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Mirror Chronicles #4
Saving Winter
Violette is tired of waiting for the Mirror to come out of hiding and change the world once and for all. But with ITTA still in control of time travel, every move the Mirror makes is potential for failure. So, when Violette uncovers ITTA's newest plot against the Mirror and Keltson refuses to listen to her warnings, Violette fears she'll have to take matters into her own hands to save those who are dearest to her.
Baigh never dreamed he'd be living the high-life while schmoozing investors for the Mirror's efforts. It's all he's ever wanted. Right? But when a threat locks down the Silos and cancels all his meetings, Baigh fears he may have to face up to the reason he's so anxious to leave the Silo's in the first place.
Fleur, once again, feels trapped in the confines of the Silos. It seems that everyone expects her to wait while they figure out her destiny. But when an opportunity comes to grasp her future with her own hands, she has no idea how desperately wrong her reality is about to spiral.
Baigh never dreamed he'd be living the high-life while schmoozing investors for the Mirror's efforts. It's all he's ever wanted. Right? But when a threat locks down the Silos and cancels all his meetings, Baigh fears he may have to face up to the reason he's so anxious to leave the Silo's in the first place.
Fleur, once again, feels trapped in the confines of the Silos. It seems that everyone expects her to wait while they figure out her destiny. But when an opportunity comes to grasp her future with her own hands, she has no idea how desperately wrong her reality is about to spiral.
Unknown Binding
Published June 24, 2023
2 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Huffmire
7 books127 followersHi! I'm Rachel Huffmire, an award winning author who writes futuristic fairytale retellings with twisty plots and happily ever afters. I believe there is courage in compassion, and I tell stories about optimistic heroes who change the world.
I live with my husband, three children, and a library of books that is slowly overtaking our house. It’s not my fault. When I'm not writing, I enjoy baking apple pastries, taking long naps, and wearing warm cardigans.
If you love fairytale retellings too, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter at Rachelhuffmire.com for a community that loves folklore, fiction, and fantasy! You can also chat with me on Instagram @rachelhuffmire.
I live with my husband, three children, and a library of books that is slowly overtaking our house. It’s not my fault. When I'm not writing, I enjoy baking apple pastries, taking long naps, and wearing warm cardigans.
If you love fairytale retellings too, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter at Rachelhuffmire.com for a community that loves folklore, fiction, and fantasy! You can also chat with me on Instagram @rachelhuffmire.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 2, 2023
All right, the ending did confirm my suspicions, and not in a good way.
But why? Why depart from what made this series so good up to this? The formula was working fine! And then you go and make a character from the Good Guys Team the baddie all of a sudden and force two characters that already had their own fairy tale to fit into "The Snow Queen" in a plotline that doesn't match the tale. And unintentionally make fun of Hans Christian Andersen in the process.
This was the weakest installment in the series to date. Until now, the formula had been that a group of unsanctioned time-travellers with good intentions went back to the past to alter the fate of certain people whose story is following the plot of what will become a known fairy tale, and to dodge the vigilant ITTA agency that forbids altering the past and to not crash the timelines too much, one of them ends up disguising their past identity as a fairy tale teller, such as the Grimms and Perrault. The formula could've been applied again to this 4th installment, I can think of a few scenarios for that (World War II has several places where it can work, for one) but instead it was made into a story of internal conflict, in which the Good Guys Team splits.
And it's not done well. We don't know what's going on until midway through the book, when the revelation that , the latter is revealed even later and by that time it feels infodumpy because we don't really see the buildup to that when Violette disappears and Baigh and Fleur take over narrating the story. It's very hard to see the parallels to "The Snow Queen," because the chosen character doesn't fit unless forced to. The bunker inside the glacier feels artificially made to fit the tale too. And Baigh and Fleur don't really fit Kai and Gerda, especially because Sleeping Beauty already fit that pair. The original story is one of loyalty and perseverance, of sticking with your friends and making sacrifices to help them, but instead here it's a romance.
The worst part is that we don't even know why And the resolution to simply send her back in time and strip her of her memories and the ability to time-travel ever again feels overdone and unearned, more so given that The Mirror is partly to blame for letting her go to that extreme by how dismissive and condescending and I-know-it-all-not-you he behaves towards her. The Evil Stepmother from Snow White gets redeemed here, but again that's something I don't get how or why exactly, and I'm convinced this series just doesn't do redemption well. Nobody is truly bad, they just did something bad that was totes justified and bounce back from that with little consequence.
My biggest disappointment, however, is that an android was chosen to impersonate Hans Christian Andersen. And besides being so offensive when we take into account that Andersen might've been autistic (and even if he wasn't, he was socially awkward and weird, just read his own diaries and see for yourself), the way it was done is out of the blue and ridiculously implausible. So we have this robot called Anders, who gets left behind and forgotten in the now abandoned Ice Palace inside the glacier, and out of the blue decides he wants "to care" and become a writer, thinks maybe Denmark is a good country to pass himself for a citizen of, and that his name must be a very Christian name. Presto! This little robot all of a sudden becomes a Danish fairy teller named Hans Christian Andersen, all in the space of one paragraph with no logic at all. I'm sorry, but this really isn't something I can overlook, it feels uncalled for to use a robot as Andersen.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
But why? Why depart from what made this series so good up to this? The formula was working fine! And then you go and make a character from the Good Guys Team the baddie all of a sudden and force two characters that already had their own fairy tale to fit into "The Snow Queen" in a plotline that doesn't match the tale. And unintentionally make fun of Hans Christian Andersen in the process.
This was the weakest installment in the series to date. Until now, the formula had been that a group of unsanctioned time-travellers with good intentions went back to the past to alter the fate of certain people whose story is following the plot of what will become a known fairy tale, and to dodge the vigilant ITTA agency that forbids altering the past and to not crash the timelines too much, one of them ends up disguising their past identity as a fairy tale teller, such as the Grimms and Perrault. The formula could've been applied again to this 4th installment, I can think of a few scenarios for that (World War II has several places where it can work, for one) but instead it was made into a story of internal conflict, in which the Good Guys Team splits.
And it's not done well. We don't know what's going on until midway through the book, when the revelation that , the latter is revealed even later and by that time it feels infodumpy because we don't really see the buildup to that when Violette disappears and Baigh and Fleur take over narrating the story. It's very hard to see the parallels to "The Snow Queen," because the chosen character doesn't fit unless forced to. The bunker inside the glacier feels artificially made to fit the tale too. And Baigh and Fleur don't really fit Kai and Gerda, especially because Sleeping Beauty already fit that pair. The original story is one of loyalty and perseverance, of sticking with your friends and making sacrifices to help them, but instead here it's a romance.
The worst part is that we don't even know why And the resolution to simply send her back in time and strip her of her memories and the ability to time-travel ever again feels overdone and unearned, more so given that The Mirror is partly to blame for letting her go to that extreme by how dismissive and condescending and I-know-it-all-not-you he behaves towards her. The Evil Stepmother from Snow White gets redeemed here, but again that's something I don't get how or why exactly, and I'm convinced this series just doesn't do redemption well. Nobody is truly bad, they just did something bad that was totes justified and bounce back from that with little consequence.
My biggest disappointment, however, is that an android was chosen to impersonate Hans Christian Andersen. And besides being so offensive when we take into account that Andersen might've been autistic (and even if he wasn't, he was socially awkward and weird, just read his own diaries and see for yourself), the way it was done is out of the blue and ridiculously implausible. So we have this robot called Anders, who gets left behind and forgotten in the now abandoned Ice Palace inside the glacier, and out of the blue decides he wants "to care" and become a writer, thinks maybe Denmark is a good country to pass himself for a citizen of, and that his name must be a very Christian name. Presto! This little robot all of a sudden becomes a Danish fairy teller named Hans Christian Andersen, all in the space of one paragraph with no logic at all. I'm sorry, but this really isn't something I can overlook, it feels uncalled for to use a robot as Andersen.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
October 22, 2024
3.5
The problem is that there's a lot I don't understand, this part was so complicated that sometimes I got lost even when there are explanations I read them multiple times to understand the point behind it
Still love the characters, the time travel yet it didn't give me fairytale vibes this time and I didn't bother that, I was glad about the dark vibes this time
Overall loved the series and still believe it's so underrated.
The problem is that there's a lot I don't understand, this part was so complicated that sometimes I got lost even when there are explanations I read them multiple times to understand the point behind it
Still love the characters, the time travel yet it didn't give me fairytale vibes this time and I didn't bother that, I was glad about the dark vibes this time
Overall loved the series and still believe it's so underrated.
June 24, 2023
Fairy & Folk Tales as revisionist history?
Totally get the siren call to read & write retellings (one of my faves), but to use them as a tool to change the narrative? Hmmm…
Readers are treated to sketches ‘done in the style of Tia Wild’ as well as sections of Anderson’s “The Snow Queen” as epitaphs. They both added some flair…
Wise words:
Don’t get trapped in The Pause
Be proactive rather than leaving things up to chance.
‘Secrets are never meant to last forever' … entrusting them to the wrong people ‘only shortens their shelf life.’
Orange roses are my favorite – what’s your favorite color rose? Bleue, Jaune, Rouge, Violette…?
Previous in this series are ‘Shattered Snow’ and ‘Spinning Briar’. Check out the author’s Granted series: ‘Curse of the Emerald Jinn’ and ‘Traitor in the Orange Grove’.
Totally get the siren call to read & write retellings (one of my faves), but to use them as a tool to change the narrative? Hmmm…
Readers are treated to sketches ‘done in the style of Tia Wild’ as well as sections of Anderson’s “The Snow Queen” as epitaphs. They both added some flair…
Wise words:
Don’t get trapped in The Pause
Be proactive rather than leaving things up to chance.
‘Secrets are never meant to last forever' … entrusting them to the wrong people ‘only shortens their shelf life.’
Orange roses are my favorite – what’s your favorite color rose? Bleue, Jaune, Rouge, Violette…?
Previous in this series are ‘Shattered Snow’ and ‘Spinning Briar’. Check out the author’s Granted series: ‘Curse of the Emerald Jinn’ and ‘Traitor in the Orange Grove’.
January 29, 2024
Satisfying end to the story. I honestly wasn’t sure how she was going to untangle the disaster the characters found themselves in. It was a wild ride.
June 4, 2023
After joining a review team for one of Rachel Huffmire's upcoming books, I decided to familiarize myself with her first series, The Mirror Chronicles. Unfortunately, the fourth book in the series was probably not the best place to start. Unlike many other fairy tale series I've read, Saving Winter does not work as a standalone at all. I've discovered in the past that the science fiction genre does not blend well with fairy tales, and this ARC was no exception. The book is loosely based on "The Snow Queen," but I found little similarity to it despite the quoted Hans Christian Andersen passages at the beginning of each chapter, which seemed out of place. Regardless of whether or not it followed the fairy tale, this was not a pleasant reading experience in general. While it could be because I didn't read the rest of the series, I found it exceedingly difficult to keep track of the characters and plot in this book.
This would normally be the place where I share a brief summary of the story, but I found Saving Winter so confusing that I'm not entirely sure I know what it was about. There was a lot of time travel, some rebellion, and many different characters to follow, none of whom I felt particularly attached to. I've said in other reviews that time travel plots can be tricky to handle, especially for fairy tale adaptations and this book was all over the place. At first, it seemed like it was about a character named Violette forming a rebellion against ITTA, an agency that is similar to the Time Bureau from Find Me in Paris, which is a rare example of a story that combines princesses and time travel in a compelling way, despite its many plot holes. This book is the polar opposite of Find Me in Paris. There was a great deal of effort spent fleshing out each timeline and the mechanics of the world and its magic. In doing so, the book left little room for the readers to care about the characters.
Partway through the book, it is revealed that an alternate version of Violette was formed as a result of her time travel escapades, and that version seems to represent the infamous Snow Queen. Closer to the end, the main character switches to a girl named Fleur, who is likely the Gerda character from the fairy tale. Fleur wants to rescue her friend Baigh, who probably represents Kai. This would have been well and good if Fleur and Baigh were more present at the beginning of the story to give readers a chance to care about them. However, they show up so late in the book that I barely knew who they were or why it was so important for her to save him from the evil version of Violette. Not only that, but it seemed like the good version of Violette had been all but forgotten at some point. Either that or she was actually someone else the whole time, and that wasn't very clear either. The whole book was so confusing that I rarely knew what was going on at any given time.
To be fair, I think that reading the first three books in The Mirror Chronicles may have alleviated some of my confusion with Saving Winter. Most series I've read where each book adapts a different fairy tale usually have different protagonists in each book, making the world easy to learn about from anywhere in the series. This series might be a rare exception to that rule. Even so, I found the world unnecessarily convoluted, and the emotional stakes were as cold as the Snow Queen herself, which I suppose was appropriate for such an adaptation. Each chapter of this book becomes progressively more confusing in terms of who to root for and what the characters' motivations are. If it hadn't been for the epitaphs of "The Snow Queen" between chapters, I would have had no idea it was based on a fairy tale.
Overall, Saving Winter by Rachel Huffmire left me feeling underwhelmed and disconnected. While the book follows a noble cause and contains some exciting moments, the confusing plot and lack of personality for the characters made it difficult for me to care about any of them. I think this book is meant as a reward for people who have enjoyed the first three books in the Mirror Chronicles as opposed to an introduction to this convoluted science fiction world. Despite its good intentions, I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story throughout. While Saving Winter may have some redeeming qualities, I would caution readers to manage their expectations before diving in.
This would normally be the place where I share a brief summary of the story, but I found Saving Winter so confusing that I'm not entirely sure I know what it was about. There was a lot of time travel, some rebellion, and many different characters to follow, none of whom I felt particularly attached to. I've said in other reviews that time travel plots can be tricky to handle, especially for fairy tale adaptations and this book was all over the place. At first, it seemed like it was about a character named Violette forming a rebellion against ITTA, an agency that is similar to the Time Bureau from Find Me in Paris, which is a rare example of a story that combines princesses and time travel in a compelling way, despite its many plot holes. This book is the polar opposite of Find Me in Paris. There was a great deal of effort spent fleshing out each timeline and the mechanics of the world and its magic. In doing so, the book left little room for the readers to care about the characters.
Partway through the book, it is revealed that an alternate version of Violette was formed as a result of her time travel escapades, and that version seems to represent the infamous Snow Queen. Closer to the end, the main character switches to a girl named Fleur, who is likely the Gerda character from the fairy tale. Fleur wants to rescue her friend Baigh, who probably represents Kai. This would have been well and good if Fleur and Baigh were more present at the beginning of the story to give readers a chance to care about them. However, they show up so late in the book that I barely knew who they were or why it was so important for her to save him from the evil version of Violette. Not only that, but it seemed like the good version of Violette had been all but forgotten at some point. Either that or she was actually someone else the whole time, and that wasn't very clear either. The whole book was so confusing that I rarely knew what was going on at any given time.
To be fair, I think that reading the first three books in The Mirror Chronicles may have alleviated some of my confusion with Saving Winter. Most series I've read where each book adapts a different fairy tale usually have different protagonists in each book, making the world easy to learn about from anywhere in the series. This series might be a rare exception to that rule. Even so, I found the world unnecessarily convoluted, and the emotional stakes were as cold as the Snow Queen herself, which I suppose was appropriate for such an adaptation. Each chapter of this book becomes progressively more confusing in terms of who to root for and what the characters' motivations are. If it hadn't been for the epitaphs of "The Snow Queen" between chapters, I would have had no idea it was based on a fairy tale.
Overall, Saving Winter by Rachel Huffmire left me feeling underwhelmed and disconnected. While the book follows a noble cause and contains some exciting moments, the confusing plot and lack of personality for the characters made it difficult for me to care about any of them. I think this book is meant as a reward for people who have enjoyed the first three books in the Mirror Chronicles as opposed to an introduction to this convoluted science fiction world. Despite its good intentions, I found myself struggling to stay engaged with the story throughout. While Saving Winter may have some redeeming qualities, I would caution readers to manage their expectations before diving in.
June 24, 2023
First of all, I hope this series never ends. Huffmire has written characters I care about deeply, and a world that never ceases to fascinate and surprise me. I have read a lot of fairy tale retellings, and the books in The Mirror Chronicles are hands down some of the most (of not THE most) creative, interesting, and well-written ones I have ever read. In my review for the first book, I mentioned how much I loved that Huffmire’s retelling of Snow White gave depth and understandable motive to the evil queen, a villain that seemed flat and unrelatable in the versions of the fairy tale I grew up with. This book does the same thing for its villain, the Snow Queen, which I loved. There were fantastic surprises and plot twists, as there should be in any time travel novel—this one certainly did not disappoint! I also loved that the elements of the fairy tale which was being retold in this book were so creatively incorporated. In some fairy tale retellings the age-old elements are unchanged and fed to the reader the same way they were in every other version of the fairy tale, but not with the Mirror Chronicles. I love how creatively and often subtly the details from the original fairy tale are reinvented in these books. I also love that this retelling doesn’t follow the original fairy tale scene by scene at all, but takes from the original here and there and makes it into a new, beautiful, interesting, different story. It really is fairy tale retelling at its finest and other authors of the genre (I’ve read A LOT of them) would do well to study Huffmire’s creations.
This book was so well-crafted and thought out. I now want to go back and read the entire series again, because I know if I had the second book fresh in my mind I would have appreciated even more of the fine details in this installment. There are just so many layers of goodness to these books. The epilogue indicated there might be another book and I truly hope there is!! I love these characters and this world too much and I need more of them in my life!
This book was so well-crafted and thought out. I now want to go back and read the entire series again, because I know if I had the second book fresh in my mind I would have appreciated even more of the fine details in this installment. There are just so many layers of goodness to these books. The epilogue indicated there might be another book and I truly hope there is!! I love these characters and this world too much and I need more of them in my life!
October 30, 2023
I hereby declare that fairytale retellings are some of my most favorite stories.
Although the Snow Queen is a fairytale I am not as familiar with, I thoroughly enjoyed its retelling here in Saving Winter by Rachel Huffmire. There was so much to love in this book - action, adventure, time travel shenanigans, good guys you can't help but cheer for, villains you just want to kick in the shins.....seriously what is there not to love here?
I loved having Baigh as one of the main characters in this story. He has been one of my favorite characters in this series. It was awesome to see him finally get a chance to shine and to get the happily ever after that he deserved. It was also awesome to see all of the other characters from the previous books that I have come to love as well (except for maybe Violette. She definitely deserves a kick to the shins.).
My only serious complaint is that there were a couple of major characters that were left as loose ends (so to say) that I would've liked to see tied into the ending a little better. They just kind of disappeared midway through the book and never got mentioned again.
That complaint aside, y'all need this book in your lives. If you haven't read the first two books in the series yet, though, make sure you go read those ones first for maximum enjoyment of this one. This is the way.
Many thanks to the author for the early copy; all thoughts are my own :)
Although the Snow Queen is a fairytale I am not as familiar with, I thoroughly enjoyed its retelling here in Saving Winter by Rachel Huffmire. There was so much to love in this book - action, adventure, time travel shenanigans, good guys you can't help but cheer for, villains you just want to kick in the shins.....seriously what is there not to love here?
I loved having Baigh as one of the main characters in this story. He has been one of my favorite characters in this series. It was awesome to see him finally get a chance to shine and to get the happily ever after that he deserved. It was also awesome to see all of the other characters from the previous books that I have come to love as well (except for maybe Violette. She definitely deserves a kick to the shins.).
My only serious complaint is that there were a couple of major characters that were left as loose ends (so to say) that I would've liked to see tied into the ending a little better. They just kind of disappeared midway through the book and never got mentioned again.
That complaint aside, y'all need this book in your lives. If you haven't read the first two books in the series yet, though, make sure you go read those ones first for maximum enjoyment of this one. This is the way.
Many thanks to the author for the early copy; all thoughts are my own :)
June 24, 2023
Saving Winter
Rachel Huffmire
Rating ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️/5 because come on this is such an amazing book and you can't expect me to rate it within 5 points 😹
Review
Another amazing book by Rachel Huffmire that blew my mind, My personal favourite about her writing is each book has a different set of MCs but the book still holds our favourite characters'life within and I'm a very big fan of this!
The elements of sci-fi are explained very skillfully but not too much into that would bore the readers but just enough to be intrigued and sucked in.
The way the words flow from chapter to chapter,the little illustrations and every tiny little quirk of the book had me enchanted with its brilliance of imagery and science fiction at its finest!
The plot is well constructed and the way it effortlessly flows through all of her books without needing to reread the previous book because the story sears itself into your soul and body.
This book's MC is Baigh and Fleur who have their fates entwined but the changing timeline threatens to mess things up when Baigh attempts to take the first step. Fleur had never been one to play the princess in the tower but what happens when one of your own turns against you to make things messy? And what's more is there's an AI robot in this book and it looks like he's got feelings.....
To know more go ahead and grab yourself a copy TODAY!!!!!
Rachel Huffmire
Rating ❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️/5 because come on this is such an amazing book and you can't expect me to rate it within 5 points 😹
Review
Another amazing book by Rachel Huffmire that blew my mind, My personal favourite about her writing is each book has a different set of MCs but the book still holds our favourite characters'life within and I'm a very big fan of this!
The elements of sci-fi are explained very skillfully but not too much into that would bore the readers but just enough to be intrigued and sucked in.
The way the words flow from chapter to chapter,the little illustrations and every tiny little quirk of the book had me enchanted with its brilliance of imagery and science fiction at its finest!
The plot is well constructed and the way it effortlessly flows through all of her books without needing to reread the previous book because the story sears itself into your soul and body.
This book's MC is Baigh and Fleur who have their fates entwined but the changing timeline threatens to mess things up when Baigh attempts to take the first step. Fleur had never been one to play the princess in the tower but what happens when one of your own turns against you to make things messy? And what's more is there's an AI robot in this book and it looks like he's got feelings.....
To know more go ahead and grab yourself a copy TODAY!!!!!
Read
June 25, 2023A clean, YA/NA scifi retelling of the snow queen.
I'm sorry to say I struggled with this one. I really enjoyed the previous instalments of the mirror series so the fact that I didn't really enjoy this one all that much, was disappointing.
The first problem was that most of this story was from the pov of my least favourite character so far, and that it was clear from early on that she was going to be a villain, which made me care about her even less.
I was excited about the romantic sparks between Baigh and Fleur so when we got a scene with them, I loved it and was expecting more of that, but then at least 40% of the book passed by without anything on that plot.
Aside from that there was just too much going on character wise: there were so many characters from previous stories that I didn't quite remember any details about; it really would have helped to get a reminder of the important details. Combined with the time jumps, it was a lot. It left me feeling a bit in the dark, and confused, kind of tethered along because i did want to know how things were solved, but not feeling like i was in the story.
I loved the interactions with Baigh and Fleur we did get at the beginning and towards the end. I just wish there would have been more of that, and I'm sad this one fell flat for me.
Coarse language: none
sexual content: none
violence & gore: mild violence, no gore
I'm sorry to say I struggled with this one. I really enjoyed the previous instalments of the mirror series so the fact that I didn't really enjoy this one all that much, was disappointing.
The first problem was that most of this story was from the pov of my least favourite character so far, and that it was clear from early on that she was going to be a villain, which made me care about her even less.
I was excited about the romantic sparks between Baigh and Fleur so when we got a scene with them, I loved it and was expecting more of that, but then at least 40% of the book passed by without anything on that plot.
Aside from that there was just too much going on character wise: there were so many characters from previous stories that I didn't quite remember any details about; it really would have helped to get a reminder of the important details. Combined with the time jumps, it was a lot. It left me feeling a bit in the dark, and confused, kind of tethered along because i did want to know how things were solved, but not feeling like i was in the story.
I loved the interactions with Baigh and Fleur we did get at the beginning and towards the end. I just wish there would have been more of that, and I'm sad this one fell flat for me.
Coarse language: none
sexual content: none
violence & gore: mild violence, no gore
June 29, 2023
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enjoyable book! Huffmire’s take on time travel continues to be novel and interesting, if confusing at times.
I only realized when I came to post this review that this is the fourth book in the series. I have only read 1-2 and I thought this was the third, so my review might be slightly colored by that. Though, on the other hand, the fact that I was able to follow along for the most part is a mark in the books favor.
I enjoyed the romance more this time around. There was more chemistry certainly. I also enjoyed the characters more than the main characters in the first two books and I feel like the development was better. The villain was still a little flat, and I really wish that the moral implications of potentially being able to rescue all of humanities victims was explored more. That is such a dramatic factor, and considering all of the miraculous tech that has been invented in the course of the series it doesn’t really seem out of reach for that to be possible in this world.
Overall I think my ability to follow the plot was no better or worse than other time travel books I’ve read. It’s a very hard genre and it Huffmire handles it fairly well. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone with as soft spot for the time travel genre!
This was an enjoyable book! Huffmire’s take on time travel continues to be novel and interesting, if confusing at times.
I only realized when I came to post this review that this is the fourth book in the series. I have only read 1-2 and I thought this was the third, so my review might be slightly colored by that. Though, on the other hand, the fact that I was able to follow along for the most part is a mark in the books favor.
I enjoyed the romance more this time around. There was more chemistry certainly. I also enjoyed the characters more than the main characters in the first two books and I feel like the development was better. The villain was still a little flat, and I really wish that the moral implications of potentially being able to rescue all of humanities victims was explored more. That is such a dramatic factor, and considering all of the miraculous tech that has been invented in the course of the series it doesn’t really seem out of reach for that to be possible in this world.
Overall I think my ability to follow the plot was no better or worse than other time travel books I’ve read. It’s a very hard genre and it Huffmire handles it fairly well. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone with as soft spot for the time travel genre!
September 7, 2025
What a ride! I’ve very much enjoyed this series and would happily read more stories in this world.
I enjoy that we are given both sides and start with the “bad” side so that you feel her ache and understand her some. At first you’re unsure which side is in the wrong, but eventually it’s quite clear someone has gone a little too far to protect something they love. I very much enjoy that also seems to be just about everyone’s motivation, protecting the ones they love.
It felt a little odd to give some characters that already had a fairytale another one, but somehow it worked. Or at least, I enjoyed it! I was aching for the two of them to finally declare love and have some happiness together! What a satisfying ending for them.
LOVE the redemption of Lilia. Beautifully done and so heartwarming.
Some of the time travel details were a little confusing for me, but I’m sure I’m just slow LOL
I can’t wait to listen to this audiobook once it’s out! I’d love to read it again and hear her amazing accents!
Underrated series. Rachel’s passion for fairytales is very clear and I appreciate it greatly. Highly recommend!
I enjoy that we are given both sides and start with the “bad” side so that you feel her ache and understand her some. At first you’re unsure which side is in the wrong, but eventually it’s quite clear someone has gone a little too far to protect something they love. I very much enjoy that also seems to be just about everyone’s motivation, protecting the ones they love.
It felt a little odd to give some characters that already had a fairytale another one, but somehow it worked. Or at least, I enjoyed it! I was aching for the two of them to finally declare love and have some happiness together! What a satisfying ending for them.
LOVE the redemption of Lilia. Beautifully done and so heartwarming.
Some of the time travel details were a little confusing for me, but I’m sure I’m just slow LOL
I can’t wait to listen to this audiobook once it’s out! I’d love to read it again and hear her amazing accents!
Underrated series. Rachel’s passion for fairytales is very clear and I appreciate it greatly. Highly recommend!
February 26, 2024
I think this was my favorite book of the series! It was agonizing to see everything spiral out of control. I actually put off starting the book for a while because I knew the story would be complicated and probably unsatisfying until the very end. As I've said, I'm deeply impressed by Rachel Huffmire's ability to keep her characters and plots straight when the storyline keeps changing and some characters remember while others do not.
I believed Violette as the vicious Snow Queen. I saw another review that claimed her villainy came out of nowhere, but I have to disagree. She had an unknown amount of time to change and lose herself as she redid the timeline over and over again. I missed Keltson, but I was glad he played a central roll at the end. Fleur had been frustrating to me in Spinning Briar, but she really seemed to grow up.
I was glad to have a satisfying end to the story, even if I think Anders' fate was undeserved. A good story overall!!
I believed Violette as the vicious Snow Queen. I saw another review that claimed her villainy came out of nowhere, but I have to disagree. She had an unknown amount of time to change and lose herself as she redid the timeline over and over again. I missed Keltson, but I was glad he played a central roll at the end. Fleur had been frustrating to me in Spinning Briar, but she really seemed to grow up.
I was glad to have a satisfying end to the story, even if I think Anders' fate was undeserved. A good story overall!!
June 24, 2023
Once I had picked up and starting reading my copy I could not put it down and ended up finishing it in 2 days! Rachel Huffmire's writing does a great job of always getting me to ask "what happens next?" while also giving me enough foreshadowing to have my own predictions. Having also read the previous books in the series, I am surprised and delighted with how the series has grown and how new twists and turns are added to the worldbuilding, plot, and capabilities of time travel without it feeling careless or not well thought out. As always, the parallels to an actual fairy tale are the icing on the cake and also helps with the foreshadowing if you are familiar with the tale. Overall, I enjoyed this book just as much as the others in the series!
July 20, 2023
Keltson and the rest of the gang are back, doing what they do best - saving people from the past. But as ever, the ITTA is after them. Violette is determined to help but in doing so, she unintentionally might be causing more harm. As timelines are twisted and old friendships are tested, can someone set the past right before it is too late?
I love the Mirror Chronicles and this twisty new tale is as delightful as the rest of the series. I love the sci-fi spin/time travel spin we get on old fairy tales. What was new in this one is that we have a someone from the present who meddles, not only with the past but also with the future. Friendships are tested and you can never be sure who to root for. I enjoyed the carefully thought out technological gadgets and all their twists. I also enjoyed the happily ever after (although I won't give away whose!).
I love the Mirror Chronicles and this twisty new tale is as delightful as the rest of the series. I love the sci-fi spin/time travel spin we get on old fairy tales. What was new in this one is that we have a someone from the present who meddles, not only with the past but also with the future. Friendships are tested and you can never be sure who to root for. I enjoyed the carefully thought out technological gadgets and all their twists. I also enjoyed the happily ever after (although I won't give away whose!).
July 9, 2023
Rachel Huffmire does a great job in creating this tale, i've been enjoying the Mirror Chronicles series. It does a great job in creating a great fairy tale retelling and had the same great feel of the other three books.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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