Magic Under Glass
by Jaclyn Dolamore

Nimara had been a court entertainer in her homeland. Now her voyage overseas to seak her fortune and avoid the repercussions of her family's fall from favor have left her as a "trouser girl", a cheap music hall performer who longs for any kind of escape to a better life.

When her performance catches the attention of a gentleman sorcerer, Nimara is quick to agree to join him at his estate, where she will begin practicing a performance with a sophisticated clockwork automaton of faerie magic.

Nimara finds herself trapped in the midst of a sorcerous conspiracy, surrounded by deadly family secrets, and falling rapidly into an impossible romance with a machine possessed by the soul of a faerie prince.

This is a tightly paced young-adult steampunk romance with a surprisingly rich and detailed world and a very likable heroine. Dolamore's magic has a subtle and haunting feel to it, and a couple of magical battle scenes manage to thrill without the need for massive explosions.

The characters have decent depth to them, down to the minor supporting cast, and the social interactions are as intriguing as the romantic ones.

This is a fun fantasy novel that leaves room for more exploration to come in Dolamore's world.

Magic Under Glass was book #5 in my goal of reading 50 books in 2010.