The Glittering Court Kicks off Richelle Mead’s Latest Dazzling Series

So far, The Glittering Court has just about everything a diehard YA fan could want: a runaway countess, forbidden love, serious squad goals, a new frontier, and heaps upon heaps of Elizabethan fashion. Made claustrophobic by her position among the nobility in Osfrid, the young Countess of Rothford is propelled on a risky, dangerous journey to the new world by that bane of all fantasy heroines: the prospect of an arranged marriage. Instead of meekly consenting to her grandmother’s match—with a dullard cousin and his overbearing mother—the countess hatches a plan, based on a chance encounter.
Ada, a servant of the household, has been selected for the Glittering Court, an intensive and unusual finishing school that turns lower-class gals into polished brides-to-be for the new world’s “new nobility.” While Ada is reluctant to make the journey across the sea to Adoria, her employer sees a chance at freedom. Dazzled by Cedric Thorn, son of the Court’s owner, she seizes Ada’s place, adopting Adelaide as her new identity and kicking off a series of events that leads to drama in both corners of the empire.
Bechdel Test Besties
The Glittering Court is a fun, fast, rollicking read, but by far the most enjoyable aspects of it are the friendships Adelaide forges with her fellow belles of the ball. She makes close confidantes of her roommates: hard-edged, hard-charging, foul-mouthed Tamsin, and Mira, a refugee from war-torn Sirminica. The girls themselves couldn’t be more different, considering Tamsin’s overt ambition, Adelaide’s quiet quest to hide her noblewoman sheen, and Mira’s introverted mystery. But they click from the start, aiding and abetting each other’s studies and misadventures.
Examining a book about a finishing school for mail-order brides, you wouldn’t necessarily think “Bechdel Test winner.” But these young ladies have robust, full inner lives that they share—to various degrees—with their fellow pupils. While their schooling is designed to hook a man and their future financial stability may rest on them, the richness of their lives is far from dependent on their potential mates. They have hopes, dreams, desires, and petty spats; men are only the beginning.
Room to Explore
Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s extensive Grishaverse will find something to love here as well. The Glittering Court explores two vastly different worlds: the glitz, glamour, and propriety of noble life in Osfrid, and the rough-and-tumble frontier of Adoria. Each presents its own challenges and features innumerable possibilities for further exploration. As Adelaide’s adventures continue, we’re bound to see far beyond her initial cosseted social circle in Osfrid and cross miles and miles of territory in Adoria. Beyond that, Mead introduces several more cultures into the mix that promise to factor into the plot, including Adoria’s native Icori population, Mira’s home of Sirminica, and the lingering presence of the nation of Lorandy.
Secrets Still Unknown
Once you reach the final page of this first installment, you’ll be both euphoric and bereft. The novel provides a full, wholly complete experience, as Adelaide adjusts to Adoria and evades a number of threats to expose her identity and the secrets of those she’s come to care about most. At the same time, you’re left with a number of questions still to be answered. What drives Tamsin to be the absolute finest of the Glittering Court’s girls? What hides behind Mira’s poker face? What’s next for Adelaide, given developments toward the novel’s end? It’s thrilling to have so much to look forward—but so, so painful while we wait.
The Glittering Court is on sale now.