I feel like I have to rationalize giving this book such a low rating when I was so looking forward to it. My displeasure and discomfort stem not so much from any plotting issues per se, but rather from a lot of problematic and disturbing concepts that seem to be reinforcing a lot of unhealthy tendencies. So what do I mean by all of that blah blah blah?One major issue I have is that Snyder constantly portrays Opal, the protagonist, as an idiot who can't make good decisions. When she suffers the consequences of her bad decisions, another person, usually a male, rides to the rescue. In her Study books, the ones featuring Yelena, Snyder really showed strong, independent female characters who could take care of themselves, yet also fall in love without the relationship being too lovey-dovey icky. Yelena was just a really well-written character. Opal ... well. Opal, to be frank, makes me angry. She's constantly whining about how she's dumb, or guilty, or powerless. I expected her to come out with the ubiquitous "I'm fat" too. Whenever anything bad happens, she freezes up and says "I can't do anything about this." Do you know how much fun it is to read about that? Yeah, not a lot of fun.Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, is the tacit approval of dominating, abusive relationships. In the end, Opal dumps the earnest Kade for Devlin. Yeah, that's right, for the guy who kept her imprisoned and tortured her repeatedly. The same guy who swapped souls/bodies with Opal's friend and then got in her pants (skirt?). The same guy who thought it was totally okay to kill people in order to use their life force for magic. Well, he reformed, right? So it's okay, right?Would you marry a guy like that, even if he said he changed out of love for you? The only guy who can pull that explanation off is Mr. Darcy in . And he didn't torture anybody.So what is this telling people who maybe suffer verbally or even physically at the hands of another? That you should marry them? My head spins with the improbability of it all.Also, Snyder seems to have some pronoun issues. A lot of times, in scenes where multiple males were present, "he" was used with abandon, and it got extremely confusing as to who was doing what where.But not as confusing as the fact that she married HIM! Argh.

After reading the first two books in this series, I felt pretty confident that I knew where the story was headed. And while I was reading Spy Glass, Maria V. Snyders third and final installment in her Glass series, I realized one thing: Boy, I didnt know nothin!What a ride! From beginning to end, I was rendered speechless. If I was a nail biter, I would have chewed them all!Opal is trying her hardest to deal with the aftermath of what happened at the end of Sea Glass. And who comes to her aid? Valek! Yup, Valek from Marias Study series makes an appearance in the first chapter! I had forgotten how much I love that character. Okay, Im full of it. How can one forget why they love Valek? What I mean is that this book has reminded me why Valek is on my favorite characters list and why he was my first literary crush. Hes funny and smart and sexy and dangerous and*sigh* What was I saying? Oh yeah. *clears throat* Valek trains Opal so she can become a kick ass heroine and break into Fulgors maximum security prison. At least thats the plan.Maria visited a prison to research her role, and as with every other time she has put research into something for her writing, you can really tell. The particulars she includes in Opals visits to the prison in Fulgor are incredibly detailed and accurate.The last few chapters are filled with gut-wrenching suspense. My brain was telling me not to fret too much because of course Opal will come out fine at the endbut my gut was not listening! The last section of the book is filled with twists like you would not believe. Also, the last few chapters remind you that this is NOT a YA title! There are some pretty graphic scenes and some pretty mature themes going on there! A true testament to Opals character is how strong she remains through it all and how she keeps her wits about her. She can still put her needs aside to lend a hand and try to save the masses.In this installment, there are two characters who are actively trying to win Opals heart. Kade and Devlen. Yup, Devlen. And after following these lovely characters through three books, I feel one of them just makes sense. He wants whats best for Opal. He reminds her of her worth and doesnt care whether or not she regains all that shes lost. He makes her happy, and isnt that the most important part?In the end, Spy Glass did not disappoint me at all. As a third and final installment in a series, it answered all my questions and left a hopeful future for our heroine that Ive been rooting for for so long. Spy Glass did not end the way I had anticipated, but had a great ending none the less. I am very happy with how the series concluded. Opal is content. She is happy with her place in the world, with her family and with her husband. Yup, I said husband. If youve read the first two books, I guarantee that youll love this one! Those who are new to this trilogy and who are fans of action / adventure fantasy novels, these books will keep your interest long enough for you to wish for more. Maria does it again. Now we just have to wait until her next unique and interesting title come to the bookstore and hopefully one day well see another series set in the world weve grown to love over 6 books.

I read this series to help with a book hangover I received from reading a different series and it definitely helped! However, now I have another book hangover from this amazing series so what do I read now??Opal has been through so many terrible things since the beginning of this series. She has been kidnapped several times, tortured, harassed, accused of terrible things, arrested and imprisoned as well. She has been betrayed or tricked by almost every male character is this book series. She has the worst luck with men. I'm happy that she finally found her happy ending with a wonderful man (whom I won't mention by name but I have a serious crush on him now). I always got so angry when anyone messed with her and because of her astounding record of getting into trouble, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. I had a trouble staying with Opal's romances because I knew who she was going to end up with. I was skeptical at first but I couldn't be happier for her. She has really grown from the first book. She is more confident and has found who she really is. She no longer allows herself to be haunted by past events and she can see clearly. She blamed herself for a lot of things she couldn't control but she has matured greatly and has accepted her past mistakes and decisions. I never thought I could love another character as much as I love Yelena but Opal has won a place in my heart. Maria V. Snyder has created another amazing series.This entire series was so fast paced I blazed right threw these three books. I can't believe it is over. I read the first three Study books then read Shadow Study so some things were definitely missing as the Glass series fits right between the two. Everything fits nicely now and I can't wait to read the rest of the Study series. Overall: 5 starsRecommendation: Yes. If you love the first two Glass books then just keep on going to this finale.