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Obsidian Mirror #3
The Door in the Moon
This New York Times bestselling author once again shows us that she is a master of world-building and surprising plot-twists. The vast, intricate world, fascinating revelations, and unexpected turns in the final book of the Obsidian Mirror trilogy will appeal to readers of Cassandra Claire, and will satisfy existing fans fully.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 5, 2015
14 people are currently reading
861 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fisher
64 books1,609 followersCatherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 26, 2015
The third and penultimate volume of the Chronoptika saga - and here I use "saga" in it's most negative sense of long-winded dullness.
I re-read the preceding two volumes in order to remind myself what was going on, a procedure I usually adopt if I've waited a year or so for the latest installment of a series to appear. Generally this works out fine but in this case it served to highlight and re-enforce the problems that have been present from the outset; these are poor characterisation, too many protagonists and plot incoherence.
Tackling the latter-most first, I head off on an apparent name-dropping digression: I met Catherine Fisher, once, at a talk she gave about Incarceron. I was the only adult there who wasn't a host or a school kid... Still, she was kind enough to sign my vast stack of her books afterward and further discuss her writing. I was shocked to discover that she doesn't plan her novels at all. This seemed hardly thinkable to me; I couldn't see how I would be able to write a novel without some planning, considering that stories that enter my mind generally do so as a final scene followed by an initial scene, leaving me the problem of how to link the two up...
...which leads me back here, where Fisher's lack of planning seems all too believable. It feels like what really happened here is that she wrote a single text then divided it up into four more or less equal-sized volumes after the fact. She starts in Vol. 1 by introducing more and more protagonists and complications of plot with little idea of where it's all going and took the remaining three volumes to sort out the mess which, here at the end of Vol.3 is only just beginning to simplify or cohere at all. Random plot threads appear and resolve without really seeming to move the whole mess forward at all. The whole mess of shifting loyalties of the protagonists has mostly failed to intrigue me because...
...characterisation in this book seems to consist primarily of giving each character one flaw and one obsessive motivation. It isn't enough; I just don't sympathise with most of the characters.
At this point I'm inclined to read the final volume when it appears because I am intrigued by certain things that remain mysterious - primarily the relations between two characters that have remained Mysterious and how Fisher manages to untangle all the myriad plot threads and tie them up in a neat bow for an ending - if she can!
It's disappointing, because over-all I'm a Fisher fan but this series continues her recent trend of using unsympathetic characters that make it difficult to care about the story.
I re-read the preceding two volumes in order to remind myself what was going on, a procedure I usually adopt if I've waited a year or so for the latest installment of a series to appear. Generally this works out fine but in this case it served to highlight and re-enforce the problems that have been present from the outset; these are poor characterisation, too many protagonists and plot incoherence.
Tackling the latter-most first, I head off on an apparent name-dropping digression: I met Catherine Fisher, once, at a talk she gave about Incarceron. I was the only adult there who wasn't a host or a school kid... Still, she was kind enough to sign my vast stack of her books afterward and further discuss her writing. I was shocked to discover that she doesn't plan her novels at all. This seemed hardly thinkable to me; I couldn't see how I would be able to write a novel without some planning, considering that stories that enter my mind generally do so as a final scene followed by an initial scene, leaving me the problem of how to link the two up...
...which leads me back here, where Fisher's lack of planning seems all too believable. It feels like what really happened here is that she wrote a single text then divided it up into four more or less equal-sized volumes after the fact. She starts in Vol. 1 by introducing more and more protagonists and complications of plot with little idea of where it's all going and took the remaining three volumes to sort out the mess which, here at the end of Vol.3 is only just beginning to simplify or cohere at all. Random plot threads appear and resolve without really seeming to move the whole mess forward at all. The whole mess of shifting loyalties of the protagonists has mostly failed to intrigue me because...
...characterisation in this book seems to consist primarily of giving each character one flaw and one obsessive motivation. It isn't enough; I just don't sympathise with most of the characters.
At this point I'm inclined to read the final volume when it appears because I am intrigued by certain things that remain mysterious - primarily the relations between two characters that have remained Mysterious and how Fisher manages to untangle all the myriad plot threads and tie them up in a neat bow for an ending - if she can!
It's disappointing, because over-all I'm a Fisher fan but this series continues her recent trend of using unsympathetic characters that make it difficult to care about the story.
March 27, 2017
I honestly love this book! It is soooooo good I recommend this book to everyone that can read! I love it so much because I can imagine everything that they say. Which is really fun just imagine reading and imagining what that would be like. Fun right, well I love it!
April 12, 2015
I can't believe this isn't the last book in the series. This one has barely any plot when I expected a denouement, and yet it also has too many plot threads, mostly related to antagonists and heavy-handed Shakespeare allusions. And none of these plot threads go anywhere. There's a brief sojourn to the Reign of Terror That's it. That's the book. It's really disappointing.
February 16, 2018
Catherine Fisher’s The Door in the Moon is an amazing third installment to the series. It does a fantastic job of bringing the story to a close, for now. The genre is science fantasy involving time travel and mysterious creatures. The general idea of the book is a boy named Jake who must work with his dad’s past reclusive friend to a mysterious and dangerous device to travel throughout time to find Jake’s father and maybe save the world from complete destruction. Even though there is some strange and complex idea in the novel the author does a good job of making the characters relatable, and at least mostly likable. A certain few characters are hard to get behind, but that is intentional whether t make them mysterious or more fascinating. Fisher does a remarkable job with the storyline, making it connect to the overall story while still having some diversity from the other two novels. Some overall themes in this book are that it can be hard to come to the reality of an emotional situation, a common purpose can pull people together, and trust is a fragile and complex idea.
The book was published in 2015, with the two previous books being published in 2012 and 2014. Unlike the first two books, this installment takes the story on a different path of a more realist view on the events instead of with awe or mystery. This may be because it is the third book and the characters are becoming more familiar with the complex world they are in and start to gain a better idea of their surroundings. There is nothing offensive in this series and is very child-friendly. Personally, I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys books about time travel, because this book takes it in a new direction of not striving towards time travel but limiting it.
The book was published in 2015, with the two previous books being published in 2012 and 2014. Unlike the first two books, this installment takes the story on a different path of a more realist view on the events instead of with awe or mystery. This may be because it is the third book and the characters are becoming more familiar with the complex world they are in and start to gain a better idea of their surroundings. There is nothing offensive in this series and is very child-friendly. Personally, I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys books about time travel, because this book takes it in a new direction of not striving towards time travel but limiting it.
January 22, 2015
If you're reading this, you've probably already read the first two books in the Chronoptika series, The Obsidian Mirror and The Box of Red Brocade. Briefly however, for anyone who's not caught up: there is a house called Wintercombe Abbey, in a wood populated by the beautiful but dangerously non-human Shee. The house contains an obsidian mirror, which is a time portal, and a number of ill-assorted persons, not all human and not all from the same time, who have conflicting designs on the mirror. Sarah, from the future, wants to destroy it, having seen what harm it will do there. Venn and Jake want to preserve and use it to rescue loved ones dead or trapped in the past. Maskelyne wants it for purposes unspecified but probably to do with power. Others in the house are uncommitted.
The first book was set in winter, the second in spring, and in the third we have arrived at Midsummer Eve. Those who've read them will recall also that the first, which was much concerned with Jake and his missing father, was haunted by quotes from, and references to, Hamlet, while the second, in which the corruption of power emerged more strongly, was similarly haunted by Macbeth. But behind both was another Shakespearean influence plainly lurking, that of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and in this volume it comes into its own.
Those who use the mirror are now getting more skilled at it, in particular Moll, the Victorian urchin whom Jake met in vol 1 and who makes a welcome reappearance here. And the fact that they can now do more of what they want means they have to think harder about whether they should. Several of the characters, in this volume, are troubled by conscience and conflicting duties, and those with dual natures, like Venn and Gideon, are faced with choices between them. In this the volume mirrors its Shakespearean inspiration: the Dream is all about choices and loyalties.
As usual, the action moves between different times and locations: the Abbey, the unfathomable Wood that itself contains worlds, and a very believable and exciting Paris at the time of the Terror. And as usual, I read it far too fast because it was so gripping: the lure of "what happens next" was as strong as ever. Now I'm going back to savour the actual writing, in particular the mesmerising evocation of the Shee and their Wood:
Quite apart from being invested in the characters and what happens to them – Gideon, in some danger at the end of the volume, Wharton, looking more and more like the representative of human decency, the irrepressible Moll - the vividly described locations make this perhaps Fisher's most gripping project for some time. Only one to go now, and it's beginning to sound as if that one will have to travel, at least for part of the time, into the far future from which Sarah comes and which we haven't yet seen first-hand. Can't wait.
The first book was set in winter, the second in spring, and in the third we have arrived at Midsummer Eve. Those who've read them will recall also that the first, which was much concerned with Jake and his missing father, was haunted by quotes from, and references to, Hamlet, while the second, in which the corruption of power emerged more strongly, was similarly haunted by Macbeth. But behind both was another Shakespearean influence plainly lurking, that of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and in this volume it comes into its own.
Those who use the mirror are now getting more skilled at it, in particular Moll, the Victorian urchin whom Jake met in vol 1 and who makes a welcome reappearance here. And the fact that they can now do more of what they want means they have to think harder about whether they should. Several of the characters, in this volume, are troubled by conscience and conflicting duties, and those with dual natures, like Venn and Gideon, are faced with choices between them. In this the volume mirrors its Shakespearean inspiration: the Dream is all about choices and loyalties.
As usual, the action moves between different times and locations: the Abbey, the unfathomable Wood that itself contains worlds, and a very believable and exciting Paris at the time of the Terror. And as usual, I read it far too fast because it was so gripping: the lure of "what happens next" was as strong as ever. Now I'm going back to savour the actual writing, in particular the mesmerising evocation of the Shee and their Wood:
The Shee came down round him in clouds. He watched how some of them stayed butterflies and how other transformed, wholly or in part, to the pale tall people he had seen before, their clothes now brilliant scarlets and turquoises and oranges. With soft rustles and crackles their bodies unfolded. Abdomen and antennae became skin and smile.
Quite apart from being invested in the characters and what happens to them – Gideon, in some danger at the end of the volume, Wharton, looking more and more like the representative of human decency, the irrepressible Moll - the vividly described locations make this perhaps Fisher's most gripping project for some time. Only one to go now, and it's beginning to sound as if that one will have to travel, at least for part of the time, into the far future from which Sarah comes and which we haven't yet seen first-hand. Can't wait.
February 23, 2017
Wow! This series is getting better and better. The characters start to come together in really interesting ways, the danger grows, and, as Jake desperately searches for his father, he keeps entering dire situations: Plague-ridden Italy; World War II London during the Blitz; the French Revolution. The stakes are getting clearer for the other characters, too. I am very taken by the "minor" characters, Piers, Gideon, and Wharton. I'm also starting to wonder exactly who Gideon is; he marches into danger at the end of this book, and, with Catherine Fisher, you have to pay attention to the story snippets and poems that begin the chapters. Everything relates to everything else. Excellent writing and an intriguing series. Not sure I love it as much as "Corbenic" (my favorite of hers), but it's up there with the Relic Master series, for sure.
Read
June 6, 2015My Thoughts:
In all my years of reviewing, I've never come across a series like the Chronoptika quartet. It skilfully Blends magic with undertones of sci-fi, in a disorienting thrilling exploit through time. The door in the moon, Catherine Fishers third entry, is no exception to the status quo and in my opinion, is worthy of its predecessors praise.
"'Venn Can roar and flummox all he likes, but when summer smiles, believe me, everyone obeys.'"
Our story breaks out when Moll, a former street urchin and abandoned friend of Jake, kidnaps him from the past to enlist his help in a baffling scheme. Which would all be fine and dandy if in weren't ... well, During the revolution of France. An uprising that needs little introduction.
To complicate things further, Sarah (a resistance leader, from a dictator-ruled future) has tagged along too. But hey, it couldn't be "the Chronoptika" without a web of plotlines!
"Where ever the mirror has been, men have used it for their own needs. Janus is just the last of many.They are all responsible. They have all desires its power"
I'm surprised by how much bleed-over there is from Slanted Worlds. The Half Zeus coin that can destroy the Obsidian Mirror is still in play, and has a significant role in TDINM. Also, Moll (as hinted above) Returns! We get to see what she's been doing these past years, while Jake has been engrossed with saving his dad.
"The shee host passed. it rippled like a gale driving a scatter of leaves, so light, delicate. Or like a flock of, the wind of its wings raising dust and flickering in the moonlight."
The Door In The Moon doesn't resolve most of the lingering lore or selling points of the series, but it does offer an entertaining adventure. Don't let the "time travel" theme or the cover dissuade you - this is a unique tale. One that excellently sets up for the final, mirror related story - The Speed of Darkness.
My Rating: 4.7/5
____________
http://thebookgazer.blogspot.ca
In all my years of reviewing, I've never come across a series like the Chronoptika quartet. It skilfully Blends magic with undertones of sci-fi, in a disorienting thrilling exploit through time. The door in the moon, Catherine Fishers third entry, is no exception to the status quo and in my opinion, is worthy of its predecessors praise.
"'Venn Can roar and flummox all he likes, but when summer smiles, believe me, everyone obeys.'"
Our story breaks out when Moll, a former street urchin and abandoned friend of Jake, kidnaps him from the past to enlist his help in a baffling scheme. Which would all be fine and dandy if in weren't ... well, During the revolution of France. An uprising that needs little introduction.
To complicate things further, Sarah (a resistance leader, from a dictator-ruled future) has tagged along too. But hey, it couldn't be "the Chronoptika" without a web of plotlines!
"Where ever the mirror has been, men have used it for their own needs. Janus is just the last of many.They are all responsible. They have all desires its power"
I'm surprised by how much bleed-over there is from Slanted Worlds. The Half Zeus coin that can destroy the Obsidian Mirror is still in play, and has a significant role in TDINM. Also, Moll (as hinted above) Returns! We get to see what she's been doing these past years, while Jake has been engrossed with saving his dad.
"The shee host passed. it rippled like a gale driving a scatter of leaves, so light, delicate. Or like a flock of, the wind of its wings raising dust and flickering in the moonlight."
The Door In The Moon doesn't resolve most of the lingering lore or selling points of the series, but it does offer an entertaining adventure. Don't let the "time travel" theme or the cover dissuade you - this is a unique tale. One that excellently sets up for the final, mirror related story - The Speed of Darkness.
My Rating: 4.7/5
____________
http://thebookgazer.blogspot.ca
December 17, 2015
Finally, things start to move! After the complexity of the first two volumes, this book is much simpler, following a mostly linear plot. Jake is kidnapped and ends up participating in a heist during the French Revolution of all times. Meanwhile, Summer's fairies stage an attack on Wintercombe that has to be resisted by Rebecca, Wharton and Maskelyne.
I loved seeing Moll again, especially given that Can Moll be the main character, please? Jake is so glum and boring compared to her. A character that fell flat in this volume was Summer, who, for all the other characters' fear of her, just seems childish and irritating to me.
Despite all the action of this volume, not much actually happens. All the major players, situations and story elements remain precisely as they were when we started, except for one thing, This would be fine if the characters have some kind of internal change, development or revelation - but they don't. As a result, I ended this book feeling a little disappointed. Still, an exciting read, and I'm interested in seeing how everything ends.
I loved seeing Moll again, especially given that Can Moll be the main character, please? Jake is so glum and boring compared to her. A character that fell flat in this volume was Summer, who, for all the other characters' fear of her, just seems childish and irritating to me.
Despite all the action of this volume, not much actually happens. All the major players, situations and story elements remain precisely as they were when we started, except for one thing, This would be fine if the characters have some kind of internal change, development or revelation - but they don't. As a result, I ended this book feeling a little disappointed. Still, an exciting read, and I'm interested in seeing how everything ends.
July 2, 2015
ok if this was the third in four series book i might have given it 2 1/2 because i love fisher, i thought the first two were ok and while this was really not a book and just a filler, but knowing fisher i would have thought that the fourth book would have been great and would have made reading this worthwhile. but this is the LAST ONE in a TRILOGY? i really love fisher and so this gets 2 stars, anyone else and it would have been a one or half!!
so if you are planning on reading this, IF there is another book then browse through this to see where everyone is or preferably read a one chapter summary and then cross your fingers read the fourth book and hope that it's a fisher book!
sooo it seems that it's not a trilogy and there would be a fourth book and so, well so not fair to start with a trilogy and then add more book, especially since i still can't see the reason for this book, but now i add atleast happy ... maybe.... that there is one more book... maybe
so if you are planning on reading this, IF there is another book then browse through this to see where everyone is or preferably read a one chapter summary and then cross your fingers read the fourth book and hope that it's a fisher book!
sooo it seems that it's not a trilogy and there would be a fourth book and so, well so not fair to start with a trilogy and then add more book, especially since i still can't see the reason for this book, but now i add atleast happy ... maybe.... that there is one more book... maybe
April 20, 2015
I felt like this book was the most suspenseful installment in the series so far. Between the heists and the multiple brushes with death, the plot was always full of excitement. This is also one of the few books where I cared for all of the characters. I feel like I've connected to the main characters over the course of three books, and the side characters keep me wondering about them. As for the villains, they simultaneously intimidate and fascinate me, like all of the finest fictional villains do. I don't think the fourth book will come out for a year, which saddens me because I adore this series. I wish more fantasy and science fiction books were like this!
August 6, 2017
Fantasy / YA
Loved it as much as the others.
Lots of action and suspense, I white knuckled through a couple of sections.
Still a few little mysteries left.
Great characters, you feel for them.
Like the ladies, none of them are whinny and annoying, they’re strong, independent and have their own interesting story lines.
Liked Molly popping up but what is she up to?
No real romance or cutesy stuff to speak of and I’m ok with that.
Now while I really love this author and this series, I hope it doesn’t drag on past four books unless there some kind of huge upheaval to keep it going.
Will definitely get the next.
Recommended to fans of Science Fiction, Fantasy and fans of Doctor Who.
-----
*I’m so very, very behind reviewing. The stack, well two stacks, of books is threatening to topple over. These reviews are going to be fast and dirty and, possibly, nonsensical. I’m transcribing them from printed notes, some written well over a year ago. You’ve been warned. *
Loved it as much as the others.
Lots of action and suspense, I white knuckled through a couple of sections.
Still a few little mysteries left.
Great characters, you feel for them.
Like the ladies, none of them are whinny and annoying, they’re strong, independent and have their own interesting story lines.
Liked Molly popping up but what is she up to?
No real romance or cutesy stuff to speak of and I’m ok with that.
Now while I really love this author and this series, I hope it doesn’t drag on past four books unless there some kind of huge upheaval to keep it going.
Will definitely get the next.
Recommended to fans of Science Fiction, Fantasy and fans of Doctor Who.
-----
*I’m so very, very behind reviewing. The stack, well two stacks, of books is threatening to topple over. These reviews are going to be fast and dirty and, possibly, nonsensical. I’m transcribing them from printed notes, some written well over a year ago. You’ve been warned. *
May 12, 2019
I was very disappointed with this series and would have abandoned it in the middle of the last book had I not had this one on my shelf already. But I thought it was a trilogy so I ploughed on because the blurbs said all the right things (fans of Dr Who, Harry Potter, time-travel, etc.).
Thankfully my library does not have the fourth (last) book so I can free myself. At this point I'd have to continue because there are one or two things that piqued my interest, but the whole series is not worth the effort.
Thankfully my library does not have the fourth (last) book so I can free myself. At this point I'd have to continue because there are one or two things that piqued my interest, but the whole series is not worth the effort.
April 26, 2021
Teen fantasy that takes place in our world. Very imaginative, engrossing, faie, gritty, a bit scary, and complicated/involved. I read all four books and recommend them for anyone who likes books with the kind of adjectives I just used.
#2 The Slanted Worlds
#3 The Door in the Moon
#4 The Speed of Darkness
#2 The Slanted Worlds
#3 The Door in the Moon
#4 The Speed of Darkness
November 26, 2020
The third in the series of the Obsidian Mirror. I believe this novel was to be the last in the series, but have recently learned that there in now a forth book. The novel is a continuation for the previous with the charming charters having new experiences. Enjoy.
October 2, 2025
I read this ages ago, probably 10 years or more. I stopped reading anything from her though because both of the 2 series I read (also Incarceron), do NOT have satisfying endings!!! I hate that and refuse to read any more of her books!
September 24, 2023
My favourite in the series so far. Probably because it’s the only ones that’s ended happily and I’m a slut for found family (better not get ruined)
January 18, 2018
Exciting, intricate, cleverly plotted fantasy sequel.
Catherine Fisher is a skilled, lyrical and exciting writer who can expertly weave strands of stories and multiple genres together. In part three of her dazzling ‘Chronoptika sequence’/ 'Shakespeare Quartet' she takes the reader by the hand and pulls them into a maelstrom of breathless, pulsating action, propelling them from one cliff hanger situation to another as key characters, under the influence of the malign Obsidian Mirror, seek their hearts’ desires. Expertly combining elements of folklore, fairy tale fantasy, dystopian Science Fiction, Shakespearean intertextuality and historical adventure, The Door in the Moon explores the endless possibilities and perils of time travel.
Each chapter of the novel is elegantly crafted using extracts from diaries, letters, biographies and past histories- Chinese boxes of stories within stories chronicling the history of Wintercombe Abbey and the legacy of the mirror. Dovetailed neatly into this structure are select quotations from A Midsummer Night’s Dream which preface each section and tie beautifully into the changeling plot.
Readers are presented with a galaxy of colourful characters from the past, present and future of the mirror spiralling around the fulcrum of Oberon Venn, a troubled, volatile man who is a ghost of himself because of what he has lost. Those familiar with the first two books of the sequence will recognise Summer-a beautiful, dangerous fairy queen toying with fragile hearts, Jake- a fencing teen who has lost part of himself, Gideon- a stolen child, Maskelyne- a mysterious, scarred man with a dark secret, Rebecca- a loyal, courageous student, Sarah- a futuristic girl with a secret that threatens them all, Piers- a genii and shape changer, George Wharton- a teacher and protector, Janus- a tyrant and manipulator, David- a scientist lost in time and Moll- a feisty urchin turned bandit queen.
Fisher offers a rich paint box of locations ranging from an isolated abbey to an ever changing fey forest to the blood soaked savagery of 18th Century revolutionary France where the guillotine reigns supreme. At the heart of the story is the dark magic of the Obsidian Mirror which “offers the power to change previous events, to recover something that is lost, even if it changes the world”. Characters are trapped in a web of their own making and readers are invited to deliberate about the price for trying to bend time to your will. Although The Door in the Moon is an adventurous read ricocheting through time, it should be enjoyed as part of the sequence as events occur in book two, The Box of Red Brocade, which impact upon book three. Fisher states that she has “always thought the idea of Time Travel fascinating, full of paradox and speculation and opportunities for adventure” and the Chronoptika sequence fulfils this dream. It is her magnum opus and it will be a pleasure to continue the journey into her world when part four is published since The Door in the Moon ends on a tantalising note promising an enjoyable denouement.
Catherine Fisher is a skilled, lyrical and exciting writer who can expertly weave strands of stories and multiple genres together. In part three of her dazzling ‘Chronoptika sequence’/ 'Shakespeare Quartet' she takes the reader by the hand and pulls them into a maelstrom of breathless, pulsating action, propelling them from one cliff hanger situation to another as key characters, under the influence of the malign Obsidian Mirror, seek their hearts’ desires. Expertly combining elements of folklore, fairy tale fantasy, dystopian Science Fiction, Shakespearean intertextuality and historical adventure, The Door in the Moon explores the endless possibilities and perils of time travel.
Each chapter of the novel is elegantly crafted using extracts from diaries, letters, biographies and past histories- Chinese boxes of stories within stories chronicling the history of Wintercombe Abbey and the legacy of the mirror. Dovetailed neatly into this structure are select quotations from A Midsummer Night’s Dream which preface each section and tie beautifully into the changeling plot.
Readers are presented with a galaxy of colourful characters from the past, present and future of the mirror spiralling around the fulcrum of Oberon Venn, a troubled, volatile man who is a ghost of himself because of what he has lost. Those familiar with the first two books of the sequence will recognise Summer-a beautiful, dangerous fairy queen toying with fragile hearts, Jake- a fencing teen who has lost part of himself, Gideon- a stolen child, Maskelyne- a mysterious, scarred man with a dark secret, Rebecca- a loyal, courageous student, Sarah- a futuristic girl with a secret that threatens them all, Piers- a genii and shape changer, George Wharton- a teacher and protector, Janus- a tyrant and manipulator, David- a scientist lost in time and Moll- a feisty urchin turned bandit queen.
Fisher offers a rich paint box of locations ranging from an isolated abbey to an ever changing fey forest to the blood soaked savagery of 18th Century revolutionary France where the guillotine reigns supreme. At the heart of the story is the dark magic of the Obsidian Mirror which “offers the power to change previous events, to recover something that is lost, even if it changes the world”. Characters are trapped in a web of their own making and readers are invited to deliberate about the price for trying to bend time to your will. Although The Door in the Moon is an adventurous read ricocheting through time, it should be enjoyed as part of the sequence as events occur in book two, The Box of Red Brocade, which impact upon book three. Fisher states that she has “always thought the idea of Time Travel fascinating, full of paradox and speculation and opportunities for adventure” and the Chronoptika sequence fulfils this dream. It is her magnum opus and it will be a pleasure to continue the journey into her world when part four is published since The Door in the Moon ends on a tantalising note promising an enjoyable denouement.
March 24, 2015
Incredible. The third book in the series, and so my favorite by far. Partly because there is more action, more time actually spent in the past, and partly because the Mirror. Finally. Freaking. Works! Fisher's incredible skill with words allows for an action-filled, complex plot that follows many characters across many different stories without overwhelming us with information or losing coherency. Moll, the snarky little street urchin, makes a big return too. Loved her development!
Also, checked on her site, it's a quartet, not a trilogy. The fourth and final book will be out next year.
Also, checked on her site, it's a quartet, not a trilogy. The fourth and final book will be out next year.
April 11, 2015
Exciting continuation of the series -- much of the action occurring during the Reign of Terror in France of the 1790s. I had understood that this book concluded a trilogy, and I was disturbed that basic plot lines of the series had been left hanging and unresolved -- but I now understand that a fourth volume ("The Speed of Darkness") is still to come. The plot, as it has woven its way through all three books, and in the fragmented manner it is presented by the author, is complex. A second reading (of all three books) would be worthwhile.
August 10, 2015
What is Fisher referencing with the title of a door in the moon?
I don't have THE answer, but here are some thoughts on the matter:
The moon is frequently referred to in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Titania, Oberon, and Puck are names of the moons of Uranus. The Door in the Moon is certainly filled with...
At another point Piers and Wharton are on the "moon" as created by the Shee in the Summerland. To escape this world they find...
To read the full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
I don't have THE answer, but here are some thoughts on the matter:
The moon is frequently referred to in Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream. Titania, Oberon, and Puck are names of the moons of Uranus. The Door in the Moon is certainly filled with...
At another point Piers and Wharton are on the "moon" as created by the Shee in the Summerland. To escape this world they find...
To read the full review go to www.talesuntangled.wordpress.com
May 11, 2016
The Door in the Moon, book 3 in the Chronoptika series, is faced paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just when you start to think everyone is going to be safe and back together in the same place, something unexpected comes along to change that. The Shea are busy doing all kinds of mischief, Jake and Sarah finally agree to help each other, and the other's still have their little secrets they are not completely sharing with anyone. It's those secrets and hidden agendas that keep everyone in danger, even if they don't realize it quite yet.
September 13, 2015
I love Catherine Fisher but I only picked up this series because I thought it was a trilogy and that all three books were already released - I didn't want to have to wait for the next book. I was nearly done with this third book and trying to figure out how things were going to resolve when I found out that it was NOT the last book; talk about disappointing! But overall this series has been a great read, a twisty, odd, unexpected story.
May 13, 2015
I really enjoyed the first book in the series but was disappointed in the second. Catherine Fisher is such a great writer, I had to give the third book in the series a chance and it was much better than the second. There will be a fourth (and hopefully final) book, hopefully she will end on a high note.
February 21, 2015
Complex, possibly too complex, but completely absorbing. The third in the sequence in which Time is the central theme. We have been through winter (The Obsidian Mirror) spring (The box of red brocade) and now summer....autumn will hopefully see all resolved. I love the richness of Fisher's writing - here we have fairy lore, myth, Shakespeare, time travel and history.
September 18, 2016
Actually 3.5 stars
Better than the first two books in my opinion. This book was much less confusing I think. That or I've gotten used to Fisher's style. But the story was pretty straight forward and sets the stage for the last book.
Better than the first two books in my opinion. This book was much less confusing I think. That or I've gotten used to Fisher's style. But the story was pretty straight forward and sets the stage for the last book.
November 30, 2014
I can tell it will be good...
August 14, 2015
It was amazing!!! Please give me the next one now!!!!
Read
February 3, 2016Where did I put this?
July 27, 2015
Way too much fantasy, as opposed to the first 2 books. Way too much French Revolution. Way too much everything but captivating story. It's sad really, because I loved the first two books.
July 1, 2015
Awesome!
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