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A Winter's Promise
(La Passe-Miroir #1)
by
Long ago, following a cataclysm called “The Rupture,” the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands. Known now as Arks, each has developed in distinct ways; each seems to possess its own unique relationship to time, such that nowadays vastly different worlds exist, together but apart. And over all of the Arks the spirit of an omnipotent ancestor abides.
Ophe ...more
Ophe ...more
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Paperback, 492 pages
Published
September 27th 2018
by Europa Editions
(first published June 6th 2013)
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Start your review of A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor #1)

(2.5?) That was... something.
I have very conflicted thoughts about this book. The world building was interesting and so was the magic system but I had lots of issues with the book. For a matriarchal society seems pretty backward.
Girl who's not like other ones because... she has glasses!! She is send to a different part of the world where she will have to marry someone she doesn't want to.
Interesting world and magic system but not explained enough. It could be due to us seeing it all through the ...more
I have very conflicted thoughts about this book. The world building was interesting and so was the magic system but I had lots of issues with the book. For a matriarchal society seems pretty backward.
Girl who's not like other ones because... she has glasses!! She is send to a different part of the world where she will have to marry someone she doesn't want to.
Interesting world and magic system but not explained enough. It could be due to us seeing it all through the ...more

EDIT : a quick foreword because I'm t i r e d, and look at me! I'm writing in bold font, what a monster *shivers*
1) I've never attacked the author. My review is solely focused on the book and the book only. Goodreads offers me the opportunity, as a reader, to give my honest opinion. I... took it. It's that simple.
2) The use of profanity is a stylistic choice. Sometimes I curse, others I don't and (surprise surprise) I'm actually able to interact in a different way. After finishing this novel t ...more
1) I've never attacked the author. My review is solely focused on the book and the book only. Goodreads offers me the opportunity, as a reader, to give my honest opinion. I... took it. It's that simple.
2) The use of profanity is a stylistic choice. Sometimes I curse, others I don't and (surprise surprise) I'm actually able to interact in a different way. After finishing this novel t ...more

A novel that takes place in a world so similar, yet different, to our own. God has gotten angry and smashed the world into little pieces. It sees Ophelia travel to a distant ark, as these fragments of the world are now called, for an arranged marriage to Thorn, the Pole ark's treasurer.
Ophelia has certain gifts, just by touching an object she can read the feelings and mindset of people who have previously touched that object, and she also has the ability to travel through mirrors. Yet others ha ...more
Ophelia has certain gifts, just by touching an object she can read the feelings and mindset of people who have previously touched that object, and she also has the ability to travel through mirrors. Yet others ha ...more

If you read a lot of Y.A. literature, this book will seem vaguely familiar to you. That’s because it just borrows a bunch of ideas from the most popular books out there. Harry Potter, Shadow and Bone (for a clueless girl thrown into a royal court), Vampire Diaries, too (Ambassador Archibald is a carbon copy of Adrian Ivashkov, or more accurately, a less charismatic version of him), and so many more I can’t be bothered to remember. The whole story is just a washed-out copy of those books.
Everyon ...more
Everyon ...more

I really enjoyed the book. The world was so imaginative and creative. I truly loved the setting. It was also simple enough that made it even easier to grasp and enjoy. Probably Ophelia was the best part of this book for me. It was a powerful character development, and a very likeable heroine. She was very pragmatic in the way she approached the events. There was lots of court politics and relationship management. Dabos managed to create a strong intrigue. I kept turning the pages to learn why on
...more

DNF'd on page 185/491.
Thank you so much to Text Publishing Australia for sending a copy of this to me! Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. The first chapter was so promising, with so much atmosphere and it had it's own distinct, magical vibe that made me think I was going to love this book! However, as I kept reading, I kept encountering more and more problems. For example, on page 49, "A nanny pushed a pram while blushing at the admiring whistles of workmen up scaffolding." Ughhhhh why ...more
Thank you so much to Text Publishing Australia for sending a copy of this to me! Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. The first chapter was so promising, with so much atmosphere and it had it's own distinct, magical vibe that made me think I was going to love this book! However, as I kept reading, I kept encountering more and more problems. For example, on page 49, "A nanny pushed a pram while blushing at the admiring whistles of workmen up scaffolding." Ughhhhh why ...more

Really interesting world filed with torturous court intrigue, and a real teaser of an ending. The arks are cool, and there are very evocative lines about more interesting things to see that we don't get to in this book. Some descriptions will stick with me, especially about the use of illusions and what's really underneath them.
I called the ending a tease, but to me it was really more of a dud. I wanted more to happen at the end than just strange alliances. Okay I actually wanted more to happen ...more
I called the ending a tease, but to me it was really more of a dud. I wanted more to happen at the end than just strange alliances. Okay I actually wanted more to happen ...more

4****
A great reread! I loved the world and enjoyed the characters of Ophelia, Foster and Gail. Might have to reread the second book now.
Original review:
That was really interesting and a rather unusual fantasy book to what I usually read! Long ago there was a cataclysm called The Rupture and the world split its lands into celestial floating islands, known as Arks. Over each, the spirit of an immortal ancestor abides- they ere said to be the survivors of the rupture. Due to the Rupture, each Ark h ...more
A great reread! I loved the world and enjoyed the characters of Ophelia, Foster and Gail. Might have to reread the second book now.
Original review:
That was really interesting and a rather unusual fantasy book to what I usually read! Long ago there was a cataclysm called The Rupture and the world split its lands into celestial floating islands, known as Arks. Over each, the spirit of an immortal ancestor abides- they ere said to be the survivors of the rupture. Due to the Rupture, each Ark h ...more

Holy hell this book has some of the most unique worldbuilding I’ve seen for absolutely ages - it’s like Howl’s Moving Castle x Pride & Prejudice x Versailles under the guise of a somewhat-historical-feeling steampunk fantasy - and it’s fascinating.
Full review to come!!
*
- Buddy read with lovely Jasmin! -
Full review to come!!
*
- Buddy read with lovely Jasmin! -

Oct 14, 2018
Melissa (Mel’s Bookshelf)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-ya
4.25 Stars.
I really enjoyed this YA debut novel by French author Christelle Dabos. It has won numerous awards in Europe so it was no surprise that it has recently finally been translated into English. I don't read many translated books and was excited to give this one a go! I have read some wonderful reviews about the French version. I wanted to see what sort of atmosphere it had. It did not disappoint!
In a unique universe, the world has been smashed up into different "arks". Ophelia is a young ...more
I really enjoyed this YA debut novel by French author Christelle Dabos. It has won numerous awards in Europe so it was no surprise that it has recently finally been translated into English. I don't read many translated books and was excited to give this one a go! I have read some wonderful reviews about the French version. I wanted to see what sort of atmosphere it had. It did not disappoint!
In a unique universe, the world has been smashed up into different "arks". Ophelia is a young ...more


Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Long ago, a cataclysm shattered the world into many floating celestial islands. These Arks, have each developed in distinct ways, possessing its own unique relationship to time. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, Ophelia hides the ability to read and communicate with the souls of objects, and the power to travel through mirrors. Her peaceful existence on the Ark of Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, from the po ...more

[3.5 stars]
The pros: strong atmosphere, inventive world-building and Ophelia is a unique main character that I was rooting for. The magic/powers aspect of this novel were really cool, though arguably under-developed (though this is the first volume of a series, so I imagine that would be improved in later volumes).
The cons: a meandering plot that takes a while to dole out information in odd ways. I think if I re-read it I wouldn't necessarily have these same feelings, but on my first read it was ...more
The pros: strong atmosphere, inventive world-building and Ophelia is a unique main character that I was rooting for. The magic/powers aspect of this novel were really cool, though arguably under-developed (though this is the first volume of a series, so I imagine that would be improved in later volumes).
The cons: a meandering plot that takes a while to dole out information in odd ways. I think if I re-read it I wouldn't necessarily have these same feelings, but on my first read it was ...more

May 16, 2019
The Artisan Geek
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favourites
16/5/19
I bought this book back in March when I was visiting my sister, I had been eyeing it for some time because of the cover and MY GOSH! I am so so happy that I had a go at it, because this was SUCH a lovely fantasy!! This is going straight to my favourites shelf. I will be reviewing this book on my Youtube soon!! :)
You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website ...more
I bought this book back in March when I was visiting my sister, I had been eyeing it for some time because of the cover and MY GOSH! I am so so happy that I had a go at it, because this was SUCH a lovely fantasy!! This is going straight to my favourites shelf. I will be reviewing this book on my Youtube soon!! :)
You can find me on
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website ...more


Jan 10, 2021
Bethany
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
patreon-book-club-picks
Really interesting, slow-paced story with lots of court intrigue and an unassuming yet resolute heroine in a bad situation. Content-wise, this is on the darker side, more than I expected, but it is set in a fascinating world and I quite liked it.
Ophelia is being forced from her quiet job curating a museum into a political marriage with a man she doesn't know from a distant Ark. (note that Earth was pretty much destroyed and people now live in these giant floating countries known as Arks) She is ...more
Ophelia is being forced from her quiet job curating a museum into a political marriage with a man she doesn't know from a distant Ark. (note that Earth was pretty much destroyed and people now live in these giant floating countries known as Arks) She is ...more

Sep 26, 2020
Mara YA Mood Reader
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
arranged-forced-marriage,
read-in-2020
10/20/2020
I didn’t realize this was kind of steam punk which I don’t care much for, but here, it works. I devoured this strange book in large heaping chunks at a time! And am awaiting on my copy of book two!
Although Unfortunately, I did not see Draco in the character Thorn as I had been promised and I am okay with that. Mostly because I loved Thorn’s mysterious and complex character so much anyway.
Tiktok made me buy it! Someone said Draco and Arranged Marriage and I’m sold 🙌🏼🙌🏼😍
Origin ...more
I didn’t realize this was kind of steam punk which I don’t care much for, but here, it works. I devoured this strange book in large heaping chunks at a time! And am awaiting on my copy of book two!
Although Unfortunately, I did not see Draco in the character Thorn as I had been promised and I am okay with that. Mostly because I loved Thorn’s mysterious and complex character so much anyway.
Tiktok made me buy it! Someone said Draco and Arranged Marriage and I’m sold 🙌🏼🙌🏼😍
Origin ...more

Man that went downhill quickly.
It started out a 4 star, but ended up being up horrible.
I'll admit, the first fifty or so pages were amazing, and I wished it had stayed on that track, because the second they got to Citaceleste, things were BAD.
At first I really liked ophelia. I thought she was the right mix of smart and quirky and stubborn to make her akin to the protagonists of the middle grade books I used to read voraciously. The first fifty or so pages were similar to the Mysterious Bened ...more
It started out a 4 star, but ended up being up horrible.
I'll admit, the first fifty or so pages were amazing, and I wished it had stayed on that track, because the second they got to Citaceleste, things were BAD.
At first I really liked ophelia. I thought she was the right mix of smart and quirky and stubborn to make her akin to the protagonists of the middle grade books I used to read voraciously. The first fifty or so pages were similar to the Mysterious Bened ...more

Nov 24, 2018
Alice (Married To Books)
added it
DNF at page 113!
I'm not having much luck with my reading recently, A Winter's Promise was disappointing for me personally as I had high hopes for a new, popular fantasy read. I know this is translated from the original French but the writing itself felt quite info-dumpy. I really struggled to visualise the worlds and characters which as a visual reader/writer, was an issue. The part that ultimately made me decide to DNF was a remark made about the main character's weight. This was said in a way ...more
I'm not having much luck with my reading recently, A Winter's Promise was disappointing for me personally as I had high hopes for a new, popular fantasy read. I know this is translated from the original French but the writing itself felt quite info-dumpy. I really struggled to visualise the worlds and characters which as a visual reader/writer, was an issue. The part that ultimately made me decide to DNF was a remark made about the main character's weight. This was said in a way ...more

DNF @20%
I can’t for the life of me keep reading this.
Ophelia’s clumsiness is beyond embarrassing, how on earth can you break three objects in less than one minute or fall while standing still? How has she survived for 16 years - or whatever her age is? Seriously, how. Plus, there's a scene where Ophelia says that she has not washed - for no valid reason - for a week and that she doesn't care. I can't even comment on this, how gross is that???
I don’t even know what to say about Thorn, he’s an ass ...more
I can’t for the life of me keep reading this.
Ophelia’s clumsiness is beyond embarrassing, how on earth can you break three objects in less than one minute or fall while standing still? How has she survived for 16 years - or whatever her age is? Seriously, how. Plus, there's a scene where Ophelia says that she has not washed - for no valid reason - for a week and that she doesn't care. I can't even comment on this, how gross is that???
I don’t even know what to say about Thorn, he’s an ass ...more

Jun 11, 2018
Irene△⃒⃘➰
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2018,
cover-love
4.5/5
Even if the story is nothing too elaborated I loved every single page of this book!! Loved the characters, the world is absolutely amazing and dynamics too!! I can’t wait to have the next one is my hands, unfortunately it hasn’t been translated yet😭
Even if the story is nothing too elaborated I loved every single page of this book!! Loved the characters, the world is absolutely amazing and dynamics too!! I can’t wait to have the next one is my hands, unfortunately it hasn’t been translated yet😭

before this reread, I only remembered reading this book 5 years ago and enjoying it immensely. I'm glad to say 19yo me had taste. this book is something else. the writing is gorgeous, the plot is unique and intriguing, and the characters are so well-crafted! I'm excited to continue with the rest of the series! (4.75)
...more

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: Lots of potential, but unfortunately, this story was too problematic for my taste.
Well, I think you can tell by my rating that A Winter’s Promise just didn’t work for me. I had high hopes for this book, which is apparently a huge success in the author’s native country of France, and has just been translated into English and p ...more
Well, I think you can tell by my rating that A Winter’s Promise just didn’t work for me. I had high hopes for this book, which is apparently a huge success in the author’s native country of France, and has just been translated into English and p ...more

'Highly original and intricately imagined, this is world-building on an epic scale.'
The Bookseller UK
‘The Mirror Visitor stands on the same shelf as Harry Potter.’
Elle
‘As mesmerising as a waking dream, A Winter’s Promise is certain to ensnare you in its unique, dizzyingly magical world of treachery, illusion, and intrigue.’
Margaret Rogerson, author of An Enchantment of Ravens
‘A fantastic epic, definitely, but also a coming-of-age novel, this first volume makes a strong impression. A novelist is ...more
The Bookseller UK
‘The Mirror Visitor stands on the same shelf as Harry Potter.’
Elle
‘As mesmerising as a waking dream, A Winter’s Promise is certain to ensnare you in its unique, dizzyingly magical world of treachery, illusion, and intrigue.’
Margaret Rogerson, author of An Enchantment of Ravens
‘A fantastic epic, definitely, but also a coming-of-age novel, this first volume makes a strong impression. A novelist is ...more

This book was gorgeously written and very original. I can’t wait for the next book!

read this for the magical girl society and after a good discussion, i think i'm giving this a solid 3 stars.
pros: world-building and magic system are super interesting, and i love the political intrigue wrapped up in the story.
cons: i found myself rather unattached to most of the characters and therefore not invested in what happened to them, which is disappointing because many characters caught my attention when first introduced only to fall flat as the story went on.
mayhaps i will pick up the ...more
pros: world-building and magic system are super interesting, and i love the political intrigue wrapped up in the story.
cons: i found myself rather unattached to most of the characters and therefore not invested in what happened to them, which is disappointing because many characters caught my attention when first introduced only to fall flat as the story went on.
mayhaps i will pick up the ...more

Best French Fantasy Novel and Best French Young Adult Novel 2014. Dabos’ fantasy series is filled with magic, illusion, and intrigue. Ophelia has certain gifts—she can experience an object’s history through touch (i.e., a ‘reader’) and she can travel through mirrors. She enjoyed her work as a museum curator before her family arranged for her to be married to Thorn. She has to travel to a different Ark [arks are a series of floating islands that formed when the world broke apart].
Ophelia is thrus ...more
Ophelia is thrus ...more

I was intrigued by this book, Europa Editions publishing a YA Fantasy series was an interesting surprise, but then I held off reading it for a long time. I don't actually *like* much YA Fantasy and I have a hard time committing to a series. In the end, though, I really enjoyed this and it was a nice antidote to a bit of a reading slump where nothing was really doing it for me, which is a high compliment indeed.
Worldbuilding in Fantasy is a real tightrope walk, you have to create a complex world ...more
Worldbuilding in Fantasy is a real tightrope walk, you have to create a complex world ...more

2.5
Imagine being tied up and having the best cake ever sitting in front of you but only being fed a spoonful once in a few hours. That's EXACTLY what it felt like reading this book.
Let's start on the positive note:
-I loved the idea of the magic system, I loved the differences between the arks and the fact that most of it was kind of misterious so that we had to pay attention in order to understand them
-Ophelia's great-uncle and her brother Hector were such nice characters, it made me so sad whe ...more
Imagine being tied up and having the best cake ever sitting in front of you but only being fed a spoonful once in a few hours. That's EXACTLY what it felt like reading this book.
Let's start on the positive note:
-I loved the idea of the magic system, I loved the differences between the arks and the fact that most of it was kind of misterious so that we had to pay attention in order to understand them
-Ophelia's great-uncle and her brother Hector were such nice characters, it made me so sad whe ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Forgotten YA Gems: A Winter's Promise: General Discussion | 3 | 51 | Aug 29, 2020 12:44PM | |
The Procrastinato...:
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5 | 15 | Jul 19, 2020 05:49PM | |
Fox Book Club: February || A Winter's Promise | 104 | 851 | Jun 28, 2020 07:29PM |
Christelle Dabos was born in 1980 on the French Riviera and grew up in a home filled with classical music and historical puzzles. More imaginative than cerebral, she begins to scribble her first texts on the benches of the faculty. Settled in Belgium, she intends to be a librarian when a disease occurs. Writing then becomes an escape from the medical machinery, then a slow reconstruction and final
...more
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La Passe-Miroir
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