This is a fun adventure for kids who love a spin on fairytales--but it feels more fresh since it's not based on a specific tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

THE MIRRORWOOD is the best kind of middle grade fantasy, full of unique and whimsical magic, high-stakes adventure, surprising twists, and the blurriest of lines between heroes and villains. Fable has spent her life in hiding because she is Blighted, touched by the twisted magic of the Mirrorwood. No one outside of her family can know or she has no face of her own, that she has “borrow” a face (and a bit of life-force) from others. When the hunters find her out, Fable has no choice but to run – into the Mirrorwood to try to break the curse that has ruined her life. But once she’s there, along with the very hunter who wanted to kill her, she discovers that nothing is as simple as the tales she’s been told.

The magical world of Mirrorworld is fascinating; many people (and objects) have been twisted by the Blight in crazy and sometimes entertaining ways. Fable and Vycorax encounter villagers stuck in a time-loop, dead men who talk, deities who speak in riddles and sometimes do more harm than good, and demons who aren’t what they seem (all while accompanied by a cute talking cat). Kids will be endlessly fascinated by the universe that Fagan has created and by the twists and turns that Fable’s journey takes as she tries to figure out who to trust, how to break her curse, and what solution is really best for everyone.

If you enjoy fantasy, you need to pick up this book! Fagan is fast becoming one of my favorite middle grade authors!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

This book right out of the gate was like a crazily warped Alice in wonderland mixed with The Princess Bride and when you throw in elements from both Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast, you have the recipe for an incredibly rich and dynamic fairy tale realm. Fable has lived her entire live not knowing who she truly is and wanting nothing more. In contrast, Vycorax has always known who she is, until she meets Fable and all of that is turned on it’s head. The great thing about this story is that nothing is what it seems and I think that is an incredibly
important thing for children to Understand. The personal journeys they Both go through are so much deeper than Surface level. Overall, this is an incredible Tale of finding friendship where you least Expect it and learning that everyone Matters even if you feel invisible.