A Winter’s Promise: Book One of The Mirror Visitor Quartet

I LOVED this book. My husband purchased it for me because he knows I love to read fantasy series and I was looking for a new series to love. 10/10 would read again. I bought all four books in the series, ultimately, and plan to re-read it again soon. If you love a fantasy series with intriguing characters who have character arcs that are SO satisfying, set in mysterious worlds with political intrigue, then this series is for you. The main character isn't your typical female main character of a fantasy series. Bookish, contemplative, intelligent, and strong willed, the protagonist really drives this story and challenges not only other characters to grow but challenges herself to do so as well.

This review is going to begin by addressing two recurring critiques I'm seeing for this book. It would seem that those who gave it a lower rating did so because 1) they were disturbed by the abuse and neglect the main character suffers through most of the plot and 2) that said plot was slow. If reading about abuse is triggering for you or just really not your cup of tea, that's one thing and completely fair. But the reviews containing this criticism are misleading. While Ophelia (and several other characters, for that matter) certainly suffers abuse and neglect, the reviewers seem to be fixating on the fact that abuse and neglect exist at all, painting a "bleak" picture, while simultaneously overlooking the result. Readers should be paying attention to how Ophelia overcomes her suffering, and what she discovers are some of the core values of feminism. It’s a terrific takeaway, especially for female readers of any age. The second criticism can be taken as a trade-off: basic, slow-moving plot in exchange for total set immersion. Trust me, it’s a satisfying trade. It's also important to keep in mind that this is the first book in a four-novel series and tons of things will not necessarily happen or be resolved all at once in this volume. Main Points of Praise: Comparisons I agree with the reviews that compare this writer to other big fantasy names. To break it down, I would say Dabos’s style is a delightful mix of the murky magic of Dianna Wynne Jones; the quirky prose of J.K. Rowling; the dark pragmatism of Philip Pullman; and, lastly, the fantastical atmosphere of Hiyao Miyazaki. It’s a really good cocktail, but it is definitely particular. I would caution those looking for something more mainstream, in style and substance. World-building In a word, it is stellar. For me, what makes it stand out from other fantasy novels is that the characters know their world. So many fantasy novels follow a common formula where the reader and the protagonist learn about the latter’s powers and world simultaneously, or the protagonist has to explain everything, usually in 1st person, so it feels jarringly unnatural. Not so here. All of the characters are familiar (or, if unfamiliar, certainly not phased) with various aspects of their broken-up, semi-diasporic world: the arks, the people who live on those arks, the powers attached to those arks, etc. Ophelia, for example, already knows her abilities in and out. As far as we need be concerned, things just Are, everyone already Is, without over-exposition, which is a tricky but essential quality, particularly where magic is the key component of a story. Character Development At this point in the series, I would call it characterization more than development because there isn’t so much growth happening as there is unfolding depth to the characters. The best example is, naturally, Ophelia. Some of the Amazon reviewers criticize her lack of strength or find her too timid—but that’s sort of the point. Every character in the book underestimates her and the reader, I think, is supposed to feel that way too. And yet, through every adversity, she keeps moving forward, without tears or self-pity or defeat, but with resolve. I’m not sure where certain readers overlooked that point. The other standout is Thorn, obviously, because he is frightfully enigmatic at all times, there’s weight to every scene he’s in, and you’re never, ever sure what he’s up to, if his motives are honest, if his intentions are good, all bad, sorta bad. I also really appreciate that we, as readers, cannot (yet) fully rely on him or his political power to protect Ophelia from the traps around her. We learn, as Ophelia does, that ultimately she must be her own savior. One criticism I have is that Dabos makes frequent use of defining physical traits to reinforce her characters, and it can feel repetitive at times. I would hope that the 2nd volume moves toward different sets of traits to reflect further character development. Ambiguity This is not a straight-forward love story! I don’t know if it will even become a love story, but there’s heaps of foreshadowing to that end and it definitely follows the enemies-to-lovers trope. For those struggling with the ambiguity of Ophelia and Thorn’s relationship, just keep in mind the circumstances that began their relationship. A straight-forward love story really is out of the question where ever an arranged marriage is concerned, which isn’t to say that there isn’t or won’t be a developing romance. It’s simply more subtle and non-conventional, appropriate to a non-conventional way of viewing marriage in contemporary times. But there is undeniably a slow, slow burning chemistry there. Lastly, my main criticism is that the translation and/or ebook edit is shaky at times. This could be the real reason it doesn’t apparently strike well with some English readers. The best way I can describe the narrative, which is already being told in 3rd person, is that at times it’s like you’re being held at arm’s length. And that's my long-winded review!

what a beautifully written debut novel!! definitely something that i would recommend to someone who loved castle in the sky growing up, and still does, like me, because i felt like i was seeing laputa and the other floating cities from that film before they fell into ruin. this doesn't take away from the novel's originality or uniqueness at all either. it adds to it!! the prose reminds me of the magical books i read growing up that had me falling in love with fantasy when i was young. this is definitely a book where the side-characters stand out as much as the main characters!! they're all memorable and give the reader strong feelings about them no matter what they're up to. the main character was far and away my favorite. i loved her so much!! i too would love to have a sentient scarf that sits around my neck all the time. another thing i loved about this was the clear display of how capitalism hurts those at the bottom of the monetary food chain and i can't wait to see how this is addressed in the books to come. the setting, ofc, as i've already mentioned was incredible. i never wanted to leave that world and i was always immediately coming back for more. the plot itself is far from predictable and there was more than one moment where i was gasping or putting my hand over my mouth or saying "oh no" out loud and i LOVE it when books make me do that!! it does take a bit for the whole point of the story to be revealed, but despite that i didn't feel like this was a slow paced novel at all. they definitely keep you entertained up until that point to the point that you have no idea that's what's coming. all in all, this novel was amazing and i can hardly wait to start the sequel!!

Everything about this book intrigued me. The world building and magic system welcomed me into the story and propelled me forward in the plot. The details were so intricate, and I quickly found myself falling in love with the author’s writing style. At times I had to pause reading and just reread a phrase or sentence. While this book is a translation, I did not find myself lost or unsatisfied with how anything was delivered in writing. The worlds of both Ophelia and Thorn are complicated and each has their own challenges. I was delighted by Ophelia‘s interactions with her family and objects in her world. This delight changed into apprehension when Ophelia traveled to Thorn’s world. The majority of the story was set in the Pole, and while I gained new information about this universe throughout the story, it is clear that there is much more to learn. The political drama intrigued me and I never knew what to expect with each new chapter. The characters themselves are introduced and developed magnificently. Ophelia was by far my favorite and she is much more than the cliché different girl featured in many stories. Well she may be clumsy and have glasses there’s much more to her that sets her apart from that average female protagonist. She is extremely clever and adoptable especially in the face of hardships. I absolutely adored her ferocity and honesty and look forward to seeing how she continues to develop and grow in her relationship with Thorn. I honestly did not know what to expect when thorn was first introduced. I am mediately wanted to love him as he is set up to be Ophelia’s match. By the end of the book I really did love him but it was rather for who he was as an individual character, than as Ophelia’s partner. The secondary characters were all developed amazingly as well and I am interested to see what happens next. The ending was hopeful and left me desperately in need of the next book. By the end, I still had so many questions that needed answering. I am thrilled to have found a new series that is so captivating.

This is well written world and character creating , but I'm impatient, and I found too long in getting to the point. Perhaps if I read it in the original French I would have enjoyed it more.

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos, translated by Hildegarde Serle, follows Ophelia as she is given away to be married to Thorn. Thorn is from a different clan in a different part of the world. Ophelia must learn how to navigate a new place, which may as well be a completely different world. Ophelia has the power to see the history of an object by touch, she also has the rare ability to pass through mirrors. Thorn is cold, stand-offish and completely uninterested in Ophelia. The reasoning for their match is unknown to Ophelia and she struggles to come to terms that she is going to be married off. She can’t say no without risking a war between the two clans. Ophelia is forced to stay in hiding instead of entering Court life with Thorn, not only that she fears that their secrecy bodes poorly for her future. This novel has a lot of intrigue. The magic in A Winter’s Promise appears to be somewhat clan based. Ophelia’s clan can manipulate what they call Anima. Ophelia can ‘read’ objects and see the history of the object, she can also travel through mirrors. Talon’s Aunts however have the ability to harm people without touching them. It’s not fully explained how the magic came to be so divided but having it split this was is an interesting idea. I would guess that it has something to do with the mysterious Rupture that split the world into floating islands, but I’m not entirely sure. There’s some strange translation going on here. There are random French phrases and words that are left in the novel. I understand the ones that are names, it makes sense to leave those alone but in conversations and descriptions it can get confusing. I wish they were directly translated so that I wouldn’t have to look but the phrases in the middle of reading. Along with vein there’s a lot of large vocabulary that I think makes this on the very high end of Young Adult books, but I would lean towards it being adult. Funnily enough a lot of those words are French in origin. I really enjoyed this novel, even though it has some fairly prominent flaws. For one Thorn is a jerk. He doesn’t tell Ophelia about anything he does including his reasoning for marrying her specifically. He lets his Aunts abuse her, mentally and physically and does nothing about it. Even when he finds out about he is very nonchalant about it. He claims to care about her but he does do anything to prove it. However, I find myself still liking him because he’s not perfect. The story doesn’t make him the most beautiful person in the world like many other novels do with their male protagonists. He is also socially withdrawn and and doesn’t seem to know what he’s done to make Ophelia upset. I appreciate that Dabos doesn’t make him the picture of perfection and thank you for not making her be head over heels for someone who is terrible to her. I have high hopes for the second book in this series and I can’t wait to read it! I would suggest this novel to people who like fantasy and don't mind having to get used to the style of a book that is translated, as well as some more complicated vocabulary. This novel has a lot going for it from the characters to the setting and the plot.

I haven't been so engrossed in a story for ages! A real page turner. I truly enjoyed getting lost in this peculiar world with it's intriguing and awkward characters.

I’m in love. What a wonderful escapist novel! I’d just finished Dianna Wynne Jones’ “Howl’s Moving Castle” and was looking to be swept up in a fantasy. This was EVERYTHING!! I can be particular about the way a story is written and I found that the prose flowed so beautifully and I never felt like I was trudging through the language. Honestly the world building was what sucks you into this book. I just enjoyed being in this world. It had elements of the familiar and of things that are completely unique to this author’s vision. As had been stated before in other reviews the world building is what immerses you-at this point it isn’t non-stop action. However. I felt the book had so many subtle ways of developing in between the action that I ate up all the pieces of information, taking it all in-kind of in the way Ophelia, the main character, does to make sense of the world around her. Ophelia herself I think you have to understand is a particular type of person as established by the author that makes her perfect for the role she is put in, but in many ways as the inside cover says “a misunderstood genius.” She is curious, astute, emotionally and mentally composed and controlled, Intelligent, empathetic, mousy, humble, clumsy. She blends into the background in some ways but used it as a means to observe undetected. Her character grows but is also consistent and wholly herself. She’s extremely smart and thinks everything through, observes, takes it all in like a sponge and stores it for later use. She also isn’t usually prone to violent acts of revenge but you can bet she gets her time for well placed barbs in a way that is so genuine it’s probably more meaningfully painful and some of the ridiculous And pointed taunts others havE thrown her way. When the person who rarely complains makes a bold statement that isn’t flattering it holds that much more believability and weight. I’m hoping in the second book we see a little more power moves from her. The lead male, Thorn, by the way-seemed at the very beginning someone who finds comfort and safety in numbers and routine especially when nothing else around him has ever really been reliable. Being “cold” is really more of his coping strategy to survive in a world they preys on weakness. He also has some personal mental burdens that must make it difficult to be super warm and fuzzy. Either way so worth the read and I’ve already ordered the 2nd. 😍😍