A Shadow on the Glass (The View from the Mirror, #1)

A Shadow on the Glass (The View from the Mirror #1)

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3.71 of 5 stars 3.71  ·  rating details  ·  1,479 ratings  ·  68 reviews
With this stunning and original debut, Ian Irvine begins the saga of The View from the Mirror, a brilliant epic fantasy that rivals the works of Robert Jordan and J. V. Jones. "Once there were three worlds, each with its own human race. Then, fleeing from out of the void came a fourth race, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between...more
Paperback, First US edition, 654 pages
Published July 1st 2001 by Aspect (first published 1998)
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Eric
I’m not quite sure how to start here, so I’ll just jump in and say I didn’t like it. Here’s why:

1) It was far too “convenient.” Anytime the author seemed to write himself into a corner, the plot would miraculously solve itself by introducing previously unrevealed information, new magical powers, or another character. It was “Deus ex Machina” to the extreme, and I found that frustrating as a reader.

2) The writing was awkward and jarring initially, and had I not been reading this book based on a...more
Nicholas Karpuk
Ever have someone telling you a really interesting anecdote and someone else interrupts with a boring, only vaguely related story? That's how Ian Irvine writes.

It starts off with the main character telling a story about this fictional universe, which for me is tantamount to beginning a college lecture with a long, growling fart.

Of course it goes on to establish some interesting characters, some rather gripping descriptions, and a brisk, engaging pacing. But ever so often, sometimes without warni...more
Lisa H.
I must confess: I bought this book (second-hand, as I do most books) JUST for the cover.

Mr. Irvine has ambitions for this tetralogy, of which A Shadow on the Glass is the first volume. He starts with a massive concept: three separate humanoid races/civilizations with ancient conflicts, dating back not only into the darkest reaches of his planet's history, but even further, to when they occupied other planets (or possibly even other dimensions.) At the start of this book, these conflicts and the...more
Ward Bond
SUMMARY:
With this stunning and original debut, Ian Irvine begins the saga of The View from the Mirror, a brilliant epic fantasy that rivals the works of Robert Jordan and J. V. Jones. "Once there were three worlds, each with its own human race. Then, fleeing from out of the void came a fourth race, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between the worlds forever..." THE TALE OF THE FORBIDDING In ancient times the Way Between the Worlds was shattered, leaving...more
Lisa Sisneros
It's been a long time since I've re-read this series, but from memory, I really loved the unique take on the fantasy genre Ian Irvine has. It's not your traditional high fantasy, incorporating some interesting sci-fi elements that make The View from the Mirror series truly one of a kind.

I am always looking for obscure authors with impressive talent, something a little left of middle that has all the execution of a polished, mainstream writer, but without the cookie-cutter plots and cliched char...more
Shaun Adamson
I will never forget the first time I started reading this book. It was at a very awful time in my life following a severe family dispute and temporary homelessness.

Isn't this what fantasy is really for, perhaps more so then any other genre? To escape our world, to escape to another universe? to leave behind sadness, grief, tension, or simply boredom? To immerse ourselves utterly within an alien culture, amongst characters that are so different in so many ways yet still we can relate to?

All thi...more
Kelsha
Eventually I came to appreciate this book as a creative story, but it was long in comming. The story starts out very slowly and it takes a long time for the reader to get to know the characters and just as long to care about them. Eventually I really came to appreciate Llian because he was an unlikely hero. In fact, he was so normal that many of the other characters come to despise him for it. Also, most of the other characters are blind to his attributes once they have created a flawed picture...more
Robert
Fairly bog standard fantasy yarn, and Irvine is clearly a fantasy fanboy who loves maps and geographical detail. The one point of interest is that there are, apparently, three worlds, with different human subspecies, which are linked by some kind of portal. In the past this portal was blocked, stranding some of those other races on the standard-human world in which the novel takes place.

Despite this one bit of intriguing backstory, it doesn't make for an interesting plot, which involves the hack...more
Confused Little Walkie Bit
I was beginning to get seriously burned out on the fantasy genre when I picked up this book by Ian Irvine back in my first year of college. I didn't get into this series much at first—it tends to move slowly at times—but Irvine does a wonderful job of weaving a fantasy tale that throws the traditional fomula of the genre out the window. The world is carefully crafted, and the characters in it are richly flawed and wholly human.
Moosh
'A Shadow On The Glass' is the first book in Ian Irvine's fantasy series 'A Tale Of Three Worlds'. As the name of the series suggests it follows the tales of three different worlds that are connected and inhabit different human species (among others). This particular book follows two characters who paths cross due the stealing of a powerful mirror that everyone in the world of Santhenar (the world in which it is set) seems to want. Irvine is clearly influenced by Tolkien, as this series opens up...more
curtis
i don't like the way Irvine stops everything to describe new characters in detail; it feels like fan fiction.

the blurb on the front says, "...a worldbuilding labor of love." And that's a nice way of saying Irvine spends too much time trying to tell you how awesome and well thought-out his fictional world is.

Irvine has no feel for pacing. whether that's narrating long passages of time or expressing action, he always hits the wrong tone or rhythm with his words.

but, at about a third of the way thr...more
Michaela Flanigan
This is fantastic series by a very original Australian fantasy author. The world(s) he describes are fascinating, and his characters are real, believable, inspiring and tragic. Especially great are the women in this series - they are actual people, not the delicate princesses or ludicrous female warriors that populate so much fantasy. This is also not a story about a young boy who is whisked away from his lowly origins to defeat a dragon and retrieve a magic sword, it's about the struggle for su...more
Barbara
A wonderful read. I found 'The View from the Mirror' serise (of which this is Vol 1) when I was driving a lot & bought the Audio Books. The story line sounded interesting, so I thought I would give it a go. Wow! I was hooked. I enjoyed it so much that when I'd finished listening to all 4 volumes- I went out & bought the books as well. I have read the books twice & listened to the audio books at least 4 times. If your looking for an epic Sci-Fi Fantasy you cant' go past these by Austr...more
Angelya (The Oaken Bookcase)
Originally reviewed on The Oaken Bookcase on 28/7/2012.

Karan is a young woman, a sensitive with powers of the mind, who is recruited to help Magraith break into a fortress and steal an ancient relic. All does not go to plan, however, and Magraith is captured. Karan manages to escape with the Mirror of Aachan but is pursued away and across Meldorin for weeks. Eventually she flees into the mountains, where she runs into Llian, much to her disgust.

Llian is a graduating student Chronicler who is cas...more
Inara
Jul 08, 2007 Inara rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy lovers
Shelves: novels-fantasy
Title in German:
Der Spiegel der Erinnerung

This is the story of Llian a Chronicler of Chanthed who has inadvertently uncovered a secret regarding the "Tale of the Forbidding" and Karan a young sensitive woman (she can link with other´s minds) who was compelled by the woman Maigraith to help her steal the Mirror of Aachan from the warlord Yggur. Karan can´t refuse because Maigraith has once saved her life and now she wants Karan to repay the debt. They force their way into Yggur´s fortress where M...more
Victoria Young
I first read this book (and series) 10 years ago, and I remembered thinking they were pretty good, so I thought I might revisit them. They're definitely not as good as I remembered them, but I guess as adventure/fantasy goes they are decent. The plot is quite complex and as long as you have enthusiasm for untangling the story the books are page turners. However, don't get too caught up analysing the characterisation or writing style, because you'll probably find it pretty mediocre.
Laura
I found this book in a charity shop and i picked it up simply because of the cover (in those days i wasnt much of a reader).

However from the moment i picked this up to read i was completely hooked on this three world series. I have now read this complete collection as well as the second three world series and i am currently awaiting the new arrival of the final boook of the third series.

Really good read but annoying that each book ends on a cliff hanger!

GIVE IT A GO!!!
Ramon
This was the start of my favorite Epic Fantasy series to-date; I am still searching for something to compare....
There are 10 books in this fantastic series, full of great characters, action, pace... it takes you away to another world that you will remember for a long time to come. It's a big read, but you will be hang'in out for the next book. I highly reccommend this seriers and Big Ups to Ian!
James Lavelle
I'm going to make this really short unlike the book itself.

The plot goes nowhere at a mind numbingly jarring rate that had me turning pages with hope of better content that never materialized.

The character is annoying and as boring as the story she's written into.
I could probably recommend a better book to waste your time, but this one does that so well I won't use the brain power.
Kirsten
A bit of a slow start, and I struggled to get into it, but soon found myself gripped by the story of Karan and Lian - a proper epic fantasy story, the two main characters barely get time to breathe before being thrown into pursuit, torture and perilous escapes. Can't wait to see how the next book turns out! Really good, well thought out fantasy world and races, and the characters are believable, and rather lovable!
Phoenixfalls
Mar 22, 2010 Phoenixfalls rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who get off on torture-porn (or at least have a stronger stomach for it than I)
This book was excruciating! The writing was serviceable, the world and characters interesting, but the entire plot was taken up with literally torturing the female lead character, driving her to the ends of the earth and her endurance, then over, as she quite literally goes insane near the end, abandoned by those who should have helped her. I have no taste for this.
secretly crazy
I adore the characters of Karan, and especially Lian. The whole series, and all his fantasy books really, are just novels I keep returning too, although this one, as the earliest in the View from the Mirror Quartet, is one of my favorites,before the stories all split - a lot - and things started getting very twisty and backwards.
Matthew
I unfortunately couldn't/didn't want to finish the book. I managed about 100 pages but didn't connect with the characters. I think my main problem was that the premise sounded awesome (3 worlds/peoples with an interloper fourth upsetting the balance) but the execution of it through a historical mystery (for want of a better phrase) didn't do it justice for me.
Michelle
Such a vast story. So much detail, so much adventure. And yet it lacks something I can't quite put my finger on. Not up there with Guy Gavriel Kay's works. But hes Australian and very good with his fans and its such a detailed world hes created in this series. Lots of promise.
Guy
A reasonably bright twelve-year old could write better than this. Breaks almost every rule in the book, most painfully (and continuously!) "show don't tell". I'm amazed and appalled that this not only got published, but that Irvine was also apparently paid to produce sequels.
Eric
I liked this book, however it took me three separate tries of starting and putting it down and starting over again to make it through the first book and then the series. While it has been a while since i read it, I do recall finally enjoying the story
David Melbie
Dec 05, 2010 David Melbie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy fans only!
Recommended to David by: Jeannie Yarbrough
This is a really good story. Full of names that I can't pronounce, lots of back history and full of made-up races of quasi-human characters with strange mental abilities -- who could ask for anything more? --From A Reader's Journal, by d r melbie.
Cara
I absolutely loved this book. The concept, the characters, all of it. My only complaint is that it could have used another going over by the editor. Karan stopped whistling before she started, and some word choices could have been better.
Ryan
Fast paced, there is never a lull for the characters or the readers to catch a breath. For the most part this works well but character development loses out, particulary amongst the bit players in the story. Can't wait to read part 2.
Sue
A little slow to start but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. His character development was very detailed and clever and the plot flowed along as the building of a great saga. Made me want to read the next installment.
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A Shadow on the Glass (The View from the Mirror, #1)
A Shadow on the Glass (The View from the Mirror, #1)
De schaduw op het glas (De Saga van de Spiegel, #1)
A Shadow on the Glass (ebook)
Shadow on the Glass (Hardcover)

153703
Ian has written 29 novels, including the internationally bestselling 11-book Three Worlds fantasy sequence: The View from the Mirror Quartet, The Well of Echoes Quartet and The Song of the Tears Trilogy, http://www.ian-irvine.com/threeworlds....

Australian cover

Australian cover

Ian’s latest book is Rebellion, Book 2 of a new epic fantasy trilogy The Tainted Realm, published in Australia in October 2012, and in the UK and US in ear...more
More about Ian Irvine...
The Tower on the Rift (The View from the Mirror, #2) Dark is the Moon (The View From the Mirror, #3) Geomancer (The Well of Echoes, #1) The Way Between the Worlds (The View from the Mirror, #4) Tetrarch: A Tale Of The Three Worlds (The Well of Echoes, #2)

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“My name is Llian. I've come to save you."
Said to Karan just before Llian falls flat on his face in front of her.”
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