Alchemist, the Blacksmith, and the Chandler–the people split into four groups and abandoned the isle. These four Firefly each stole a part of the Lamplighter’s Lantern, His gift to His people, and created the four Vestiges from it. Those Vestiges are now scattered, lost to time. Four Firefly are still born in every generation. This story and more are found in The Lamplighter Parables, an in-world compendium that is part fairytale collection, part Scripture. It was through the stories of the Lamplighter that faith came into play in the story, in some really beautiful ways. I love Ella’s decision to refer to God as the Lamplighter in this fantastical world, and how the message of light breaking through the darkness served as such a central theme.

“…this story is about so much more than a girl in a pretty dress (though the cover is everything I ever hoped it would be). It is a story of courage and kindness, of overcoming cruelty, of forgiveness and, of course, love. One thing that always inspired me about the character of Cinderella was that she remained kind, gracious, and caring despite her abuse.” (From the Author’s Note at the end of the book.)

Glass Across the Sea is an enchanting tale from first page to last. It recaptured the feeling I’ve always been chasing whenever I engage with a fairytale, but which I very seldom manage to reach. There are high stakes, enduring romance, and a powerful display of good defeating evil. There’s a beautiful fairytale ending that left me perfectly content, while still ensuring that I’m to see what comes next in the series. I can’t believe this is my first experience with Ella’s work, but I’m glad I have her backlist to dig into while I’m waiting for the next installment in the Realms of Allumeria series!

You can purchase a copy of this book directly from the publisher, Enclave, or from Amazon, Audible, Bookshop.org, Libro.fm, or Blackwell’s.

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