Mirror Maze

August 15, 2011
More maze than mirror, Jordan’s Victorian fantasy debut is an exciting and well-conceived story of demon possession, generations of betrayal and intrigue, and magical worlds. Jacob Aldridge, grieving his dead fiancée, Rhoda, is shocked when he and his twin sister, Cecily, meet a woman named Livia who looks just like Rhoda. Slowly they begin uncovering layers of subterfuge and lies, learning that Jacob and Cecily’s father and Livia’s father were wizards who brought down a fearsome curse upon themselves and their families. People are possessed and unmasked, often abruptly, and their complex histories unfold in shadows and reflections. The story goes around our world and in and out of various worlds inside mirrors, but the reader gets lost along with the indistinguishable characters. Nonetheless, Jordan’s magic is well imagined, and her Victorian London is brilliantly drawn, complete with charming historical endnotes.

October 15, 2011

Jordan's print debut (an earlier work, Blade Light, was serialized on an sf website) begins with Jacob Aldridge, a grieving widower who catches a glimpse of a woman who greatly resembles his late wife. Upon pursuit of the young woman, Jacob and his concerned sister, Cecily, are introduced to a wide array of new characters--all connected by a single curse. Although the publisher bills this novel as a Victorian ghost story, it is more appropriately defined as a Victorian saga of supernatural possession and witchcraft, with its incorporation of demons and pagan practices. The odd characters, while some are cliche, bring to mind Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The novel offers an appendix of reference notes for key phrases and obscure allusions mentioned, which at times jars the reader from the narrative. VERDICT Perfect for supernatural, historical, and/or Victorian fiction buffs who will enjoy the reference notes and attention to historical detail.--Rebecca Marrall, Washington Univ. Libs., Bellingham

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