A mirror mended by Alix E. Harrow

A Mirror Mended is the next instalment in Alix E. Harrow's Fractured Fables series and follows A spindle splintered. Zinnia Gray has been spending time rescuing Sleeping Beauties and is beginning to tire of it all when she looks into a mirror and sees the face of an evil queen looking back at her. She is thrust into another story - that of Snow White – and has all her preconceptions about that story turned upside down. The evil Queen is desperate to avoid dancing to her death in red hot shoes, the ending that is in store for her, and Zinnia finds herself in danger as the Queen wants her help. The pair face many adventures and danger as Zinnia begins to realise that perhaps characters have different versions of the fairy stories.

The novella length is welcome and can be read in one or two sittings. Its brevity does not take away from the author’s ability to tackle some challenging themes like facing up to responsibility and what friendship means while taking the reader into the land of fairy tales. The snarky narration keeps the reader immersed in the story and provides some lighter moments in amongst the dark perils that face the pair. Zinnia is coming to terms with the fact that she has to face up to her own destiny while her relationship with the Queen is very believable.

With its blend of tales of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, A Mirror Mended is perfect for fans of fairy tale retellings. Harrow has a unique approach to her stories which are engaging and well written. And the reader is left at the end of the story pondering the thought of ‘Living happily’ instead of the usual ending, ‘Happily ever after’ .

Fans of Shannon Hale, Laini Taylor and Neil Gaiman are sure to enjoy this series.

Themes: Fairy tale retelling, Princesses, Folklore, Queens, Women.

Pat Pledger