The Missing of Clairdelune

April 15, 2019
Illusions, treachery, and abductions abound as Ophelia's perilous adventure continues. With the true reason behind Thorn's proposal revealed at last and the cruel extent to which the Pole's nobility is willing to go to gain and keep power now starkly clear, Ophelia is in more danger than ever and must seek protection from the ark's mercurial family spirit, Farouk. But every favor in the Pole comes at a cost, especially when it is a favor from an immortal with a singular obsession. Ophelia, with her talent as a reader of objects, is thrust unwillingly and precariously into the center of the court even as other prominent nobles begin to disappear under suspicious (even impossible) circumstances. When she receives anonymous threats demanding that she abandon her impending marriage and leave the Pole lest she die, Ophelia must decide whom she can possibly trust in a world whose schemes and illusions go centuries deep. The author continues her masterful architecture in this second installment as the arks, the family relationships, and the characters' histories all gain greater depth and dimension. The "fragments" that comprise the mythology punctuating the narrative have shifted from intermittent mystery to fundamental memory underpinning the entire world history. Ophelia remains refreshingly awkward and clumsy, and, though unlabeled, she continues to offer a mirror to asexual spectrum readers. Major characters default to white. With this deeper tumble into the web, more intricate the weave becomes. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

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May 13, 2019
Dabos’s follow-up to A Winter’s Promise finds protagonist Ophelia—a mirror-hopper who can divine objects’ histories via touch—still on an interplanetary shard called the Pole. She is awaiting her arranged marriage to Thorn, after which the couple will inherit each other’s abilities. Thorn hopes that combining his phenomenal memory with Ophelia’s gift will help him “read” an ancient, untranslatable book that has captured the interest of the Pole’s ancestral spirit, Farouk, who has the power to revoke Thorn’s bastard status and grant him nobility. Duplicitous aristocrats already consider Ophelia a threat, forcing her to join Farouk’s court in exchange for protection, but the impending wedding triggers anonymous death threats demanding a breakup. Meanwhile, guests of the Pole’s impenetrable embassy, Clairdelune, start vanishing, while mysterious flashbacks explore the genesis of Earth’s planetary shards and their ruling immortal Spirits. Escalating stakes ratchet tension while a somewhat leisurely pace allows readers to savor Dabos’s spectacular settings, exquisitely rendered characters, and the ever-evolving relationships that bind them. Ages 14–up.

May 10, 2019

Gr 9 Up-"The Mirror Visitor Quartet" continues in this second volume, as the wedding day of Ophelia and Thorn draws closer and the emotional distance between them grows larger. As the fiancé of the outcast Thorn, Ophelia finds her place in the Pole one of ostracism and danger. Farouk, the ancestral Spirit of the Pole, wants her to use her gift to "read" his book to find its hidden secrets, but Thorn insists that she wait until they marry and exchange powers and let him do the reading. Meanwhile, influential members of the court keep disappearing and the mirages on the Pole seem to be failing. In her new job as Vice-storyteller, Ophelia finds herself with a lot more attention than she-or Thorn-desires. Add to that, her family makes the trip to the Pole for her wedding, further complicating her life. While there is a short summary of the first volume, A Winter's Promise, at the beginning of the book, it is not sufficient to make the second book of the quartet an easy read without having read the first. The complex plot with a multitude of characters remains strong, as does the world-building. Main characters continue to be fleshed out and details of the Pole, its inhabitants, and its history explained. Intense intrigue and alliances make for a suspenseful read. VERDICT The series remains strong with appeal for both teens and adults, but readers need to have read the first volume of the series before tackling the second.-Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas, Denton

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