In all that is fair, The Glittering Court delivers a fetching story that ignites beauty and friendship. 
 The world of Osfrid (or Uros-topia, as I like to call it) and Adoria was greatly mixed. I love how it was derived from the UK and the US, despite the timeline difference in the book. The world of Osfrid felt like it was in the Tudor era, while Adoria was in the middle of the gold rush. Being a history freak, this would have made me queasy since those are two conflicting timelines. Yet Richelle Mead delivered a wonderful historical fiction novel that connected the two as a whole. This setting was spectacular, and imagining those places will give future readers a wonderful time. 
 In terms of characters, Richelle Mead delivered three kick-butt heroines who are graceful and confident in their own rights. I am in a state of conflict on what I feel about Adelaide though. It was like the world was meant to be for her. Everything was just perfect. The world was literally her oyster and the story that revolves around her is basically a fairy tale. When something goes down, it goes up. Yet in contrary, her character developed into this lady who need not to depend on anybody to survive, and she knew she wanted anything but the noble life she had in Osfrid. I will make sure to watch out for Tamsin and Mira's perspectives, since both ladies practically steal the scene when Adelaide mentions them. 
 I found the romance between Adelaide and Cedric different from some of the YA fictional couples that I have read in the past. It was like a slow dance from the tension to the personal sharing that they had. Let's just say that it was a lucky strike that this book was not on the insta-love side. When considering the time frame, it was a long time before they even admitted the feelings that they have for each other. Their relationship was also on a philosophical era because of the banter between religions (similar to that of Puritanism and Christianism/Anglicanism). I could say that they had a healthy relationship, although I still fear how Adelaide will adapt with everything going on around her. 
 If you have not read anything by Richelle Mead yet, I suggest you start with this book. The historical fiction aspect had me sold, but it was the overall glamour and positive reinforcement that has won me over. The Glittering Court is not just all about girls in sparkly dresses, but it branches out to heavy topics like religion, belief, fate, and decisions that could change one's life in a heartbeat. But I still hope I would enjoy the next book in the series as much as I enjoyed this one.