The Missing of Clairedelune by Christelle Dabos - Starting March 25th 2022

[Andrea]

Book Two in the Internationally Bestselling Mirror Visitor Quartet

When our heroine Ophelia is promoted to Vice-storyteller by Farouk, the ancestral Spirit of Pole, she finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the public spotlight and her special gift is revealed to all. Ophelia knows how to read the secret history of objects and there could be no greater threat to the nefarious denizens of her icy adopted home than this.

Beneath the golden rafters of Pole’s capitol, Citaceleste, she discovers that the only person she may be able to trust is Thorn, her enigmatic fiancé. As one after another influential courtier disappears, Ophelia again finds herself unintentionally implicated in an investigation that will lead her to see beyond Pole’s many illusions to the heart of the formidable truth

[Andrea]

A bit late, just started this and I'm already enjoying it.

[Johanna]

I am also a bit late. I made a mistake and started one chunky piece of crab and it take ages to finish. I should start this next week!

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "I am also a bit late. I made a mistake and started one chunky piece of crab and it take ages to finish. I should start this next week!"
Haha, "chunky piece of crab" 😆

[Andrea]

The Doll (15%)
(view spoiler)[Hmmm I was expecting something more impressive from her story.
Anyway, I'm enjoying it and can't wait to see where the plot will go. Archibald is really intriguing too. No idea if he will turn on Ophelia in the end, or be a true ally. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I am also a bit late. I made a mistake and started one chunky piece of crab and it take ages to finish. I should start this next week!"
Haha, "chunky piece of crab" 😆"

XD

[Andrea]

The Promises (28%)
(view spoiler)[I'm very invested in their relationship, even though they barely interact. I'm going to just accept that Thorn fell in love with her (in his own way), even though I didn't find it believable in book 1, but I love a good unrequited love story!
He gave her his watch! 🥺🥲🥲🥲 (after she told him she forgot about him, poor man 😅)

This is becoming more and more intriguing, curious to see who is behind the letters and the anti-disgraced campaign.

I'm tempted to postpone my chores for today and just snuggle up with a blanket and read... (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

The Train (37%)
(view spoiler)[Aha, this explains the cover. Somehow I hadn't even given it a thought!
Those fragments are getting more and more interesting, like Ophelia's dream. Although I'm confused - did Ophelia's appearance (red hair?) actually change since childhood or is she somehow seeing Artemis' memories? (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

The Doll
(view spoiler)[Haha, I laughed when someone said about that older woman "she's not exactly spring chicken" :D Knight is awful! And I wonder who sent that threat?! She has now some kind of protection but how long it lasts and how good it is? (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "The Doll (15%)..."

(view spoiler)[Archibald definitely is maybe the most interesting character here because he's so peculiar and mysterious. It's hard to know if he's on her side or not (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "The Doll (15%)..."

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[True, he's really intriguing and charismatic. And very odd, with his old clothes 😅 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

The Promises
(view spoiler)[I am not sure if I remember why Fox needed saving? Ophelia doesn't need to tell more stories and maybe it's good because she didn't like it xD Knight seems to be more & more horrid, every new information only makes him to seem more horrible. And now someone had come to Thorne's room?? Why? Who? (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

The Train
(view spoiler)[More missing people! And letters. Nice change with setting now when Ophelia goes to visit her family! I loved her home in the first book, that place was so magical! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "The Train (37%)..."

(view spoiler)[I thought the same thing about the cover!! :D I hate things I can't understand, it makes me feel myself stupid and these fragment-chapters are confusing xD (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "The Train (37%)..."
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(view spoiler)[Yes, finally a real beautiful place on the Pole. I kept wondering why anyone would want to live there, it didn't sound nice, but the resort is so much better than Clairedelune.

I guess the fragments are Farouk's memories. It seems like all the "familiars" were sent among humans by God. Maybe they discovered or did something that the God didn't want them to remember, so God broke the earth to separate them and then made them forget? (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Vertigo (55%)
(view spoiler)[Awww, he kissed her!
Aaand then she slapped him... these two really can't communicate, can they? 😅

Thorn is such an interesting character. It's not even that he's anti social, he just has no notion of any sort of social norms. It would be really hard to get used to that.

And Clairedelune can move?! I definitely didn't expect that! I thought Thorn was probably wrong in thinking Farouk would forget Ophelia and that he might turn up, but not with the whole floating city 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

The Absentees (60%)
(view spoiler)[Archibald disappeared too?! 😲
And what a deadline, wow! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "The Train (37%)..."
[spoilers removed]"..."

(view spoiler)[I actually first thought that she was travelling back home but I noticed my stupid mistake immediately after posting my message yesterday. You couldn't travel there by train xD But still, I am glad that we see some other place because I also feel that Pole is otherwise so depressing. Even though those time glasses sound cool with possibility to get stuck in some room xD I love your explanation about fragment-chapters - thank you! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Vertigo
(view spoiler)[Okay so more threats! It was somehow so hilarious when Archibald came through another's body to talk to her. And Ophelia is going to be godmother. But Thorn might be now the person who touched me most. It's obvious how he would like to really have Ophelia and she's talking about leaving Pole. And tried to give the watch back to him. And slapped him when he tried to kiss her. Poor Thorn xD (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Vertigo (55%)..."

(view spoiler)[I agree, it would be hard to get used to that. But Ophelia understands him so well, she even knew that Thorn having a family who betrays and do bad things to each other he had it hard to come to meet Ophelia's family that is so different.

I didn't understand that it was Clairdelune that Ophelia saw in the sky. How you knew it?! XD (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

The Absentees
(view spoiler)[Archibald is now missing too!! And Ophelia doesn't have too much time to solve all secrets! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Finished
(view spoiler)[This was overall a bit easier to read than the first one! And that made it easier to enjoy. The world and characters were already familiar and we even had more action. I still sometimes notice how my mind starts to wander because this book had so many unnecessary words xD Now I wonder where is Thorn :D (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

The Mattresses (83%)
(view spoiler)[Oh, I hadn’t suspected the Baron! I liked him! Actually, I didn't suspect anyone we knew, I thought it would be some new character(s). (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Vertigo ..."
(view spoiler)[True, she does understand him. Even more after he announced they wouldn't get married anymore in The Announcement.

Oh, I meant Citaceleste, I forgot the whole "island" was called that. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "The Mattresses (83%)
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(view spoiler)[I had no idea who the guilty would be. Somehow this writing style is so eccentric and it makes it easy to hide things. Or I don't know. But that might have some influence. But in the first book the guilty was the old lady and that was surprising. She had even bigger role in the story so for me that was more surprising. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Vertigo ..."..."

(view spoiler)[I have to confess I am also a bit out sometimes with all these names. But at the end of the chapter we got so little information about the thing in the sky and with that I couldn't figure it out. I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of the writing style. It works sometimes but writing like this could get even shopping list to seem confusing (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Vertigo ..."..."

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Oh do you think our copies could be different? Mine said it was Citaceleste, on the last page of the Vertigo chapter, right before Ophelia asks the Invisible to go tell Thorn. 🤔 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Vertigo ..."..."

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Really??!! Maybe it went too fast xD I listened this as an audiobook. I even re-listened the ending one time. XD But English isn't my native language :D

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Vertigo ..."..."

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Really??!! Maybe it went too fast xD I listened this as an a..."
Ah that makes sense, happens to me too if I listen to audiobooks.

[Andrea]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I really enjoyed it overall, although I'm a bit disappointed by the ending.
No happy reunion between Thorn and Ophelia, he's gone and she's going back to Anima...

I like the mystery of God and Farouk, I like the characters, but sometimes the world is a bit too much. Too unrealistic and unfair, it's so frustrating.
This is the vibe of the whole series - unrealistic, almost fairytale quality, and I accept and enjoy it, but it does become too much sometimes.

It's definitely very different from other recent fantasy series! (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Johanna wrote: "Finished
[spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[True, definitely more action in this one. And I like the development of Ophelia and Thorn's relationship. But you're right, where did he go?! 😫 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Finished
..."

(view spoiler)[I am so happy that I am not the only who thinks that this is sometimes a bit much to take in xD But I agree that I love how unique and different this is! That's so delightful

And I was also disappointed how they didn't get their reunion in this book :D (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Andrea wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Finished
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[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yep it definitely developed a lot! I had a bit hard to hope happy ending for them while reading the first book when Thorn was so distant (hide spoiler)]

[Andrea]

Omg just realised that it's translated to English by a woman called Hildegarde!!! 😆
I wonder if it's a coincidence. I guess it must be, the books were written before the author could have known they would be translated and by whom.

[Johanna]

Hahahaha