#a face like glass

[andytheoverthinker]

i am in desperate need of a frances hardinge fandom, please more people need to read those books

#where are yall #i need someone to appreciate these masterpieces with me #and fangirl over saracen the winged warzone #and the amazingly chaotic duo that is eponymous clent and mosca mye #as well as the queer and neurodivergent metafor masterpiece that is the cuckoo song #actually you know what #i’m gonna make a separate blog for this #when you cannot find the fandom you make the fandom #diy #if these books are ever adapted for like a movie or series i will freak out #anyway #frances hardinge #the lie tree #the cuckoo song #a face like glass #deeplight #gullstruck island #a skinful of shadows #fly by night #uh this is a lot of tags #is it okay to add this much? #i don’t really care #bye

[the-laws-of-physics-were-harmed]

Why you should read Frances Hardinge's books:

Most of them have little to no romance (I hate amatonormativity)

She is really good with words? Like idk how to explain it but the way she uses them is... idk how to describe it

A lot of her protagonists can be seen as autistic or having ADHD if you autism hard enough /hj

The book covers are always absolutely gorgeous

Some of my story Under a Golden Moon's worldbuilding originated because of Deeplight (I will not elaborate for reasons of Spoilers)

Her social media is full of things like this:

which is just. Relatable.

I occasionally make references to her books. I don't think I've made any here but there's a first time for everything :)

Her worldbuilding is so cool like seriously

The first book of hers I read was A Face Like Glass when I was about eight or so (I think?) I got it for Christmas last year, and it's somehow better than I remember?

She's definitely influenced my writing style a lot because her writing is just ridiculously good???

I think I've read most of her books, if not all

#frances hardinge #deeplight #a face like glass #<- if I tag the post with the books I mentioned more people will see it right? /hj #Apparently she has a blog on here where she mainly just lurks and doesn't post anything and I'm really hoping she sees this #because yes I could send her an email but I'd have to set up a new one because I don't want it attached to my deadname #and that's just effort tbh

[moonlitglen]

There was no mask. There was no mask at all... Across her features, anxiety, resolution, and remorse were being swamped by a surge of recognition, affection, and surprise. Seeing her smile was like being hit in the face with a big, gold gong.

- Frances Hardinge, A Face Like Glass

#neverfell #MUST protecc at all costs #a face like glass #frances hardinge #ya fantasy #fanart #book fanart

[haveyoureadthisfantasybook]

vote YES if you have finished the entire book.

vote NO if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

#fantasy #books #A Face Like Glass #Frances Hardinge #poll #result: no #l: English

[i-want-my-chirfugging-goose-back]

Behold

Alternative titles for Frances Hardinge books

A face like glass - an empath plays among us in a cave

Gullstruck island - if dissociation was a superpower

A skinful of shadows - and you thought your family was weird

The cuckoo song - puberty gone wrong (feat. sister bonding time as well as “are my tears supposed to be cobwebs??”)

Deeplight - TIFU by resurrecting my bestie with a sea god’s heart and now he’s acting weird

Fly by night - a girl, her goose, and a professional liar take down a city

Twilight robbery - a girl, her goose, and a professional liar take down another city

The lie tree - daddy issues meets sexism in this thrilling murder mystery

#frances hardinge #fly by night #a face like glass #the cuckoo song #gullstruxk island #the lie tree #a skinful of shadows #twilight robbery #deeplight #alternative titles

[msunitedstatesjames]

Frances Hardinge is a criminally underrated author. If you've never heard of her, I'm not surprised. Even though I'm in several fantasy book groups on Facebook with thousands of members, I've only ever seen one or two other members post about her. And yet, since I first read one of her books in 2020, I've bought every book she's published and read most of them.

Frances Hardinge, for those who've missed out, writes fantasy young adult books. Her books are extremely well written, romance free, unfailingly unique, and somewhat dark, all of which are qualities I find to be more and more rare in today's YA fantasy market (not to hate on YA, I've read tons of it). If you need a comparison, I would say aspects of her books remind me of YA/middle grade books by T. Kingfisher or Neil Gaiman.

If I haven't convinced you yet, here's a little preview of some of her books that I've read:

A Face Like Glass (my personal favorite): A girl named Neverfell lives in a world where people have to be taught how to show emotion in their facial expressions. She has to wear a mask at all times because, mysteriously, she naturally shows facial expressions and if people found out they would freak. If that's not unique enough, this society is underground and produces magical artisinal goods, such as cheeses, wines, and perfumes that can do some wild things. If that still hasn't convinced you, the book critiques the privelege of the wealthy, as in this world only the rich can afford to hire Facesmiths to teach them expression, while the poor languish along with one or two facial expressions for their entire lives.

Fly by Night and Fly Trap (these might have different titles depending on where you are in the world): In a world where reading is illegal and seen as revolutionary activity, Mosca Mye escapes her awful life with her aunt and uncle by forcing an infamous conman (Eponymous Clent, this world has cool naming conventions) to take her under his wing. Joining them is Mosca's only friend, Saracen, the murderous goose. Yeah, you read that right. Highlights of the series include a heartwarming found family tale, an accidental revolution, a city that literally changes its population, personality, and shape when day changes to night, and, of course, an extremely violent goose. I mean, if you've read Pratchett, Saracen the goose is basically the Luggage. There's more than one scene in these books where all hope seems lost, and Mosca is like, "I guess it's up to you now Saracen," and she just straight up lobs her goose at the enemy and he utterly wrecks their shit. If I recall correctly, this happens once during a pitched river boat battle over an illegal printing press.

The Lie Tree: Faith's father, who refused to recognize her potential as a scientist, mysteriously dies. Faith discovers a tree he kept hidden that grows when you tell lies and reveals secrets in its fruit. The bigger the lie you tell the world, the bigger the secret that will be revealed. You can imagine the chaos that eventually ensues. This book critiques gender roles and discrimination, and tackles both the dangers and the necessity of telling lies.

Cuckoo Song: When Triss wakes up after apparently falling in a lake, everything seems wrong. She's missing memories, she has an insatiable hunger, dead leaves are mysteriously appearing in her room, and her sister claims she's a monster. Triss must piece together what's happening to her before it's too late. This book deals with the complexities of life with overbearing parents, siblings who've been pitted against one another, and families that have been torn apart by tragedy.

Verdigris Deep (another one that goes by different titles): A group of friends are cursed by a well witch after they take some coins from her well. She forces them to work for her by granting her wishes. Working with the witch gives them powers, but the wishes are getting increasingly complex. Does that guy really want a motorcycle or does he want to be someone else? And if he wants to be someone else, does that mean what he really wants is not to exist at all? This book deals with issues of self worth, power and control, and toxic friendships.

She has a bunch of other great books as well. So if you're looking for a unique fantasy story with adventure and no romance, definitely check some of Frances Hardinge's books out!

#frances hardinge #a face like glass #fly trap #fly by night #Twilight robbery #Cuckoo song #The lie tree #Verdigris deep #Well witched #books #booklr #Mosca mye #eponymous clent #Neverfell grandible #Faith sunderly #Triss crescent #Saracen the goose

[best-childhood-book]

fantasy books:

Deltora Quest (etc)

The Land of Elyon

Dragonlance: The New Adventures

The Edge Chronicles

The Lost Conspiracy and A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

Added them all!

#ask #submission #deltora quest #the land of elyon #dragonlance: the new adventures #the edge chronicles #the lost conspiracy #a face like glass

[the-dust-jacket]

#Kelly Barnhill #Frances Hardinge #Catherynne M. Valente #The Girl Who Drank the Moon #A Face Like Glass #The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making #Love That? Read This!

[elvencantation]

"Heavy rain from the day before had found its way down crack and cranny, so that now forlorn drops were falling from the chipped ceilings. Lost rain, stained pearly pale by the ancient rock, varnishing walls and turning floors to mirrors in its doomed quest to return to the sea and sky."

- A Face Like Glass, by Frances Hardinge

#a face like glass #frances hardinge #book quote #book quotes #quotes #quotes about rain #quotes about water #water quotes #rain quotes #underground #caves #idk what to tag this #im rereading this book with my jiejie and I'm OBSESSED with her writing I cannot #blue reads

[gonecartographic]

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥: Who thinks I can fit 15 marshmallows in my mouth? 𝐙𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞: You’re a hazard to society 𝐄𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞: And a coward. DO TWENTY.

#frances hardinge #a face like glass #neverfell #zouelle childersin #erstwhile #i think i mispelled erstwhile somehow #oh well

[gaydelgard]

anyway this was MY favorite part

if u even care

#a face like glass #frances hardinge #video #alexi reads

[dankzombiereviews]

Book thoughts: A Face Like Glass

4.25 ✰

the first 10% was a big ick, after that it was absolutely fantastic.

the worldbuilding and writing were amazing, but the plot left something to be desired for me. I wanted more resolution, and there were a few points where I felt it got too twisted and confused, but it mostly pulled itself back together. I liked the ending but I kind of wanted more.

Neverfell was well written, especially as an 11 year old. Those kinds of characters are difficult to write, because there's a fine balance between naïvety and stupidity. I never found her annoying, and understood where all of her mistakes came from. I understood that she needed to be younger because a lot of her inexperience and gullibility drove the plot forward. If she was a teenager or young adult, I would have found her so irritating and so moronic, but as a child I understood where she was coming from.

Overall a good book (especially for a standalone)- not a fav and will be giving the book away, but one that I recommend reading.

#book review #a face like glass #alice madness returns

[moonlitglen]

Of course I lied to you all these years, he told Neverfell in his head. For the same reason I had to tell you the truth just now. You're the only real friend I've ever had, you stupid little hen.

- Frances Hardinge, A Face Like Glass

#erstwhile #ahem PRINCE erstwhile #a face like glass #frances hardinge #ya fantasy #book fanart #fanart

[microwave-radiation]

This is a post made purely for a target audience of me, but a Transformers narrative set in the Face Like Glass book-universe would absolutely SLAP. They’re living inside a sentient, amoral city who changes shape when no one is looking at her, who talks directly into the brains of her chosen spokespeople but also kinda fucks them up in the process so they can never again be the same as the general population. Whole place is ruled by a god-king who’s old as balls and hasn’t felt an Emotion in 50 years. The inherent robot-capitalism-dystopia vibes of literally restricting what facial expressions the working class can make in order to interrupt their ability to organize and voice their discontent. Plus, I just think Kleptomancer would be cool as a robot. He’s a guy in scaled wetsuit armor and a goggly-eyed helmet, robot design material right there. And the scene where Neverfell finally sees the Kleptomancer’s face, and realizes the hero of a hundred dramatic ballads and legends is small and ordinary and looks exactly thousands of other people in the city. He’s halfway to cold contructed anyway, it works great. A natural progression of this is the Kleptomancer’s weird memory situation, which is from him repeatedly doing mnemosurgery on himself.

#maccadams #a face like glass #Frances Hardinge #microwave-radiation #maccadam

[i-want-my-chirfugging-goose-back]

Neverfell: Just trust me. Have I ever put you in an unsafe or uncomfortable situation?

Erstwhile: All the time.

Neverfell: Then you should be used to it by now.

#incorrect quotes #a face like glass #frances hardinge

[squishmallow36]

Seems pretty gay to me ngl.

[Image id: an excerpt from "a face like glass", reading "'I know how it is,' Madame Appeline said, narrowing her slanting eyes slightly over her ice-cream smile. 'There is a feeling deep down inside you, isn't there? All the time. It bothers you. You don't really know what it is, or how to describe it. You do not have a Face for it. And so you scan all the Face catalogues, and ask for Faces for every birthday because perhaps, just perhaps, if you had the right Face, you might understand what you are feeling. You need to find that Face.' She leaned forward slightly." End image id.]

Context: this surprisingly isn't a kotlc book so basically the worldbuilding is that we got some people underground and they can't naturally express emotions. So they learn faces. Rich people get more faces. Sorry about the picture quality

#a face like glass #zouelle will probably have her own character resolved in an entirely heterosexual way #but come on thats so fucking gay