The Hunt Begins.
After stealing a Magical girl from the Order of Grimm and failing to return her to the people who hired them, Samara and her crew have a target on their backs. Their narrow escape from the last job left them with two powerful enemies on their heels.
As a brutal gang war erupts across the City-State, Samara finds herself trapped in the chaos, forced to navigate a city tearing itself apart. The streets they once knew are now battlegrounds, and every back alley is a potential trap. They’re cornered and running low on options. To survive, they’ll have to stop running and start fighting back.
The Glass Coffin Society is a character-driven urban fantasy adventure with a Snow White–inspired bloodline mystery set against the atmospheric backdrop of a gritty, gang-ruled old-world city. It’s the second book in The Tales of Märchen series, written by award-winning narrator (and now successful author) Shiromi Arserio, who also narrates both audiobooks in this series, making them even more immersive!
It’s not recommended to read this book as a standalone, as the story picks up right after the events of book one—and without knowing the established relationships and events surrounding the major “heist” (in book one), the story may be confusing. Both books are shorter than 400 pages and extremely bingeable—so if this book sounds intriguing, be sure to read them back-to-back to get fully acquainted with the world-building, wonderful ragtag crew, and their unforgettable adventures!
The story opens with Samara and her ragtag crew still reeling after their audacious heist. They’ve stolen the last living descendant of Snow White (Eloise), and their narrow escape has painted targets on their backs. Forced into a leadership role she never wanted, Samara must protect Eloise while navigating rising tensions, magical threats, and shifting loyalties within her own found family. As a brutal gang war ignites across the city-state of Märchen, enemies close in and the stakes climb higher, and the group is pushed into a race for survival without knowing who they can truly trust!
At the heart of this story (and book one) is Samara Dawa, a former assassin who’s become the reluctant heroine/leader to a ragtag crew of rebels. Her vengeance-fueled past continues to shape her decisions in this book, and her feisty, unpredictable nature makes her so interesting—especially in her dialogue with enemies! In this story she wrestles with loyalty, guilt, and power, mostly with her former thieves guild employer “The Lions,” and in her relationships with Calista, the matriarch of the House of Assassins, and the City Magistrate. She makes compromises and is forced into uneasy alliances to put her plans into action, which makes the story compelling and multi-layered! Her relationship with Gerda, which had intimate suggestions in book one, continues to evolve in this book—and it not only gives the story a fresh take on a sapphic romance but also another layer to Samara’s character that she doesn’t display anywhere else in the story!
The rest of her crew—Seb, the insider; Art (the explosives expert); and Anna and Eloise (both magic users)—feel like a found family from the start, and their bonds only deepen in this book. Art’s fractured relationship with his father, the powerful Lord Templeton, is further explored in this book—and, by the end, readers may be divided on who’s really being treated unfairly. The other standout relationship is between Anna and Eloise. Anna’s magic evolves with help from Eloise, and as the only two magic users, their skills are increasingly essential in combats and in fooling their enemies, adding a lot of magical intrigue to the story! A new villain emerges in the story—“The Restorationists,” a group who want the return of a magical monarchy with “Eloise” as queen—but their intentions are far from loyal, and soon Eloise is seen as a target with agency, mystery, and danger!
Arserio paces the novel beautifully. The opening chapters are slower paced and full of captivating dialogue, as Samara’s crew scrambles to recover and assess the consequences of the heist. Soon, Samara’s old foes plan vengeance for losses and betrayals in the heist, and a gang war explodes in Märchen. With magical combats, a major attack, shifting loyalties, and constant danger for the crew, the suspense and stakes ramp up tenfold, making every chapter feel urgent! From there the narrative is pretty relentless—the crew are thrust forward to a journey to confront their enemies, but there’s much more danger than they anticipate! By the end, the character arcs are pronounced, and the resolution is satisfying while leaving room for more intrigue and world-building expansion. Afterwards, readers will be eager for more books in the series and further adventures with the beloved characters!
Overall, The Glass Coffin Society is a gritty urban fantasy with a fairytale twist, memorable characters, and a highly original magic system and storyline! The pacing from slow-burn to heart-pounding intensity is masterfully executed, and the stakes (both emotional and physical) are always interesting! This book and series is a must-read for anyone who loves thrilling heist stories, morally grey characters, ragtag crew found-family dynamics, and dark fairy-tale reimaginings! If all this sounds intriguing, don’t hesitate to grab both books and plan a binge read—the characters will stay with you, and you’ll be eager for more tales in the city-state of Märchen!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Glass Coffin Society is an immersive, thrilling listen narrated by the author (and award-winning narrator) Shiromi Arserio!Shiromi Arserio draws listeners in right from the opening chapter, with an atmospheric vibe that brings Märchen and its world-building to life. Each character is given a distinct voice, a unique emotional range, and a personality, making the audiobook feel more like a multi-cast listen and showcasing Arserio’s mastery of convincing character portrayals. For protagonist Samara, Arserio uses a sharp, controlled voice that captures her leadership role, as well as her cunning persona and moral ambiguity. Early in the story, when Samara is still assessing the consequences of the heist, her tone is more taut, reflecting her internal restraint to not jump to conclusions. As the stakes rise and the crew finds themselves in increasing danger, there’s a clear shift in Samara’s voice—raspier edges and more tenacity to highlight her protective instincts for her crew and planning the next steps—and the shift makes her arc feel authentic and gives her more emotional depth.Other standout character portrayals are for Eloise, Art, and Gerda. Eloise, being the last living descendant of Snow White, is given a much lighter, softer voice, capturing her initial uncertainty and the fragility of her position as a hunted target in a dangerous world! Art’s dialogue with his father is a very interesting part of the story, and Arserio makes their father-son mistrust and tension feel palpable, making them both unlikable at times. All of the characters are flawed and morally gray, and Arserio emphasizes this in the characters’ dialogue. Samara’s love interest, Gerda, is perhaps the most interesting character portrayed. She’s a “tough cookie” on the surface and wants to join the city watch—but in intimate conversations with Samara, she is given a softer, warmer tone that relieves not only Samara’s anxieties but also some of the story’s tension. During dangerous moments, Arserio also gives her voice an undercurrent of concern and fear, emphasizing the emotional stakes of her connection to Samara and making their relationship one listeners will want to root for!Overall, Shiromi Arserio elevates the story by giving each character a distinct, engaging voice while subtly shifting each performance to match their emotional arcs—which is perfect for a character-driven urban fantasy and makes the characters feel so very real! The contrasts of character portrayals and their pronounced evolving bonds make the ragtag crew feel like a real found family! Listeners who enjoy urban-fantasy thrillers with morally gray characters, high stakes, and highly immersive narration that feels cinematic will love both books in this series. Grab a copy of both audiobooks and binge them back-to-back for the most thrilling, emotionally charged urban-fantasy escape!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of The Glass Coffin Society is an immersive, thrilling listen narrated by the author (and award-winning narrator) Shiromi Arserio!Shiromi Arserio draws listeners in right from the opening chapter, with an atmospheric vibe that brings Märchen and its world-building to life. Each character is given a distinct voice, a unique emotional range, and a personality, making the audiobook feel more like a multi-cast listen and showcasing Arserio’s mastery of convincing character portrayals. For protagonist Samara, Arserio uses a sharp, controlled voice that captures her leadership role, as well as her cunning persona and moral ambiguity. Early in the story, when Samara is still assessing the consequences of the heist, her tone is more taut, reflecting her internal restraint to not jump to conclusions. As the stakes rise and the crew finds themselves in increasing danger, there’s a clear shift in Samara’s voice—raspier edges and more tenacity to highlight her protective instincts for her crew and planning the next steps—and the shift makes her arc feel authentic and gives her more emotional depth.Other standout character portrayals are for Eloise, Art, and Gerda. Eloise, being the last living descendant of Snow White, is given a much lighter, softer voice, capturing her initial uncertainty and the fragility of her position as a hunted target in a dangerous world! Art’s dialogue with his father is a very interesting part of the story, and Arserio makes their father-son mistrust and tension feel palpable, making them both unlikable at times. All of the characters are flawed and morally gray, and Arserio emphasizes this in the characters’ dialogue. Samara’s love interest, Gerda, is perhaps the most interesting character portrayed. She’s a “tough cookie” on the surface and wants to join the city watch—but in intimate conversations with Samara, she is given a softer, warmer tone that relieves not only Samara’s anxieties but also some of the story’s tension. During dangerous moments, Arserio also gives her voice an undercurrent of concern and fear, emphasizing the emotional stakes of her connection to Samara and making their relationship one listeners will want to root for!Overall, Shiromi Arserio elevates the story by giving each character a distinct, engaging voice while subtly shifting each performance to match their emotional arcs—which is perfect for a character-driven urban fantasy and makes the characters feel so very real! The contrasts of character portrayals and their pronounced evolving bonds make the ragtag crew feel like a real found family! Listeners who enjoy urban-fantasy thrillers with morally gray characters, high stakes, and highly immersive narration that feels cinematic will love both books in this series. Grab a copy of both audiobooks and binge them back-to-back for the most thrilling, emotionally charged urban-fantasy escape!
The audiobook of The Glass Coffin Society is an immersive, thrilling listen narrated by the author (and award-winning narrator) Shiromi Arserio!Shiromi Arserio draws listeners in right from the opening chapter, with an atmospheric vibe that brings Märchen and its world-building to life. Each character is given a distinct voice, a unique emotional range, and a personality, making the audiobook feel more like a multi-cast listen and showcasing Arserio’s mastery of convincing character portrayals. For protagonist Samara, Arserio uses a sharp, controlled voice that captures her leadership role, as well as her cunning persona and moral ambiguity. Early in the story, when Samara is still assessing the consequences of the heist, her tone is more taut, reflecting her internal restraint to not jump to conclusions. As the stakes rise and the crew finds themselves in increasing danger, there’s a clear shift in Samara’s voice—raspier edges and more tenacity to highlight her protective instincts for her crew and planning the next steps—and the shift makes her arc feel authentic and gives her more emotional depth.Other standout character portrayals are for Eloise, Art, and Gerda. Eloise, being the last living descendant of Snow White, is given a much lighter, softer voice, capturing her initial uncertainty and the fragility of her position as a hunted target in a dangerous world! Art’s dialogue with his father is a very interesting part of the story, and Arserio makes their father-son mistrust and tension feel palpable, making them both unlikable at times. All of the characters are flawed and morally gray, and Arserio emphasizes this in the characters’ dialogue. Samara’s love interest, Gerda, is perhaps the most interesting character portrayed. She’s a “tough cookie” on the surface and wants to join the city watch—but in intimate conversations with Samara, she is given a softer, warmer tone that relieves not only Samara’s anxieties but also some of the story’s tension. During dangerous moments, Arserio also gives her voice an undercurrent of concern and fear, emphasizing the emotional stakes of her connection to Samara and making their relationship one listeners will want to root for!Overall, Shiromi Arserio elevates the story by giving each character a distinct, engaging voice while subtly shifting each performance to match their emotional arcs—which is perfect for a character-driven urban fantasy and makes the characters feel so very real! The contrasts of character portrayals and their pronounced evolving bonds make the ragtag crew feel like a real found family! Listeners who enjoy urban-fantasy thrillers with morally gray characters, high stakes, and highly immersive narration that feels cinematic will love both books in this series. Grab a copy of both audiobooks and binge them back-to-back for the most thrilling, emotionally charged urban-fantasy escape!
