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I previously read the first book of this series, The City’s Son, back in April and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of a YA version of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. So, when I was approached to review the sequel, I was extremely excited! I wanted to know how the story continued for Beth without Fil, and how Pen was able to piece her life back together. Let me tell you, The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock completely BLOWS the first book out of the water. It was such an exciting read that really added so much depth to a character that wasn’t really looked into that much in the first book of the trilogy. We get to look at a new facet of this amazing world Pollock has created and the story itself is wonderful!

When we ended The City’s Son, Fil had been reborn as a pavement priest with no memory of his past life, or of Beth, who had seemingly taken his place as the child of Mater Viae. Beth’s best friend Pen, meanwhile, was recovering from her horrific barbed wire and brainwashing attack, as well as her sexual assault. In The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock, the story switches its focus away from the recently fought war, and away from Beth (mostly), to focus on Pen. This was such a brave act by Pollock as having to go write about Pen’s PTSD is something extremely difficult, yet he managed to do so quite well. Her reaction to what she endured seemed real, and her desire to cling to her mirror-sister Parva, while at the same time keeping her best friend Beth at arm’s length, all make perfect sense for someone who endured what she did. So, when Pen decides to travel to London-Under-Glass on her own to investigate her mirror-sister’s disappearance, it comes as no surprise. She needs to prove to herself she can do it on her own. And mostly, she does. What I especially loved was that my hunch on her sexual preferences from the first novel were seemingly confirmed here in the second (yay!)

The pacing, which was an issue in the first novel, was flawless in this novel. It read quickly, and every single chapter and passage held purpose. Pollock continued to build upon the world he created in the first novel, but does it through the story this time, which worked extremely well. Beth’s tiny side story is great and leaves me excited for the final story of the trilogy, Our Lady of the Streets. The ending this time was well deserved and yet, still had me frustrated because I WANTED IT TO CONTINUE! I didn’t want to stop reading, which is a great thing to say of a book.

If you’ve read The City’s Son and enjoyed it, then you definitely need to pick up The Glass Republic by Tom Pollock. It takes what was introduced in the first novel and just builds so beautifully upon it without breaking pace or story. Cannot wait for the last book of the trilogy!

// I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title. // ( )

So, I received this book from NetGalley for review without realizing that this was a sequel. Nonetheless, despite being a bit confused in the beginning, I was fascinated by this world that Pollock has created. It's different than anything that I've read before, and it's inclusive in a way that many books in this genre aren't.

"Pen" Khan is used to holding secrets, especially since she and her best friend Beth discovered the secret monsters that inhabited London. The only person who truly understands is Pen's mirror-sister Parva, who inhabits the world on the other side of the mirror, London-Under-Glass. When her sister mysteriously disappears, Pen goes into London-Under-Glass to find her, but there are people there who would do anything to keep Pen from finding her mirror-sister and ruining their fragile power.

Where do I even start with this book. Not only was I amazed and fascinated by the world that Pollock creates, a world that is the reflection of the real world (and includes intricate details I wouldn't even think about), but Pollock also created characters that are absolutely unforgettable. I may not have had the backstory necessary to completely understand what was going on, but I was still drawn to Pen's story, so much so that I definitely want to find the first book and figure out how she got all of her scars.

The other thing that is absolutely amazing about this book is its inclusion of diversity. Pen is a practicing Muslim (as least, that's what I gathered), but it's not all that defines her. For this genre, that is almost unheard of. If you're interested in a detailed, intricate urban fantasy, you definitely found it in Tom Pollock's book. ( )

Didn't quite catch me like the previous one but interesting all the same, you could see where things were being set up for the next story in the sequence. This story is mostly about Pen and her mirror self Parva who goes missing in the mirror world and Pen goes to investigate, which costs her and her family. In the mirror world she finds that the politics is complicated and messy. Meanwhile Beth is trying to come to terms with the changes to herself and her image of herself.

It's a middle book, good, setting up things to come but didn't quite grasp me like the first one did. ( )

See my review of this book, and many more, at Tales from the Great East Road.


Parva “Pen” Khan has survived a brutal attack from a living mass of barbed wire. Well, if you can call this surviving. Covered in scars all over her body, with a face that people recoil from, Pen is trying to get her normal life back. But it’s not easy: with her best friend Beth turned into a living embodiment of the city of itself, pressure from her fellow classmates to tell them what happened, feeling that her face is no longer her own, and the guilt of causing her parents pain. The only person who understands Pen is Parva, her mirror sister who lives in the reflected city of London-Under-Glass.

But when Parva is kidnapped, Pen knows that she must find her, whatever it takes. Striking a deal with the Chemical Synod, Pen trades her parents’ memories of her for entrance to London-Uner-Glass, where looks are currency and her sister is considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Posing as Parva, Pen is caught in a world of politics and terrorists, where beauty is everything.

The Skyscraper Throne is a series that takes the genre Urban Fantasy to a new level – the city of London literally comes alive in these books. Descriptions of living street lights who communicate by flashing light, Pavement Priests who are trapped in stone, creepy men covered in oil who collect and experiment with human emotions and memories (to name a few), are all fascinating and original, building a truly unique picture of the modern world. The new society of London-Under-Glass introduced in The Glass Republic mirrors and distorts the idea of beauty being connected to self worth that is so prominent in our culture, much like the way the river Themes reflects the city itself. The use of half-faces and the terrorists know as the Faceless are both creepy but sympathetic, showing the flaws in both worlds and our obsession as people with looks. But as great as the world build is, it is nothing when compared to the characters, especially the protagonist Pen.

It’s great to see the return of Beth, the hero of the first book The City’s Son, who is still just as brilliant. Her change into a daughter of the streets continues and her struggles with this transition, and the sacrifices made by Fil, the boy she loved, are realistic and moving. There is the introduction of another great character, Espel, a steeplejill with half a true face and half a mirror. She is in many ways Pen’s opposite, a beautiful girl who braves the hights of the skyscrapers in London-Under-Glass to clear it of raining brick and concrete in an almost reckless way, but she shares a lot of the same fears and self doubts as Pen. Then there is Pen herself – a character so raw with pain, anger, and fear, but so willing to throw her own safety to the wind to save the people she loves. Her struggles made me want to cry: watching her fight for a normal life any way she can whilst living with a ruined face, bullying from her schoolmates, and knowing that the teacher who abused her may be going free. All this doesn’t stop her, as she just keeps telling herself that “It’s still all you, Pen” – and it is. Pen is a truly amazing character, who does gain back part of her control over her body after her trauma. I love Pen with a passion.

The reason I’ve rated The Glass Republic 4.5 and not 5 stars? The cliffhanger ending was completely unexpected and shocked me, as I didn’t realise this series was in fact a trilogy. Waiting for the next book may actually kill me! What else can I say but read it, and read it now.

4.5 stars. ( )