In a world of the blessed the unblessed, the Glassmaker proclaims the gifts of those in the realm with their reading of the sparks. They are the only ones with the ability to work the glass and declare the goddess’s blessing.
Generations before Ophelia was born, her birth was prophesied. The Enchantress proclaimed that a blessed girl child would restore honor to the Leander line. However, when she was presented to the Glassmaker to learn of her blessing, she was turned away. Many Winters passed and Ophelia remained unblessed. Until she and her brothers journeyed to Thistledown.
Rylan, the Glassmaker of Thistledown is able to do what none other before him had achieved. He read Ophelia’s blessing in the sparks. The gift from the goddess so rare, Rylan fears for her safety. Knowing the potential danger, he agrees to travel with Ophelia and her brothers on a quest to help her learn to use her blessing to its fullest potential.
The two are drawn together by an inexplicable bond that neither can ignore. As they trek across the realm from his home to hers, they are unable to deny their attraction. While danger lurks, they must reach the Keeper of the Blessings before it’s too late.
Can Ophelia navigate her new blessing and help restore her family’s honor? Can the bond between her and Rylan survive the obstacles before them? Together, can they bring about a change to the realm which hasn’t been seen in centuries?
Review by Twinsie Kelly
“With every great blessing, evil is always present.” What an amazing story! All the while reading this story, and even more so after I finished it, I have been trying to figure out how to categorize The Glassmaker’s Helper. It is definitely fantasy with a historical feel to it, fated mates, romance with some sexy time, and beings that are blessed and unblessed.
“I don’t question gifts from the goddess. I simply appreciate them.” The world building and character development is fantastic. Being unblessed or without a gift from the goddess isn’t uncommon but when your birth has been prophesied that you will save your family’s line and restore honor, there is no pressure…right? Wrong! Ophelia gets turned away from glassmaker after glassmaker. They cannot read her sparks. Until Rylan (wags eyebrows). Immediately their connection is strong and the need to protect Ophelia is completely instinctual. An unsavory character is now after Ophelia and her very rare blessing. The villain is a collector of sorts. From here, we follow Rylan and Ophelia on a quest that not only brings answers for the prophecy but is enchanting as well.
Highly recommend!
Darie McCoy is an independent author of contemporary, interracial, romantic suspense and paranormal/shifter romance books. A reader first, she enjoys reading books across many genres although romance holds a special place in her heart. Her experience working in a STEM field offers her a unique perspective which she uses in each story she pens.
Her first novel, For Real, began as a short story written for a reader competition during an Authors and Readers conference. It was published in November of 2021. In July of 2022, she expanded her writing portfolio to include Kindle Vella serial stories.
When she doesn’t have her nose in a book or her fingers on the keyboard, Darie enjoys working in her vegetable garden. A serial hobbyist, she also enjoys knitting, sewing, baking and canning. One of her favorite treats to make is salted caramel popcorn. Amongst her friends, she’s known to transport the sweet treat in large quantities to share whenever they get together.
Born and raised in the south, Darie stands by the staunchly held southern sentiments that the best tea is sweet tea and college football is life.