Review by Kelly Jarvis: The Glass Palace by Kathryn Trattner

An extraordinary retelling of the old “animal bridegroom” tales that inform stories like East of the Sun, West of the Moon and Beauty and the Beast, Kathryn Trattner’s The Glass Palace beautifully blends love, romance, adventure, magic, and comedy.

Astrid has been betrothed to a stranger for as long as she can remember, and when her father, the last member of her family, passes away, she must travel to the cold, dark regions of the north to meet her fiancé Tyhr, a brooding man who wears a tiger mask and remains tight-lipped about his own past. The two travel through dangerous landscapes to reach his tropical kingdom, but even when they escape the shadows and threats that follow them, they struggle to find peace and happiness together. Tyhr abandons Astrid for long stretches of time, leaving her with a sassy bird companion who helps her to navigate her empty home. When Thyr and Astrid do spend time together, their affection deepens, and Astrid, wanting to help free him from the curse he has been under, makes a monumental mistake that takes Thyr away from her for good. Astrid must then journey to the ends of the earth to search for and save her lost husband.

I loved the breathtaking imagery in this story! The settings and characters are described with such vivid detail that I felt like I was journeying alongside Astrid as she battled monsters and met helper figures who assisted her on her journey. Each landscape, from the cold Black Forest to the hot, dry desert, is described in immersive detail, and each monster is the stuff of nightmares. Pulsing beneath the surface of the journey is a deep and abiding sense of love and loss, and it is this which makes Trattner’s story so compelling. Astrid is an admirable heroine who must fight her way back to the man she loves, navigating a fairy world that often feels overwhelming and confusing. I found myself rooting for her as she encountered dangers and struck bargains, and her experiences quite often moved me to tears. If you are a fan of traditional folklore, fairy magic, and romantic love, you will enjoy The Glass Palace. I couldn’t put it down! You can find it here.

Kelly Jarvis works as the Contributing Writer for The Fairy Tale Magazine and teaches writing and literature at Central Connecticut State University. Her work has been featured in A Moon of One’s Own, Blue Heron Review, Corvid Queen, Eternal Haunted Summer, Mermaids Monthly, The Chamber Magazine, The Magic of Us, and Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. Her debut novella, Selkie Moon, was released in 2025. You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/