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Fractured Fables #2
A Mirror Mended
A Mirror Mended is the next installment in USA Today bestselling author Alix E. Harrow's Fractured Fables series.
Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty, is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.
Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can't handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White's Evil Queen has found out how her story ends, and she's desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone. Will Zinnia accept the Queen's poisonous request and save them both from the hot-iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?
Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty, is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.
Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can't handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White's Evil Queen has found out how her story ends, and she's desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone. Will Zinnia accept the Queen's poisonous request and save them both from the hot-iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?
128 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2022
About the author
Alix E. Harrow
42 books20.7k followersa former academic, adjunct, cashier, blueberry-harvester, and kentuckian, alix e. harrow is now a full-time writer living in virginia with her husband and their semi-feral kids.
she is the hugo award-winning and nyt-bestselling author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (2019), THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (2020), a duology of fairytale novellas (A SPINDLE SPLINTERED and A MIRROR MENDED), and various short fiction. her next book, STARLING HOUSE will be out on october 3rd, 2023!
her writing is represented by kate mckean at howard morhaim literary agency.
newsletter: https://writtenworld.substack.com/
email: alixeharrow at gmail.com
insta: alix.e.harrow
she is the hugo award-winning and nyt-bestselling author of THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (2019), THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (2020), a duology of fairytale novellas (A SPINDLE SPLINTERED and A MIRROR MENDED), and various short fiction. her next book, STARLING HOUSE will be out on october 3rd, 2023!
her writing is represented by kate mckean at howard morhaim literary agency.
newsletter: https://writtenworld.substack.com/
email: alixeharrow at gmail.com
insta: alix.e.harrow
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,985 reviews
August 25, 2022
Oh my goodness! Zinnia Gray who has astonishingly smartest and darkest sense of humor, brilliantly sarcastic, sappy narrator is one of the greatest heroines the author has created: Yes, she’s spent the last five years of her life diving through every iterat
Sleeping Beauty, chasing the echoes of her own shitty narrative through tin
space and making it a little less shitty, like a cross between Doctor Who and
editor. Rescuing princesses from space colonies and castles and caves; blessing babies; getting drunk with at least twenty good fairies,
making out with every member of the royal family are just occupational hazards she’s been dealing for long!
Is it fair for her dedicating her life to give each character a happily ever after when she just gets bored, exhausted, lost: mostly having no clue where she is, what she is doing, what her life purpose is?
Then she finds out one of the villanelles also revolts against her doomed destiny. The evil queen of Snow White learns the end of the story and she’s so determined to change her future. Could Zinnia help Evil Queen fulfill her destiny even though she cannot move a finger to do some slightest changes about her own derailing life story?
Well: the characterization, witty tone, smart plot line, twisted retelling idea of the fairytale lured me! I loved the first book and this one also earned my four magical stars!
The series is getting much better at each story! I’m looking forward to read the third one!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor/ Forge for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Sleeping Beauty, chasing the echoes of her own shitty narrative through tin
space and making it a little less shitty, like a cross between Doctor Who and
editor. Rescuing princesses from space colonies and castles and caves; blessing babies; getting drunk with at least twenty good fairies,
making out with every member of the royal family are just occupational hazards she’s been dealing for long!
Is it fair for her dedicating her life to give each character a happily ever after when she just gets bored, exhausted, lost: mostly having no clue where she is, what she is doing, what her life purpose is?
Then she finds out one of the villanelles also revolts against her doomed destiny. The evil queen of Snow White learns the end of the story and she’s so determined to change her future. Could Zinnia help Evil Queen fulfill her destiny even though she cannot move a finger to do some slightest changes about her own derailing life story?
Well: the characterization, witty tone, smart plot line, twisted retelling idea of the fairytale lured me! I loved the first book and this one also earned my four magical stars!
The series is getting much better at each story! I’m looking forward to read the third one!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/Tor/ Forge for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
November 26, 2023
A Mirror Mended is the second installment to Alix E. Harrow's fairy tale-based novella series, Fractured Fables.
The first in the series, A Spindle Splintered, was such a delightful surprise for me when I picked it up last fall.
In that story we meet our protagonist, Zinnia Gray, who due to an industrial accident is left with a rare fatal condition. She's told she won't live to see her 22nd-birthday. In spite of this, or maybe because of this, Zinnia tries to live her life to the fullest.
Her best friend Charm, knowing this about her, decides on her 21st-birthday to throw Zinnia a Sleeping Beauty-themed party. It's at that party, at the stroke of midnight, that Zinnia pierces her finger on a spinning wheel and first gets transported into another world.
It happens to be the world in which the real Briar Rose lives and the two women work together to try to halt their doomed fates.
In this installment, we find Zinnia still fixing fairly tales. She has traveled throughout the fairy tale multiverse always seeming to find herself in her comfort zone; Sleeping Beauty.
That's why Zinnia is beyond shocked when she looks into the mirror one day and sees a face looking back at her. A beautiful, slightly evil face.
It seems Zinnia may be on to a whole new story, which just so happens to be one of my favorites, Snow White.
The Evil Queen has come seeking Zinnia's help. She's found out how her story ends and she is desperate for a better ending. Zinnia's intrigued.
Not only is the Evil Queen beautiful, but as Zinnia gets to know her, she feels like maybe the Queen is a bit misunderstood. Zinnia wants to help, but will she be able too before the story ends for them both?
This installment was just as much fun as the first. I forgot how incredibly smart and witty the writing is. It hooked me in from the start.
I'm obsessed with this series. I'm not sure exactly how long this series is slated to be, but I am hoping for many, many more. Zinnia Gray is life.
I would definitely recommend the audiobook format as well. The narrator really brings spirit to the story and breaths life into Zinnia. It's completely immersive and fun.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I can't wait for whatever comes next!!
The first in the series, A Spindle Splintered, was such a delightful surprise for me when I picked it up last fall.
In that story we meet our protagonist, Zinnia Gray, who due to an industrial accident is left with a rare fatal condition. She's told she won't live to see her 22nd-birthday. In spite of this, or maybe because of this, Zinnia tries to live her life to the fullest.
Her best friend Charm, knowing this about her, decides on her 21st-birthday to throw Zinnia a Sleeping Beauty-themed party. It's at that party, at the stroke of midnight, that Zinnia pierces her finger on a spinning wheel and first gets transported into another world.
It happens to be the world in which the real Briar Rose lives and the two women work together to try to halt their doomed fates.
In this installment, we find Zinnia still fixing fairly tales. She has traveled throughout the fairy tale multiverse always seeming to find herself in her comfort zone; Sleeping Beauty.
That's why Zinnia is beyond shocked when she looks into the mirror one day and sees a face looking back at her. A beautiful, slightly evil face.
It seems Zinnia may be on to a whole new story, which just so happens to be one of my favorites, Snow White.
The Evil Queen has come seeking Zinnia's help. She's found out how her story ends and she is desperate for a better ending. Zinnia's intrigued.
Not only is the Evil Queen beautiful, but as Zinnia gets to know her, she feels like maybe the Queen is a bit misunderstood. Zinnia wants to help, but will she be able too before the story ends for them both?
This installment was just as much fun as the first. I forgot how incredibly smart and witty the writing is. It hooked me in from the start.
I'm obsessed with this series. I'm not sure exactly how long this series is slated to be, but I am hoping for many, many more. Zinnia Gray is life.
I would definitely recommend the audiobook format as well. The narrator really brings spirit to the story and breaths life into Zinnia. It's completely immersive and fun.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I can't wait for whatever comes next!!
June 23, 2022
I loved A Spindle Splintered, and was excited to return to the fractured fairytale world again. This one was decent, yet also a bit of a disappointment. I think that most of the problem is that these are novellas, and while the first book did an excellent job of providing the setting and background, this one just throws us into a Snow White story without much lead up.
The sarcasm and humor is still present, and I loved the twists to the various versions of the Snow White story--from the Disney version to the Grimm version and beyond. What I didn't quite buy was the relationship between Zin and the Evil Queen (or "Eva" as she is labeled after we realize that she doesn't have a name) It is probably unfortunate that this book centers on that story, because I am a huge fan of Once Upon a Time, and if you're at all familiar with that show, you know that the Snow White/Evil Queen narrative is one of the main storylines. I just couldn't get that out of my head and justify the two in my mind, even if this book deals with multiverses and is a completely different story.
I also liked the theme of agency and learning to own our own narrative arc, not to accept what others have placed upon us. The theme of "And they lived Happily" is one that we all could stand to adopt for our own lives, rather than seeking out the "ever after" we should be content with the happiness now.
I listened to the audiobook, and it is narrated by Amy Landon, who also narrated A Spindle Splintered. She gives Zin the perfect voice and I love the way she propels the story forward. I would highly recommend you read A Spindle Splintered first, because knowing Zinnia's background and that of the other characters is really important for your buy into the entire story.
Although I didn't love this book, I still recommend it and would read another book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
The sarcasm and humor is still present, and I loved the twists to the various versions of the Snow White story--from the Disney version to the Grimm version and beyond. What I didn't quite buy was the relationship between Zin and the Evil Queen (or "Eva" as she is labeled after we realize that she doesn't have a name) It is probably unfortunate that this book centers on that story, because I am a huge fan of Once Upon a Time, and if you're at all familiar with that show, you know that the Snow White/Evil Queen narrative is one of the main storylines. I just couldn't get that out of my head and justify the two in my mind, even if this book deals with multiverses and is a completely different story.
I also liked the theme of agency and learning to own our own narrative arc, not to accept what others have placed upon us. The theme of "And they lived Happily" is one that we all could stand to adopt for our own lives, rather than seeking out the "ever after" we should be content with the happiness now.
I listened to the audiobook, and it is narrated by Amy Landon, who also narrated A Spindle Splintered. She gives Zin the perfect voice and I love the way she propels the story forward. I would highly recommend you read A Spindle Splintered first, because knowing Zinnia's background and that of the other characters is really important for your buy into the entire story.
Although I didn't love this book, I still recommend it and would read another book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
June 20, 2022
The first book I read this year was "A Spindle Splintered" which was also the first book by Harrow I've read. I picked it up not based on her reputation (which I gather her work is fairly well received) but because of the idea of a fairy tale multiverse. I have a weakness for retellings of fairy tales having put a great deal of study into pre-Grimm variations on many tales. The book delighted me with its humor and very clearly well researched knowledge of variations of the Sleeping Beauty story.
I didn't honestly even know there was going to be a sequel until I stumbled upon it in a bookstore… there was no hesitation there, bought it immediately and read it in two sittings.
I loved it. I mean, I expected that as I loved the first, but honestly, I liked this one better. This time it takes on the Snow White story, but instead of focusing on the classic protagonist, Zinnia is pulled in by the Wicked Queen hoping to escape her fate.
This is a wonderful spin on what the first presented as the queen's story and Zinnia's parallels each other so well, despite their very different statuses in their own tales. Harrow plays with these narratives (and several familiar tropes) in such clever and playful ways. Also, the fact that Zinnia views herself as a "cross between Doctor Who and a good editor" just delights the hell out of me.
Will there be a third installment? I honestly don't know (again, I didn't even know there would be a second). The story feels properly closed though there is a hint that more could happen. That said, it ends in a fitting way that if this is the end, it's been a wonderful time. A solid 4/5 stars.
I didn't honestly even know there was going to be a sequel until I stumbled upon it in a bookstore… there was no hesitation there, bought it immediately and read it in two sittings.
I loved it. I mean, I expected that as I loved the first, but honestly, I liked this one better. This time it takes on the Snow White story, but instead of focusing on the classic protagonist, Zinnia is pulled in by the Wicked Queen hoping to escape her fate.
This is a wonderful spin on what the first presented as the queen's story and Zinnia's parallels each other so well, despite their very different statuses in their own tales. Harrow plays with these narratives (and several familiar tropes) in such clever and playful ways. Also, the fact that Zinnia views herself as a "cross between Doctor Who and a good editor" just delights the hell out of me.
Will there be a third installment? I honestly don't know (again, I didn't even know there would be a second). The story feels properly closed though there is a hint that more could happen. That said, it ends in a fitting way that if this is the end, it's been a wonderful time. A solid 4/5 stars.
September 30, 2023
I think I can trace my general iffiness about fairy tales to a tattered book of supposedly Italian fairytales in translation which somehow found their way to my grandmother’s house when I was seven or eight. It didn’t take my annoyed kid self long to realize that in that particular selection if you were an older sister who also happened to be non-blonde, you’d end up evil or dead or a sidekick to the blonde pretty youngest sister. The oldest of the grandkids and the only brunette among them, I was — needless to say — decidedly not amused.
And so once upon a time the idea of subverting fairytales seemed like enough of a revenge on that old book missing half of its cover. But then it seems to have become a popular trend with everyone retelling and modernizing and subverting and what-not the same old stories without even disguising them as semi-original work, and I ended up mostly annoyed again (other than with Terry Pratchett; that man knew how to subvert narrativium just right).
But apparently somehow I ended up again reading Hugo Awards nominees this year, and Alix Harrow’s fairytales-subverting novella again was nominated (like its predecessor A Spindle Splintered was) and I grudgingly decided to see where it goes.
And, dear reader, I actually more or less enjoyed it. Mostly. With reservations.
Despite the cultural hyper-awareness and a bit too much snark relying on recognizing the common fairytales tropes (while, of course, following them - but hyper-consciously so, like falling for a villain who gets to be a redeemed hero and such) and a protagonist I find a bit irritated, I actually had a good time reading it. Despite the eyerolls and here-we-go situations. Despite issues that are supposedly important in the “real” world feeling more petty than anything (falling out between Zinnia and Charm — puh-lease, it’s ridiculous). Despite romance that was too insta-love and unconvincing and really unnecessary.
But even with all these annoyances what matters is that Harrow is a very good writer with excellent storytelling skills, and she can elevate even a story I normally wouldn’t care about at all to the “actually quite good” level. Her story flows very easily, and even pop-culture-laden banter is chuckle-worthy. But Zinnia’s story with fixing fairytales feels done and I hope Harrow moves on to something else (although I suspect there will be more).
Oh, and the artwork is lovely again. It’s worth a whole extra star just by itself.
(And I still need to know which cell service carrier provides reception between Ohio and Fairyland. Maybe that’s the plot question for book 3).
3.5 stars.
My review of the first in this novella series is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
——————
Also posted on my blog.
And so once upon a time the idea of subverting fairytales seemed like enough of a revenge on that old book missing half of its cover. But then it seems to have become a popular trend with everyone retelling and modernizing and subverting and what-not the same old stories without even disguising them as semi-original work, and I ended up mostly annoyed again (other than with Terry Pratchett; that man knew how to subvert narrativium just right).
But apparently somehow I ended up again reading Hugo Awards nominees this year, and Alix Harrow’s fairytales-subverting novella again was nominated (like its predecessor A Spindle Splintered was) and I grudgingly decided to see where it goes.
And, dear reader, I actually more or less enjoyed it. Mostly. With reservations.
“I’ve spent the last five years of my life diving through every iteration of Sleeping Beauty, chasing the echoes of my own shitty narrative through time and space and making it a little less shitty, like a cross between Doctor Who and a good editor. I’ve rescued princesses from space colonies and castles and caves; I’ve burned spindles and blessed babies; I’ve gotten drunk with at least twenty good fairies and made out with every member of the royal family. I’ve seen my story in the past and the future and the never-was-or-will-be; I’ve seen it gender-flipped, modern, comedic, childish, whimsical, tragic, terrifying, as allegory and fable; I’ve seen it played out with talking woodland creatures, in rhyming meter, and more than once, God help me, with choreography.”
Despite the cultural hyper-awareness and a bit too much snark relying on recognizing the common fairytales tropes (while, of course, following them - but hyper-consciously so, like falling for a villain who gets to be a redeemed hero and such) and a protagonist I find a bit irritated, I actually had a good time reading it. Despite the eyerolls and here-we-go situations. Despite issues that are supposedly important in the “real” world feeling more petty than anything (falling out between Zinnia and Charm — puh-lease, it’s ridiculous). Despite romance that was too insta-love and unconvincing and really unnecessary.
But even with all these annoyances what matters is that Harrow is a very good writer with excellent storytelling skills, and she can elevate even a story I normally wouldn’t care about at all to the “actually quite good” level. Her story flows very easily, and even pop-culture-laden banter is chuckle-worthy. But Zinnia’s story with fixing fairytales feels done and I hope Harrow moves on to something else (although I suspect there will be more).
Oh, and the artwork is lovely again. It’s worth a whole extra star just by itself.
(And I still need to know which cell service carrier provides reception between Ohio and Fairyland. Maybe that’s the plot question for book 3).
3.5 stars.
My review of the first in this novella series is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
——————
Also posted on my blog.
June 12, 2022
↠ 5 stars
Professional rescuer and part-time substitute Zinnia Gray has spent the last five years traversing the multiverse, saving every damsel in distress that she possibly can. After a dozen or so rescues, weddings, and burned spindles, Zinnia has begun to grow tired of her role in rewriting the narrative, yet duty awaits her hand on the spindle. At an afterparty one rescue later, when Zinnia glances into a mirror, she sees another woman staring back at her, and falls into the last fairytale she ever expected, Snow White. Coming face to face with the fabled Evil Queen, desperate to escape her own fate, Zinnia is tasked once again with saving someone trapped by their story. Eva is convinced that Zinnia is the way out of her predestined ending, and is willing to do anything to change her future, that is if Zinnia can be convinced to save the last person in this world she would want to.
The Fractured Fables novellas draw to a close with A Mirror Mended, a sequel that ups the ante that A Spindle Splintered had previously left to be amended. Alix E. Harrow is back at it, drawing together an adventurous narrative crammed full of meaningful prose, and tied in with an expanded critique on storytelling and their villains. Where A Spindle Splintered previously intersected a conversation surrounding damsels in distress in folklore and their saviors, Harrow turns her attention to the villainization of women in her continuation of the series. More closely, The Evil Queen, a figure that has consistently captivated audiences with her jealousy and enacted rage against her stepdaughter for her supposed beauty. As a huge fan of evil women in the fantasy genre, the examined motivations, and background of a classic fairytale villain intrigued me, to say the least. Eva is a layered character, well-written and trapped by her own situation and predetermined role. Narrative agency is an issue that Zinnia has constantly battled, even from book one, and it was nice to see that transferred over to an iconic villain like the Evil Queen. Eva’s situation is very closely mirrored in Zinnia's, as they both are trapped by their role in the narrative of their story. The bond that grew between the two characters, as a result, made a lot of sense and was really satisfying to witness (falling for the hot villain was absolutely on-brand for Zinnia). I delighted in Eva and Zinnia’s back and forth snark alongside the deeper moments of multiverse chaos. The added tension from the multiverse fracturing and blending into one another propelled this installment to an entirely new level from the previous one in my mind. Once again I am left awed by Harrow’s storytelling ability and the complex twist in traditional fairytales. A Mirror Mended is a razor-sharp exploration of feminist agency and the weight of the roles we carry.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings: terminal illness, violence
Professional rescuer and part-time substitute Zinnia Gray has spent the last five years traversing the multiverse, saving every damsel in distress that she possibly can. After a dozen or so rescues, weddings, and burned spindles, Zinnia has begun to grow tired of her role in rewriting the narrative, yet duty awaits her hand on the spindle. At an afterparty one rescue later, when Zinnia glances into a mirror, she sees another woman staring back at her, and falls into the last fairytale she ever expected, Snow White. Coming face to face with the fabled Evil Queen, desperate to escape her own fate, Zinnia is tasked once again with saving someone trapped by their story. Eva is convinced that Zinnia is the way out of her predestined ending, and is willing to do anything to change her future, that is if Zinnia can be convinced to save the last person in this world she would want to.
The Fractured Fables novellas draw to a close with A Mirror Mended, a sequel that ups the ante that A Spindle Splintered had previously left to be amended. Alix E. Harrow is back at it, drawing together an adventurous narrative crammed full of meaningful prose, and tied in with an expanded critique on storytelling and their villains. Where A Spindle Splintered previously intersected a conversation surrounding damsels in distress in folklore and their saviors, Harrow turns her attention to the villainization of women in her continuation of the series. More closely, The Evil Queen, a figure that has consistently captivated audiences with her jealousy and enacted rage against her stepdaughter for her supposed beauty. As a huge fan of evil women in the fantasy genre, the examined motivations, and background of a classic fairytale villain intrigued me, to say the least. Eva is a layered character, well-written and trapped by her own situation and predetermined role. Narrative agency is an issue that Zinnia has constantly battled, even from book one, and it was nice to see that transferred over to an iconic villain like the Evil Queen. Eva’s situation is very closely mirrored in Zinnia's, as they both are trapped by their role in the narrative of their story. The bond that grew between the two characters, as a result, made a lot of sense and was really satisfying to witness (falling for the hot villain was absolutely on-brand for Zinnia). I delighted in Eva and Zinnia’s back and forth snark alongside the deeper moments of multiverse chaos. The added tension from the multiverse fracturing and blending into one another propelled this installment to an entirely new level from the previous one in my mind. Once again I am left awed by Harrow’s storytelling ability and the complex twist in traditional fairytales. A Mirror Mended is a razor-sharp exploration of feminist agency and the weight of the roles we carry.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings: terminal illness, violence
December 3, 2022
Fairy tales and I go way back. For a little perspective, you have to remember I’m the Disney Classic™ era, so I’m not talking movie fairy tales as much as deep dives into Lang’s color fairy books, and every book on fairies, witches, and elves carried by the local library. I went through the requisite feminist re-telling phase in my late teens and twenties, but quickly burned out, moving on as urban fantasy began to really make strides into the book world. So it was with both hope and apprehension that I picked up Harrow’s second installment in her ‘fractured fairy tale’ series, A Mirror Mended. I missed the first book in the series, but what the heck; if it was written well, that most likely wouldn’t matter, right?
It did not.
Told in first person from the perspective of a modern woman in her early twenties, it kept me entertained–and somewhat bemused by the emotionally self-aware tone:
“I’ve spent the last five years of my life diving through every iteration of Sleeping Beauty, chasing the echoes of my own shitty narrative through time and space and making it a little less shitty, like a cross between Doctor Who and a good editor.”
It is the sort of writing that could have become grating, that self-mocking, culturally-rooted language, if it didn’t have a solid emotional growth. Like many people early in their development, Zinnia understands the need to free herself and others from their role obligations but hasn’t yet developed her compassion and understanding enough to extend it to the 'evil' women in fairy tales:
“I think unwillingly of all the other roles the queen was given: the ugly princess, the barren queen, the foreign monarch. A string of women with just enough power to be hated and not quite enough to protect themselves. I swallow a lump of inconvenient sympathy.”
The Evil Queen from Snow White challenges her in ways that Zinnia finds completely unexpected.
“She gives me such a mild look that I bristle defensively. “Hey, I’m not—it’s not like that. I’m helping people fix their stories. And if they can’t be fixed, I help them escape.”
“Oh, I quite understand.” Her tone turns acidic, blackly triumphant. “But then, I’m the villain.” I don’t say anything in my defense, because there’s not much to say. Maybe I’m the villain too.”
Because I’m old, I found both the Queen's character and the plotting less unexpected than Zinnia, but Harrow still managed a couple of engaging twists. It’s definitely one of the more entertaining–and palatable–modernized takes on fairy tales. I’m thinking particularly of The School for Good and Evil (my review), which recently gained a lot of attention, and exists at the opposite end of the spectrum of clever (and woke).
Having missed the first novella in the series, I found a jump back to current-Earth timeline/universe less compelling, but the rest of the story was enjoyable. The current timeline does feel like kitchen sink of ‘woke,’ which is not an observation I make lightly. Perhaps it’s more congruent with the first novella, recalling old characters. Had it not been for that section, it would have been an easy 4+ stars, as it is, it’s a more lukewarm 3.5. The porridge is almost–but not quite–just right.
“Good morning!” God save me from princesses and their exclamation points.
It did not.
Told in first person from the perspective of a modern woman in her early twenties, it kept me entertained–and somewhat bemused by the emotionally self-aware tone:
“I’ve spent the last five years of my life diving through every iteration of Sleeping Beauty, chasing the echoes of my own shitty narrative through time and space and making it a little less shitty, like a cross between Doctor Who and a good editor.”
It is the sort of writing that could have become grating, that self-mocking, culturally-rooted language, if it didn’t have a solid emotional growth. Like many people early in their development, Zinnia understands the need to free herself and others from their role obligations but hasn’t yet developed her compassion and understanding enough to extend it to the 'evil' women in fairy tales:
“I think unwillingly of all the other roles the queen was given: the ugly princess, the barren queen, the foreign monarch. A string of women with just enough power to be hated and not quite enough to protect themselves. I swallow a lump of inconvenient sympathy.”
The Evil Queen from Snow White challenges her in ways that Zinnia finds completely unexpected.
“She gives me such a mild look that I bristle defensively. “Hey, I’m not—it’s not like that. I’m helping people fix their stories. And if they can’t be fixed, I help them escape.”
“Oh, I quite understand.” Her tone turns acidic, blackly triumphant. “But then, I’m the villain.” I don’t say anything in my defense, because there’s not much to say. Maybe I’m the villain too.”
Because I’m old, I found both the Queen's character and the plotting less unexpected than Zinnia, but Harrow still managed a couple of engaging twists. It’s definitely one of the more entertaining–and palatable–modernized takes on fairy tales. I’m thinking particularly of The School for Good and Evil (my review), which recently gained a lot of attention, and exists at the opposite end of the spectrum of clever (and woke).
Having missed the first novella in the series, I found a jump back to current-Earth timeline/universe less compelling, but the rest of the story was enjoyable. The current timeline does feel like kitchen sink of ‘woke,’ which is not an observation I make lightly. Perhaps it’s more congruent with the first novella, recalling old characters. Had it not been for that section, it would have been an easy 4+ stars, as it is, it’s a more lukewarm 3.5. The porridge is almost–but not quite–just right.
“Good morning!” God save me from princesses and their exclamation points.
June 1, 2022
After five years travelling between fairytale multiverses, Zinnia Gray (Zin) is now an experienced rescuer of fairytale princesses from multiple variations of the Sleeping Beauty tale. Not only does she feel compelled to rescue and empower these women, but travelling to fairytale multiverses is keeping the genetic disease that will kill her at bay. But then one day looking into a mirror, she finds herself drawn into a different fairytale by the evil queen from Snow White who has discovered the fate that awaits her at the end of her story (dancing to her death in a pair of burning hot iron shoes) and wants Zin’s help to change the ending. The evil queen, who Zin nicknames Eva, tells Zin how she became that way and Zin finds herself sympathising with her and romantically attracted to her.
This twist from saving Princesses to helping evil queens allows Harrow to explore the gender politics implicit in fairytales, especially the way older women are often portrayed as villains. Although dealing with more serious topics, this novella is an enjoyable sequel to A Spindle Splintered with Zin at her snarky, eye-rolling best.
With thanks to MacMillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley for a copy to read
This twist from saving Princesses to helping evil queens allows Harrow to explore the gender politics implicit in fairytales, especially the way older women are often portrayed as villains. Although dealing with more serious topics, this novella is an enjoyable sequel to A Spindle Splintered with Zin at her snarky, eye-rolling best.
With thanks to MacMillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley for a copy to read
June 16, 2022
I enjoyed this novella just as much as the first one A Spindle Splintered in which the main character, Zinnia Gray, travels through dimensions from one version of The Sleeping Beauty to another. Since we left her in the first book she has experienced about fifty of these and is feeling that is enough.
In A Mirror Mended Zin slips (or is dragged) into Snow White and and a whole new series of events ensue. There is a love hate relationship with the evil queen, some interesting interpretations of the Huntsman and Snow White and always there is the author's wicked sense of humour to keep the reader smiling.
Eventually Zin is rescued by Charm and then has to make some series decisions about her own life and death. I see there are differing views about whether this is the last book making this a duology, or whether it will become a longer series. I sensed a feeling of closure in the final chapter but at the same time I would be delighted to be wrong and for there to be lots more.
In A Mirror Mended Zin slips (or is dragged) into Snow White and and a whole new series of events ensue. There is a love hate relationship with the evil queen, some interesting interpretations of the Huntsman and Snow White and always there is the author's wicked sense of humour to keep the reader smiling.
Eventually Zin is rescued by Charm and then has to make some series decisions about her own life and death. I see there are differing views about whether this is the last book making this a duology, or whether it will become a longer series. I sensed a feeling of closure in the final chapter but at the same time I would be delighted to be wrong and for there to be lots more.
July 8, 2022
Reader me: Alix Harrow is a mind-blowingly good writer and storyteller. A MIRROR MENDED is glorious and even though it’s short, I keep getting caught up in her gorgeous prose and perfect turns of phrase. I’m so immensely grateful she exists and has a storytelling platform, and I will immediately consume every single thing she writes in perpetuity.
Writer me: F@$#ING ALIX HARROW! I am never writing anything again. I am woefully inadequate and should not be allowed to touch a keyboard because I will never produce anything that remotely approximates even the finger farts she leaves on the editing room floor.
TL;DR: Alix Harrow is amazing and you should be reading her stories.
Writer me: F@$#ING ALIX HARROW! I am never writing anything again. I am woefully inadequate and should not be allowed to touch a keyboard because I will never produce anything that remotely approximates even the finger farts she leaves on the editing room floor.
TL;DR: Alix Harrow is amazing and you should be reading her stories.
July 26, 2023
This was a bit more interesting thematically than the first, but still feels like it’s missing something.
April 12, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up
I absolutely loved A Spindle Splintered! But while I had fun reading A Mirror Mended, I feel very "just okay" about it and don't know that it really added much to Zinnia's narrative arc. The concept is cool- Zinnia falling into a Snow White story with a hot older woman as the "evil queen".
In theory that could be great, but I didn't feel like this formed a cohesive story, and I was left wondering why THIS was the way we continued things. After having left Zinnia with a satisfying story arc at the end of book 1, the way this was continued felt contrived and she had made choices that felt a bit out of character.
Now, I enjoy the modern, snarky tone and the commentary on fairytales, gender, and how we place women into archetypes. I certainly liked the IDEA of a romance with this hot evil queen, but the execution of that romance felt rather lackluster. In general, I would say I don't have strong feelings about this book either way, it just failed to leave as much of an impression as I was hoping based on book 1. If you enjoyed A Spindle Splintered, this may still be worth reading I would just temper your expectations. I received an advance copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved A Spindle Splintered! But while I had fun reading A Mirror Mended, I feel very "just okay" about it and don't know that it really added much to Zinnia's narrative arc. The concept is cool- Zinnia falling into a Snow White story with a hot older woman as the "evil queen".
In theory that could be great, but I didn't feel like this formed a cohesive story, and I was left wondering why THIS was the way we continued things. After having left Zinnia with a satisfying story arc at the end of book 1, the way this was continued felt contrived and she had made choices that felt a bit out of character.
Now, I enjoy the modern, snarky tone and the commentary on fairytales, gender, and how we place women into archetypes. I certainly liked the IDEA of a romance with this hot evil queen, but the execution of that romance felt rather lackluster. In general, I would say I don't have strong feelings about this book either way, it just failed to leave as much of an impression as I was hoping based on book 1. If you enjoyed A Spindle Splintered, this may still be worth reading I would just temper your expectations. I received an advance copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
November 6, 2023
3.5 stars. reading vlog: https://youtu.be/yfOHztTQJs0
September 19, 2022
I love retold/reimagined fairy tales so this was a treasure to discover. I do wish the story had been longer but only because I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want it to end. I haven’t read the first book (yet, I will now) but I found this novella was really a complete story and I was ok without the first book’s backstory. Zinnia Gray was a Sleeping Beauty, but now she is flitting from universe to universe saving princesses and making sure the story gets it’s happily ever after. She is just about to jump to a new universe when a face that is not her own appears in the mirror before her and she is drawn into the story of Snow White and the Evil Queen is asking her for help.
May 28, 2022
Zinnia fixes fairytales – she travels through the multiverse to make sure that princesses and damsels in distress get their happy ending. But sometimes when she looks in the mirror, she sees a face that surely doesn’t belong to a princess: it looks more like the face of an evil queen. Zinnia soon finds out that it’s not just the princesses who are trapped in stories they didn’t choose and begins to wonder if it’s ever possible to find a happily ever after for everyone.
This was a fun read that focused on the side of fairytales that isn’t traditionally explored. I really enjoyed the “evil queen” as the anti-hero, as well as the way she was portrayed by the author. The author included some meaningful commentary on traditional fairytales, gender roles, and archetypes of female characters that added interest to this short story.
I felt that the plot was a bit contrived in this work – things just happened to work out or fall into place in ways that didn’t make sense. It felt like this was to get the story where the author wanted it to go, which was a little disappointing. There was some romance included in the work, and while I liked the idea of it between the two characters, it didn’t feel well written to me. It was lacking any sort of real connection or relatability and felt like it was included just for the sake of having some romance.
The narrator of this audiobook did an excellent job. This was a short, easy listen that included some interesting, original ideas. I read this as a standalone work and only felt like I was missing a little bit of backstory, so this could be read on its own.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This was a fun read that focused on the side of fairytales that isn’t traditionally explored. I really enjoyed the “evil queen” as the anti-hero, as well as the way she was portrayed by the author. The author included some meaningful commentary on traditional fairytales, gender roles, and archetypes of female characters that added interest to this short story.
I felt that the plot was a bit contrived in this work – things just happened to work out or fall into place in ways that didn’t make sense. It felt like this was to get the story where the author wanted it to go, which was a little disappointing. There was some romance included in the work, and while I liked the idea of it between the two characters, it didn’t feel well written to me. It was lacking any sort of real connection or relatability and felt like it was included just for the sake of having some romance.
The narrator of this audiobook did an excellent job. This was a short, easy listen that included some interesting, original ideas. I read this as a standalone work and only felt like I was missing a little bit of backstory, so this could be read on its own.
I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
August 19, 2022
A Spindle Splintered ★★★★
A Mirror Mended ★★★
For some reason I did not enjoy this one as the first one. I don't know if it was better to re-read book one before jumping into this one but I felt something was off with this one and I couldn't connect to it as much as I did to A Spindle Splintered.
The writing is good and I loved the humor although sometimes it felt a bit forced and I think my main problem with this book is that many things felt force including the characters and the plot. I liked the ending and don't know if there will be more books in this series or not -it could go both ways with that ending- but I still think it is an interesting concept.
Most of the readers loved this one judging from all the reviews I read but a few readers including me just preferred book one for not so obvious reasons.
A Mirror Mended ★★★
For some reason I did not enjoy this one as the first one. I don't know if it was better to re-read book one before jumping into this one but I felt something was off with this one and I couldn't connect to it as much as I did to A Spindle Splintered.
The writing is good and I loved the humor although sometimes it felt a bit forced and I think my main problem with this book is that many things felt force including the characters and the plot. I liked the ending and don't know if there will be more books in this series or not -it could go both ways with that ending- but I still think it is an interesting concept.
Most of the readers loved this one judging from all the reviews I read but a few readers including me just preferred book one for not so obvious reasons.
October 25, 2022
I like the diversity of this series, and the underlying message about forming your own 'happy ever after' but this fizzled out towards the end for me. Because of the multiverse nature, it gets very repetitive as the same fairy tale is told over and over with small changes. It probably doesn't help that Snow White is one of my least favourite stories either.
I still adore Alix E Harrow's writing, and will happily read anything and everything she puts out - but this series is not one of my personal favourites.
I still adore Alix E Harrow's writing, and will happily read anything and everything she puts out - but this series is not one of my personal favourites.
January 10, 2024
4.5/5 🌟 *rounded up
3/5 ❤️🩹
3/5 🥰
1/5 🌶️
0/5 🔎
0/5 😰
2/5 🎭T
⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️
Murder
Death
🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️
Finalist for the Hugo Award!
Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.
Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can't handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White's Evil Queen has found out how her story ends and she's desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone.
Will Zinnia accept the Queen's poisonous request, and save them both from the hot iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?
🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔
I actually enjoyed this sapphic retelling of Snow White better than Sleeping Beauty. I’m not sure why but I did. I would like to see more of this Fractured series by Alix E. Harrow. There are so many more princesses! Cinderella and Belle’s story would be great and Ariel’s of course.
Alix Harrow is a Kentucky native and I love supporting fellow Kentuckians. She now resides in Virginia with her husband and children.
RATING KEY:
🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scary - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
3/5 ❤️🩹
3/5 🥰
1/5 🌶️
0/5 🔎
0/5 😰
2/5 🎭T
⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS:⛔️⚠️
Murder
Death
🗯️💬BOOK BLURB:💬🗯️
Finalist for the Hugo Award!
Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.
Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can't handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White's Evil Queen has found out how her story ends and she's desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone.
Will Zinnia accept the Queen's poisonous request, and save them both from the hot iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?
🤔🧐🤯MY THOUGHTS:🤯🧐🤔
I actually enjoyed this sapphic retelling of Snow White better than Sleeping Beauty. I’m not sure why but I did. I would like to see more of this Fractured series by Alix E. Harrow. There are so many more princesses! Cinderella and Belle’s story would be great and Ariel’s of course.
Alix Harrow is a Kentucky native and I love supporting fellow Kentuckians. She now resides in Virginia with her husband and children.
RATING KEY:
🌟 Stars - based on the overall plot and theme or idea of the book
❤️🩹 Emotions - based on how emotional I got while reading
🥰 Romance - based on how well I got invested in the love story aspect
🌶️ Spice - based on how the sex scenes were portrayed and written as well as the number of sex scenes
🔎 Mystery - based on how well it kept me guessing who, how and why
😰 Scary - based on how scared or anxious the book made me while reading
🎭 Comedy/Tragedy based on if I laughed or if there was a tragic event and how it affected me. I will mark the Masks with either a C or T to indicate Comedy or Tragedy
June 6, 2022
Thank you Tor Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I swear, little fantasy novellas always hit the spot! A Mirror Mended is a fractured, sapphic Snow White retelling. Except this time Zinnia, our professional fairytale fixer is working with the evil queen to save her from her own fate all the while Zinnia is simultaneously trying to prevent the ending to her own story.
I loved A Mirror Mended even more than the first installment of this series, A Spindle Splintered. Zinnia Gray is a fun heroine to read about. She's snarky, hilarious, and self-deprecating. All qualities I love in a main character. I enjoyed how Harrow incorporated how gender politics weave themselves into fairytales. For example, how older women are often portrayed as the villains.
The audiobook narrator, Amy Landon did an excellent job bringing the snarky and hilarious Zinnia Gray to life. I am eagerly awaiting book 3 in the Fractured Fables novellas!
4.5/5
I swear, little fantasy novellas always hit the spot! A Mirror Mended is a fractured, sapphic Snow White retelling. Except this time Zinnia, our professional fairytale fixer is working with the evil queen to save her from her own fate all the while Zinnia is simultaneously trying to prevent the ending to her own story.
I loved A Mirror Mended even more than the first installment of this series, A Spindle Splintered. Zinnia Gray is a fun heroine to read about. She's snarky, hilarious, and self-deprecating. All qualities I love in a main character. I enjoyed how Harrow incorporated how gender politics weave themselves into fairytales. For example, how older women are often portrayed as the villains.
The audiobook narrator, Amy Landon did an excellent job bringing the snarky and hilarious Zinnia Gray to life. I am eagerly awaiting book 3 in the Fractured Fables novellas!
4.5/5
June 28, 2022
villainess x unlikely heroine lesbian enemies to lovers fairytale multiverse slay! enjoyed a little less than the first book but maybe that has to do with simple novelty
July 9, 2022
Another fun adventure with Zinnia Gray filled with lots of humor. The romance felt a little forced, but I just went with it 🙃
November 9, 2023
3.5 stars.
What I figured out from reading these two novellas is that I LOVE Alix Harrow's writing style. I think they are so funny and easy to read, even though some of the plot can be confusing (for me and my tiny fantasy brain). I think it was well done for me to feel this invested in the characters (good and bad) for such a small book. I love their way of telling a story, and I'm even more exciting for Starling House now!
What I figured out from reading these two novellas is that I LOVE Alix Harrow's writing style. I think they are so funny and easy to read, even though some of the plot can be confusing (for me and my tiny fantasy brain). I think it was well done for me to feel this invested in the characters (good and bad) for such a small book. I love their way of telling a story, and I'm even more exciting for Starling House now!
July 17, 2022
First book that wasn’t a children’s book that I finished all in one day for quite a while!
A lovely sequel with Zinnia Gray. This time no sleeping beauties (unless you count Prim the defector from A Spindle Splintered). There is a lot of great character development in this book. Harrow really knows how to give words double meaning or new meaning in different light.
Thanks to Netgalley and Alix Harrow for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A lovely sequel with Zinnia Gray. This time no sleeping beauties (unless you count Prim the defector from A Spindle Splintered). There is a lot of great character development in this book. Harrow really knows how to give words double meaning or new meaning in different light.
Thanks to Netgalley and Alix Harrow for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2023
3✨
En este libro continuamos con Zinnia, los cuentos clásicos y los multiuniversos. Si en la primera parte, La Rueca Resquebrajada, nos metíamos de lleno en La Bella Durmiente, en esta ocasión tenemos la oportunidad de conocer todos los giros de guión posibles de Blancanieves.
El motivo y la causa del viaje al cuento de Blancanieves no me ha convencido tanto como pasó en el primer libro, pero tampoco me ha resultado demasiado desafortunada o un completo sinsentido.
La trama continúa con los grises, los malos no tan malos y los buenos no tan buenos. No me ha enganchado tanto, de nuevo, como la anterior, pero sí que me ha entretenido. Por otro lado, el conflicto con su mejor amiga me ha hecho ver a la protagonista algo egocéntrica o, tal vez, inmadura. Este conflicto también mantiene un hilo conductor en la novela.
Al final de la historia vemos una evolución tanto en Zinnia como en la Reina Malvada. Espero que el siguiente libro no vuelva a retorcer a los personajes (Zinnia, su mejor amiga, Prímula y La Reina Malvada).
No ha estado, desde mi parecer, a la altura del primer libro, pero sí que le tenía muchas ganas y lo cogí con gran apetito. Al final me ha dejado con una sensación de 3✨.
Tengo muchas ganas de ver cómo continuará esta serie la autora y cuál será el siguiente cuento que visitaremos. Espero que veamos, como he dicho, un desarrollo proporcional en el personaje de Zinnia y de sus relativos.
En este libro continuamos con Zinnia, los cuentos clásicos y los multiuniversos. Si en la primera parte, La Rueca Resquebrajada, nos metíamos de lleno en La Bella Durmiente, en esta ocasión tenemos la oportunidad de conocer todos los giros de guión posibles de Blancanieves.
El motivo y la causa del viaje al cuento de Blancanieves no me ha convencido tanto como pasó en el primer libro, pero tampoco me ha resultado demasiado desafortunada o un completo sinsentido.
La trama continúa con los grises, los malos no tan malos y los buenos no tan buenos. No me ha enganchado tanto, de nuevo, como la anterior, pero sí que me ha entretenido. Por otro lado, el conflicto con su mejor amiga me ha hecho ver a la protagonista algo egocéntrica o, tal vez, inmadura. Este conflicto también mantiene un hilo conductor en la novela.
Al final de la historia vemos una evolución tanto en Zinnia como en la Reina Malvada. Espero que el siguiente libro no vuelva a retorcer a los personajes (Zinnia, su mejor amiga, Prímula y La Reina Malvada).
No ha estado, desde mi parecer, a la altura del primer libro, pero sí que le tenía muchas ganas y lo cogí con gran apetito. Al final me ha dejado con una sensación de 3✨.
Tengo muchas ganas de ver cómo continuará esta serie la autora y cuál será el siguiente cuento que visitaremos. Espero que veamos, como he dicho, un desarrollo proporcional en el personaje de Zinnia y de sus relativos.
June 27, 2022
Pre-publication: Waiting more than 6 months for less than 200 pages is my least favourite type of math.
Post-publication: Like the kind of math that eventually gave us computers (I think?), It was all worth it.
Reading this, I wouldn't look for crazy twists, unforgettable characters, or life-changing insight. This is just the feel-good, smile-wide, chuckle at cheeky comments, indulge the self-aware on-the-nose meta-commentary, root for the lesbians, and finish-in-one-sitting kind of story. And Isn't that exactly what we all need sometimes?
(The real question is why wasn't it twice the length, so it could be both sets of things, but akin to why The Doors of Stone isn't out yet, that's a question better left to the publishing gods.)
Post-publication: Like the kind of math that eventually gave us computers (I think?), It was all worth it.
Reading this, I wouldn't look for crazy twists, unforgettable characters, or life-changing insight. This is just the feel-good, smile-wide, chuckle at cheeky comments, indulge the self-aware on-the-nose meta-commentary, root for the lesbians, and finish-in-one-sitting kind of story. And Isn't that exactly what we all need sometimes?
(The real question is why wasn't it twice the length, so it could be both sets of things, but akin to why The Doors of Stone isn't out yet, that's a question better left to the publishing gods.)
Want to read
December 17, 2021As much as I’d love a full length novel from Ms. Harrow I will gladly take what I can get!!!!
August 29, 2022
I didn't really enjoy this as much as the first Fractured Fable. While a Spindle Splintered was a fun read, this one just felt kind of preachy. I found Zinnia kind of charming in the first tale, but she seemed whiny and selfish in this one. I didn't feel like this book added anything to the original story and was just really unnecessary.
Unless it gets amazing reviews, I don't know that I'll be reading any more in this series, if they come out .
Unless it gets amazing reviews, I don't know that I'll be reading any more in this series, if they come out .
July 3, 2022
“I'm also Zinnia Gray the Dimension-Hopping, Damsel-Saving Badass, and I can't quit now. I may not have much of a happily ever after, but I'm going to give away as many as I can before I go.”
How is Alix E Harrow so damn good?! Honestly I think I could read her shopping list and be left awed.
A Mirror Mended sees Zinnia Gray back to her fairytale-fixing antics but instead of princesses needing saving this time a well known evil queen needs her fate rewriting. Harrow takes the tale of Snow White and twists it, pulls it apart and wields it into a story where the lines between heroes and villains are blurred and happily ever afters don’t exist.
But beyond that strange occurrences are happening in the multiverse, and Zinnia’s only chance at saving it might just be to stop running from her own fate.
Once again Harrow’s prose is beyond stunning, there is so much meaning held in every sentence, yet her character’s voice and tone flows so easily, and Zinnia remains her snarky humorous self. Harrow’s exploration of the many variations of Snow White and the different ways the characters were portrayed was once again captivating. The way A Mirror Mended adds feminist twists and makes you feel so much emotion for each character was pure genius.
“Maybe because it never occurred to me that it could be enough just to live, as happily as you can, for as long as you have.”
All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
How is Alix E Harrow so damn good?! Honestly I think I could read her shopping list and be left awed.
A Mirror Mended sees Zinnia Gray back to her fairytale-fixing antics but instead of princesses needing saving this time a well known evil queen needs her fate rewriting. Harrow takes the tale of Snow White and twists it, pulls it apart and wields it into a story where the lines between heroes and villains are blurred and happily ever afters don’t exist.
But beyond that strange occurrences are happening in the multiverse, and Zinnia’s only chance at saving it might just be to stop running from her own fate.
Once again Harrow’s prose is beyond stunning, there is so much meaning held in every sentence, yet her character’s voice and tone flows so easily, and Zinnia remains her snarky humorous self. Harrow’s exploration of the many variations of Snow White and the different ways the characters were portrayed was once again captivating. The way A Mirror Mended adds feminist twists and makes you feel so much emotion for each character was pure genius.
“Maybe because it never occurred to me that it could be enough just to live, as happily as you can, for as long as you have.”
All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
June 14, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was fantastic! Zinnia has seen every Sleeping Beauty story there is in the multi-verse and she has helped them all find their own happily ever after. She is getting kind of bored of the whole thing when she sees a new face asking for help in the mirror. But this isn’t the protagonist. It’s the villain. It turns out that there might be more to this evil queen than the story suggests.
I loved Zinnia’s voice and the thread of humor that wove its way through the story. I really liked the originality of this story. The author did a marvelous job of taking a familiar story and putting a whole new twist to it along with a more modern feel. This story had me cheering for the villain and questioning who really was the bad guy in the tale. I felt like Zinnia grew a lot over the course of this story and enjoyed checking in with her friends, Charm and Briar Rose, from the first book.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I do think that it would be best to read A Spindle Splintered before diving into this book because not only is it a great story but this story builds on the events from the first novella. This is an incredibly well-written and entertaining novella that will be going directly into my re-read pile. At this point, I think that it is safe to say that I will read anything that Alix E. Harrow writes.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Tordotcom via NetGalley.
This was fantastic! Zinnia has seen every Sleeping Beauty story there is in the multi-verse and she has helped them all find their own happily ever after. She is getting kind of bored of the whole thing when she sees a new face asking for help in the mirror. But this isn’t the protagonist. It’s the villain. It turns out that there might be more to this evil queen than the story suggests.
I loved Zinnia’s voice and the thread of humor that wove its way through the story. I really liked the originality of this story. The author did a marvelous job of taking a familiar story and putting a whole new twist to it along with a more modern feel. This story had me cheering for the villain and questioning who really was the bad guy in the tale. I felt like Zinnia grew a lot over the course of this story and enjoyed checking in with her friends, Charm and Briar Rose, from the first book.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I do think that it would be best to read A Spindle Splintered before diving into this book because not only is it a great story but this story builds on the events from the first novella. This is an incredibly well-written and entertaining novella that will be going directly into my re-read pile. At this point, I think that it is safe to say that I will read anything that Alix E. Harrow writes.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Tordotcom via NetGalley.
January 9, 2024
A Mirror Mended is the second installment of the Fractured Fables series. After devouring the first book yesterday, diving into this one today really wasn't a hard decision to make. I enjoyed all the storylines Zinnia dove into. As well as all the sarcasm between her and the characters or with her friends.
Just like the previous book, I really enjoyed this one. I liked how the stories were merging into one another because it honestly makes sense that it would. If she kept jumping through time everything would start getting chaotic, messy, and just not make sense anymore. Plus, dipping our toes into Snow White was a nice change of pace. Especially the evil queen twist during Red's version.
In the end, I'm really happy that I dove into this series finally. Secretly hoping we get another book just to see if Charm and Prim eventually do adopt a baby/child. I also want to know what's going on in Zinnia's life too. Is she still fighting the good fight against her illness? Did she hit another reset button? I have so many questions and would love some answers.
Just like the previous book, I really enjoyed this one. I liked how the stories were merging into one another because it honestly makes sense that it would. If she kept jumping through time everything would start getting chaotic, messy, and just not make sense anymore. Plus, dipping our toes into Snow White was a nice change of pace. Especially the evil queen twist during Red's version.
In the end, I'm really happy that I dove into this series finally. Secretly hoping we get another book just to see if Charm and Prim eventually do adopt a baby/child. I also want to know what's going on in Zinnia's life too. Is she still fighting the good fight against her illness? Did she hit another reset button? I have so many questions and would love some answers.
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