Glass Immortals
#154.39 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Ongoing 2022–present Reading commitment Low Brian McClellan Last reviewed 2026-08-06
Overview
Brian McClellan's Glass Immortals is set in the Ossan Empire, a civilization built on industrial magic using 'godglass', glass imbued with magical properties, and 'glassdancers' who can manipulate it. It is a standing candidate this database flagged when The Powder Mage was admitted: a genuinely distinct continuity from Powder Mage, published by Tor rather than Orbit, with an unrelated magic system (godglass vs. powder-based sorcery). Publication began in 2022 and is ongoing.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
In the Shadow of Lightning (2022) core · 4.39 (8,817 ratings); First novel of a planned trilogy; the only Core Canon entry until Book 2 publishes.
Library / Expanded (2 works)
Montego (2023) ; Prequel novella (retailer/rating-platform numbering: 0.5); Kickstarter-funded (campaign Nov-Dec 2022), wide release May 2023.
Swords, Cider, and Other Distractions (2025) ; Prequel novella (retailer/rating-platform numbering: 0.6), explicitly set nine years before In the Shadow of Lightning; Kickstarter-funded (campaign Apr-May 2025).
Quick answers
- How many books are in Glass Immortals? Glass Immortals's Core Canon is 1 book, plus 2 more in the wider Library/Expanded material.
- Is Glass Immortals finished? Ongoing (2022–present).
- How much reading does Glass Immortals take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~576 pages).
- How is Glass Immortals ranked? #15 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 8,817 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #15?
Ranked #15 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.39 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (8,817 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #14, Middle-earth (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 1 book · Ongoing · 9k ratings · Ranks #15 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment epic fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No Hugo, Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, British Fantasy, or Mythopoeic recognition was found for this universe.
Related universes
- Same author The Powder Mage: Both by Brian McClellan. Confirmed a distinct continuity: different publisher (Orbit vs. Tor) and a different magic system (powder-based sorcery vs. godglass/glassdancing); flagged as a future candidate at The Powder Mage's own admission, then later admitted separately.
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Suggestions computed from what Glass Immortals and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- La Horde du Contrevent Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.42
- The Sword of Kaigen Epic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.42
- The Raven Scholar Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 4.38
- The Hierarchy Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Low commitment · 4.49
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.39 across 8,817 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Glass Immortals admitted; Core Canon = the sole published novel; Book 2 not yet published accepted 2026-08-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Related universes: see the Related universes section above.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-06
Rule: Core = the sole published novel, In the Shadow of Lightning (2022). Expanded = 2 prequel novellas (Montego, 2023; Swords, Cider, and Other Distractions, 2025), both Kickstarter-funded and explicitly billed as prequels; no internal chronology is recorded between them since their relative order to each other is unestablished. A second novel is announced but unpublished and not registered per Article 2.