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Clockwork Republics #3
Mirrors and Magic
A PRINCESS IN EXILE
Neve Bianchi has always lived in the shadow of the big top, haunted by the death of her father, the famous magician Giovanni "The Magnificent" Bianchi. But Neve has discovered something that may change not only her fate, but the destiny of Lang & Perrault's World Famous Circus. Can she trust the charming Prince of Blades? Or will the wicked Queen of the Air win in the end?
Mirrors and Magic is a steampunk retelling of Snow White set in a traveling circus just after the turn of the century in the Clockwork Republics. The Clockwork Republics series is set in an alternate history where the American states never united and where alchemical magic and clockwork marvels create a world of wonder.
Neve Bianchi has always lived in the shadow of the big top, haunted by the death of her father, the famous magician Giovanni "The Magnificent" Bianchi. But Neve has discovered something that may change not only her fate, but the destiny of Lang & Perrault's World Famous Circus. Can she trust the charming Prince of Blades? Or will the wicked Queen of the Air win in the end?
Mirrors and Magic is a steampunk retelling of Snow White set in a traveling circus just after the turn of the century in the Clockwork Republics. The Clockwork Republics series is set in an alternate history where the American states never united and where alchemical magic and clockwork marvels create a world of wonder.
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2013
29 people want to read
About the author
Katina French
16 books16 followersBluegrass Hoosier living in southern Indiana, working in Louisville, Kentucky. My first fiction novel (a steampunk fairy tale) was published in 2013. Reader of pulpy fantastic tales. Lover of tasty beverages, including but not limited to coffee, tea and bourbon. Fan of soulful, old-timey music.
I believe in real things. But my definition of "real" is quite expansive.
I believe in real things. But my definition of "real" is quite expansive.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 31, 2014
Neve is trying to hold together the circus her father always loved, but wicked things are afoot all around her. When Neve finally makes the leap to save the circus from financial ruin she steps right into a battle for the spotlight. After someone makes an attempt on her life, she starts to question who to trust as she tries to save the circus, her father's legacy, and just maybe whatever feelings are growing between her and knife thrower Brendan.
As soon as I saw Steampunk circus, I was sold. Two of my favorite things! This take of the Snow White fairytale Neve is a delightful, hard working character who clearly loves and is devoted 100% to the circus even as it starts to fall to financial ruin around her. Brendan is wickedly charming, but certainly not a polished Prince Charming, and the characters in the circus around her are all fun, and interesting people. The fairy tale elements don't seem forced at all, and I actually forgot about the Snow White aspect as I got drawn into the story.
The world building is truly fascinating and I certainly hope there are more stories set in this world because all of the mechanics and the wars sound fascinating! I also think this book would be great for someone who isn't sure about steampunk because at no point are you really beaten over the head with it, more of the world around the story is a steampunk world.
Over all, this is a fun, quick read of magic, courage, and not giving up on the things (and people) you love.
As soon as I saw Steampunk circus, I was sold. Two of my favorite things! This take of the Snow White fairytale Neve is a delightful, hard working character who clearly loves and is devoted 100% to the circus even as it starts to fall to financial ruin around her. Brendan is wickedly charming, but certainly not a polished Prince Charming, and the characters in the circus around her are all fun, and interesting people. The fairy tale elements don't seem forced at all, and I actually forgot about the Snow White aspect as I got drawn into the story.
The world building is truly fascinating and I certainly hope there are more stories set in this world because all of the mechanics and the wars sound fascinating! I also think this book would be great for someone who isn't sure about steampunk because at no point are you really beaten over the head with it, more of the world around the story is a steampunk world.
Over all, this is a fun, quick read of magic, courage, and not giving up on the things (and people) you love.
May 31, 2015
An excellent Steampunk retelling of an old classic - Snow White!
Based around a world of clockwork and alchemy, and following the tale of poor Neve the daughter of a world class magician!
Based around a world of clockwork and alchemy, and following the tale of poor Neve the daughter of a world class magician!
September 22, 2013
(2 REVIEWS)
MELISSA S'S REVIEW
3 STARS
MIRRORS AND MAGIC, Book #1 in The Clockwork Republics series by Katina French is a steam punk fantasy set in a world with an alternative history. The United States never became a republic. Instead, an assortment of small nations formed across North America, including the Republic of New Africa, located in what was once Nebraska. All technology is the result of a strange hybrid of magic and alchemy.
The story starts out with enormous promise as the heroine zips through the streets of Omaha on what sounds like a steam-powered Segway, chasing an errant monkey. The basic concept is wonderful—a traveling circus set in a steam punk world. What's not to like? I'd give the author an A+ for originality and creativity. The technology isn't truly remarkable (in concept) but the author makes it work to create an interesting world. The addition of alchemy-based magic does remove this a few degrees from traditional steam punk fantasy.
Unfortunately, while the premise is pure fun, I found myself struggling with the author's overly descriptive writing style. The story could benefit from plain language in places instead of the more ornate verbiage used to explain settings and characters. Still, the pace moves along at a good clip for the first chapter. The editing is sound so there are not intrusive errors in spelling or grammar. Unfortunately, the second chapter is bogged down in a massive information dump told from a second person, almost omniscient, point of view. It actually took me until the end of the chapter to realize the character doing the telling had changed from Neve Bianchi (the heroine) to Andrew Lang, the man in charge of the traveling circus.
Neve strikes me as a great heroine. She's smart, witty, and courageous. I loved her determination, sense of responsibility and inventiveness. However, I really failed to connect with her in the way I wanted due to the writing style. Andrew Lang, the other principle, is a sympathetic character but not nearly as much fun. Secondary characters are interesting and well developed, but it does take the story a while to find its plot.
I'm giving MIRRORS AND MAGIC three stars because it has an original and interesting concept but there are some issues with the execution. With some editing, the story has fantastic potential to be a truly entertaining tale. It just needs a bit of massaging.
BEVERLY D'S REVIEW
2.5 STARS
This book had so many fabulous ideas. Heroine was a person of color. Set in a circus. Steampunk. Magic and alchemie. Retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. New Africa centered in Omaha; Indiana as belonging to actual Native American Indians.
The problem for me was the storytelling and writing craft of the author wasn’t very strong. The first chapter was 1) World-building, and 2) Heroine on errand to retrieve minor costume part, falls into pigpen. The action itself was cute and funny, but did not require an entire chapter to tell; probably could have fit into a page and a half.
In Neve’s interior thoughts, we discover that the once-prosperous circus has Fallen On Hard Times since the death of her father, the Magnificent Bianchi. We also discover this in circus owner Lang’s interior thoughts. And in the thoughts of other circus members. And in Neve’s dialogue. Yes, we get it; the circus has Fallen On Hard Times.
Because the authors makes the choice to give us an omniscient point of view, we always know what everyone is thinking, or has thought, and there is little suspense. We know who the villainess is, we know that she killed Neve’s father, and pretty much, everyone in the circus knows this, too. And she is killing the circus with her prima donna ways, but no one wants to stop her, because...?
It’s not until about a third of the way in that the whole Snow White meme and familiar elements really kick in, and then they feel rushed, all the way to the poisoned apple.
The descriptions are rich and well-done: the wardrobe, sights, sounds, and smells, all done beautifully. I loved that Snow White/Neve, rather than scrubbing steps and singing to the sparrows and bunnies, is shoveling manure, feeding geriatric tigers, and dealing with homicidal monkeys. I loved that Neve was a person of color, with a heart as pure as snow, rather than skin as pure as snow.
Loved Neve’s magic act, detailed wonderfully, and her blossoming romance with the knife-thrower. Loved the seven “dwarves”. The innovation of detail here was wonderful.
MELISSA S'S REVIEW
3 STARS
MIRRORS AND MAGIC, Book #1 in The Clockwork Republics series by Katina French is a steam punk fantasy set in a world with an alternative history. The United States never became a republic. Instead, an assortment of small nations formed across North America, including the Republic of New Africa, located in what was once Nebraska. All technology is the result of a strange hybrid of magic and alchemy.
The story starts out with enormous promise as the heroine zips through the streets of Omaha on what sounds like a steam-powered Segway, chasing an errant monkey. The basic concept is wonderful—a traveling circus set in a steam punk world. What's not to like? I'd give the author an A+ for originality and creativity. The technology isn't truly remarkable (in concept) but the author makes it work to create an interesting world. The addition of alchemy-based magic does remove this a few degrees from traditional steam punk fantasy.
Unfortunately, while the premise is pure fun, I found myself struggling with the author's overly descriptive writing style. The story could benefit from plain language in places instead of the more ornate verbiage used to explain settings and characters. Still, the pace moves along at a good clip for the first chapter. The editing is sound so there are not intrusive errors in spelling or grammar. Unfortunately, the second chapter is bogged down in a massive information dump told from a second person, almost omniscient, point of view. It actually took me until the end of the chapter to realize the character doing the telling had changed from Neve Bianchi (the heroine) to Andrew Lang, the man in charge of the traveling circus.
Neve strikes me as a great heroine. She's smart, witty, and courageous. I loved her determination, sense of responsibility and inventiveness. However, I really failed to connect with her in the way I wanted due to the writing style. Andrew Lang, the other principle, is a sympathetic character but not nearly as much fun. Secondary characters are interesting and well developed, but it does take the story a while to find its plot.
I'm giving MIRRORS AND MAGIC three stars because it has an original and interesting concept but there are some issues with the execution. With some editing, the story has fantastic potential to be a truly entertaining tale. It just needs a bit of massaging.
BEVERLY D'S REVIEW
2.5 STARS
This book had so many fabulous ideas. Heroine was a person of color. Set in a circus. Steampunk. Magic and alchemie. Retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. New Africa centered in Omaha; Indiana as belonging to actual Native American Indians.
The problem for me was the storytelling and writing craft of the author wasn’t very strong. The first chapter was 1) World-building, and 2) Heroine on errand to retrieve minor costume part, falls into pigpen. The action itself was cute and funny, but did not require an entire chapter to tell; probably could have fit into a page and a half.
In Neve’s interior thoughts, we discover that the once-prosperous circus has Fallen On Hard Times since the death of her father, the Magnificent Bianchi. We also discover this in circus owner Lang’s interior thoughts. And in the thoughts of other circus members. And in Neve’s dialogue. Yes, we get it; the circus has Fallen On Hard Times.
Because the authors makes the choice to give us an omniscient point of view, we always know what everyone is thinking, or has thought, and there is little suspense. We know who the villainess is, we know that she killed Neve’s father, and pretty much, everyone in the circus knows this, too. And she is killing the circus with her prima donna ways, but no one wants to stop her, because...?
It’s not until about a third of the way in that the whole Snow White meme and familiar elements really kick in, and then they feel rushed, all the way to the poisoned apple.
The descriptions are rich and well-done: the wardrobe, sights, sounds, and smells, all done beautifully. I loved that Snow White/Neve, rather than scrubbing steps and singing to the sparrows and bunnies, is shoveling manure, feeding geriatric tigers, and dealing with homicidal monkeys. I loved that Neve was a person of color, with a heart as pure as snow, rather than skin as pure as snow.
Loved Neve’s magic act, detailed wonderfully, and her blossoming romance with the knife-thrower. Loved the seven “dwarves”. The innovation of detail here was wonderful.
July 3, 2014
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Steampunk and fairy tales, what more could I ask for? Since these are two of my favorite things, mixing the two seemed like it could be either a hit or a miss. Thankfully, this one was a hit, even against my high expectations. In a world lush with mechanics, some magic, and a little romance, an old story tale came to life in a new way. While it still had a little room for improvement, Katina French managed to capture the heart of the story, getting it right where it mattered.
In spite of my praise, Mirrors and Magic started out a little rocky for me. With steampunk novels, I always feel like less is more when you first open the book. The world we first step into with Mirrors and Magic is extremely steam-heavy, with tophats, goggles, and steam-powered vehicles all thrust into the first few pages. While it was exciting, it seemed a little generic at first impression. My initial thought was steampunk is much more than all that, and I always worry when books start out with goggles. Thankfully, as the story progressed that impression faded away. The vehicles and outfits made sense with the circus atmosphere, and even the monkey charmed me.
One unique element of this book is the alchemy, which functions as a sort of magic in this society. I thought it was a creative way of adding the fairy tale twist in a more mechanical world. The circus itself was a great backdrop for the story of Snow White, and it felt like the perfect match. I did find the references to the circus "kingdom" and Neve the "princesses" as a little repetitive and unnecessary, but I also tend to like my fairy tale retellings a little vague: don't tell me who is who right away, let me slowly unveil that myself.
The characters themselves were quite likable, from orphaned Neve to her dashing sword throwing love interest. I felt that the "dwarves" were a little secondary though, and I wished I saw more development with them. The Queen of the Air was a good villain, and I liked that we could see some of her back story and motivation.
Overall, this was a great read and is one of my favorite versions of Snow White. I look forward to seeing more work by Katina French, and who knows, hopefully maybe even another retelling!
Steampunk and fairy tales, what more could I ask for? Since these are two of my favorite things, mixing the two seemed like it could be either a hit or a miss. Thankfully, this one was a hit, even against my high expectations. In a world lush with mechanics, some magic, and a little romance, an old story tale came to life in a new way. While it still had a little room for improvement, Katina French managed to capture the heart of the story, getting it right where it mattered.
In spite of my praise, Mirrors and Magic started out a little rocky for me. With steampunk novels, I always feel like less is more when you first open the book. The world we first step into with Mirrors and Magic is extremely steam-heavy, with tophats, goggles, and steam-powered vehicles all thrust into the first few pages. While it was exciting, it seemed a little generic at first impression. My initial thought was steampunk is much more than all that, and I always worry when books start out with goggles. Thankfully, as the story progressed that impression faded away. The vehicles and outfits made sense with the circus atmosphere, and even the monkey charmed me.
One unique element of this book is the alchemy, which functions as a sort of magic in this society. I thought it was a creative way of adding the fairy tale twist in a more mechanical world. The circus itself was a great backdrop for the story of Snow White, and it felt like the perfect match. I did find the references to the circus "kingdom" and Neve the "princesses" as a little repetitive and unnecessary, but I also tend to like my fairy tale retellings a little vague: don't tell me who is who right away, let me slowly unveil that myself.
The characters themselves were quite likable, from orphaned Neve to her dashing sword throwing love interest. I felt that the "dwarves" were a little secondary though, and I wished I saw more development with them. The Queen of the Air was a good villain, and I liked that we could see some of her back story and motivation.
Overall, this was a great read and is one of my favorite versions of Snow White. I look forward to seeing more work by Katina French, and who knows, hopefully maybe even another retelling!
July 31, 2014
I found this book to be as light and chewy as caramel corn and twice as addictive. It's a triple play of fun: a coming-of-age story, and alternate history with a touch of magic, and a classic tale painted up in a fresh, delightful coat of steampunk styling.
The plot starts with action, weaves and dances through backstory as lightly as an acrobat, and makes a lovely shadow-play out of the necessary world-building. There is enough description to deftly evoke the look and feel of the places and people, but not so much that it weighs down the action. The language is beautifully evocative, but never overwhelms. This is a book of bright colors and dark secrets, easy on the angst and strong on sassy dialogue. Have a seat on the bench, grab the snack of your choice, and settle in to enjoy the show.
The plot starts with action, weaves and dances through backstory as lightly as an acrobat, and makes a lovely shadow-play out of the necessary world-building. There is enough description to deftly evoke the look and feel of the places and people, but not so much that it weighs down the action. The language is beautifully evocative, but never overwhelms. This is a book of bright colors and dark secrets, easy on the angst and strong on sassy dialogue. Have a seat on the bench, grab the snack of your choice, and settle in to enjoy the show.
August 19, 2013
I thought this was a well written book. Since it's based on Snow White you have to read into a lot of things that go on, such as the seven dwarfs. The rest of the Snow White characters were pretty easily found. I thought though that there could have been a bit more steam related parts of the book. All in all though it was a good read and kept my interest peaked.
August 8, 2014
A steampunk Snow White tale.
Really excellent world building by Katina French. You just want to get lost in this world and explore--kind of how you feel when you read about Diagon Alley in the HP books.
If you love fairy tale reimaginings, I urge you to check this one out. You won't be sorry.
Highly original!
(My review is of the audiobook edition.)
Really excellent world building by Katina French. You just want to get lost in this world and explore--kind of how you feel when you read about Diagon Alley in the HP books.
If you love fairy tale reimaginings, I urge you to check this one out. You won't be sorry.
Highly original!
(My review is of the audiobook edition.)
September 8, 2014
I got a copy of this audiobook from Audible.com, it was sent to me by the author to review. This was a decent steampunk fairytale retelling. It was basically a retelling of Snow White set in a steampunk circus in an alternate version of the US.
As mentioned above I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator was okay. Ironically she did a great job distinguishing between male voices (many female narrators have trouble with this) but all the female characters sounded the same. I had a very hard time telling whether it was Neve or Bella talking, they both sounded almost identical. This is a book I would recommend reading versus listening to.
Neve’s father was a great magician in Lang & Perrault's World Famous Circus. After his death the circus started to decline. Neve is desperately trying to help Lang save the circus and is hoping some of her own magical abilities might help. However the current star act, the lovely but cold Queen of the Air, will stop at nothing to keep Neve from displacing her act from being displaced.
I enjoyed the circus setting and some of the clockwork devices throughout. I loved the addition of formulas and illusions that made up some of Neve’s magic act.
I thought the characters were a bit stereotypical and lacked some depth. Neve is overly sweet and seemed too naive to had grown up in a circus. While Neve does have some spunk, she was just too sweet, good, and innocent for a lifetime carnie.
The lead male character is known as The Prince of Blades. He is your typical "misunderstood rogue who has a sordid past, but really is a sweet guy" kind of male lead. Again he was okay to read about, but was a bit too good and his "sordid" past seemed a bit contrived.
The story itself was also very predictable with few twists and turns. It was just a very simple story, whose outcome was easily predicted from the beginning. The steampunk elements were pretty much limited to clockwork devices, airships, and some vague “formulae”. There wasn’t really any world-building around that theme.
The story is supposed to be a retelling of Snow White. While I thought it was an interesting effort, parts of the story felt like they were kind of forced into the Snow White setting (particularly the apple part at the ending). On the other-hand there were other parts of the story that were very cleverly done and really did a good job of paralleling the Snow White tale while still flowing naturally (for example Neve’s back story and how the Queen of Air was the evil Queen of the circus).
In the end this is one of those stories that was mildly entertaining and non-offensive. After reading it I thought "huh, well that was fine" but I wasn't blown away or dying to read more about this world or these characters. It's a quick and fun read, that is straight-forward and simple. There are some interesting elements and I liked the idea of retelling a fairy tale with a steampunk storyline.
Overall this was a quick and simple steampunk read. It reminded me a bit of Shelley Adina's Magnificent Devices series. I would recommend this book to those who want to read a steampunk fairy tale retelling. Just don't expect some elaborate story, this is a simple story with simples characters and a happy vibe.
As mentioned above I listened to this on audiobook. The narrator was okay. Ironically she did a great job distinguishing between male voices (many female narrators have trouble with this) but all the female characters sounded the same. I had a very hard time telling whether it was Neve or Bella talking, they both sounded almost identical. This is a book I would recommend reading versus listening to.
Neve’s father was a great magician in Lang & Perrault's World Famous Circus. After his death the circus started to decline. Neve is desperately trying to help Lang save the circus and is hoping some of her own magical abilities might help. However the current star act, the lovely but cold Queen of the Air, will stop at nothing to keep Neve from displacing her act from being displaced.
I enjoyed the circus setting and some of the clockwork devices throughout. I loved the addition of formulas and illusions that made up some of Neve’s magic act.
I thought the characters were a bit stereotypical and lacked some depth. Neve is overly sweet and seemed too naive to had grown up in a circus. While Neve does have some spunk, she was just too sweet, good, and innocent for a lifetime carnie.
The lead male character is known as The Prince of Blades. He is your typical "misunderstood rogue who has a sordid past, but really is a sweet guy" kind of male lead. Again he was okay to read about, but was a bit too good and his "sordid" past seemed a bit contrived.
The story itself was also very predictable with few twists and turns. It was just a very simple story, whose outcome was easily predicted from the beginning. The steampunk elements were pretty much limited to clockwork devices, airships, and some vague “formulae”. There wasn’t really any world-building around that theme.
The story is supposed to be a retelling of Snow White. While I thought it was an interesting effort, parts of the story felt like they were kind of forced into the Snow White setting (particularly the apple part at the ending). On the other-hand there were other parts of the story that were very cleverly done and really did a good job of paralleling the Snow White tale while still flowing naturally (for example Neve’s back story and how the Queen of Air was the evil Queen of the circus).
In the end this is one of those stories that was mildly entertaining and non-offensive. After reading it I thought "huh, well that was fine" but I wasn't blown away or dying to read more about this world or these characters. It's a quick and fun read, that is straight-forward and simple. There are some interesting elements and I liked the idea of retelling a fairy tale with a steampunk storyline.
Overall this was a quick and simple steampunk read. It reminded me a bit of Shelley Adina's Magnificent Devices series. I would recommend this book to those who want to read a steampunk fairy tale retelling. Just don't expect some elaborate story, this is a simple story with simples characters and a happy vibe.
April 10, 2016
•••I listened to the Audible Audio Edition of this book•••
Hollie Jackson brought each and every character to life vividly, but I have to say Neve was my favorite character! She grows from a scared little girl, afraid to lose her place with her adopted family, into a strong and vivacious woman at ease with herself and unafraid of anything or anyone :) The accents were truly amazing and the best I have heard so far from any voice actor on Audible! I can't wait to hear what she does next :)
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The Princess Of The Circus And The Evil Queen
This series does not need to be listened to (or read) in order as it consists of stories just based in the same world and not necessarily connected to each other via plot or storyline. This is the third book written based in this world. I suggest listening to (or reading) Bitter Cold first though (as I did) because it seems to be the first book chronilogically speaking. I can't wait to listen to more!
Neve has lived with the circus for as long as she can remember. She lost her mother when she was very young and her father died in a tragic accident when she was merely 8. That was ten long years ago and now she is afraid her time with her adopted family is almost up. Her guardian, the owner of the circus, has been avoiding her. She has a secret she is reluctant to share with anyone... They might laugh at her... She might be terrible. And, of course, the reigning Queen of the Circus hates her with a passion. Her father was the greatest Illusionist that ever lived and she is not sure that his tragic life ending accident was truly an accident. She does what she can to keep the Circus running smoothly. Feeding animals, helping people prefect their acts, any odd job she can find, even though nothing is expected of her. Will she be able to stay? Or will her gaurdian kick her out after this season? Is the Circus failing? And if so, why? Can she do anything to bring it back to its former glory? Or is it already a lost cause? What really happened to her father? Could a man that talented really kill himself accident? Can she trust Brendan? Why does the reigning Queen have her so? Will she ever live up to her father's legacy?
***This series is suitable for mature young adult through adult listeners (or readers) who enjoy steampunk fantasy fairytales with a dash of horror, romance & plenty of action and adventure :)
Hollie Jackson brought each and every character to life vividly, but I have to say Neve was my favorite character! She grows from a scared little girl, afraid to lose her place with her adopted family, into a strong and vivacious woman at ease with herself and unafraid of anything or anyone :) The accents were truly amazing and the best I have heard so far from any voice actor on Audible! I can't wait to hear what she does next :)
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
The Princess Of The Circus And The Evil Queen
This series does not need to be listened to (or read) in order as it consists of stories just based in the same world and not necessarily connected to each other via plot or storyline. This is the third book written based in this world. I suggest listening to (or reading) Bitter Cold first though (as I did) because it seems to be the first book chronilogically speaking. I can't wait to listen to more!
Neve has lived with the circus for as long as she can remember. She lost her mother when she was very young and her father died in a tragic accident when she was merely 8. That was ten long years ago and now she is afraid her time with her adopted family is almost up. Her guardian, the owner of the circus, has been avoiding her. She has a secret she is reluctant to share with anyone... They might laugh at her... She might be terrible. And, of course, the reigning Queen of the Circus hates her with a passion. Her father was the greatest Illusionist that ever lived and she is not sure that his tragic life ending accident was truly an accident. She does what she can to keep the Circus running smoothly. Feeding animals, helping people prefect their acts, any odd job she can find, even though nothing is expected of her. Will she be able to stay? Or will her gaurdian kick her out after this season? Is the Circus failing? And if so, why? Can she do anything to bring it back to its former glory? Or is it already a lost cause? What really happened to her father? Could a man that talented really kill himself accident? Can she trust Brendan? Why does the reigning Queen have her so? Will she ever live up to her father's legacy?
***This series is suitable for mature young adult through adult listeners (or readers) who enjoy steampunk fantasy fairytales with a dash of horror, romance & plenty of action and adventure :)
March 31, 2014
I actually read a Kindle version of this book that doesn't seem to exist any more. Sorry for putting this review here. Anyway, Katina French's "Mirrors and Magic" is a bit hard for me to review. On the plus side, her writing is excellent. She does a great job of doing an alternative take on Snow White in what is ostensibly a Steampunk universe (in a circus, no less). She's got good characters, excellent prose, and a total lack of fluff and filler. Technically, the only quibble I have with the book is her take on Steampunk. My understanding is that Steampunk is a genre which focuses on steam powering anachronistic technology: it's a mechanical focus. She does incorporate that in the background. But, it's so far removed from the story that it's mostly irrelevant. Instead, she focuses on alchemy being advanced enough so that it's indistinguishable from magic. Of course, she really has to do something like that since the story is based on Snow White (which includes magic). Unfortunately, the real trouble I have with the book is that I found it overly dramatic for my tastes. But, that's a personal problem on my part and, again, it is a version of Snow White -- a fairy tale. So, I'm ignoring that aspect and rating the book at an Excellent 5 stars out of 5. My Steampunk quibble isn't worth enough to drag it down a star. I highly recommend the book.
July 26, 2014
Received from author for a honest review.
I was really surprised at how much I really enjoyed this book. It was faced paced, full of action and had a little romance thrown in.
I found this book to be well thought out and well written, there was not any needless information that did not help progress the storyline, it flowed nicely and kept me gripped from start to finish. I enjoyed the updated re-telling of Snow White and found it worked well with the setting the author created. The world created was stunning and I visualized it perfectly, it was the perfect setting for this tale.
All the characters worked well with each other and complimented each role that was played. I found the fact the information was only given when it was needed to progress the story and not all at once like some books that reveal everything in the first few chapters, and also only the main characters were delved into and the bit characters were given just enough to fit in with the situation.
Neve herself was a well written character that I liked from the start, she was a strong lead while not been too strong, freely admitting to her faults and insecurities.
I would have liked a little more steampunk influence as I found it a little lacking but not enough to deter from the the story and characters.
I really enjoyed reading this book and will read more.
I was really surprised at how much I really enjoyed this book. It was faced paced, full of action and had a little romance thrown in.
I found this book to be well thought out and well written, there was not any needless information that did not help progress the storyline, it flowed nicely and kept me gripped from start to finish. I enjoyed the updated re-telling of Snow White and found it worked well with the setting the author created. The world created was stunning and I visualized it perfectly, it was the perfect setting for this tale.
All the characters worked well with each other and complimented each role that was played. I found the fact the information was only given when it was needed to progress the story and not all at once like some books that reveal everything in the first few chapters, and also only the main characters were delved into and the bit characters were given just enough to fit in with the situation.
Neve herself was a well written character that I liked from the start, she was a strong lead while not been too strong, freely admitting to her faults and insecurities.
I would have liked a little more steampunk influence as I found it a little lacking but not enough to deter from the the story and characters.
I really enjoyed reading this book and will read more.
October 4, 2016
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall and the Circus (Audiobook)
Katina French again gives us a delightful retelling of a classic fairy tale. This time a steampunk version of Snow White using the setting of a down on its luck circus.
Lang & Perrault's World Famous Circus has gone steady downhill since the death of the Magnificent Bianchi despite the hard work of the owner Andrew Lang and Bianchi's daughter, Neve. That is until the fateful day when with the encouragement of Brendan, the Prince of Blades, Neve takes the leap from lackey to the center ring aided by the coolest magic wand.
And of course what can a retelling of the Snow White tale be without the evil Queen and the all seeing, all knowing Mirror.
Hollie Jackson does a really good job of voicing the characters and narration as well as giving us a look into the emotional side of each. She has also given Brendan a very dreamy voice.
For those who have read Bitter Cold (the retelling of the Snow Queen) you will get a little treat when you recognize a few of the audience members.
This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.
Katina French again gives us a delightful retelling of a classic fairy tale. This time a steampunk version of Snow White using the setting of a down on its luck circus.
Lang & Perrault's World Famous Circus has gone steady downhill since the death of the Magnificent Bianchi despite the hard work of the owner Andrew Lang and Bianchi's daughter, Neve. That is until the fateful day when with the encouragement of Brendan, the Prince of Blades, Neve takes the leap from lackey to the center ring aided by the coolest magic wand.
And of course what can a retelling of the Snow White tale be without the evil Queen and the all seeing, all knowing Mirror.
Hollie Jackson does a really good job of voicing the characters and narration as well as giving us a look into the emotional side of each. She has also given Brendan a very dreamy voice.
For those who have read Bitter Cold (the retelling of the Snow Queen) you will get a little treat when you recognize a few of the audience members.
This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.
September 20, 2013
I found this as a free read on Amazon and thought I'd give it a shot. This book was a fairly quick read. It was entertaining, but fairly predictable. It mirrored the classic tale of snow white. The author set a nice pace with enough action to keep you turning pages. I liked it, but would have preferred to read something completely original. It was a nice distraction for an afternoon.
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