This review was first posted at http://www.rubysreads.com. 
 First of all, I haven't read Magic Under Glass. Phew. Glad I got that off my chest. Also, despite a childhood obsession with Ariel, I'm not generally a fan of mermaid stories. For some bizarre reason I prefer books that take place on land. I'm just weird like that. However, Between the Sea and Sky mostly takes place on land (because, what else is between them? Duh.), so that wasn't a problem. 
 I think that Dolamore created an interesting world. She covered all the bases--good world-building, consequences and limits to the magical elements, character development, solid supporting characters--without really impressing me. I wasn't bored by Between the Sea and Sky, exactly, but it didn't move me. I didn't get much out of the romance, or even the central conflict. The story went on and I read it with little-to-no reaction. I felt no anticipation, excitement, disgust or frustration. And I'll be honest--some of my favorite books frustrate the HELL out of me at some point. 
 In part, this was because there wasn't any real risk to the main characters. There was no urgency to find the Esmerin'es sister, Dosinia, no countdown clock to race against. And Alandare rebels against his father...but not much more than he already has...at not at the risk of being disinherited or losing his father's respect. (By the way, "dashing" is far too strong a word to describe him.) These are the things that give great novels the kind of meat you can sink your teeth into. Between the Sea and Sky was bland, but featured enough solid writing to get me through to the end. 
 I have a copy of Magic Under Glass, and since so many people loved it, I'm still hoping to be able to read it (eventually). I'm also interested to see others' reactions to Between the Sea and Sky. Did you read it and love it? Would I have appreciated it more if I'd read Magic Under Glass first? Or maybe I missed something crucial in my reading? I didn't hate this book. My reaction was far worse--I was indifferent to it. Words no writer ever wants to hear. Sorry!