I absolutely loved this book. From beginning to end it didn't fail to entertain.

If you loved The Labrynth and 80s nostalgia akin to Stranger Things? You will devour this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the author for an ARC copy in exchange for my review.

This was such a treat.
I don't think I've read something quite like this before.
Jack is the son of a famous puppet storyteller of The Shadow Glass
Jack inherited his dad's work when his dad died, but Jack realized that all is not as it seems.
This one is an epic retro adventure with queer characters and puppets come to life.
Very entertaining, and also a little odd, lol

Very early DNF. Please take this review with a grain of salt as I usually can not handle british audio narrators and i couldn't here either.

This is basically a love song to all of the wonderful fantasy films from the eighties featuring puppets - think Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal etc. As a child of the eighties very much enamored of the puppet films, I lapped this book up for all of the nostalgic feels. I thought that Jack was an infuriating but ultimately sympathetic protagonist and I enjoyed his interactions with Toby and the rest of the Shadow Glass club. The evil swamp queen was a suitably vicious antagonist, along with her slimy human counterpart and I thought the quest nature of the plot was compelling. What I will say is that I don't know how much people will get out of the story without that love/nostalgia for the eighties, but personally, I really enjoyed it.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* this was really just not my cup of tea, it wasn't bad but just hard for me to get into the story.

DNF @ 40%

This book doesn’t really work as an audiobook. It’s clear from the audio that we miss crucial visual text that is probably best seen than heard. The story seemed relatively compelling and interesting, but it is really easy to get lost or confused on where they are or what they’re talking about at any given time, especially near the end of each chapter where the visual text would have appeared.

I don’t think I’ll pick up a physical copy at my local bookstore. It just wasn’t for me. Definitely more for someone who enjoys mystery, adventure, and high fantasy.

(ALC received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you.)

Absolutely fantastic! 80’s horror/fantasy nostalgia at its best. Can’t wait to see what this author brings out next!

A darker version of a Cinderella story. I felt that it was pretty predictable and the characters were annoying. The main character came off very entitled.

I listened to the audiobook.
This is a fantastic one. I can’t wait to get my hands on a kindle copy or physical copy because I will be reading this again in the future.

I am giving this 5 out of 5.

This book is playful and imaginative. It's evocative of the frightening fantasy that I enjoyed as an eighties kid. If you are a fan of The Dark Crystal or Labrynth, this is a must-read.

The Shadow Glass is a love letter to kitschy fantasy movies from the 80s. If you’re a lover of movies like Willow, The Never-Ending Story, Labyrinth, and especially The Dark Crystal, then you need to get your hands on this book. Its pages are populated with puppets come to life, a quest to save a dying fantasy realm, and a ton of pop culture references. While I loved the idea behind it, the actual execution of this story left me a bit unsatisfied, but it’s a book that I think is going to make a lot of my fellow nerdy 80s babies extremely happy.

If I were to describe The Shadow Glass in a word, it would be: zany. This felt wacky and madcap, but with a tinge of darkness. The story was almost manic in its wildness and pacing, to the point of near unbelievability even as a fantasy novel. But that was paired with a melancholy that bordered on depressive, and I found that a very odd dichotomy.

The author had interesting things to say about nerd culture, especially those who view themselves as “gate keepers” of the things they treasure, resenting even the very creators of the story or world they love should said creator decide to expand it. Which is completely their right, by the way. There is no wrong way to love the stories that speak to you, unless it involves tearing down that love in other fans. But the flip side was addressed, as well; very little is as powerful as a group of fans who wholeheartedly love something. Finding others who love the same thing you love, just as fervently, can feel like finding your tribe after going it alone. That joy and camaraderie were well presented in this novel.

I really wanted to love The Shadow Glass, but I couldn’t quite make that happen. The cause was two-fold. First, there were multiple points in the narrative where there was simply too much going on, and so much of it was over the top that I became desensitized to even the things that should’ve broken my heart or had me cheering. My other issue was with the characterization, or lack thereof. There was not much to be found in terms of character development, even though Jack was a much different person by the end of the book. He even paid for that transformation, but it still felt somehow disingenuous. And speaking of Jack, I never found him likable, even when he found his inner hero. I found him grating, and I thought the same about Zavanna. Most of the characters grated on me, actually, unless they had golden retriever energy like Toby and Brol.

While I didn’t love The Shadow Glass, I loved the idea and the heart behind it. It’s a story that I have no doubt will charm other fantasy fans, especially those who loved (and still love) Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal and the like. It encourages readers to never stop loving what you love, and to never stop believing in the magic of stories. I would love to see The Shadow Glass come to the screen, and to see how it would measure up to the movies it honors in its pages. I have no doubt that it would be just as loved as the stories that inspired it.

This is not the type of book I would usually pick up, especially since puppets freak me out, but I'm glad I stumbled upon this because it was a great story that grabbed me from the first page. I also really enjoyed the narration and felt that the narrator did a great job bringing this story to life.

Format: audiobook
Author: Josh Winning ~ Title: The Shadow Glass ~ Narrator: Colin Mace
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

The Shadow Glass is a fantasy puppet movie from 1986, written by Bob Coleman. It wasn’t a huge success back then. But it still has some fans today.

When Bob’s son Jack was a child, he loved the story of The Shadow Glass. But now, years after the movie, after his father’s death, he is bitter and resents his father his over obsession with the world of Iri. But he is about to get on an unusual journey and will see things from a different perspective.

This audiobook was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed this nostalgia fantasy novel. I would recommend it to all who like Labyrinth, Neverending Story, and similar 80s fantasy novels or movies.

The narrator, Colin Mace, was very good. Just the right voice for this kind of story. I enjoyed listening to the story.

“In a forgotten time, in a forgotten world, deep within a forgotten chamber few have even seen, The Shadow Glass sees all.”

As one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 (and also being entirely new to this author) I was super excited to get into this super nostalgia trip. And what a trip it was!

I’m of the target age for this book 100%. I remember many days watching and re-watching The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, even Fraggle Rock. I was so engrossed with these imaginary creatures and the surrounding world it really cracked open my imagination at a young age. But enough about me.

The Shadow Glass is the story of a lost man, jaded by life and estranged by his father, Jack Corman attempts to get out from under the looming shadow of his bad memories and into a ‘new life’. Hes turned his back on the legacy that his father built and is done trying to reconcile his guilt for his fathers downfall. Though through the story Jack experiences the adoration of the fandom that his father had created and as the story progresses we see a bit more growth from Jack which was really well done.

The characters and creatures here are what really shines in the story. Sandwiched between the familial reconciliation of our protagonist Jack are fresh and exciting creature-characters that are not too far fetched and not too familiar. The world of Iri and it’s inhabitants – the Kettu, Wugs, Skalions, and the scene-stealing Lub- were the highlight of the story. I really wanted the book to spend more time in that world and really engross us in it’s lore. But viewing it from the outside combined with the sprinkles of the flashback snippets and original screenplay scenes in between chapters was a really great touch.

Josh Winning’s writing flourishes with nostalgia and references to the 80s puppet-fantasy fandom though never feels overdone. It’s also a story about re-capturing your imagination and inviting color back into a dull and de-saturated life. Winning has produced a fantastic contribution to the classic 80s puppet-fantasy fandom, and I’m here for it.

This book is great if you want that 80's nostalgia, clearly this book is inspired by some classic 80's movies. You will be digging through your collection to scratch that itch after reading this book. The book moves at a great pace and the narrator was very enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley

Why did I listen to The Shadow Glass?
The Shadow Glass was available for review on Netgalley. When I read the synopsis, it reminded me of movies that came out in the 80's. These included Labyrinth, The Never Ending Story, and Princess Bride. Based on this, I was excited to enter the world of Iri.

What's the story here?
The Shadow Glass was a fantasy movie that came out in the 80's. It did not do well in the box office but, has found a bit of cult like following. The writer of the film, Bob Corman, took the failure at the box office especially hard; and he was never the same. Now in present day, Bob has and his son Jack returns to his childhood home to put everything is rest. Except it is not easy to put away the things of the man who broke you. Especially when the puppets from the movie suddenly seem to be coming alive and fighting their own war.

How did I like The Shadow Glass?
The Shadow Glass started a little slow for me. I think it was because I'm a little rusty with my fantasy reading. Plus, the beginning was more of an introduction to Jack and his relationship with his father. It was a complicated relationship. When he was younger his idolized his father but when his father fell apart, so did their relationship. So being back in the house where everything happened brings up some unexpected memories and situations which he never fully dealt with. These memories and situations have also affected how he has lived his live and had several failures.

When the puppets that were in the movie suddenly start coming alive, this complicates things even more, and this is where things get exciting. Jack wants nothing to do with his father's puppets as they are part of his legacy. He would rather just sell them off and make a profit. He also thinks he might be losing his mind except he's not the only one seeing them. The puppets are battling each other and the battle is for the actual shadow glass which has been broken up in four pieces for protection. Now the battle of good versus evil is happening and Jack is caught right in the middle.

I loved the Kettu warriors. They were fierce, brace, and not afraid to put Jack in his place. As the battles went on, I began to fear for them as I knew that there was always the chance that one of them would get injured or killed. I didn't want anyone getting hurt by the evil warriors around them . I really felt like we were going on a quest to find the shadow glass. There were twists and turns and delightful new characters to get to know. Throughout the quests Jack has a wonderful character arc. He begins to realize that while his father suffered, he never really knew the depth of his private battles. This can be a difficult lesson and I really enjoyed the way it was tackled in the book. Plus Jack makes a pretty decent hero if he has his head on straight.

How was the narration?
The Shadow Glass is 10 hours and 16 minutes long. The narrator Colin Mace kept the story interesting with his choices of voices for the various characters. It made it easier to tell the characters apart especially since he used a grittier voice on the more evil characters. With his narration, I felt like I was on a journey - a quest to find the four pieces of shadow glass before everything is destroyed. The Shadow Glass felt like a tribute to those 80's movies that may not have been popular in the box office but found their own devoted community. It is a tribute to the imagination - to magic - and to the impossible. It has the potential to being a continued saga - hopefully it will be!

This book was a huge hit of 80s nostalgia. While I was born in the 90s myself if was still a lot of things I understood and grew to love over time. The main character Jack is forced back to his childhood home to sort through his late fathers items and is pulled into his fathers cult classic world of puppets that bring us the readers back to the memories of Labyrinth and anything done by Jim Henson. I get lots of Ready Player One vibes but in a darker setting. It was amazing and would love another cult classic book like this one.

I have seen other reviewers mention the similarities between this book and films from yesteryear, i have never seen those films and to be honest this book has not imbued the desire in me to do so, for me the narration saved this book else I may not have finished it, not to say it’s bad just not for me

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This was fun and imaginative. I think anyone who is a fan of Jim Henson's darker works would enjoy this. Imagine if the puppets from The Dark Crystal came to life.

I received this audiobook from Netgalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to read this book because it was likened to stories such as The Neverending Story, The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth, all stories which I remember fondly from my childhood. From the very beginning of this book, I was enthralled. Jack Corman, son of film maker and creator of the Shadow Glass cult film Bob Corman, is desperate for money and intends to sell Dune, one of the puppets from the film. But when he arrives at his father’s home to collect the puppet after Bob Corman’s death, Jack finds more than what he bargained for. The puppets are alive! The world that his father created is real and it is in danger, and only Jack can save it.

To be honest, it’s a little hard to write a review about this book. I really liked it, but can’t place my finger exactly on what about it I liked (other than just everything!).

I was invested in the story. I was sad when characters died. I WANTED Iri to be saved. I was rooting for the evil puppets to get what was coming to them. This book made me feel so many things…much more than I was initially expecting.

I was never bored reading this book; it is action packed from beginning to end. The characters are also great, from the Shadow Glass fanboys to the Kettu puppets. Winning really captures the truth of these characters. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but I felt like I knew the characters, like nothing about them was fake. Fanboys really would help in the quest to save Iri. A warrior Kettu really would call Jack a a manchild. I don’t know…I just really liked it.

The narrator’s voice makes the book all the better; it was a pleasure to listen to.

I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are into 80s nostalgia.

P.S.: I listed this as “science fiction” because that is how it is tagged on Netgalley, but honestly, I don’t see it. I didn’t see anything particularly “science” about this work of fiction. Fantasy seems to be the appropriate tag here.