Reflector

The Magic Dies With Me #1

by C.X. Myers, Kat Powder (Illustrator)

Wally Willowbark, a perennially unfortunate half-elf with a three-legged cat, stumbles into a job working for a local dispersal precinct, a kind of public service ghostbusters for when nana gets up in the morning but leaves her body in bed. There, she discovers that the reason she's hired is to act as a handler for a beautiful and dying sorceress named Vess, and while it's not love at first sight it's certainly in the air, but the past catches up with both of them, and when it comes to toxic exes, Vess has a real doozy.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal

473 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2022

Reviews

[Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflector is everything I like in fantasy, more specifically in urban fantasy (my favourite kind of fantasy). Great worldbuilding, fantastic characters, magic, elves, demons and it all works so well that it never feels foreign. It’s plausible and relatable and that is so impressive to me. All the more so as it’s the author’s debut novel (they also write fanfic, which you’ll find here).

Vess is a daemon but she’s also a woman and a sorceress. Not just any sorceress, but I can’t get into that without spoiling and believe me, you don’t want me to spoil this cleverly intricate story. Vess the woman, though, falls fast and she falls hard (her words), and why wouldn’t she when Wally is so adorable? And the best reflector Vess has ever worked with. As they fight all sorts of undead people, their connection grows, both romantically and as warriors in a war for power and revenge.

There’s a very definite Ghostbusters feel (the dispersal of spectrals, the motley crew) but with a whole lot of feelings instead of the comedy. It’s a wild ride, pulsing with energy. The author nailed the pacing, alternating action scenes and quieter, reflective moments with the same success.

As with most debut novels, the proofreading isn’t perfect and there are small flaws here and there. None of that however took away from the pleasure the story brought me. The author says they write out of love, things that people can pick up when they’re having a bad day, and even if there’s nothing fluffy about this story, it achieves its feel-good goal. There’s gore and pain on the way to happiness, which only makes it more precious.

A sequel, titled Dark Star, is in the works and should be released in a few months and I’m already trying to convince myself that I can be patient. 4.5⭐️

I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars

[JulesGP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflector is a book that gives you everything but the kitchen sink, packed solid with action, a love story, moral dilemmas, and supernatural creatures of all kind. Wally is a trodden half-elf who vacillates between being happy she survived the disaster of Bressig and wishing she had died along with everyone else. She starts a new job with a ghostbuster style dispersal unit as a reflector for a powerful daemon sorceress named Vess. Wally joins a talented crew who is an odd mix but who care deeply about each other.

The author does an amazing job of balancing magic with maths, the longing and pining of two people falling in love, and the importance of found family to someone who is otherwise lost to the world.

All the characters are unique and have their own shades and flaws but Wally is the standout. Vess too, of course, is of big time importance. She has her own struggles. But the diminutive Wally who internalizes survivor’s guilt and the perpetual feeling of not being enough is just amazing. If you are looking for an easy quick read, this book is not it. But if a beautifully thought out, richly told fantastical tale about the will to keep going and the fight to conquer demons, inside and out, is your thing, pick up Reflector. Well worth it.

My favorite line from the book, “Her voice was smooth like poisoned cream and honey. “

[Melissa White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I told myself I wouldn’t cry.

I cried.

[WT · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't write many reviews. But sometimes there are books that string a certain cord within you and you just resonate with it. You know, these stories that give you all the feels.
So I try to put the feelings these books evoke in me into words. Because they deserve all the love they can get.

Reflector is an urban fantasy tale and its world building is beautifully done. The craft and imagination that went into it are not matched by many other stories. It is an adventure, a great battle, a mix of unlikely heroes with powers and beliefs thrown against odds that may make or break them.

I don't care about the typos, the bad blurb or that it was so difficult to purchase the eBook (outside US). It was worth it and I hope the author decides to pursue a second installment.

[Sheena E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite sapphic stories to ever exist. At the heart of this book's well-crafted world of magic and modernity are a wide array of characters with unique perspectives and beliefs, and watching them all interact is a treat—especially so for the story's main pairing. If you're a fan of tragic lesbians and believe love conquers all, this book is for you.

[Vervada · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This book read like a really good piece of fanfiction and I mean that as a compliment, though it did also contain some of the weaknesses of fanfiction, which makes sense given that C.X. Myers is quite the prolific fanfiction writer. I truly love fanfiction and I've read some stories that were so much better than even traditionally published books. So, regarding "Reflector", what did I like ? Quite a few things, indeed, but the very best were the worldbuilding and the characters, in my opinion. The world and the magic were so fascinating and mesmerising, I was looking forward to every new piece of information, and the characters were so lovable and messed up, just really complex and layered, especially the protagonists, Wally and Vess. And their relationship was simply so cute and adorable; I can't wait to see more of them. There were also some really amazing fight scenes that were incredibly cinematic and just epic. But the pacing was a little uneven, I mean I wasn't expecting that the final fight would start just after the middle of the novel. And the book really needed another round of editing because there were quite a few missing or wrong words or punctuation marks. If only there hadn't been so many mistakes and the calm periods and the fights were staggered a little better then this would have been a 6 stars read.

But, even with the flaws I mentioned, I truly enjoyed reading this book and I am definitely continuing this series.

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflector is an absolutely incredible book. The first time I read it, I was having a miserable night, and picked it up for something to do, and within the first few chapters I was completely hooked. I read it all in one sitting, completely unable to tear myself away, wholly invested, and when I finished I felt like I had experienced something very special. This book took me on an incredible ride and put my heart through the wringer and I felt an incredible sense of satisfaction and catharsis by the end.

There's a lot of praise for the world building here, which is appropriate; it's intricately detailed and endlessly fascinating. But the thing that makes this book sing is the characters. They are crafted with such emotional depth and richness, and their relationships and individual arcs make the novel such a moving emotional experience. Buy this book. You will not regret it.

[Maeve M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read! Couldn't put it down. Myers does an excellent job of creating a tangible, layered and deeply interesting setting; using it as an excellent backdrop for their characters. A general 10/10 for the terrific characterization, well-paced plot, and lesbian Ghostbusters meets Dungeons and Dragons vibe.

[Zoe Fable · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much that I basically binged it and didn’t sleep at all. the characters are so well written and the book really resonated with me for a lot of reasons. I’m not good with words so I can’t make a really fantastic review saying how absolutely amazing this book is but you should still read it anyways despite my poor review.

(can’t wait for book#2)

[Austin Virts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn good modern fantasy with excellent, immersive world building, a great cast of characters, and more than enough mystery/suspense to keep you hooked the whole way through. Also cute ,dysfunctional lesbians helping each other be slightly less dysfunctional, which makes anything objectively 1000% better. 10/10 great read, more than worth your time.

[Sarah Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Urban Fantasy, mixing magic with modern elements of life. I liked the story and relationship between the main characters, along with their history. I read a lot of romance, so I felt myself craving more on that front. But all in all, kept me interested.

[Gwen O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really rich world building and an awesome magic system. Romance felt a little rushed but was charming none the less.

[W B · Rating 5 out of 5]

gay