Review by Booklist Review
Elva's family has odd luck--two good things happen before something bad occurs--that they trace to her mother's short-lived friendship with accused witch Mathilda. Elva herself has prophetic visions, and a particularly alarming one sends her to seek help from the very witch who may have cursed them. As Elva grows to know and love Mathilda, she convinces the witch that times have changed and people are more tolerant of strange abilities. On the night the town council considers Mathilda's request for acceptance, events turn chaotic and Elva is caught in a deadly trap of her own making. Once again, as she did in her Rise of the Empress duo, Dao has spun a fine tale reminiscent of classics--in this case "Sleeping Beauty" and "Rapunzel"--and re-ignited the magic that still lives within imaginary worlds. A few slightly sentimentalized bits don't dim the pleasure of this well-paced tale. This is the first entry in The Mirror quartet, whose subsequent volumes will be written by Dhonielle Clayton, Jennifer Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 19th-century Germany, this touching fantasy by Dao (Song of the Crimson Flower) redefines the witches of the Grimm brothers' fairy tales. Ever since she can remember, 16-year-old Elva has been able to see the future in reflective surfaces, and her family has long suffered a peculiar pattern of blessings: "Always two good things, followed by one bad thing." As a promise to her mother over fear of backlash from the cruel townsfolk, she swears to keep her abilities secret until, encouraged to see her ability as a gift, she begins to use it for her family's benefit. When she sees a vision of a storm ravaging their farm, though, Elva seeks out Mathilda, a purported witch with whom her mother once exchanged long-hidden letters and who holds the key to Elva's ability--and possibly to the family's curse. Told in fairy tale cadences that softly explore the responsibilities of power and privilege, the narrative returns warmth and agency to the witches of childhood stories while following the heart of a young woman willing to do anything for her family. Ages 14--up. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Context Literary Agency. (Oct.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 6--10--A Grimm's fairy tale mashup that will draw in readers and hold their attention. Set in Germany in the mid-1800s, this story follows a young woman as she befriends but ultimately betrays a witch, then follows her daughter as she repeats a similar fate. Agnes moves into a cottage and begins a friendship with her neighbor, Mathilda, who turns out to have magical powers. Mathilda agrees to help Agnes have a child so long as she promises to remain a loyal friend. Agnes does not keep this promise. Seventeen years later, her daughter Elva is plagued by visions of the future and seeks out the same witch for help. By combining threads from multiple fairy tales (magic mirrors, mystical pregnancies, lucky fish), Dao creates a fascinating world where all the stories are both true and untrue. Although novels set in Northern Europe in the 1800s are often culturally homogenous, and the main characters here are portrayed as white, Dao touches on the immigration of other groups into Germany at that time, as well as having Elva see in the future that her descendents may be a different race from her. The ending will leave readers eager for a sequel. It isn't a hopeful read, being less like Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted and more like Emma Donoghue's Kissing the Witch (without the sexual content), but this does not make the story any less intriguing. VERDICT A must-have for fans of fractured fairy tales.--Jeri Murphy, C.F. Simmons M.S., Aurora, IL
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In a fantasy version of 19th-century Germany, a daughter tries to make amends for her mother's past mistake. Agnes Heinrich once promised friendship to her neighbor Mathilda, a rumored witch, in exchange for a fertility tonic. Fearful of community backlash, Agnes' husband, Oskar, convinced Agnes to drop her end of the bargain and ignore Mathilda's attempts to reach out. Years later, despite moving away, the Heinrichs suffer the consequence of Agnes' broken promise. For every two fortuitous events that occur in the family, a tragedy is sure to follow. Sixteen-year-old Elva Heinrich discovers her mother's old letters from Mathilda and decides to ask for Mathilda's help to break the family curse. Elva has another reason to seek out their former neighbor: When Elva gazes at her own reflection, she catches a glimpse of events past and future. Her parents urge her to keep this ability hidden, but Elva believes that with Mathilda's help, she can master her power. Elva's receptive attitude toward magic sets her apart from the townsfolk, whose superstitious fears are the main source of conflict. Their cruel gossip and prejudice serve to highlight the book's themes of trust and self-acceptance. Allusions to classic fairy tales and the folklore research of the Grimm Brothers add a touch of familiarity to the fictional setting. Characters are cued as White. A promising series opener with an unexpected ending that will leave readers wanting more. (Historical fantasy. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
