The Glass Looker by Mark Elwood is a historical graphic novel about an ordinary American farm boy in the 1820s who discovers he possesses a magical ability for seeing in stones. Or, put another way, it's the story of Joseph Smith, Mormonism's founder, in the decade leading up to the church founding, from the ages of 15 to 25.
It's not a historical book in the strictest sense, but it's exhaustively researched and Mark Elwood Shows His Work. It's based very heavily on historical documents, which are cited at the end of each chapter. What makes this book unique is that it takes all sources — both friendly and hostile, mundane and fantastical — at face value and weaves them together. Stories from neighbors about Joseph getting into trouble? True. Stories about angelic visitations? True.
- Volume 1 (September 2021)
- Volume 2 (November 2022)
Tropes in The Glass Looker
- Concentration-Bound Magic: Treasure digging has 3 basic pieces involved: 1) using magic to identify the location of buried treasure, 2) the physical work of excavating it, and 3) using magic to counteract the magical protections guarding the treasure. During Luman Walters' treasure dig, he demands silence from all his diggers. When Joseph interrupts them, Luman complains that this broke his concentration, which in turn broke the spell.Luman: Damn kid broke my concentration. The treasure's sure to have moved!
- Crystal Ball: A seer stone is sort of like a discount version of a crystal ball: a pretty rock with magical powers — magical powers specially related to seeing things — but smaller and more unassuming. A seer stone can fit in your pocket. It's implied that it glows, but glows so faintly that you need to put it in a hat and exclude all outside light to be able to see its glow.
- Distant Prologue: The story itself is set in the 1820s.
- The prologue of Volume 1 is set in 1699, dealing with Captain William Kidd's Pirate Booty.
- The prologue of Volume 2 is the story of Samuel the Lamanite from The Book of Mormon.
- Dope Slap: The angel Moroni slaps Joseph on the side of the head during his first encounter with the gold plates.
- Farm Boy: An Enforced Trope — the historical record is completely unambiguous that Joseph Smith grew up on a farm in New England and went on to be famous.
- The Hero's Journey: We begin with a Farm Boy. Joseph's Call to Adventure comes in the form of Luman Walters and Sally Chase, who both introduce him to the world of the supernatural. There's a Refusal of the Call when Joseph returns his seer stone. He crosses the threshold when he retrieves his seer stone. He begins the Road of Trials when he does a bunch of treasure digs. He gets arrested, and his glass looker trial is his low point where he might give up. But he rises again, gets the plates, and returns home changed (intro a prophet).
- Latin Is Magic: Luman Walters users Latin to work an enchantment as part of his Ritual Magic during a treasure dig.
- Pirate Booty: The practice of treasure digging is premised on the idea that Captain William Kidd's buried pirate treasure is in the area.
- Religion is Magic: As a historical novel, the magic in The Glass Looker is more in line with historical ideas of magic rather than the modern fantasy idea of "magic systems". Magical feats are often associated with religion — miracles, divine gifts, etc.
- Early on, in Luman Walters' treasure dig, he invokes the goddess Minerva.
- Mormon-associated feats are attributed to divinity.
- Ritual Magic: As a historical novel, the magic in The Glass Looker is more in line with historical ideas of magic rather than the modern fantasy idea of "magic systems". It focuses heavily on the folk magic of New England in the 1820s, such as treasure digging and seer stones. The pinnacle is a treasure dig, illustrated very evocatively in volume 1, chapter 2. A circle is drawn and stakes placed. Luman Walters sacrifices a chicken, speaks Latin, and pulls out a toad. He insists on silence as they dig, to keep the magic bound.
- Running Gag: Exhaustive repetitions of what Moroni told Joseph — return to page 129 for details.
- Sexy Mentor: Downplayed Trope. Sally Chase is beautiful, and Joseph's mentor in seer stones. At the time of introduction in 1820, Sally is 20 and Joseph is 15 — close enough in age to be a sort of peer, but old enough for the implied crush to have a Precocious Crush edge to it.
- Shown Their Work: The series is exhaustively researched. Each chapter contains citations to the historical documents he was drawing on. Mark Elwood has visited many of the places in the story to get a sense of the geography, and he posts photos from his visits online.
- Shrouded in Myth: Luman Walters' backstory and credentials are all rumor.Luman Walters. The son of a rich man. Some say he had been educated for a priest... and turned out to be a devil. Other say he received a scientific education, became a doctor... was even sent to Paris. He came back an infidel, believing neither in man nor god. Perhaps he was merely a drunken vagabond... yet to many, he was a necromancer, astrologer and soothsayer... and a very wicked man.
- Training the Gift of Magic: In order to grow into a prophet, Joseph needs mentors like Sally and a good deal of practice. There's also some underlying gift, which Sally says not all people have — although it's not particularly rare either.Sally: Not everyone has the gift. My brother Abel has looked many times but is unable to see.
