Shatterglass (Circle Opens #4)

Shatterglass is the final book in Tamora Pierce's The Circle Opens quartet. These four book follow the Circle of Magic quartet and precede The Will of the Empress. All feature Sandry, Tris, Briar, and Daja.

Shatterglass is the story of Tris in the country of Tharios. Though the name sounds Greek to me, it is a country more like India in that it has a very rigid caste system. The people are divided into five classes plus the untouchables - the prathmuni. The lowest caste is largely made up of performers or yaskedasi.

While Tris's teacher Niko is at a convention, Tris wants to spend time in the glass-blowing part of the city. Tharios is famous for its glass. On her first day on the street of glassmakers, she see a man create a beautiful creature - a living dragon of glass. The man, Keth, was a gifted glassblower until he was struck by lightening. Now his ideas never come out how he wishes. Tris is quick to step in and try and teach him about his new magic, brought on by the lightning strike.

Pierce, Tamora. (2003). Shatterglass. New York: Scholastic.