Book Review: Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories Series Book 1) - Mary Robinette Kowal

Let's get this out of the way first. I freakin' love Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut Series. She has created this amazingly rich and detailed universe, full of fleshed-out characters engaging in daring-do. So when this earlier novel was cheap on Amazon, I picked it up.

The "Glamourist Histories" novels were written several years before the Astronette books. And, I'll be honest, it shows. The plot is basically "Jane Austen But They Can Do Magic". Or, to more modern ears, "The Witches of Bridgerton". As a concept, it's pretty interesting - although retreading the same sort of ground as "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell". But I felt the execution just fell flat.

Firstly, it is an entirely derivative novel. Two sister competing in a marriage market. A brooding but handsome stranger. A roguish Captain. A hysterical mother. Stir the big Regency pot of clichés and see what pops out. (To be fair, the original book was written as part of NaNoWriMo. It is everything you expect from a debut novel.)

Secondly, and more importantly, magic is irrelevant to the story! If you took out every mention of "glamour" and replaced it with "watercolour paintings" the book would be identical. It feels like a squandered opportunity.

Well, right up until the last few chapters. We finally catch a glimpse of what magic could do in this world - other than give ersatz rhinoplasty to insecure debutants. All of a sudden, we're thrown into a much more interesting world. One where the scientific investigation of magic could become a powerful force in the world. It brings forth a exciting set of options outside of the standard regency drama.

If you like Jane Austen-style novels, it is perfectly fine. But I was expecting something more rigorous. Kowal's later books are astonishingly good, so I might check out the sequels to see how they compare.