Heart of Glass

Title: Heart of Glass: Book 3 in the Tales form the Five Kingdoms series

Author: Vivian French

Location: J French

Level: J chapter book

Heart of Glass is the third story in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms series. Vivian French made good on her promise that the bats would have more dialogue in this book. We even meet a new bat, Flo, who helps Gracie. There are some new characters in this book, mostly dwarves and trolls. Somehow Gracie has gone from dwarf-spotting with Marcus to being in a dwarf tunnel, where it isn't good to be a true heart.

The king of trolls wants a princess bride. The dwarves need the trolls' strength for mining more gold quickly. They have a deadline for the royal wedding crowns. They can figure out the princess part later. Will Prince Marcus be talked into doing something unprincely to save Gracie? Will Gubbble destroy everything in his path to get to Gracie? What's that old story about a Trueheart and a troll king?

Bottom Line: If you read any of the previous books in this series and liked them you should like Heart of Glass also. This is an fantasy, adventure story with princes, a good horse, talking animals and a princess, but it doesn't follow the Disney formula. There is no kiss and no happy ever after. The Troll king does not disappear forever. But with a True heart like Gracie involved things are bound to improve.

I could have lived with less of Marigold , whose character is just irritating to me. I did like the new bat Flo.