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Mirror Marked
Old, rich, and deeply rooted in witchcraft, the Petronio family's youngest daughter is getting married. There's just one problem: the mother of the bride, Mutya, is an evil witch—and she's out for vengeance.
Kelly hasn't been planning weddings for very long, but she takes the job despite her misgivings. However, the wedding will be taking place at Chateau Petronio, where her film director father once tried and failed to shoot a horror film. Where Kelly, at the age of eight, came across a mirror that enabled her to See the Unseen and changed her life. Suddenly, she's not so sure the Petronios picked her just for her resume. With the help of a motley crew of witches, can she defend the wedding from Mutya, solve the mystery behind the mirror, and impress the bride's attractive older sister Marga—all in one night?
Kelly hasn't been planning weddings for very long, but she takes the job despite her misgivings. However, the wedding will be taking place at Chateau Petronio, where her film director father once tried and failed to shoot a horror film. Where Kelly, at the age of eight, came across a mirror that enabled her to See the Unseen and changed her life. Suddenly, she's not so sure the Petronios picked her just for her resume. With the help of a motley crew of witches, can she defend the wedding from Mutya, solve the mystery behind the mirror, and impress the bride's attractive older sister Marga—all in one night?
- GenresFantasy
90 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2025
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 1, 2025
Beautiful smart storytelling g mixed a great magical family mystery with a gorgeous bit of character exploration strongly recommended
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
January 5, 2026
The story makes it seem like you are not the main character of the wedding, but it turns out otherwise. A series of unfortunate events is directed toward you, and whether you like it or not, you are part of it.
To give a little spoiler, it is written in a narrative style where the main character, Kelly, is referred to as “you.” This gives the reader the perspective of being part of the story itself. Another small spoiler: at the end of the novel, the reader will understand the use of this pronoun.
It was quite a challenge for me to read at first, as I kept looking for the relevance of each scenario to the bigger conflict and overall plot. However, as the story progressed, the details from the previous chapters began to matter.
With this, the flow of the story made me realized that the conflict from wedding has something to do with the unresolved past of Kelly. Surviving the unfortunate event at the wedding means resolving the trauma
One factor is the sequence and shifting timeline of the story—it jumps from the present scenario to glimpses of the past. This might also be challenging, but it did not confuse me in determining the current setting. There are clear descriptions and cues that help identify which timeline the scenario is referring to.
There are themes that can be considered very Filipino. Despite being written as fantasy and featuring mythological creatures and supernatural abilities, it tackles familiar family issues such as family drama, unresolved conflicts from the past, generational trauma, and misunderstandings between a mother and child. These are presented through heavy conflict; however, the themes of acceptance, fighting for what is right, and letting go remain deeply relatable.
To give a little spoiler, it is written in a narrative style where the main character, Kelly, is referred to as “you.” This gives the reader the perspective of being part of the story itself. Another small spoiler: at the end of the novel, the reader will understand the use of this pronoun.
It was quite a challenge for me to read at first, as I kept looking for the relevance of each scenario to the bigger conflict and overall plot. However, as the story progressed, the details from the previous chapters began to matter.
With this, the flow of the story made me realized that the conflict from wedding has something to do with the unresolved past of Kelly. Surviving the unfortunate event at the wedding means resolving the trauma
One factor is the sequence and shifting timeline of the story—it jumps from the present scenario to glimpses of the past. This might also be challenging, but it did not confuse me in determining the current setting. There are clear descriptions and cues that help identify which timeline the scenario is referring to.
There are themes that can be considered very Filipino. Despite being written as fantasy and featuring mythological creatures and supernatural abilities, it tackles familiar family issues such as family drama, unresolved conflicts from the past, generational trauma, and misunderstandings between a mother and child. These are presented through heavy conflict; however, the themes of acceptance, fighting for what is right, and letting go remain deeply relatable.
December 5, 2025
Mirror Marked was a fascinating yet somewhat confusing read.
It's written mostly in the second person (the prologue starts off in first person then segues into second), which was a novelty (for me) - and very well done. In fact, the POV really lends itself to the story; a kind of strange blend of storytelling, immersion, and something almost epistolary. I loved it.
The prologue ends with the ominous question, "Do you know where this story begins?" and then the narrator proceeds to tell us the story, starting over and over at different times leading up to the wedding, and at different points in Kelly's life. Some of the latter felt disjointed at times, but Cruz-Borja draws you along with the promise that all of it is important, all of it will eventually make sense. The confusing part is mostly because I'm quite a linear reader, and Mirror Marked is a very non-linear story. In fact, each section brings you further back into the past, before it culminates in the present. You just have to allow yourself to be led by Cruz-Borja's masterful storytelling and trust that she will not let you down.
Mutya, the mother of the bride, is a witch, and one of Kelly's main tasks is to make sure that she isn't at the wedding. And yet, whilst the wedding, and the planning leading up to it, is the backdrop to everything that's going on, the core of the story isn't about the wedding, or even about love. It's about facing up to yourself and your past, and the healing that comes from that. It's about memory, and the stories we tell ourselves around painful ones. It's about difficult families and how broken parent-child relationships negatively impact a child's view of the world and themselves. It can be a difficult read at times - Cruz-Borja even advises you in her author note to take a break if you need to.
Best of all, Mirror Marked is gloriously Filipino. It's set in a Manila populated by Kapre, Diwata, Sigbin, and Engkanto. There's no over explaining, and even no glossary. There's a mix of cultural references, like "It’s giving Princess Punzalan in Mula Sa Puso" as well as "Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst’s upside-down kiss in Spider-Man". I don't always get everything, but I don't have to. Google exists and even without it, the story still stands on its own.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from PS Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
It's written mostly in the second person (the prologue starts off in first person then segues into second), which was a novelty (for me) - and very well done. In fact, the POV really lends itself to the story; a kind of strange blend of storytelling, immersion, and something almost epistolary. I loved it.
The prologue ends with the ominous question, "Do you know where this story begins?" and then the narrator proceeds to tell us the story, starting over and over at different times leading up to the wedding, and at different points in Kelly's life. Some of the latter felt disjointed at times, but Cruz-Borja draws you along with the promise that all of it is important, all of it will eventually make sense. The confusing part is mostly because I'm quite a linear reader, and Mirror Marked is a very non-linear story. In fact, each section brings you further back into the past, before it culminates in the present. You just have to allow yourself to be led by Cruz-Borja's masterful storytelling and trust that she will not let you down.
Mutya, the mother of the bride, is a witch, and one of Kelly's main tasks is to make sure that she isn't at the wedding. And yet, whilst the wedding, and the planning leading up to it, is the backdrop to everything that's going on, the core of the story isn't about the wedding, or even about love. It's about facing up to yourself and your past, and the healing that comes from that. It's about memory, and the stories we tell ourselves around painful ones. It's about difficult families and how broken parent-child relationships negatively impact a child's view of the world and themselves. It can be a difficult read at times - Cruz-Borja even advises you in her author note to take a break if you need to.
Best of all, Mirror Marked is gloriously Filipino. It's set in a Manila populated by Kapre, Diwata, Sigbin, and Engkanto. There's no over explaining, and even no glossary. There's a mix of cultural references, like "It’s giving Princess Punzalan in Mula Sa Puso" as well as "Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst’s upside-down kiss in Spider-Man". I don't always get everything, but I don't have to. Google exists and even without it, the story still stands on its own.
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from PS Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 25, 2026
"It is here that the memorable thing about this novella emerges: the true horror isn’t found in the fantasy elements of a world where fae and Filipinos co-exist. It is found in the home, in the warping of a growing child’s mind and body when love is weaker than expectation."
Read the rest of the review of Vida Cruz-Borja 's latest novella from PS Publishing!
https://exlibrisphilippines.com/2026/...
Read the rest of the review of Vida Cruz-Borja 's latest novella from PS Publishing!
https://exlibrisphilippines.com/2026/...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews