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Difficult Mirrors
Everyone has a void. Who - or what - will fill it?
When Marie Evans meets a strange man on a deserted road and a body is found mutilated in the desert, a deep resentment teetering on the edge of release is about to explode. Someone, somewhere has drawn a line in the sand, and when Harlan Reese, Marie's ex-lover, enters a forest in central Arizona looking for his daughter, that line will be crossed.
In a world between Heaven and Hell, the past becomes the present as Harlan and Marie find each other...and so much more. Four-year-old Justine is lost to the world and with her an ability feared by many. An elderly man wanders alone with a deep secret. A broken detective is torn between duty and hopelessness.
And hidden within the void in which they're trapped, something wants them all dead.
The journey across an unforgiving land to find a way home will be wrought with both pain and triumph. Life is, after all, a difficult mirror and not everyone leaves that mirror unbroken.
When Marie Evans meets a strange man on a deserted road and a body is found mutilated in the desert, a deep resentment teetering on the edge of release is about to explode. Someone, somewhere has drawn a line in the sand, and when Harlan Reese, Marie's ex-lover, enters a forest in central Arizona looking for his daughter, that line will be crossed.
In a world between Heaven and Hell, the past becomes the present as Harlan and Marie find each other...and so much more. Four-year-old Justine is lost to the world and with her an ability feared by many. An elderly man wanders alone with a deep secret. A broken detective is torn between duty and hopelessness.
And hidden within the void in which they're trapped, something wants them all dead.
The journey across an unforgiving land to find a way home will be wrought with both pain and triumph. Life is, after all, a difficult mirror and not everyone leaves that mirror unbroken.
Paperback
First published September 20, 2013
1 person is currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin X. Wretlind
28 books296 followersBenjamin X. Wretlind is a speculative fiction author who writes science fiction, dark fantasy, magical realism, and some horror. He has been--at different times, of course–a fry cook, range boy, greens maintenance technician, reservations agent, room service attendant, editor, banquet server, meteorologist, instructor, program manager for Internet applications, curriculum developer, training simulation engineer, leadership facilitator/coach, process improvement consultant, learning manager and organizational psychologist. He currently builds and facilitates leadership courses at Yale.
Benjamin is the creator of the Transit series of novels, which has been called “an engaging, personality-driven tale with detailed SF worldbuilding.” He has also written and published many novels, collections, and the weirdest creative writing book ever. Owing his life’s viewpoint to Bob Ross, he has also painted a few things, thrown a few paintings away, and probably has a painting on an easel right now. Oh, and he loves wood working, too.
It’s all about creating.
Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.
Benjamin is the creator of the Transit series of novels, which has been called “an engaging, personality-driven tale with detailed SF worldbuilding.” He has also written and published many novels, collections, and the weirdest creative writing book ever. Owing his life’s viewpoint to Bob Ross, he has also painted a few things, thrown a few paintings away, and probably has a painting on an easel right now. Oh, and he loves wood working, too.
It’s all about creating.
Benjamin lives with his wife Jesse in Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 9, 2013
With every new work, Benjamin X. Wretlind continues to amaze me. I've said before that he is a Pulitzer-caliber writer, and A DIFFICULT MIRROR only strengthens that position. In fact, I consider him to be amongst my favorite authors.
This novel is more fantastical than his previous works, CASTLES and SKETCHES FROM THE SPANISH MUSTANG. While those novels did contain fantastical elements, they took place in "our" world. A DIFFICULT MIRROR largely takes place outside of our world, in a mysterious void where the lost--more often than not--are never found again.
Wretlind's characters are always three-dimensional and sometimes eerily realistic, as though you might run into them on the street. As the characters in this novel make their way through the void, Wretlind expertly weaves their memories into the narrative, bringing them to life.
Combining horror, fantasy and mystery with elements of the traditional hero's journey, A DIFFICULT MIRROR is a doorway into a world where demons and painful memories from the past hold sway. With a unique and detailed plot, rich characterization and a very real sense of danger, it is sure to appeal to readers of all genres.
Note: I read an advance review copy of this book.
This novel is more fantastical than his previous works, CASTLES and SKETCHES FROM THE SPANISH MUSTANG. While those novels did contain fantastical elements, they took place in "our" world. A DIFFICULT MIRROR largely takes place outside of our world, in a mysterious void where the lost--more often than not--are never found again.
Wretlind's characters are always three-dimensional and sometimes eerily realistic, as though you might run into them on the street. As the characters in this novel make their way through the void, Wretlind expertly weaves their memories into the narrative, bringing them to life.
Combining horror, fantasy and mystery with elements of the traditional hero's journey, A DIFFICULT MIRROR is a doorway into a world where demons and painful memories from the past hold sway. With a unique and detailed plot, rich characterization and a very real sense of danger, it is sure to appeal to readers of all genres.
Note: I read an advance review copy of this book.
June 4, 2014
Thank you to Benjamin Wretlind for sharing his father's wise and important words.
Being a first time reader of Wretlind's work I was unsure of what to expect but I must be honest what a treat!
Justine , so young, scared, alone and trapped in a strange place ! You can actually feel her fear ,anxiety and desperation !
Bad memories seem to rule and they smother you ! It reminds me of a scene from "The field of dreams" where the souls are screaming and crying in what's supposed to be hell!
When you done reading A Difficult Mirror you left questioning yourself what would you do in world or reality of your own worst decisions!? A rather scary and sobering thought.....
A Difficult Mirror is filled with suspense, mystery and actually something of everything to satisfy all genres.
Reviewed by Heidi
Being a first time reader of Wretlind's work I was unsure of what to expect but I must be honest what a treat!
Justine , so young, scared, alone and trapped in a strange place ! You can actually feel her fear ,anxiety and desperation !
Bad memories seem to rule and they smother you ! It reminds me of a scene from "The field of dreams" where the souls are screaming and crying in what's supposed to be hell!
When you done reading A Difficult Mirror you left questioning yourself what would you do in world or reality of your own worst decisions!? A rather scary and sobering thought.....
A Difficult Mirror is filled with suspense, mystery and actually something of everything to satisfy all genres.
Reviewed by Heidi
December 7, 2019
This is altogether gorier than I expected from the blurb, but it is incredibly weird, which I did, sort of. There are some incredibly scary people out there, forcing encounters with the main protagonists. There are many main protagonists. When we met them the first time I found them interesting, and each seemed to be well-defined. Each time we switched from one to the other thereafter I got totally confused about who was who. The trouble is, their stories intertwine. It’s very complex. It did my head in for several hours at a time.
A Difficult Mirror is very well written, with beautiful imagery both of places real, and places imaginary. Maybe some of the women are not well enough written to help me distinguish between them. Maybe they all seem alike because they respond in much the same way to fear, terror and sensual deprivation. Justine and Jennifer, both daughters of Harlan, confused me because they were both Harlan’s daughters with names beginning with J. I kept on confusing them, even when they were obviously very different ages. Did I just not relate to either of them? But they were all being tested in the difficult mirror of their dreams, which is an interesting concept.
It has the weirdness that makes me compare it with Gnomon, but it is more readable than that—well I enjoyed it more than that, although the gore is more graphic.
I’m not sure I can recommend it to most of my followers, but those that enjoy the horror genre more than time travel will probably enjoy it more than I did.
A Difficult Mirror is very well written, with beautiful imagery both of places real, and places imaginary. Maybe some of the women are not well enough written to help me distinguish between them. Maybe they all seem alike because they respond in much the same way to fear, terror and sensual deprivation. Justine and Jennifer, both daughters of Harlan, confused me because they were both Harlan’s daughters with names beginning with J. I kept on confusing them, even when they were obviously very different ages. Did I just not relate to either of them? But they were all being tested in the difficult mirror of their dreams, which is an interesting concept.
It has the weirdness that makes me compare it with Gnomon, but it is more readable than that—well I enjoyed it more than that, although the gore is more graphic.
I’m not sure I can recommend it to most of my followers, but those that enjoy the horror genre more than time travel will probably enjoy it more than I did.
October 27, 2013
Are you curious about this so-called difficult mirror? I am....
Disclaimer: I was given an advance review copy by the author. This review is unbiased and only in my honest opinion.
This is my first time reading this novel by Benjamin and there are some quotes that I like in this story. One of them is "Why me? Why was I given this glimpse and not allowed to exist as others do: oblivious to the obvious that surrounds everyone and everything?" -- Journal of Eli Jonas. This short quote really made me think a little what the author was trying to relate. I can bet you will too. As I read through the whole novel, I realised there are more to this journal.
This novel sets in the modern day with twists of fantasy coupled with mystery elements. The character Marie Evans courage is worth commenting as she met this mystery naked man on the road. The whole story is really full of mysteries, suspense and thrills to tickle your mind.
Marie Evans in this story is rather a young lady with compassion as she stopped by to help this stranger. What I can say is that this author has put reasonable effort to add mysteries, thrills and suspense to this character. She and this person Harlan Reese appears, she was determined to move on.. will she able to do it?
For this novel, I like the way Benjamin illustrated Marie and Harlan characters. The plot switches between fantasy and modern day setting. This novel is suitable from young adults to mature adult like me. The story does hold itself together very much. The characters know their strengths and weakness as painted so vividly by the author. Rest assured that if you think you aren't able to identify who are the good and bad guys, think again.
As mentioned earlier, this is my time reading Benjamin X Wretlind - A Difficult Mirror. This book is a simple to follow book with lots of surprises, twists, and mysteries. Although there are some fantasies, mature readers like myself will find it interesting to read. I believe it will appeal most to teens and young adults. If you like novel with some horror, fantasy, suspense and thrills, you'll definitely get lots of entertainment and enjoyment out of this novel.
If you like :
- Shannon Mayer's Priceless: A Rylee Adamson Novel
- Susanna Kearsley's Rose Garden
- Lori Martin's The Darkling Hills
you'll definitely get lots of entertainment out of this novel.
If there's one thing I'd change about this book, it would be to be more consistent with the main character development. In this case, I would think Marie Evans needs some form of polish. As this author is rather new to me, I would expect him to be more consistent on his approach on his characters. On an overall note, I would find that his writing style simple to read and understand. I will be reading more of his works soon.
I read this novel on my iPad kindle app with ease. It has good formating and layout. I have no trouble find the pages.
If you found this review useful, let the community know by sharing this review with your friends.
Disclaimer: I was given an advance review copy by the author. This review is unbiased and only in my honest opinion.
This is my first time reading this novel by Benjamin and there are some quotes that I like in this story. One of them is "Why me? Why was I given this glimpse and not allowed to exist as others do: oblivious to the obvious that surrounds everyone and everything?" -- Journal of Eli Jonas. This short quote really made me think a little what the author was trying to relate. I can bet you will too. As I read through the whole novel, I realised there are more to this journal.
This novel sets in the modern day with twists of fantasy coupled with mystery elements. The character Marie Evans courage is worth commenting as she met this mystery naked man on the road. The whole story is really full of mysteries, suspense and thrills to tickle your mind.
Marie Evans in this story is rather a young lady with compassion as she stopped by to help this stranger. What I can say is that this author has put reasonable effort to add mysteries, thrills and suspense to this character. She and this person Harlan Reese appears, she was determined to move on.. will she able to do it?
For this novel, I like the way Benjamin illustrated Marie and Harlan characters. The plot switches between fantasy and modern day setting. This novel is suitable from young adults to mature adult like me. The story does hold itself together very much. The characters know their strengths and weakness as painted so vividly by the author. Rest assured that if you think you aren't able to identify who are the good and bad guys, think again.
As mentioned earlier, this is my time reading Benjamin X Wretlind - A Difficult Mirror. This book is a simple to follow book with lots of surprises, twists, and mysteries. Although there are some fantasies, mature readers like myself will find it interesting to read. I believe it will appeal most to teens and young adults. If you like novel with some horror, fantasy, suspense and thrills, you'll definitely get lots of entertainment and enjoyment out of this novel.
If you like :
- Shannon Mayer's Priceless: A Rylee Adamson Novel
- Susanna Kearsley's Rose Garden
- Lori Martin's The Darkling Hills
you'll definitely get lots of entertainment out of this novel.
If there's one thing I'd change about this book, it would be to be more consistent with the main character development. In this case, I would think Marie Evans needs some form of polish. As this author is rather new to me, I would expect him to be more consistent on his approach on his characters. On an overall note, I would find that his writing style simple to read and understand. I will be reading more of his works soon.
I read this novel on my iPad kindle app with ease. It has good formating and layout. I have no trouble find the pages.
If you found this review useful, let the community know by sharing this review with your friends.
January 6, 2014
This is a story with many levels, one which explores the human condition and how decisions can affect lives. And if those are the wrong ones, then maybe a void is opened enough to be plunged into 'another world', where lessons are learned - or not.
This was an extremely well written book that brought alive the characters, whose strands intertwined with each other to such an extent that on one level we could see that everything is connected. It is a lengthy piece where the reader must concentrate on the intricacies, so as not to miss the layer upon layer of meaning.
The world beyond - or within - depending upon your point of view, is filled with secrets and discoveries into the lives of the characters, where memories are explored and decisions left wanting.
Can they learn the lessons and move on, or will they be forever locked into a Hell of their own making?
Expertly done.
This was an extremely well written book that brought alive the characters, whose strands intertwined with each other to such an extent that on one level we could see that everything is connected. It is a lengthy piece where the reader must concentrate on the intricacies, so as not to miss the layer upon layer of meaning.
The world beyond - or within - depending upon your point of view, is filled with secrets and discoveries into the lives of the characters, where memories are explored and decisions left wanting.
Can they learn the lessons and move on, or will they be forever locked into a Hell of their own making?
Expertly done.
June 18, 2014
This is a compelling story. You'll be reading along and think 'what?' Some things will not be what you're expecting but it will definitely keep you reading. The author takes you on an intriguing journey of trying to figure out where the story is going. It is a really good story of guilt, mistakes and the people it hurts and people getting lost in all of that. This is a story that has many levels to it - you will feel like you're in one realm only to morph into another with visions and nightmares coming to life. It is a difficult mirror, one that will have you think about what you truly do believe.
May 14, 2017
This was not an easy book to read, but well worth the effort. It requires the reader to focus to find his/her way through the levels of reality and perception - it's not just a single difficult mirror, but several mirrors reflecting portions of each other back to the reader.
Wretlind explores people's relationships and emotions and forces us to grapple with our own perceptions and evaluations of our emotions.
Read this - it will blow your mind.
Wretlind explores people's relationships and emotions and forces us to grapple with our own perceptions and evaluations of our emotions.
Read this - it will blow your mind.
January 6, 2014
This is a story with many levels, one which explores the human condition and how decisions can affect lives. And if those are the wrong ones, then maybe a void is opened enough to be plunged into 'another world', where lessons are learned - or not.
This was an extremely well written book that brought alive the characters, whose strands intertwined with each other to such an extent that on one level we could see that everything is connected. It is a lengthy piece where the reader must concentrate on the intricacies, so as not to miss the layer upon layer of meaning.
The world beyond - or within - depending upon your point of view, is filled with secrets and discoveries into the lives of the characters, where memories are explored and decisions left wanting.
Can they learn the lessons and move on, or will they be forever locked into a Hell of their own making?
Expertly done.
This was an extremely well written book that brought alive the characters, whose strands intertwined with each other to such an extent that on one level we could see that everything is connected. It is a lengthy piece where the reader must concentrate on the intricacies, so as not to miss the layer upon layer of meaning.
The world beyond - or within - depending upon your point of view, is filled with secrets and discoveries into the lives of the characters, where memories are explored and decisions left wanting.
Can they learn the lessons and move on, or will they be forever locked into a Hell of their own making?
Expertly done.
January 28, 2014
Author Benjamin X. Wretlind has become one of my favorite authors over the years with his engaging and entertaining works. He's the next big thing in literary fiction and "A Difficult Mirror" is another outstanding read.
His well crafted characters transform from words to living breathing beings each in turn telling me of their trials and tribulations. When you read a Wretlind novel, you don't just read through it. No. You linger within his worlds and mingle with his people; quickly becoming engrossed. This novel is no different.
Poor Justine, only four years old and trapped in an unknown place. You will feel her fear, and the other characters desperation seeps through the pages. It's an epic tale in the vein of Stephen King's "The Stand" that cannot and should not be missed.
His well crafted characters transform from words to living breathing beings each in turn telling me of their trials and tribulations. When you read a Wretlind novel, you don't just read through it. No. You linger within his worlds and mingle with his people; quickly becoming engrossed. This novel is no different.
Poor Justine, only four years old and trapped in an unknown place. You will feel her fear, and the other characters desperation seeps through the pages. It's an epic tale in the vein of Stephen King's "The Stand" that cannot and should not be missed.
January 25, 2014
I received this book in an author's giveaway and I'm glad I did.
A Difficult Mirror is a difficult book to describe easily. Is it a crime story about a little girl's kidnapping? Is it a horror story about a deranged killer preying on women? Is it a fantasy about unsuspecting travelers being suck into a bizarre world?
Yes! A Difficult Mirror is what you find yourself staring into when you are forced to examine your past. Wretlind forces us to think about how we would react if dropped into a strange unknown world to face our worst decisions. Do you have the strength of will to persevere and find your way to the truth?
A Difficult Mirror is a difficult book to describe easily. Is it a crime story about a little girl's kidnapping? Is it a horror story about a deranged killer preying on women? Is it a fantasy about unsuspecting travelers being suck into a bizarre world?
Yes! A Difficult Mirror is what you find yourself staring into when you are forced to examine your past. Wretlind forces us to think about how we would react if dropped into a strange unknown world to face our worst decisions. Do you have the strength of will to persevere and find your way to the truth?
August 3, 2016
Overall, so dull, lifeless, gray like the setting in the book. Confused. A go nowhere tale. I had a hard time reading it, kept falling asleep. The cover does this book some justice, if you are looking for a dark, depressing, slow and boring story, there you go. Sorry, dear author, I really tried to like it since it was recommended.
February 3, 2014
Benjamin X. Wretlind is a talented writer. He's woven a complex tale of many layers and created interesting characters and a complex setting. The author is adept at conveying sorrow and pain and in "A Difficult Mirror", he splays it out on an unforgiving landscape.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews