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Mirrorwoven
Not yet published
Expected 2 Jul 26You are cordially invited to the Dragon Masquerade …
Del has two rules. stay away from royalty. don’t fall in love.
The first – because Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her boyfriend, Del flees her family, home and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new heir. With a magically constructed mirrorwoven face, Del is now unrecognisable, and disappears to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato.
The second rule – because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unravelled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine. Del’s had enough of love anyway.
When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the newly widowed First of Salato, she is resolved to keep her head down. But Clara is naïve and trusts too easily, and soon Del finds herself having to guide Clara through the shoals of court life, somehow without revealing her own secret.
As Del grows closer to both Clara and Nasca, Clara’s brilliant, dangerous sister-in-law, it will only take a push to bring Del’s house of cards tumbling down.
Like, for example, breaking Rule Two.
Del has two rules. stay away from royalty. don’t fall in love.
The first – because Del is secretly a runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her boyfriend, Del flees her family, home and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new heir. With a magically constructed mirrorwoven face, Del is now unrecognisable, and disappears to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato.
The second rule – because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unravelled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine. Del’s had enough of love anyway.
When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the newly widowed First of Salato, she is resolved to keep her head down. But Clara is naïve and trusts too easily, and soon Del finds herself having to guide Clara through the shoals of court life, somehow without revealing her own secret.
As Del grows closer to both Clara and Nasca, Clara’s brilliant, dangerous sister-in-law, it will only take a push to bring Del’s house of cards tumbling down.
Like, for example, breaking Rule Two.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 2, 2026
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January 3, 2026YA sapphic fantasy w/ love triangle
March 4, 2026
Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC for review.
Del is on the run. An heir to a magical kingdom in magical disguise, all she wants is to become a guild bard in Solato, a supposed democratic lagoon-city. Through a series of events however she finds herself court bard to the widowed First of Solato, which is a nightmare because of course, Rule 1 is to stay away from royalty. Rule 2 is not to fall in love - and of course Del, the disaster bisexual that she is, finds herself falling head over heels for the city's ruler. Oh, and there's also Clara's hot sister in law. Del must somehow keep herself hidden while helping the naive Clara the First navigate the leadership of a city roiling with class tension. What could go wrong?
Bori crafted a unique Venice inspired setting, interesting characters, a well voiced protagonist and of course, an enormous amount of sapphic yearning (and payoff). The twists in this were very satisfying, and once the pace picks up in the back half of the book it was difficult to put down.
This is an atypical read for me and I still found myself struggling to really connect with the story and characters, but I still ultimately enjoyed the read and am impressed at the quality of this debut.
Great work Bori, I'm proud of you!
Del is on the run. An heir to a magical kingdom in magical disguise, all she wants is to become a guild bard in Solato, a supposed democratic lagoon-city. Through a series of events however she finds herself court bard to the widowed First of Solato, which is a nightmare because of course, Rule 1 is to stay away from royalty. Rule 2 is not to fall in love - and of course Del, the disaster bisexual that she is, finds herself falling head over heels for the city's ruler. Oh, and there's also Clara's hot sister in law. Del must somehow keep herself hidden while helping the naive Clara the First navigate the leadership of a city roiling with class tension. What could go wrong?
Bori crafted a unique Venice inspired setting, interesting characters, a well voiced protagonist and of course, an enormous amount of sapphic yearning (and payoff). The twists in this were very satisfying, and once the pace picks up in the back half of the book it was difficult to put down.
This is an atypical read for me and I still found myself struggling to really connect with the story and characters, but I still ultimately enjoyed the read and am impressed at the quality of this debut.
Great work Bori, I'm proud of you!
October 17, 2025
Read an early copy of this and I CANNOT WAIT for it to be out in the world. One of the best YA fantasies I've read, hands down. So imaginative, so funny, and so damn heartbreaking. (Bori, you're the worst. But your books slaps.)
Currently reading
March 5, 2026✨Mirrorwoven
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
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March 17, 2026Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Full disclosure: This is not a book I can review without bias. I've been cheering it on since its inception - since its predecessor's inception! - and seeing Cser's hard work come to fruition fills me with an admiration and pride that was always going to colour my reading experience.
By the same token, I'm fairly miserly with my star ratings, and have only become pickier and more discerning as my reading journey has gone on. I love and support my friends, but I also believe strongly in honesty, and in the boundaries between readerly and writerly spaces.
Thankfully, though unsurprisingly, Mirrorwoven was fantastic, and I can gush with integrity. Mirrorwoven follows Del, a runaway princess who soon finds that she has inadvertently traded the trials and tribulations of one court and kingdom - well, queendom: her home, Gilnea - for another. It is in this latter nation, the Venice-inspired city-state Salato, that Del must learn to stand her ground, navigating her appointment as court bard to its ruler, the First; her budding relationships with two very different, though equally alluring, sisters-by-marriage, Clara and Nasca; the fraught politics of a much larger, wealthier foreign body; and all that follows as a result.
I loved these characters from the very first page, and soon found myself as swept up in the happenings of their lives as they were. This debut is written with so much self assurance, such attention to detail and respect for the craft of writing, that it almost transcends genre. I say almost, because this is very much a young adult fantasy novel, and it shows too much respect for both the genre and its readers to waste page space trying to convert the uninitiated, no matter how much it knows they're missing out. But for the casual fantasy reader, it's a joyous reminder of all that is good about the genre, and for the fantasy lover, it's a no-brainer.
In some respects, Cser shows her hand early. There are no deus ex machinas here, only Chekhov's guns and Occam's razors. Setup and payoff go hand in hand, and in Mirrorwoven, such narrative principles are deftly balanced against surprise and intrigue, always in harmony. The joy is not in watching the cards being revealed, but in seeing how expertly Cser stacks them up, only to make them tumble at just the right moment. The whole thing is spectacularly orchestrated; never is that clearer than in its conclusion, which ties up just enough to leave you happy and hopeful, but not so much that you're totally satisfied - because such completion, of course, comes with Mirrorwoven #2, just as intended.
I can't wait to have this book in my hot little hands come pub day. If you like sapphic romances, if you like love triangles, forbidden love, YEARNING (my God, the yearning), rich historical Venetian fantasy settings, world-building as natural as breathing and as exciting as your dream holiday, court politics, masquerade balls, music, love, life, light - give Mirrorwoven a try. I doubt you'll regret it.
Thank you to Bori Cser, Harper Fire, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a fun week of reading this has been!
By the same token, I'm fairly miserly with my star ratings, and have only become pickier and more discerning as my reading journey has gone on. I love and support my friends, but I also believe strongly in honesty, and in the boundaries between readerly and writerly spaces.
Thankfully, though unsurprisingly, Mirrorwoven was fantastic, and I can gush with integrity. Mirrorwoven follows Del, a runaway princess who soon finds that she has inadvertently traded the trials and tribulations of one court and kingdom - well, queendom: her home, Gilnea - for another. It is in this latter nation, the Venice-inspired city-state Salato, that Del must learn to stand her ground, navigating her appointment as court bard to its ruler, the First; her budding relationships with two very different, though equally alluring, sisters-by-marriage, Clara and Nasca; the fraught politics of a much larger, wealthier foreign body; and all that follows as a result.
I loved these characters from the very first page, and soon found myself as swept up in the happenings of their lives as they were. This debut is written with so much self assurance, such attention to detail and respect for the craft of writing, that it almost transcends genre. I say almost, because this is very much a young adult fantasy novel, and it shows too much respect for both the genre and its readers to waste page space trying to convert the uninitiated, no matter how much it knows they're missing out. But for the casual fantasy reader, it's a joyous reminder of all that is good about the genre, and for the fantasy lover, it's a no-brainer.
In some respects, Cser shows her hand early. There are no deus ex machinas here, only Chekhov's guns and Occam's razors. Setup and payoff go hand in hand, and in Mirrorwoven, such narrative principles are deftly balanced against surprise and intrigue, always in harmony. The joy is not in watching the cards being revealed, but in seeing how expertly Cser stacks them up, only to make them tumble at just the right moment. The whole thing is spectacularly orchestrated; never is that clearer than in its conclusion, which ties up just enough to leave you happy and hopeful, but not so much that you're totally satisfied - because such completion, of course, comes with Mirrorwoven #2, just as intended.
I can't wait to have this book in my hot little hands come pub day. If you like sapphic romances, if you like love triangles, forbidden love, YEARNING (my God, the yearning), rich historical Venetian fantasy settings, world-building as natural as breathing and as exciting as your dream holiday, court politics, masquerade balls, music, love, life, light - give Mirrorwoven a try. I doubt you'll regret it.
Thank you to Bori Cser, Harper Fire, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a fun week of reading this has been!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Every now again, a book comes along that reminds you just how FUN reading can be. Mirrorwoven is absolutely that book.
If Kvothe from The Name of the Wind was a chaotic bisexual runaway princess, caught in a love triangle between Sabran from Priory of the Orange Tree and the femme equivalent of Robin Hood's Guy of Gisborne (the Richard Armitage version obviously!), while living like Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle if the curse had made her a hottie instead, while trying to compartmentalise herself like Shallan from the Stormlight Archive... you might get something like Mirrorwoven.
But these comparisons seem somewhat unfair as it is very much its own book! I loved Del/Adeline, despite (or because of) the consistently terrible decisions she made throughout the novel.
It was also so nice to see a love interest who was loved for just being a dang good person who consistently tries to be better.
Worth noting that this is a delightfully queernorm world, with well-written trans rep of a minor character with no associated trauma and queer characters all-over. The main character however, most certainly DOES have trauma, which leads her to fracture her personalities and we only properly uncover her backstory as the book goes on.
As someone who spent years of their life studying music, I got so much joy from Del as a main character- I can totally understand falling out of a boat and only thinking of your instrument.
Please tell me there is a sequel, and we will get to see more of the other kingdoms!
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins and Bori for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback!!
If Kvothe from The Name of the Wind was a chaotic bisexual runaway princess, caught in a love triangle between Sabran from Priory of the Orange Tree and the femme equivalent of Robin Hood's Guy of Gisborne (the Richard Armitage version obviously!), while living like Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle if the curse had made her a hottie instead, while trying to compartmentalise herself like Shallan from the Stormlight Archive... you might get something like Mirrorwoven.
But these comparisons seem somewhat unfair as it is very much its own book! I loved Del/Adeline, despite (or because of) the consistently terrible decisions she made throughout the novel.
It was also so nice to see a love interest who was loved for just being a dang good person who consistently tries to be better.
Worth noting that this is a delightfully queernorm world, with well-written trans rep of a minor character with no associated trauma and queer characters all-over. The main character however, most certainly DOES have trauma, which leads her to fracture her personalities and we only properly uncover her backstory as the book goes on.
As someone who spent years of their life studying music, I got so much joy from Del as a main character- I can totally understand falling out of a boat and only thinking of your instrument.
Please tell me there is a sequel, and we will get to see more of the other kingdoms!
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins and Bori for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I'm screaming. I'm sobbing. I'm obsessed.
MIRRORWOVEN is a bright, joyous, heart-shredding debut. The world is vibrant and alive, inspired by Venetian canals singing with music, sunlit estuaries with salt on the air and dragons rumored to sleep below.
Del is an incredible protagonist, full of humor and sassy avoidance on the surface, fleeing from her trauma like her life depends on it. Her reluctant journey of self-acceptance had me gripped, shouting at her and rooting for her in equal measure.
And the yearning? Off the charts. This book spoils us with not one, but TWO iconic sapphic love interests. We've got one with cute pathetic puppy energy, who you just want to snuggle up with and protect from the world, but is actually a badass in her own right. Then another with unflinching step-on-me energy who might just burn the world down, and honestly, let her. How is a girl to choose??
But beyond the characters, and the love story, and the incredible setting, what truly shines in this book is the MUSIC. Not just a passing feature, or a light hobby for the MC. Music is woven so beautifully and inextricably into Del's character and her story. This book is written with such a clear passion for music, for the craft of creating and sharing songs, for the love and heartbreak and memories laden in every note.
If you're looking for something fresh, musical, both joyous and devastating, don't miss MIRRORWOVEN!
MIRRORWOVEN is a bright, joyous, heart-shredding debut. The world is vibrant and alive, inspired by Venetian canals singing with music, sunlit estuaries with salt on the air and dragons rumored to sleep below.
Del is an incredible protagonist, full of humor and sassy avoidance on the surface, fleeing from her trauma like her life depends on it. Her reluctant journey of self-acceptance had me gripped, shouting at her and rooting for her in equal measure.
And the yearning? Off the charts. This book spoils us with not one, but TWO iconic sapphic love interests. We've got one with cute pathetic puppy energy, who you just want to snuggle up with and protect from the world, but is actually a badass in her own right. Then another with unflinching step-on-me energy who might just burn the world down, and honestly, let her. How is a girl to choose??
But beyond the characters, and the love story, and the incredible setting, what truly shines in this book is the MUSIC. Not just a passing feature, or a light hobby for the MC. Music is woven so beautifully and inextricably into Del's character and her story. This book is written with such a clear passion for music, for the craft of creating and sharing songs, for the love and heartbreak and memories laden in every note.
If you're looking for something fresh, musical, both joyous and devastating, don't miss MIRRORWOVEN!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
a runaway princess, a borrowed face, and two rules she was absolutely never going to keep
okay so Mirrorwoven got me. like genuinely got me. Del is such a good protagonist, she's witty and chaotic and the kind of narrator who makes you want to follow her anywhere even when she's actively making terrible decisions. which she is. constantly. and it's great.
the love triangle actually works here?? which, as someone who is usually deeply skeptical of love triangles, feels worth saying out loud. Clara and Nasca are such different pulls on Del, and watching her emotionally combust over both of them while also trying to not blow her entire cover was honestly
so entertaining. the "true love's kiss breaks the enchantment" stakes added this perfect layer of tension to every single romantic moment and i loved it.
my main gripe is that i wanted more from the world. Salato sounds gorgeous, the mirrorwoven magic is genuinely cool, and i felt like we were always just on the edge of getting more and then... didn't quite get there. not a dealbreaker but i was hungry for it.
still, this was a really solid read and Del is the kind of character i'll be thinking about for a while.
4 stars.
(thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC. all opinions are my own.)
okay so Mirrorwoven got me. like genuinely got me. Del is such a good protagonist, she's witty and chaotic and the kind of narrator who makes you want to follow her anywhere even when she's actively making terrible decisions. which she is. constantly. and it's great.
the love triangle actually works here?? which, as someone who is usually deeply skeptical of love triangles, feels worth saying out loud. Clara and Nasca are such different pulls on Del, and watching her emotionally combust over both of them while also trying to not blow her entire cover was honestly
so entertaining. the "true love's kiss breaks the enchantment" stakes added this perfect layer of tension to every single romantic moment and i loved it.
my main gripe is that i wanted more from the world. Salato sounds gorgeous, the mirrorwoven magic is genuinely cool, and i felt like we were always just on the edge of getting more and then... didn't quite get there. not a dealbreaker but i was hungry for it.
still, this was a really solid read and Del is the kind of character i'll be thinking about for a while.
4 stars.
(thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC. all opinions are my own.)
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to be sent an early copy of this by the author, and I so enjoyed it. At a plot level, it’s a compelling sapphic love triangle between young women who have had the welfare of kingdoms thrust onto their too-young shoulders; but it's also an exploration of grief and pain, responsibility and entitlement, the mistakes of youth, and all the ways that the artist is in constant friction with their place in society.
Del is a princess running away from her past after faking her own death and magically changing her face. Her new identity will hold as long as she never again falls in love, which she cannot imagine anyway. Not after what happened. She has a whole plan of making it as a lutist in her new home, which should be big enough to hide in. Except, then she meets the sweet Clara and the tart Nasca, and she officially has A Problem.
I very much enjoyed the lush fantasy historical setting, in a place that looks a lot like a Renaissance city state, complete with attendant political messiness; and the chaos bisexual MC, whose voice manages to both be sassy and compelling, and who also just felt very real as a musician.
The whole thing is delicious. Everyone is in for a treat.
Del is a princess running away from her past after faking her own death and magically changing her face. Her new identity will hold as long as she never again falls in love, which she cannot imagine anyway. Not after what happened. She has a whole plan of making it as a lutist in her new home, which should be big enough to hide in. Except, then she meets the sweet Clara and the tart Nasca, and she officially has A Problem.
I very much enjoyed the lush fantasy historical setting, in a place that looks a lot like a Renaissance city state, complete with attendant political messiness; and the chaos bisexual MC, whose voice manages to both be sassy and compelling, and who also just felt very real as a musician.
The whole thing is delicious. Everyone is in for a treat.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was an absolute delight. I have this thing where I'll read the first chapter of every book on my TBR (I don't know why I'm like this) and Mirrorwoven was so good right off the bat that it fully cut the TBR line. The voice is relatable and made me laugh more than once, the worldbuilding is very well done, and the characters consistently stumble through their mistakes with heart. The ending left me both satisfied and hungry for more (which is not an easy balance to pull off!)
Mirrorwoven is both a book that I wish I could've had as a teen and one I fully loved as an adult. Can someone say fully sapphic love triangle??? Anyway, highly highly recommend!
Mirrorwoven is both a book that I wish I could've had as a teen and one I fully loved as an adult. Can someone say fully sapphic love triangle??? Anyway, highly highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley.
A very sweet book with good world building. Del's character makes this book very witty and humorous. There is political tension and a magic system. This book has some essence of like sleeping beauty with enchantments.
The relationship Del develops with her found family is sweet. The love triangle and emotion indecision she has is relatable. Even at the end with her fighting her emotions and what is true and not is more believable. I love how Bori doesn't just have Del overcome what happen easily, you get her mentally battling herself.
This was a great read!
A very sweet book with good world building. Del's character makes this book very witty and humorous. There is political tension and a magic system. This book has some essence of like sleeping beauty with enchantments.
The relationship Del develops with her found family is sweet. The love triangle and emotion indecision she has is relatable. Even at the end with her fighting her emotions and what is true and not is more believable. I love how Bori doesn't just have Del overcome what happen easily, you get her mentally battling herself.
This was a great read!
Review of advance copy
This book was so good!! I picked it up because of the cover and was hooked as soon as I read the first page!
I really loved the world building and all of the characters, and found the romance so sweet. I normally avoid love triangles like the plague but I’m glad I pushed through for this one because it doesn’t last too long; after a while you can guess who the end game couple is.
Overall such a good read, and probably the only reason I’m giving it a 4/5 instead of 5/5 is because I’ve been reading too much epic high fantasy’s and not much ya recently.
I really loved the world building and all of the characters, and found the romance so sweet. I normally avoid love triangles like the plague but I’m glad I pushed through for this one because it doesn’t last too long; after a while you can guess who the end game couple is.
Overall such a good read, and probably the only reason I’m giving it a 4/5 instead of 5/5 is because I’ve been reading too much epic high fantasy’s and not much ya recently.
October 15, 2025
Beautiful writing, rich world-building, and an absolutely enchanting storyline.
This book is so atmospheric, right from the start, and the author does an incredible job of balancing world-building with character development and real-time action. Get ready for a delightful romp in a lush world with characters you'll fall in love with at once!
Just stay away from the mirrors...
This book is so atmospheric, right from the start, and the author does an incredible job of balancing world-building with character development and real-time action. Get ready for a delightful romp in a lush world with characters you'll fall in love with at once!
Just stay away from the mirrors...
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky to get an arc! I really enjoyed stepping into Del’s world and following her on her quest to join the guild. I felt like I was right there in Salato with Del and the other characters (I have a soft spot for Minnow). The musical world was well-written, and Del’s humor (and secrets!) kept me turning the pages.
October 14, 2025
Sumptuous in its worldbuilding, sharp and witty in its prose, Mirrorwoven drew me in completely. These characters have a unique charm readers will fall hard for, and the romance will make you want to stand up and cheer! Such a sparkling, assured debut.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An utterly enchanting world and story that makes reading as magical as it is! I really enjoyed this beautiful story. I absolutely adored the world we got to enter and loved the journey of the characters. This story feels magical, exciting and emotional.
October 14, 2025
The prose sparkles and the story enchants! Del is one of my favourite disaster MCs I've ever read about and I can't wait for everyone to read this gem of a book.
Review of advance copy
Gorgeous writing and a gorgeous cover to match!
March 28, 2026
The main character’s decisions in this book made me so mad I had to stop reading it for a few days (I mean that as a compliment)
January 1, 2026
This book is SO good! The characters absolutely come to life on the page, the worldbuilding is so VIVID. I absolutely could not put it down. I cannot WAIT for this book to hit shelves. Trust me when I say you do not want to miss this one!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews