Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, YA Fantasy | Release Date: 14 June 2022 | Series: Fractured Fables | Series Book: #2 | Pages: 128 | Publisher: Tor Books | Review
“Every story ends, Zinnia.”
Alix E. Harrow
Overview:
I’ve been wanting to dive into A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow ever since I finished reviewing A Spindle Splintered (which you can actually read here)! This new instalment in the Fractured Fables series is a reimagining of Snow White, with Zinnia’s world-hopping taking her further than she could have ever expected…
It’s now been five years since Zinnia returned from her initial journey into the world of Sleeping Beauty. But ever since then, Zinnia has been running through the pages of other peoples’ stories, to the detriment of her friendship with Charm. When Zinnia is hauled into a completely different fairytale, she never thought it would be to help Snow White’s Evil Queen. Is a villain ever worth saving? Why are the stories starting to bleed together? And will Zinnia ever stop running from her illness, to spend precious time with the people who love her best?
One which the darling dragon by Prismatic Brush absolutely devoured (alongside a pie)!
Happiness Boost:
The idea that fairytales can merge together to become something new is one which I’ve always enjoyed. And the fact that this is now a mashup of the previous Sleeping Beauty retelling and a Snow White-centric world is wonderful! Even more impressive though, is how Alix can twist villains away from their usual two-dimensional portrayals… I didn’t expect to feel for the Evil Queen. I really didn’t. But lo and behold, what happened in A Mirror Mended? I was drawn into feeling bad for her!
Like with the previous novella, this new tale gives us a glimpse into the numerous Snow White stories that are out there. We have colourful, bubbly and sweet versions, but there’s also incredibly twisted ones. And of course, Zinnia finds herself in a twisted one! Why have a smooth journey, right? Of course I am going to love this and list it as a happiness boost.
There’s a wonderful amount of quips between Zinnia and the Evil Queen, even though at first the Queen doesn’t have a clue what some of the words are! I do wish we could get more of this in other stories, because it just livens up an adventure so much more. Who wouldn’t love this?!
Downside:
Some people might think I’m nitpicking, but I have to be honest… I liked Zinnia better in the first book. Zinnia is fairly selfish within A Mirror Mended, and I think Charm was well within her rights to not speak to her for six months. In my opinion, just because you’re ill (or in some kind of fairytale remission) it doesn’t give you a pass on this. Not to mention, Zinnia gets cocky about knowing how all of these fairytales go. When she doesn’t let another character tell their own story, I had to put the book aside for a bit (yes, I was cranky).
Final Thoughts:
A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow is both an intriguing and magical YA fantasy retelling of Snow White. Although I didn’t love it as much as I did A Spindle Splintered, it is definitely well worth a read if you want a version which puts the spotlight on the Evil Queen! There are startling revelations, big consequences and a whole lot of fairytale goodness amongst these pages… Enjoyed what you’ve read of my review? Grab a copy of A Mirror Mended via the links below! Happy reading, glitterbugs!
You can order A Mirror Mended via these links:
