Mirrorfall

Ash & Blue #1

by Stormy Sto Helit

A magical thing happened to Stef Mimosa when she was only two: she died and an angel confronted Death to bring her back–or at least that’s how she remembers it.

Years later, Stef has traded magic for science, working as a freelance hacker. When a simple coding job turns out to be more than she expected, Stef gets in over her head in more ways than one and gets to meet her angel again.

As it turns out, her angel is really Ryan: an operative for an organization known only as the Agency. Their second meeting recruits Stef into his world, where bleeding-edge science is indistinguishable from magic and where she might just be farther out of her element than she already was in normal life.

Science fiction collides with Urban Fantasy in the first instalment of Ash & Blue, Mirrorfall.

524 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2020

Reviews

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying: other people are going to love this book. This is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me”.

What I liked:
-the main character. My goodness what a complex, interesting, wonderful, relatable main character this author has created. An absolute delight of a human. I’m not sure if she was supposed to be neurodivergent coded but that’s how she came across, and she deeply reminded me of one of my best friends in the best way. UPDATE: I spoke to the author aand Stef is, in fact, autistic and ADHD.

I understood her. I cared about her. I think that so many readers will relate to her mental health struggles, quirks, and her childlike awe of the fae world as she is introduced to. Her having so much pain from her family, particularly her mom not loving her for who she was but who she wanted her to be? I felt that in my soul. She was so real to me and I am thankful to the author for creating her.
-settings. Interesting, unique concepts and I enjoyed seeing the places the author created.
-side characters. Well rounded and unique folks that I could easily have seen myself wanting to see more of. Particularly Lady Death but… I am always a sucker for Death being personified.

What I didn’t love:
-I really, really am not a fan of pop culture references in most books. The trouble I find with them is that they are almost used as a crutch to lean on, instead of doing the worldbuilding we have things referenced to us to fill in gaps. This was especially true of the Men in Black comparison in this book. I could’ve made that comparison on my own, and would’ve preferred to see more of the lore the author created and less of the MIB references. There were also references to many, many, many other things like Star Trek and Narnia (the author is updating the ebook to remove all harry potter references). And this is something I simply do not enjoy in books 9/10 times, unless the author uses the pop culture references as a jumping off point to create their own in-world (Slay by Britney Morris is an example that comes to mind of a book that does this).
-the in-world lore didn’t make a huge amount of sense to me. A question I kept asking myself was: why? Why is the heart of a world called a mirror? Why is the ability to make items appear from scratch called “requiring” instead of “acquiring”?
-plot. There really wasn’t one. This works for a lot of folks, but I really struggle when there is no plot. In lieu of plot you have to have super strong character exploration/character arcs, and this didn’t happen here either. I felt like the characters recycled the same inner monologue about what they had experienced and felt. Once was great, but then we kept experiencing it and it didn’t go anywhere. I felt frustrated by this.
-I was really hoping to see more conflict from the oppositional group, but they barely showed up at all.
-it was quite long but nothing really happened. The parts with our main character taking on a job in the beginning ended up feeling quite pointless by the end, which frustrated me.

A really strong sense of who these characters are, but not enough outside of that to make me really enjoy what I read. That being said, this is SUPER subjective and I feel like many of you will love this if your tastes differ from mine.


(Transparency: This review was commissioned by the author, however this does not at all affect my rating)

[Ellie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

~About

Ryan, a seasoned agent, fails to save a little girl in a hostage situation from dying. Unable to live with the guilt he feels, he travels to limbo to bring back her soul. Now, the girl (Stef, AKA: Spyder) is all grown up. Being estranged from her rich yet emotionally-cold family, and taking odd freelance jobs working with code, Stef’s life seems pretty empty until one day a mysterious man known as Dorian turns up at her door and invites her to work on a secret coding project.

Stef does her best to excel in her new role, fascinated when it is revealed to her that magic is real. With this new knowledge, she realises that her peculiar dreams of having died might be real memories she is barely able to grasp hold of. Soon after, Stef’s new work role is interrupted by an attack on her employer’s residence, leading her to be reunited with the agent who saved her soul so many years ago.

Said man (Agent Ryan) invites Stef to work for The Agency as a field agent, to learn all about how the human world is interspersed with Fae creatures and magic. Before long, Agent Ryan becomes a source of great comfort to Stef, who has never been able to connect to her family as her true self. With Agent Ryan, she learns that not only is she accepted for being herself but also that there is such a thing as fatherly love and support.

Despite the incredible journey Stef goes on, learning all about Fae Kind and this other world interspersed with her own, she goes on an even greater internal, emotional journey, where she learns that there are people who will love her for the real her, that she is not hopeless or worthless or stupid – just different.


~Characters

-Stef

Stef (AKA: Spyder) is in her early twenties and has been shunned by her rich, emotionally-cold family, forced to try and take care of herself in a dingy little flat, taking the odd coding job here and there to find some form of purpose in life. Immediately, I got the sense that Stef was highly intelligent, albeit a little peculiar when compared with your average overly sociable human being. Stef showed herself to be funny, curious and highly observant, always gathering information around her in a logical, analytical way. With her main claim to fame being her talent at working with code, Stef often feels worthless and like she’ll never be good enough. When I learned more about her upbringing, it became clear why she felt this way as she was never accepted for being her true self.

I personally loved how Stef always saw the beauty in the world, in little moments that others might take for granted. I also liked seeing how different she was and could relate to her examples of shutting down when overloaded with too much information. As an Autistic person, I saw much of myself in Stef’s character, and I suppose that’s why I came to identify with her on such a profound level. Whether the author intended for her to be Autistic or not, I found Stef to be a very likable, interesting, and in-depth character.

-Agent Ryan

Agent Ryan is the current director of The Agency, the same man who saved Stef’s soul around twenty years ago. As a father himself, he was a naturally protective man, fond of imparting knowledge to others. He was also dutiful, taking his work seriously, to protect unsuspecting humans from Fae interference. As an immortal, sentient, yet not fully human individual, he was intriguing to learn about. I loved hearing about how Agents such as him were created and infused with a substance known only as blue. He was like a half human, half machine, reminiscent of the Terminator in the way his HUD could scan his surroundings to retrieve important data to be used in his day-to-day work. In addition, I loved seeing how he formed a strong, almost fatherly bond with Stef, teaching her what he could of his world and work, and supporting her whenever needed. I found myself warming to him immediately and really enjoyed scenes where he and Stef interacted on a deeper, more meaningful level.


-Curt

Next, I’d like to discuss Curt, a fellow agency recruit, who shows Stef the ropes, so to speak. Curt came across as kind and helpful, the kind of friend who will always be there for you whenever you need them. At first, I did wonder if he could be trusted, being an ex-Solstice (an enemy group) member. However, over time he proved himself – again and again – to be more than trustworthy enough. Curt also had a good sense of humour, helping to lighten the mood of the story where needed. In addition, he was adept at reading other’s emotional cues, providing a stark contrast between himself and Stef in this regard. It was great to see how he and Stef differed, and how they helped each-other – in my opinion – to be better people.

-Solstice

Finally, I would like to briefly mention Solstice, a rival group to The Agency, who appear to stand for everything The Agency does not. Solstice are hell-bent on destroying anything Fae-related, even humans who work alongside the Fae. As such, this group reminded me of terrorist organisations, with their own personal agenda, harming those who do not share their own personal, narrow view of what the world should be. I found it easy to root against them as a group because the Fae world and its occupants didn’t appear to want to harm anyone, simply going about their business as usual.


~Positive Aspects

There were so many things that I loved about Mirrorfall. As such, I’ve included a handy bulleted list below.

-Firstly, I related to Stef so much, with the following quote really staying with me –
‘She didn’t know how to people. She didn’t know how to be a person, how to interact with society. And somehow, things were okay despite that.’

-Secondly, I liked how the story began with a tense scene, putting the reader in the midst of immediate conflict and capturing their attention.

-I also liked how Death and Limbo were humanised characters, providing stark representations of places beyond the realm of the living.

-In addition, Stef’s way of thinking was highly amusing, relatable, and had me instantly warming to her.

-I also liked how the story switched between Stef and Agent Ryan’s perspectives.

-I liked Stef’s quirky mannerisms, e.g. tapping out the Fibonacci sequence when nervous as they helped to flesh out her character.

-Furthermore, the worldbuilding in this book is fascinating. I especially loved the requiring function used by The Agency and how Stef first uses it to acquire cookies.

-I loved how we gradually learn more about the lead character’s backstories, allowing us to understand them on a deeper level.

-Finally, seeing the depth of Ryan and Stef’s bond brought me to tears at one point (three-quarter mark of the story) as said bond was so meaningful, pure, and profound.


~Memorable Quotes

While reading Mirrorfall, I came across numerous quotes which stirred my thoughts.

1) ‘So long as you learn one new thing each day, then the day hasn’t been wasted.’
2) ‘Intelligence isn’t something to be ashamed of.’

3) ‘And maybe it would have been okay if – If there hadn’t been so much new stuff. New people. Expectations to be normal. To put up a mask for ages when she’d gotten used to being alone, to just putting it up long enough to interact with a clerk during the times she couldn’t do something over the internet. People were hard.’

4) ‘She’d always put her real self back into a box, and cried when no-one could see her.’

5) ‘Personality is an adaptation to and a product of your circumstances. Everyone deals with things in different ways. Some adaptations take longer than others.’

6) ‘Use what you know. Use what you have.’
7) ‘There are so many people who cannot see their own qualities, and the world is poorer for that.’


~Overview

Overall, Mirrorfall was a fascinating and gripping fantasy novel featuring a loveable, nerdy protagonist. There were so many wondrous scenes, all layered with deep meaning and emotion. In addition, the story ended on a cliff-hanger, making me even more excited for book two.

Themes included magic, technology, family, and love.

My Rating: 5 stars.
Recommended to: lovers of fantasy books which feature cool, nerdy protagonists.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Brief
Sprinkled with pop culture and gamer references and nicely balancing serious topics and humor, Mirrorfall offers a character-oriented and driven story, often at the expense of the story itself. Inconceivably, Stef remembers an Agent she met as a young child, intriguing the Agent enough to take her on as a new Recruit at the Agency, an institution that protects the magical world. Stef and Ryan are constantly drawn into each other’s orbits, finding pieces of what they need in each other, and bringing these two broken souls into a little family. But there’s a group called Solstice that would rather destroy anything magical, even at the expense of someone’s life. As Stef and Ryan choose to need each other, Solstice continually pops up, reminding them of everything at stake. Mirrorfall really focuses on Stef and Ryan, diving deep into who they are in order to bring them together. Theirs is a very sweet relationship, but it often comes with a world that’s interesting but light on details and a story that only feels half finished by the end.

Extended Thoughts
I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect from Mirrorfall, but it slowly won my heart page after page. Stef quickly won my sympathies as she’s something of a lost soul and feels so broken, but it was her relationship with Agent Ryan that charmed me. I adored these two broken souls who couldn’t help but become a family. There are a lot of feelings in this book, many of them a bit sad, but there’s also a ton of fun in it as Stef discovers there is magic in our world, she can sit down and have breakfast with fae, and she can manifest cookies whenever she wants. This does also liberally sprinkle in pop culture and gamer references, very few of which I actually got, but they were fun touches that someone more familiar with both might enjoy. I really enjoyed Mirrorfall, though, with it’s amusing character and fascinating world, and loved that it focused on Stef and Ryan, even at the expense of the story.

Stef very nearly died when she was a child, caught between a Solstice operative and an Agent. Years later, as an adult who left her wealthy family behind, she struggles to figure out how to people, which can be hard when you have a second voice in your head you frequently talk to. But she’s fantastic with code and computers, so is recruited by a man wanting her and other coders to break a code he has in his possession. But, while working for him in his mansion, and avoiding everyone else, they’re attacked and Stef comes face to face with a memory. After surviving the attack and coming to the attention of Agent Ryan, who is perplexed as to why Stef remembers him when Agents aren’t supposed to be memorable, Stef becomes the Agency’s newest Recruit. But things are not easy as she doesn’t fit in with people and Solstice is still out there, still seeing everything magical as a threat. Which is a problem because the Agency is magical, operates with other fae worlds, and gives its employees the magical ability to request nearly everything they could possibly want. It quickly becomes Stef’s home, the place where she starts to put herself back together, but it’s constantly threatened by Solstice, who will do everything in their power to destroy anything magical with little regard for the lives it might be taking.

Mirrorfall is all about the characters to me. It’s very character-oriented, focusing on their personal journeys and the relationships they develop, especially that between Stef and Ryan. I really adored both of them, and everyone else the reader is introduced to at the Agency. They all have their own personalities, quirks, and backstories, and it was a lot of fun getting to know them and watching them interact. At the same time, much of the story is sacrificed for the characters, making this novel light on the story, even ending on a cliffhanger, in order to really shine the light on these two broken characters.

I really liked Stef. She does come off as more than a little depressed, but I think her backstory speaks to why. Despite growing up wealthy, she has deep scars from not being able to be herself, so doesn’t really know how to be Stef or how to people. She’s certainly broken in many ways, and it was easy to see and feel her hurt. But she’s trying her best, relying on this voice in her head to help direct her. I have no clue where or what the voice really was, but it served her well and I really liked their conversations. What she really longs for, though, is someone to just care about her and love her the way she’s always wanted, the way her family couldn’t. Watching her stumble around, both avoiding and longing for connection, made my heart ache for her. But I also loved her enthusiasm for the magical world she suddenly finds herself plunged into. Mapped onto our own along with access ways to other worlds and hidden areas, she always finds something to gawk at and explore. I loved watching the magical world come alive to her, and I loved it when she was given the ability to request things. The joy she took in the little things nicely balanced her darker moments and feelings. It did make her feel a bit like a seesaw, but I really liked her.

Ryan, too, was kind of a sad creature. He has his own hurts from his past, things he never feels he can recover from, or that he deserves to recover from. While he feels a bit sad, he has to hold it together as the Director of this branch of the Agency. I liked how he both felt competent and a little lost, and more than a little overworked, especially when it came to Stef. At the same time, I felt he was a little harder to read and understand since most of the story is told from Stef’s point of view, but I really liked him. He needs connection as much as Stef does, so the two are constantly drawn to each other. I admired how duty-bound to his work is, but watching Stef break through his walls, slowly chipping away at it even though she didn’t know it, was lovely. He has a lot of soft spots, which was nice to see as it made this magical being feel more human.

Stef and Ryan really drove the story for me. It was all about them and their growing familial relationship. It’s clearly a very father-daughter sort of relationship they have, even if Ryan tries his best to keep it professional. For him, there was just something about her remembering him from when she was very young. For her, the blue he wears is a source of calm and love, something bringing her back up to the surface in a way the voice in her head can’t. They’re tied together, and I loved it when they stopped fighting against it and found family in each other. It was a lovely dance they did, trying to stay professional and trying to not fail each other, but they really needed each other and watching them figure out just how much was very sweet.

But Mirrorfall is more than just Stef and Ryan. There’s a whole Agency staffed with fascinating characters. I loved watching Stef interact with all of them, getting on the bad side of one in particular while also finding friends in others. I really liked Curt, a Recruit Stef gets paired with because no one trusts an ex-Solstice operative. I couldn’t quite tell if he should be trustworthy or not, but he really took Stef under his wing and showed her the ropes. They were a lot of fun together, effortlessly working together and bouncing off each other, and I liked the bond they formed, though it always took the backseat to the one between Stef and Ryan. I also liked Jones, who ran the Tech part of the Agency, and how this character developed and changed over the story. Jones and Stef didn’t get a lot of scenes together, but they were fun when they did. Jones was a lot of fun to read about, being caring, a little off beat, and a lot more casual about things. Screen was delightful. As the Tech person who would be working with Stef while she was in the field, she felt like a perfect match for Stef. She was professional and helpful with fun personality flairs, something everyone in the Tech Department seemed to have. They were all a lot of fun and I liked how well Stef slotted into them. I also really liked the fae Stef came into contact with, though most of it was done from a distance or via someone else in the Agency. I thought they were well-characterized, but the story didn’t deal with them as much as I had expected.

Despite our world and the magical one sharing some spaces, Mirrorfall wasn’t really focused on the fae world. They were certainly there, popping up all over the place, but this book mostly focused on the tension between the Agency and Solstice. I liked the fae parts the reader gets, though. It hints at an interesting world with intriguing political machinations that might be interesting in future books. As much as I would have loved more from the fae world, I liked that this felt more like an introduction, lightly touching on the world and what’s happening in it so the reader doesn’t become overwhelmed, because sometimes it felt like a little too much for Stef. And that’s one thing I loved about the world. It opened up as Stef was receptive to it, not going into it more than what she could handle. At the same time, it made things perhaps a little too light on the details for the reader. But it did delve into how the Agents came to be, and I found that to be fascinating. I liked learning how the Agency was run, and, since much of the book is set at the Agency due to Stef’s training, I loved getting to roam the halls with her. I loved the request ability everyone is given, which operates essentially the same way as conjuring. It was a lot of fun watching Stef play with this new ability, but it was also lovely to see her slowly dip her feet into a larger world with it’s own mythology.

As I mentioned, Mirrorfall is light on the story. It essentially boils down to the Agency vs. Solstice. Where one is set on protecting the magical world, the other seeks to destroy anything magical, so of course Curt is going to find things a little tougher. I liked how the story never let the reader forget Solstice was there. There were incidents now and then, but they mostly just felt like reminders, little nuisances to remind the reader, especially when the story dove deeply into the relationship forming between Stef and Ryan. Because this really is all about Stef and Ryan connecting with each other and finding they do matter and they do have purpose. I loved Stef’s growth throughout this novel. Even though I hated the cliffhanger, I really appreciated where this story went, even if it only felt like half the story.

Mirrorfall is a quick read, but it was sometimes emotionally draining. Stef and Ryan are both sad characters with a lot of things from their pasts that they have to deal with and move forward from. But there’s also a good dose of humor and lighthearted moments scattered throughout. I had a delightful time following Stef around, and part of me would really love to have the request ability, too. This is a fantastic read for those who love character-oriented stories, even if both main characters come across as depressed. It’s very light on the story, preferring to focus on developing Stef and Ryan and their relationship.

Thank you to the author for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Beth Billings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!


Steph has been headhunted to help unravel a code that has been found that so far nobody has had any luck trying to decipher. Whilst working on the code she finds the mansion under attack she hides out in the best place she can think of, she does get found and for some reason, the person that found her seems very familiar and when he reveals why she is stunned!


Mirrorfall is the first in the series Ash and Blue. I found the book quite interesting - it's a bit MIB mixed with Winx saga and a bit more besides. Although I found it captivating there were times when I kind of thought hang on a minute, really would you process news like that as quickly as she seemed to? There were also times I did feel slightly confused as to what was going on that was more in the first few chapters though it may just have been me.


I did enjoy the overall story and experiences that happened in there so would definitely recommend you read this.


** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

[Michelle (Chelle's Book Ramblings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start with the things I like about this book:

The Found Family trope is one of my favorites because it is something we can all relate to .. and this book has it in spades. Our lead girl does have an unusual family.

The world. It's a great set up for an urban fantasy... The agency that deals with magical shenanigans and all that surrounds them.. it wasn't a carbon copy of so many others and I appreciate that.

The excellent presentation... is very well done. It feels true and not just a tick in a box - which generally upsets me.


Now let's move on to the issues that bothered me:


The main character, I'm not sure if it was how she was introduced, but I did not like her. We do get more about her background and motivation, why she acts the way she does as we progress in the story but ... at that point, I just didn't care anymore... The rest of the characters were saviours for me.


Overall, it was an entertaining read and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoys Urban fantasy and movies like Men In Black and Constantine... It has that vibe.

[Masha M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mirrorfall introduces a compelling urban fantasy world where magic and advanced technology exist in harmony. The story centers on Stef Mimosa, a seemingly ordinary recruit with a fragmented memory of a childhood drowning, and Agent Ryan, the angelic operative who saved her and now struggles with the messy little ripple she creates in his orderly life.

The novel’s core strength is its character-driven focus on found family. Stef and Ryan's dynamic, a blend of mentorship, mutual need, and unexpected kinship which provides a warm, emotional anchor. The integration of themes like mental health and queer representation promises a narrative with contemporary depth, appealing to readers who seek more than just magical escapism.

[Red · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just not a fan of pop culture reference abuse. Especially when the most basic pop culture references like Narnia, Harry Potter, or Men in Black are already pretty easy to grasp, but then the author decided to explain it. Initially, I didn't know the author was female, so I got this huge feeling I was having a mansplaining session where someone had to explain something so simple to me.

Honey, no. This is not enjoyable.

The conflict is weak, the premise is very much like what it references to death: Men in Black. Maybe reference that less in the next book(please, pretty please).

[Emma Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a science fiction mixed with urban fantasy novel, which I found a good mix and is the first in a series.
It was well written and the characters were believable. I couldn't put it down and kept going to the end. I recommend the book to sci-fi/fantasy fans and would read more by the author.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great job in telling a found family story. It was a great start to the Ash & Blue series. I look forward to reading more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story was refreshingly unique and the characters were well defined and relatable.

Very much looking forward to further books in this series!

[June · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like Stef’s half finished sentences in thoughts and speech. Not interested in continuing the series to see if she grows into a confident individual.

[Beacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book! Easily one of the best books I read in 2022. There isn't a lot of plot that happens in this book, and thats fine because this book is about FEELINGS. The relationships are superb, the characters are to die for, and our lovely gremlin Stef is everything that you ever wanted in a protagonist.