PLOT SUMMARY:

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

GRADE: C

REVIEW:

I’m not usually a fan of fantasy, but I’ve enjoyed every T. Kingfisher book I’ve read so far, so I decided to give this one a try. It also helped that it was marketed as a Snow White retelling—and I’m a total sucker for fairytale retellings.

The good:
Some readers felt the protagonist, Anja, had too much internal monologue, but I didn’t mind it at all. I found her engaging, and it never felt annoying to me. I also absolutely loved the character of Grayling, who easily became a standout.

The not-so-good:
Action-wise, it felt like not much really happened. The mystery surrounding the king’s daughter’s illness wasn’t especially compelling, and I couldn’t help feeling there was a lot of missed potential—particularly when it came to the mirror realm, which could have been explored much more deeply.

Overall:
I really enjoyed Jennifer Pickens’ narration of the audiobook, and I think her performance helped make the story feel more engaging than it might have otherwise. Still, from a plot standpoint, the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for the audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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