Member Reviews

The Storm of Echoes is the final book in the Mirror Visitor series. It’s… complex. I was really hooked at the end of book 1, but then less and less drawn in by the middle two books. However, despite any misgivings, I had to find out how the story ended.

Overall, I’m glad to have finished the series. Happy to have (some) answers, sad that not everyone survives, wondering if there will be another book based on the ending..

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This is such an incredible series! My high school students can't keep their hands off of our classroom copies of this series.

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Unfortunately, this book was a bit all over the place. I'm unsure whether it fell flat due to a disconnect between the English version and the original French, or if it really just didn't hit the mark but in any case, I didn't love it.

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Everything that I have loved about this series so far is on full display here in the final installment: baffling but cool worldbuilding, fascinating characters, an abundance of aesthetic, and Ophelia being peak Ophelia. It's wonderfully familiar to return to...with one exception that's familiar, but not so wonderful: the convoluted plotting. Now, it was interesting, don't get me wrong, but it also felt like it could have benefitted from some more simplification, because there are parts here (as there were in The Memory of Babel) that were really hard to get my head around, and they didn't really need to be. What's ultimately revealed is pretty satisfying, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel like a little of a slog to get there. Some of that space would have been better used to add in some more character heavy moments - although I should say that the ones we did get were golden.

As an ending to the series, it definitely keeps in line tonally with all the ones that came before it: it's a little bittersweet, a little incomplete, but it still has that strong edge of perseverance to it. Ultimately, I think it's a worthy ending for the quartet and will satisfy every reader who's enjoyed the story so far. (A little more than that, even!)

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This series has such a hold on me; I am always delightfully surprised by the twists and turns it takes, the ways the characters evolve, and the slow magic it seeps from its pages. This finale brings together all that felt confusing and mysterious before, but it also is the apex of these characters growth and transformations.

The plot takes a drastic turn from the beginning half of the series, but in my opinion, comes full circle by the end. I appreciate that Dabos is not afraid to push the boundaries and her characters into new situations, instead of falling into the same pitfalls of other fantasy authors, who essentially write the same book three different ways. I read in some reviews that people were upset by how different Ophelia and Thorn were, but I truly think that’s the point! They have changed so much, both by changing each other and finding themselves / seeing themselves more clearly. I love the confidence that has grown in Ophelia, and the affection Thorn has developed that surprises even himself.

That being said, I would have loved to see more of some of my favorite characters, such as Archibald and Berenilde. After building such a glittering, truly unique cast of characters, it’s a shame they didn’t get to play a huge part in the finale of this saga. And I am most definitely not okay with that ending, which I have chosen not to accept. The ending I have created in my head is much more to my liking and my overall sanity.

Thank you to Net Galley for the early egalley!

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Christelle Dabos' The Mirror Visitor Quartet encompasses an inventive, fascinating new fantasy world with an unlikely heroine known more for her clumsiness than her courage. I was drawn in by the first book, and enjoyed the second as well. The last two books in the series have been more challenging for me, but at the same time I am so glad I came across this author's work.

The final book in the quartet, The Storm of Echoes, felt just as the title implies. The plot became even more complicated and convoluted, and sometimes it seemed as though things were lost in translation (which, like the other novels, could be clunky). I would have liked a more compelling plot, maybe a bit more streamlined, but my curiosity pushed me to finish this book and I can't say I regret it. If it sounds like I have mixed feelings, I do. Dabos has created an incredible world populated by unique characters, but I don't feel like she always executes the story as well as she could. Now that all four books have been released in English, I'd like to go back and read them straight through, in the hopes that I can follow all the characters and plot lines more seamlessly.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy and stories of unlikely heroines, with the caveat that it can be a somewhat bumpy ride.

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This series was one of my all time favorites, but the third book fell short for me. Going into this fourth and final installment, I was hopefully but not expecting much. The complexity of the story got out of hand with book three and continued to leave me confused in book 4. I think the story is highly original and so beautiful, and I may return to the first books again and give books 3 and 4 a second chance.

Thank you to Europa Editions for allowing me to read early and review!

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This was the most heartbreaking book of the saga.

The end bittersweet, i closed the book with a taste of « i want more » and a taste of « i don’t know if i can read more ».
The writing is lyrical, almost impossible for me to close the book even to drink or eat, it’s so smooth it’s like honey on my tongue.
The first time i decided to read this saga was because of the magnificent cover, the name of the first book (winter’s promise was looking good to me) and the synopsis.
I wasn’t ready for this world, for the plot.it’s a lot in fact, this last book almost felt like a first book with all the world building in it but i still loved it .
All those characters that i learned to love, this world i want to live in, comes to an end.
Everyone of my question was answered, and i loved how the most little character, that we tend to forgot about, have a big place in the plot at the end, i loved this butterfly effect, where a little action lead to something bigger.
It was a pleasure from the beginning until the end.
It was like being afraid and loving it, being hurt and loving it.
I think i have an hate-love relathionship with this book.he dared ending this story, and such and end, and at the same time he told me this story.
It is strange, it’s not like most off my favorites saga, an yet every time i look at one of those books, i remember everything.
And it hurt.
But it felt good too.
I can only recommend you to read it, it’s one of my most magical adventure, unforgettable and life-changing.
Seeking my own scarf now.

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The mystery of God, the Other, and the breaking of the world concludes. And holy shit balls. This book is a trip!

What I liked:
I have no idea (well, other than Ophelia and Thorn)

What I disliked:
It ended

Actually, here's what I think. Looking back, there were all these random bits and pieces of existential clues scattered throughout books 1-3. In this one, there are a TON more, and they all take deep consideration together before the big picture starts to form. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, but I do see why this book got mixed reviews when it was released in France two years ago.

My advice: Do not go into this book with expectations. Dabos will OBLITERATE every single one of them. I think that takes guts, so I'm pleased that this book doesn't play it safe, that it is unpredictable, and that it will take many re-reads to grasp every detail and idea. That's really what I love most about this series, so it's probably the best I could've asked for in a conclusion.

And that final page. Mmm! So perfectly emblematic of Ophelia and Thorn's journey together. "A little more than that, even."

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What a wonderful conclusion to a great series full of whimsical adventures, glittering prose, and loveable characters. I felt this wrapped up the story and I very much hope there is a spinoff or something in this world because I am not ready to let it go.........

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Storm of Echoes is the final book in the delightful Mirror Visitor series. I think this book would be more enjoyable if read all together so the details were fresh, but I remembered enough from previous installments to enjoy this.
Opehlia and Thorn are still on Babel trying to solve the mystery of Eulalia Gonde and how she managed to create the family spirits. Instead of allowing her self to be expelled from the city, Ophelia checks herself into the observatory of deviations to try to get closers to solving the mystery.
Honestly there is a lot of stuff going on in this book that had complex explanations that I didn't fully understand. However, I really enjoy both Ophelia and Thorn so this was another win for me.

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The finale of this unique Quartet bought so many highs and just a few lows. For me, I wanted even more than I was given here but as I know my students adore this series, I know they will really enjoy this conclusion.

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The Storm of Echoes (probably?) concludes the Mirror Visitor quartet. While there’s some satisfaction to be had (the mystery of the Other addressed! Ophelia and Thorn finally pointed at the same obstacle!), I was disappointed as a reader. The madcap, topsy-turvy, sensory explosion of the earlier volumes continues, but here it overwhelms what plot is present. Like Ophelia, I found myself stumbling through the book, quite confused. That said, I’m grateful to have experienced this imaginative, peculiar tale. If you read the earlier volumes, definitely finish the series.

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I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started to read the final book in this series. I WANTED everything tied up in a nice bow, I WANTED to know exactly how every character I loved in the first 2 books ended up, I WANTED to love this book. What did I get? Not what I wanted, but sometimes that's ok! The majority of this book was Ophelia trying to figure out what the heck is going on, which makes me feel better since I wasn't sure what the heck was going on, either. Who exactly was destroying the arks and why? What turned God into God? Were Ophelia and Thorn going to get their happily ever after?? There were so many complexities in the story line, so many questions to be answered, I understand that the author had to let some things go. But really, I wanted more about Ophelia's not so merry band of friends from the previous books.

I also struggled with the vast amount of detail and side adventures that turned out to be completely not needed. A good pruning would have made the story easier to follow. I'm sad the series is finished, I feel like there could have been two books instead of this one cramming everything together. Not perfect, but still a completely original fascinating concept and characters that I cared about.

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I found Storm of Echoes to be overall a well and intricately written book; there were many details that furthered the plot and developed the characters even further than they had been in the past three books. Some of the details could be confusing at times, but in the end -nearly- everything made sense.

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This book was so brilliant and such an amazing ending to the series. When I started reading the first book, I knew I would love this series and this final book didn’t disappoint. The story is so wonderfully unique, so incredibly imaginative and creative, I can honestly say I have never read anything like it. I honestly wish it wasn’t over! Ophelia is such a brilliant character, so strong and intelligent but wonderfully human. Thorn is amazing and flawed and very relatable. The story flows so well and the pacing was amazing. I can’t wait to re-read this series once I have the hardcover of this book in my hands. Just a few more months and I’ll be reading these four books again

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Ophelia is finally reunited with Thorn in Babel, as they continue to unlock the secrets between God and the Other, trying desperately to stop the destabilization of the arks.

Wow, I had waited for this book for so long! And it was just as imaginative and well thought out as the others. I saw that the ending really upset a lot of people but I don't think it's an issue. It's a good story and that's the most important aspect rather than it being just a perfect, happy ending.

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This has become one of my favorite YA series and I've already begun recommending it to everyone. It has such a unique world and such great chracters. The only complaint I could possibly make is that there are parts of the book that drags slightly as you go through the everyday drudgery of the main character, but it is absolutely necessary and doesn't take away from the reading experience enough to be a deterrent. I didn’t realize until later that this was a translation until the second book in the series. This book feels like it was written in English originally. I sped through each book in this series.

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Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heartbreak.

Pure heartbreak.

I hated this series initially. But i forced myself through them because i had already requested and been approved access to an ARC- I had heard many great things about this series and was disapointed at first.

After forcing myself through the first half of this series I found that it does truely get better. Like a lot better.

I loved the slow burn development of Ophelia and Thorn's relationship (even if I still find both characters intolerable) throughout all four books. They have grown so much together and are just beautifully portrayed as a book couple.

Even if that ending pulled on my heart strings it was still an amazing conclusion to the series.

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