“It almost made him laugh, now—that he thought he could kill the good in himself and resurrect it later, that the unending rage inside would burn out once it was no longer needed, that he could turn himself into a monster to kill something monstrous, and not stay that way forever.
In the end, what separates a man from a monster, when he is trying to do right?
And when the wars have been fought and the guilty have been killed and everything has been set as right as it can ever be set, how can he ever find himself again?”
Review Notice
This book review was originally published on BumbleBooks’ website (now Fae•ble, which has also changed platforms). I’m sharing it here on my author website due to the genre, the fact that I’ve sold out of copies, and I’m a feral fan who needs all 1600+ subscribers to know about this masterpiece.
Synopsis
With one touch, the existence of an entire kingdom crumbled into ash.
With one touch, the fate of an entire bloodline became sealed in blood.
With one touch, Vasily both gained and lost everything he was and ever aspired to be—consumed by grief, rage, and an unceasing hunger for vengeance against the people who killed his father.
It’s not as easy as wiping out every last member of the family, because one of them refuses to die. He doesn’t know why, either, because the world Taein found delicate safety in should have chewed him up and spit him out long ago. Despite everything, though, he keeps managing to bounce back and move forward—which makes him the ideal person to escort “special cargo” through the vast realm to a mysterious entity known only as The Outworlder.
As Vasily pursues the hunt for Taein’s final demise and Taein struggles to balance self-interests with protecting the “special cargo”, both men are forced to face the demons of their shared past if either of them have a chance of surviving the world that’s beginning to fall apart around them.
Analysis
Told from a captivating third person perspective, the narrative shifts focus between characters (labeled in each respective chapter) so you can immerse yourself within their thoughts and feelings. Maybe even share some opinions, too!
I was reminded of the fast-paced but thoroughly world-building composition of works like Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and Akithar’s Greatest Trick by Jason Dorough. There’s just enough originality in character names and places to make this a truly unique setting and structure, but they’re not overly complicated like some higher fantasy works I typically DNF because my brain wants to relax, not work.
I need to take a moment to thoroughly applaud Matey for a brilliant, well-structured worldbuild overall. The biggest strength from which everything else branches out just as tangibly is in the description and establishment of the fictional “death culture”: the spiritual beliefs regarding what happens to a person when they die.
While this may sound macabre, hear me out: the comprehension and belief in an afterlife is one of, if not the, key point(s) anthropologists look for when determining if a prehistoric settlement was either human or close to being Homo sapien. From the concept of spiritual longevity and an afterlife comes practices during life which impact agriculture, legal structure, traditions and rituals, even family structure.
Prince of Glass is no exception to this rule. The world of the various Jins—sections of the encompassing Ieris that seem to be nations, if not geographical differences like Central America to North America—is imbued with superstitions, cultural words and habits, and even jewelry which all stems from the importance of their understanding of what happens when they die.
I’ve never thought to advise authors to establish Death Cultures in order to strengthen worldbuilds before, but now I’m thinking this needs to be a new standard. Well done, Matey!
The overall theme of Prince of Glass is where storytelling really makes this fictional world shine. How far is too far when pursuing your own personal sense of peace? Is the inability to let go of grief their problem, or yours?
And how much can a person do before they lose all humanity?
Personal Opinion
Just when I thought I was rooting for one character, they did something to make me change my mind and shift favoring opinions to someone else. Who then, similarly, did something abhorrent enough to make me move to someone else’s camp, and then that person would make me question if there even is such a thing as choosing sides in this book.
In my opinion?
No. There is not.
There are no sides.
Only chaos.
But that’s the brilliance and beauty of Matey’s storytelling—you truly are challenged to wonder about your own perceptions of justice, vengeance, loss, and ask the overall question for your own struggles: “Is it worth it?”
While this is definitely Fantasy, breathe easy. There’s no overly complicated languages or dialects, what new language is used always gets a translation, and even that’s sparse throughout the book. There’s also no romantic plot, so fantasy-lovers who don’t want to read about lovers can definitely enjoy this journey.
In the absence of wizards and swordplay comes a nail-biting, adrenaline-spiking confrontation with pestilence, superhuman abilities no one wants or likes, a wall of deadly mist that had me needing to take a moment to breathe…
Listen—if you’ve ever watched the real-life mists of Lake Michigan roll off the water into the city, you’ll understand why that chapter had me forgetting to operate my lungs.
I should take a moment to add a pseudo-Content Warning for anyone who’s still experiencing flashbacks, post-traumatic stress, et cetera from 2020 (that would be me, thanks): this book does contain descriptions and depictions of a fast-spreading pandemic.
Prince of Glass is set up as the first book of the Thorn and Ash series, with the sequel tentatively scheduled for December 2025 according to Matey’s response to my demands—I mean, my gentle probative questions regarding the next book’s release.
{2026 UPDATE: I haven’t heard from Matey in a while, so I believe there may have been a delay in the second book’s release? I will update this article with more information as it comes.}
About the Author
From the author’s bio:
“Sarah Matey was raised among the unending green of the Pacific Northwest and spent her childhood riding horses, exploring the woods with her orange cat Dale, and writing stories. Today, she can be found fending off the soul-crushing drudgery of adult responsibilities with a pen in one hand, a guitar in the other, and Dale ever at her side; still resident of the PNW, married to the love of her life, and forever enchanted by storytelling.”
Matey designed the stunning cover herself, which is actually how I first came across this book in a Facebook Group back in 2023! The internal map was illustrated by Jack @EJdelGato (on X/Twitter), with further illustrations created by Lauren Glasgow.
Prince of Glass is the perfect recommendation for every contemporary, action-packed fantasy lover’s bookshelf. Libraries and bookstores should absolutely make the wise investment into stocking this title, as it’s sure to quickly become a fan favorite. My own bookstore sold out every single copy within the first 2 weeks!
This brings me to my final point, and my main point of contention:
The fact that this book hasn’t already swept readers and Bookstagram/BookTok/Book Blogs by storm feels like a crime.
Like a whole world is sleeping on something that can easily rival all our other obsessions and sit comfortably next to Shadow and Bone and Caraval.
I want sprayed edges, foiled hardcovers, cozy hoodies with quotes, replicas of the rosewood pendants that anchor my soul for the afterlife…everything.
This book deserves everything.
Follow Sarah (S. A.) Matey on Instagram: @saarahwrites
Check out her website for more Thorn and Ash updates, bonus content, and ways to work with her on your own creative storytelling!
Want more great reads from indie authors? Check out these giveaways and book promos:
SO grateful for you Nikki! You are a true champion of Indie authors <3