Author: M.J. Putney
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Published: March 1, 2011
Genre: YA, Historical
Pages: 306
Source: Publisher
Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.
Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.
When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.
Tory has possessed magic her whole life, and she's fought to keep it hidden for the sake of her future and for the reputation of her family. Magic isn't a gift in her world, but rather a curse. Unwillingly forced to use it one day though, Tory is shunned to a school with others like herself where she will, hopefully, be taught to control it and learn to manage her powers so she can rejoin her family and rightful place in society. But Lackland Abbey is a whole new world of hidden doors, different times somehow within reach and world of possibilities Tory never thought possible. Should she look back, or is this her future now?
I have a bit of a penchant for histfic, and we all know that magic is a huge theme in the books I read - anything supernatural, really. Dark Mirror promised all of the above, and it most certainly didn't disappoint. Drawing me in with a tale of magic, time travel and powers beyond my imagination, Dark Mirror wove a new niche into a crammed paranormal genre. M.J. Putney created a story with a unique take on powers and blended them into a fast-paced plot full of action, twists and turns.
Dark Mirror, while definitely intriguing wasn't without its faults. Yes, it was fast-paced, but there were times when I felt it was too much so. The characters seemed to have an innate ability to do exactly what they needed/wanted to do with little or no resistance in a matter of pages. Colour me crazy, but while I like fast paced books, I also like fleshed out tension. It adds to the story. I also felt that the characters weren't too well-rounded. I "met" Tory, and I knew what drove her in a sense, but I never felt any deep emotion for her. All that said, I do like that the plot wrapped up nicely, giving closure and ending without a cliffhanger (halle-freakin-lujia). I also loved the time period - the descriptions and setting, in and of itself, was brilliant.
All in all, Dark Mirror was a fairly good read, and it was a nice start to a new series. I give it a strong 3.5 out of 5, and I'd recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy the supernatural, paranormal and historical fiction genres.
I received this ARC free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.
I've heard mixed reviews on this one but I definitely understand your reservations with it. I like to know my characters and feel some sort of connection with them.The plot can be the best thing in the world but without the characters to back them, they don't mean much. Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteMagic and history - 2 things I love! I am sorry to hear that it does have its flaws. Connecting with characters is so important and if that's lacking in this book, I'd rather not read it. Thank you, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteI am not a big fan of historical fiction so I think I will skip this one even though it does sound interesting. Great review Melissa :)
ReplyDeleteFabulous review- I completely agree with you on this one! It's a good read and I love the setting too but I didn't feel a connection with Tori either or feel I knew her well enough to predict what she would do.
ReplyDeleteI love books with a little history, and paranormal aspects are definitely a plus :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Melissa :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat review. I think I am going to read this one next see how I get on with it.
ReplyDeleteSally.
You made me willing to try this book - thanks for presenting it in your review! History and paranormal aspects are a nice mix!
ReplyDeleteI've read some good reviews and some bad ones. I am hoping I can read this book soon. Besides I like time travel, so I think this book will appeal to me. Great review Melissa!!
ReplyDeleteI also felt that the emotional aspect was lacking with Tory especially where Allarde and their romance was concerned. I did like the combination of paranormal, and history though, and will certainly read another book in this series.
ReplyDeleteHistfic? I've never come across that word before :)
ReplyDeleteI've read quite a few mixed reviews on this one. That always makes me want to read it more myself than a totally hyped book. I need to be able to make my own mind up about these things. lol
I know what you mean though about the need for a bit of suspense. If the tension is not there I soon loose interest.
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this book quite so much although 3.5 is still pretty darn good in my book.
I did a Waiting On Wednesday post on this one a few weeks ago -- I think I'm going to have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI love history fic with paranormal stuff too! Great review!
ReplyDeleteI'm in the mood for his fic right now so I guess I'll check it out. Love the cover. Thanks for the review Melissa!
ReplyDelete-Danna
Great review! I will have to check this one out!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading The Vespertine I have fallen in love with the historical fiction/paranormal genre. I like that this book didn't leave you totally hanging and will probably give it a whirl. Thanks for the lovely review :)
ReplyDeleteThe magic sounds great and I love a fast pace book!
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds interesting. I'm a big fan of historical fiction, but usually when I read it, it's all very serious and adult. This sounds like something different from what I usually read.
ReplyDeleteExcellent review! Ive seen this one around and I think Im going to pass on it and only because my reading pile is so high, even if I read 2 books a day for 100 years I still would not come close to reading all the books I want..:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review! I've heard so-so things about Dark Mirror--thanks for pointing out its good parts as well! I love me some histfic as well, so I might check it out. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't even know how to read a book without a cliffhanger ending I don't think. I would get to the end and be like why aren't my eyes rolling? Why aren't I screaming in frustration? This sounds like a good one though despite the lack of tension (which I'm a huge fan of). Fabulous review Melissa!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever read a paranormal historical fiction--this sounds like so much fun! Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteCan I second that halle-freakin-lujia?! Glad this book fits the bill. Now I'm looking forward to reading it more.
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of how I felt about my own review - good, but not perfect. Still looks like it's worth a read - thanks for the rec!
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said in your third paragraph. I loved the idea and historical parts, but the pacing was a little *too* fast for me (and I like fast-paced books!) and was far too easy. Everything worked out a little too smoothly. I also had trouble really connecting with Tory.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I couldn't agree more with your hallelujah for that non-cliffhanger ending. I was so relieved!
I do like time-travel, and magic so yes perhaps. And I certainly like that they go forward instead of back
ReplyDeletel love this cover and have seen lots of positive reviews on it, although the pass few days they have mostly been 3/5 or 3.5/5 like you!
ReplyDeleteI kind of want to read it but l don't really like historical fiction so l am unsure!
Thanks for the review
I've been wanting to read this one. *dances* No cliffhanger!! Woo! Just that alone makes me want to read it. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm not huge on historical fiction but the fact that you mention this has time travel and magic in it too has definitely got me significantly more interested in reading this novel!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds so good. I'm starting to see it around the blogs here. :) Thank you for the honest review here. ;)
ReplyDeleteFab review! It's unusual to see something that's too fast-paced. But I understand what you mean about there not being enough time to flesh out the characters.
ReplyDeleteYour rating seems to be on par with pretty much the other reviews I've seen. The book is good but there's a lack of emotional connection.
ReplyDeleteVery good, fair review... I have to say that this one sounds intriguing just because of the historical setting.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the same thing. The world is great and well-developed, but the characters weren't as much. Grrrr! Yay...no cliffhanger. Though sometimes I love them, but for most part it's annoying because you have to wait a whole year to read the next book. The book sounds good though! Think I will give it a shot. Fab review!
ReplyDeleteI read the first two chapters of this online and it instantly drew me in. Unlike you, I don't normally go for historical fiction, but the magic in this one sounds like it adds to it and really makes it worthwhile. And even though the characters weren't as fleshed out as you would have liked them to be, I'll be adding this one to my wishlist and hopefully enjoying the start to this series.
ReplyDelete*Random rant* I wish it wasn't a series. I'm so tired of reading a book, just to find out there are going to be more. I want to read some great standalone books too and I can't even find any at this point! *End rant*
I have a penchant for historical fic, too. :) And of course a little-- or a lot-- of magic and supernatural never hurts! Really want to check this one out, thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI like it that you recommend the book to fans of historical fiction. I adore history and this is going to be read in the near future. ;)
ReplyDeleteI am definitely checking this book out when it's released!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard much about this one, so thanks for the review. Fast paced is good, but I agree that tension really has to be built up.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on books being fleshed out with tension and with characters who have to struggle a bit to find a resolution. Still, for all of it's fast-paced action, this does seem like it's a solid and intriguing start to a new series. Loved reading your review
ReplyDeleteAhh Linna reviewed this, sounds like a decent read meh thinks :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it has potential. Thanks for your honest review!
ReplyDeleteWonderful review Melissa! I also felt like Dark Mirror had its faults. I wish there had been greater obstacles for the characters to overcome because the conflicts seemed solved so easily...
ReplyDelete