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Reflections
When Juliette has a domestic servant beaten for pursuing a young man above her station, she finds herself cursed by a witch to live in a world behind her own mirror. She is unable to leave except on the first night of a full moon.
Juliette is forced to seek what food and shelter the new world provides with the help of a unicorn, a man who is half bear, and a centaur. Together they struggle to survive against lions, wolves, and the challenges of watching their friends live and die through the back of the mirror, as their own world moves on without them.
Reflections begins in Regency era London, and ends in Clover Springs, California, an all but abandoned Gold Rush town.
Juliette is forced to seek what food and shelter the new world provides with the help of a unicorn, a man who is half bear, and a centaur. Together they struggle to survive against lions, wolves, and the challenges of watching their friends live and die through the back of the mirror, as their own world moves on without them.
Reflections begins in Regency era London, and ends in Clover Springs, California, an all but abandoned Gold Rush town.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2013
1 person is currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Jena Baxter
12 books82 followersJena Baxter has always loved fantasy, history and time travel. As a child she liked to read, and often wrote poetry as a stress inhibitor while growing up, but like many other writers, she dreamed of writing a novel. So, she enrolled at the UCLA Writer's Extension, to gain the confidence and skill to move forward with that dream.
Today Jena has a middle school/YA fantasy novel, as well as a paranormal, historical romance novel, and an urban fantasy. She also has a book of short stories written by herself and Raven Williams, as well as a dragon anthology, and another to be released November 15th, 2017. Read her story, The Covens of Misty Haven, posted monthly in her newsletter, and website.
Born in Ojai, California, she now resides in Northern California with her husband, Blue-front Amazon parrot, Rain, her sassy-cat, Lissa, and a handful of Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy called Sigh.
Today Jena has a middle school/YA fantasy novel, as well as a paranormal, historical romance novel, and an urban fantasy. She also has a book of short stories written by herself and Raven Williams, as well as a dragon anthology, and another to be released November 15th, 2017. Read her story, The Covens of Misty Haven, posted monthly in her newsletter, and website.
Born in Ojai, California, she now resides in Northern California with her husband, Blue-front Amazon parrot, Rain, her sassy-cat, Lissa, and a handful of Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy called Sigh.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 12, 2014
This book just kept getting better and better.
This story was unlike anything I've ever read. On the contrary, the story made me think of Cinderella, but a spin-off of the consequences the 'stepsister' had to face. It also made me think of 'the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe'; not the story but the phrase itself. However, in this case, the phrase would be: the lion, the witch, the unicorn, the beran, the centaur, and the mirror. Give or take on the lion.
This was such a fantastical read filled with magic, love, loyalty, and friendship. Everything from beginning to end flowed perfectly. It started off great, but who would've thought this page turner would lead to something even greater?
Some say they drown in an author's book. It sounds to me to be a bit smothering. Like things were layered on the reader pretty thick. I, on the other hand, will feed this author, not verbatim, the same meaning of the compliment, however, this book is not something a reader can drown in, but float through. Don't get me wrong, my attention was 100% solely into the story, but reading the whole book made me feel light as a feather, as if reading with utmost care would not harm the creator's writing and plot. I guess this is what fantasy does to a reader. I feel that my reading experience is equivalent to being light-headed; cloud 9.
The characters were extremely well developed, each wore their own persona like a second skin. I found the main character's evolving truly fascinating to read about and to have a vivid picture as to how everything looked and unfolded was all thanks to the author's great attention to detail.
The moral of the story is..well. It could be depicted into anything really, there was a lot of things that held consequences that needed to be accounted for and many lessons the needed to be learnt.
Overall, I believe the author's wonderful ideas and creative imagination easily reverberated into this book. I highly recommend this to anybody and everybody really. Well just as long as your reading level is up to par, then I cannot see why not.
This story was unlike anything I've ever read. On the contrary, the story made me think of Cinderella, but a spin-off of the consequences the 'stepsister' had to face. It also made me think of 'the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe'; not the story but the phrase itself. However, in this case, the phrase would be: the lion, the witch, the unicorn, the beran, the centaur, and the mirror. Give or take on the lion.
This was such a fantastical read filled with magic, love, loyalty, and friendship. Everything from beginning to end flowed perfectly. It started off great, but who would've thought this page turner would lead to something even greater?
Some say they drown in an author's book. It sounds to me to be a bit smothering. Like things were layered on the reader pretty thick. I, on the other hand, will feed this author, not verbatim, the same meaning of the compliment, however, this book is not something a reader can drown in, but float through. Don't get me wrong, my attention was 100% solely into the story, but reading the whole book made me feel light as a feather, as if reading with utmost care would not harm the creator's writing and plot. I guess this is what fantasy does to a reader. I feel that my reading experience is equivalent to being light-headed; cloud 9.
The characters were extremely well developed, each wore their own persona like a second skin. I found the main character's evolving truly fascinating to read about and to have a vivid picture as to how everything looked and unfolded was all thanks to the author's great attention to detail.
The moral of the story is..well. It could be depicted into anything really, there was a lot of things that held consequences that needed to be accounted for and many lessons the needed to be learnt.
Overall, I believe the author's wonderful ideas and creative imagination easily reverberated into this book. I highly recommend this to anybody and everybody really. Well just as long as your reading level is up to par, then I cannot see why not.
December 17, 2015
Reflections - Jena Baxter (5 Stars)
* Won a Copy From Author During PageCurl's Halloween Book Hop.
First off let me say that the Cover of this book is Gorgeous!!
Jena is a new author to me , but I'm glad I Got to read her book because she knows how to write her characters in a way that draws you in .She is a very descriptive writer , but not in a nauseating .."O my god will it ever end " way. The story just flowed along naturally like it was a dream in my head coming into reality.
The characters were Enchanting ..who doesn't like mythical creatures coming to life in Their very own New Fairytale .which is very much the way the story plays out .
All in all i would recommend this book to my friends who love Fantasy, Paranormal and have always wished they could be immersed so Deeply in a storyline it felt like they were in their own Fairytale world.
* Won a Copy From Author During PageCurl's Halloween Book Hop.
First off let me say that the Cover of this book is Gorgeous!!
Jena is a new author to me , but I'm glad I Got to read her book because she knows how to write her characters in a way that draws you in .She is a very descriptive writer , but not in a nauseating .."O my god will it ever end " way. The story just flowed along naturally like it was a dream in my head coming into reality.
The characters were Enchanting ..who doesn't like mythical creatures coming to life in Their very own New Fairytale .which is very much the way the story plays out .
All in all i would recommend this book to my friends who love Fantasy, Paranormal and have always wished they could be immersed so Deeply in a storyline it felt like they were in their own Fairytale world.
December 19, 2017
I read, liked, and reviewed Ms. Baxter’s previous work “The Carriage” a while back, so when I picked up her “Reflections,” I suspected that I would like it as well. And I did very much.
Like “The Carriage,” “Reflections” involves time travel. This time, however, it’s handled more from the typical point of view of someone traveling forward in time at real speed. I know, I know, “Huh? But that’s just normal, right?” Not when you’re living ageless in a world behind a mirror while you watch the world advance, and everyone you knew, friend and enemy alike, all age and gradually die off. There—question answered.
Told from the point of view of Juliette, a well-to-do and definitely spoiled young girl born in London’s Regency period, the book details her life as a result of her being a snotty little rich, well, umm…let’s just say it rhymes with “rich.”
Cast into a fantasy world behind a mirror as punishment for her bratty ways by a witch, Juliette watches her “real” world go on without her while simultaneously having to figure out how to live in the new one, which is populated with unicorns, centaurs, a beran (essentially a were-bear), and more typical predators such as lions and wolves. The wolves are blue though, so…
This being a YA novel, you know a romance blooms, but I won’t ruin the hook of it for you. Suffice it to say that if you liked “The Carriage,” you’ll also like “Reflections.”
Like “The Carriage,” “Reflections” involves time travel. This time, however, it’s handled more from the typical point of view of someone traveling forward in time at real speed. I know, I know, “Huh? But that’s just normal, right?” Not when you’re living ageless in a world behind a mirror while you watch the world advance, and everyone you knew, friend and enemy alike, all age and gradually die off. There—question answered.
Told from the point of view of Juliette, a well-to-do and definitely spoiled young girl born in London’s Regency period, the book details her life as a result of her being a snotty little rich, well, umm…let’s just say it rhymes with “rich.”
Cast into a fantasy world behind a mirror as punishment for her bratty ways by a witch, Juliette watches her “real” world go on without her while simultaneously having to figure out how to live in the new one, which is populated with unicorns, centaurs, a beran (essentially a were-bear), and more typical predators such as lions and wolves. The wolves are blue though, so…
This being a YA novel, you know a romance blooms, but I won’t ruin the hook of it for you. Suffice it to say that if you liked “The Carriage,” you’ll also like “Reflections.”
December 29, 2015
OK, I’ll be fair – the unicorn on the cover had me hooked from the first time I saw it. It took me a while to actually give in, and read it, because I knew that Jena tended to write more in the romance genre than fantasy. I won this book, and finally had no reason NOT to read it. So, now that I’ve had my honest disclosure, let’s get on with the review!
Reflections has two worlds that develop in parallel. Depending on your point of view, one of the worlds never stops developing, because you’re dealing with time travel, while the other world seems to stand still. This isn’t exactly the case. To understand fully, you will have to read the book. Even so, both worlds are able to seep into your awareness, and bones, and thoughts – both the magical and the mundane. Rich, vibrant, and wonderfully well done are the words that come to mind.
Though the worlds play an important part of the story, it’s really the characters who carry the plot forward. They, more than the encounters, are what bring the worlds to life. It doesn’t matter if it is in the Regency era of London, or the modern America, or on the other side of the mirror, the characters are what bring this story to life. Each of the main characters are quickly, and carefully sketched in. The main characters receive the first focus, as it proper, and then the support cast is filled in until you have a cast of vibrant people. Throughout the process, each of the cast members shows his, or her, flaws and strengths, hopes and fears. This makes for a heady brew that carries you through to the unexpected, yet anticipated ending.
The pace of the tale is well done. It lets you pause if you wish to examine the individual threads that run through the tapestry, but it also refuses to let you stand still. It lures you on to discover new places, people, or aspects of the known characters. The transition between the two worlds, or even through time is handled smoothly – though it is not placid. The little irregularities in the weaving are part of what gives this tale it’s charm. (No, these are not flaws, I don’t think Jena knows how to send out a book that has flaws in it. They’re just wonderful quirks and kinks in the plot that let you stub your reading toes for a laugh.)
Reflections has two worlds that develop in parallel. Depending on your point of view, one of the worlds never stops developing, because you’re dealing with time travel, while the other world seems to stand still. This isn’t exactly the case. To understand fully, you will have to read the book. Even so, both worlds are able to seep into your awareness, and bones, and thoughts – both the magical and the mundane. Rich, vibrant, and wonderfully well done are the words that come to mind.
Though the worlds play an important part of the story, it’s really the characters who carry the plot forward. They, more than the encounters, are what bring the worlds to life. It doesn’t matter if it is in the Regency era of London, or the modern America, or on the other side of the mirror, the characters are what bring this story to life. Each of the main characters are quickly, and carefully sketched in. The main characters receive the first focus, as it proper, and then the support cast is filled in until you have a cast of vibrant people. Throughout the process, each of the cast members shows his, or her, flaws and strengths, hopes and fears. This makes for a heady brew that carries you through to the unexpected, yet anticipated ending.
The pace of the tale is well done. It lets you pause if you wish to examine the individual threads that run through the tapestry, but it also refuses to let you stand still. It lures you on to discover new places, people, or aspects of the known characters. The transition between the two worlds, or even through time is handled smoothly – though it is not placid. The little irregularities in the weaving are part of what gives this tale it’s charm. (No, these are not flaws, I don’t think Jena knows how to send out a book that has flaws in it. They’re just wonderful quirks and kinks in the plot that let you stub your reading toes for a laugh.)
August 24, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
This was a very interesting YA Fantasy read for me. I enjoyed the writing style the Jena Baxter provided. It was very detailed and kept me engrossed in ever word and turn of each page. The world building was pretty amazing. I felt as if I was sucked into the world and lived through every detail that happened and appeared in the book.
The moral within this story was absolutely impeccable. I totally enjoyed the idea that Juliette was cursed because of her wrong doing. The journey after she is cursed teaches her so much about being kind and about survival.
I love the whole fantasy aspect with the unicorn, centaur and the half human-bear man. That was totally awesome! The whole story line and plot was simply amazing and something I have not read much of. This is not your typical fantasy read, but it definitely takes fantasy to a whole other level.
If you're looking for a different kind of YA fantasy novel I definitely suggest you check this beauty out.
This was a very interesting YA Fantasy read for me. I enjoyed the writing style the Jena Baxter provided. It was very detailed and kept me engrossed in ever word and turn of each page. The world building was pretty amazing. I felt as if I was sucked into the world and lived through every detail that happened and appeared in the book.
The moral within this story was absolutely impeccable. I totally enjoyed the idea that Juliette was cursed because of her wrong doing. The journey after she is cursed teaches her so much about being kind and about survival.
I love the whole fantasy aspect with the unicorn, centaur and the half human-bear man. That was totally awesome! The whole story line and plot was simply amazing and something I have not read much of. This is not your typical fantasy read, but it definitely takes fantasy to a whole other level.
If you're looking for a different kind of YA fantasy novel I definitely suggest you check this beauty out.
February 22, 2015
A well-brewed tale detailing the transformation of a young, spoiled rich girl into an admirable, principled adult. Juliette, cursed to live in a fantasy world behind a mirror, must adapt from being waited on to taking care of herself and winning friends not because of family wealth or position but by the value of the person she becomes. Ms Baxter has created an intriguing and unique fantasy world and (by the end of the story) an MC the reader cheers for.
An engaging, well-written story with unexpected twists and turns ... and characters--including Unicorns!
An engaging, well-written story with unexpected twists and turns ... and characters--including Unicorns!
November 17, 2014
Its a great easy read. I've critted parts of the story but this is the first chance I've had to read it as a whole entity.
April 4, 2016
A Curse or A Gift?
Jena Baxter brings us a brand new fairy tale full of wondrous creatures and a lesson to be learned.
The mirror world created by Ms Baxter is mesmerizing. Her descriptions of different times and places in the real world are so well done that the listener/reader can actually visualize them.
Juliette started life off as a sweet girl with a best friend from a class far below hers. Sadly over the years and the influence of her parents and other friends she became self-centered and uncaring until the day she irritated the wrong witch.
After being whisked away to Mirror world, Juliette is totally lost without her servants until three unlikely companions take pity on her, unicorn Colovere, beran Tolor, and centaur Selene. They teach her how to work together and not only survive, but thrive.
Narrator Melissa Chatwood has the characters leaping off the pages with her wonderful use of voices and inflections. Thank you so much for singing the song in the book, your singing voice is angelic.
Is there any chance we can find a witch to send a few of the USA politicians to the mirror world?
This audiobook was provided by the author as a prize from an Facebook audiobook event.
Jena Baxter brings us a brand new fairy tale full of wondrous creatures and a lesson to be learned.
The mirror world created by Ms Baxter is mesmerizing. Her descriptions of different times and places in the real world are so well done that the listener/reader can actually visualize them.
Juliette started life off as a sweet girl with a best friend from a class far below hers. Sadly over the years and the influence of her parents and other friends she became self-centered and uncaring until the day she irritated the wrong witch.
After being whisked away to Mirror world, Juliette is totally lost without her servants until three unlikely companions take pity on her, unicorn Colovere, beran Tolor, and centaur Selene. They teach her how to work together and not only survive, but thrive.
Narrator Melissa Chatwood has the characters leaping off the pages with her wonderful use of voices and inflections. Thank you so much for singing the song in the book, your singing voice is angelic.
Is there any chance we can find a witch to send a few of the USA politicians to the mirror world?
This audiobook was provided by the author as a prize from an Facebook audiobook event.
October 9, 2016
I received this book as a gift. Thank goodness I got it during break or I would have been in sorry shape as this one had me staying up very late at night. It's a real page turner that I did not want to put down. There is a lot of character growth, the characters that you meet in the first chapters completely evolve by the time you reach the last pages. I also loved the world behind the mirror that the main character had to live in. This is an awesome book that is appropriate for teens and adults.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews