"Perhaps the girl could tell her own story."

A Spindle Splintered, the first in Alix E. Harrow's Fractured Fables series, was a delicious twist on the fairy tale canon, and I'm delighted to find this Snow White-centric sequel is just as clever, just as witty, and just as richly complex as the first. As told by the modern Sleeping Beauty Zinnia, the story's voice is punchy, wry, snarky, and vulnerable, and endlessly enjoyable.

A Mirror Mended makes room for villains this time, exploring the evil queen/stepmother trope and what it means to be a villain, with an emphasis on narrative agency that manages to turn an English lit seminar on folklore into a funny, touching, pop-cultural-reference-heavy tale. Through all the quips, the sly references, and the clever crossing of storylines shines an honest, emotional story about choosing our own story - and our own happy ending.

Thank you to Tordotcom for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Take a love of pop culture, add some Disney, throw in LGBTQ+ activism, some not too advanced theoretical physics, and some disability rep, you start to get an idea about what Alix E. Harrow is on about in their Fractured Fables.

If you thought that these things couldn't work together, than this queer, earnest, and ridiculously enamoured of fairy tales novella series is going to change your mind. In a Spindle Splintered, Zinnea managed to find a way to slip between different worlds and different versions of Sleeping Beauty by tapping into her own narrative power. Now she spends her time as a professional "fairy tale fixer", recuing princesses. In A Mirror Mended ZInnia is yanked from her own story into someone elses, and it's not who you think. What if the Wicked Queen was the one who wanted to be saved from what the story expects of her?

The Fractured Fables are a quick read that joyfully wear their fandom on their sleeve.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!

After being really pleasantly surprised by A Spindle Splintered, I was really excited to discover that wasn't the end of Zinnia's story.

A Mirror Mended brings more of what made the first book so great with analysis of fairy tales as we think we know them as well as philosophising on the meaning of life but this time we have a delicious romance right at the heart of it. I really enjoy how much these books subvert what we think these stories we know so well look like, there is so much creativity that goes into these books.

This is definitely the kind of book that after you finish it you just have to hug it because you loved it so much and it feels like a privilege to have read it.

I am really intrigued to see where Zinnia's story goes next because whilst it feels like we might have an idea about what happily ever after could look like, there is a lot of living to happen before then (which is kinda Zinnia's whole thing tbh!).

This one was just ok for me, which is how I felt about the first one. While I like the fractured fairy tale idea, something is just off for me in the voice. If you enjoyed the first one or have an interest in fairy tales I think you would like this one as well.

I loved Spindle, and I was so overjoyed to discover that I ended up loving Mirror even more. So much fun and excitement. I laughed, I cried, and I cannot wait for the book to come out so I can 1) handsell the heck out of both books at work and 2) see if this one also has the same delightfully dark illustrations that Spindle had.

Alix E. Harrow's newest multiverse fairy tale is an impressive follow-up to "A Spindle Splintered." Once again we join Zinnia Gray as she finds herself playing hero in a story not her own.

I absolutely loved this book! I finished it in one sitting. I just could not stop reading it. Once again we are thrust into Zinnia Gray’s adventures. This story takes place after it has been years since the end of the first book. Zinnia has been traveling the storybook multiverse of sleeping beauty stories. She has rescued many princesses and gone through many adventures. Zinnia is tired and begins to think she is done. Then she looks into a mirror and is pulled through to another story. This time it is Snow White and she isn’t there to help the princess. Instead she sets off on an adventure with the supposed to be villain. I loved the new stories and places they travel. The ending was so good as well. Just beautiful. Zinnia is such a fun main character!
*thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5, rounded up.

It has been five years since Zinnia Gray entered Sleeping Beauty’s world. Five years since she was given another chance at life. Six months since she’s talked to her best friend, Charm.

If you haven’t already picked up A Spindle Splintered, read that first. A Mirror Mended won’t make sense otherwise.

Zinnia has spent the last five years rescuing different versions of Sleeping Beauty, but her patience is growing thin. When she begins to think she might be done saving princesses, she looks in a mirror and sees another person’s face. It ends up being the Evil Queen from Snow White, and she is HOT. The Evil Queen has discovered how her story will end and wants Zinnia to save her. The only question left is simple. Will Zinnia help?

I can’t decide if I preferred this book over A Spindle Splintered or not. I was always more interested in Snow White than Sleeping Beauty when I was young, but since this book is more focused on saving the Queen, it takes a different route. There’s not much I can say without spoiling the book, but overall I enjoyed the way the story progressed.

My biggest complaint is that the pacing was a little off in a few places. I felt like I picked it up and set it down a little too many times for such a short book, even though I was enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Tordotcom in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE the concept of this novella series, and I've thoroughly enjoyed Harrow's full-length novels. But there's something about this series that misses the mark for me. I was kind of over Zinnia as A MIRROR MENDED started and felt like the fun of a multiverse of Sleeping Beauties didn't carry over this time around with the Snow White fairytale. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

The cover art is gorgeous though and I think there is still hope for this series.

“…maybe every story is a lie until it isn’t; maybe I’m not the one who has to tell it, anyway.”

A MIRROR MENDED is the second novella in Harrow’s fairytale retelling series, and I am pleased to report it’s even gayer than the first one. In A SPINDLE SPLINTERED Harrow introduced us to Zinnia Gray of Ohio, a chronically ill gal with an encyclopedic knowledge of European folklore and a strong affinity for the story of Sleeping Beauty. After falling into another dimension, saving one version of the princess from compulsory heterosexuality and, in the process, adding years to the short lifespan she expected, Zinnia dives headlong into other versions of the story to rescue other princesses. That’s where we meet her again at the beginning of A MIRROR MENDED: neck-deep in other people’s problems to avoid her own. But things change for Zinnia when she ends up in a version of Snow White instead and starts falling for the evil queen herself.

This series is so smart and imaginative and delightful - and as reluctantly hopeful as our heroine Zinnia. I love her snarky narrative voice and relatable avoidance of her real life issues. The evil queen character is compelling, sympathetic despite her best attempts to be thorny and invulnerable. The chemistry between her and Zinnia is electric, their interactions full of prickly yet flirtatious banter, the arc of their relationship satisfying (though incomplete). I continue to love how Harrow plays with fairytale retellings, freeing narratives from traditional constraints and overlaying them with modern feminist sensibilities; the first novella upended the damsel in distress trope, and this novella tackles how women are vilified. The overarching themes that stand out to me from this series so far are reclaiming agency and learning how to live happily, and I would easily read a dozen more novellas in a similar vein. I can’t wait to get my hands on a finished copy, which I think will have original art like A SPINDLE SPLINTERED does. Thanks to Tordotcom and Macmillan Audio for the review copies! This novella comes out June 14.

Content warnings: violence, kidnapping, imprisonment

First off, how on Earth did Alix E. Harrow manage to make this one even better than A Spindle Splintered?! I loved this one even more and I’m so excited to read more in this series.

I had A Mirror Mended in eBook format and it didn’t have any illustrations, but I have a physical copy on pre-order and I can’t wait to look at all the gorgeous illustrations I know it will have. I promise you this is a series you need physical copies of.

I would recommend starting with A Spindle Splintered before reading this one as it is a continuation of the series.

We once again follow Zinnia Gray, who has been making her way through different versions of Sleeping Beauty, until she falls into a different fairytale. Except this time she meets the villain and from there Alix E. Harrow manages to completely subvert your expectations and make a tale that will have you racing towards the end while also trying to savour the incredible story she has written.

I don’t want to spoil anything about the story because it really didn’t go where I was expecting but it seems like Harrow is creating a multi-verse of badass women and I cannot wait for more!

I’m totally in love with this series. The fairytale retelling, the amazing characters, the fact Harrow can come up with so many different versions of the fairytales, the sheer imagination it takes to put these books together and just the fact the stories are so compelling and so enthralling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

I didn't think I could love this series any more than I already did, but here we are! This was such a fun and empowering spin on Snow White, and I loved every second of it. From the enemies to lovers aspect, to the way that Zinnia learns and grows in this story, I absolutely adored it all.

Zinnia is such an easy person to root for, and she's so real even in the midst of all the fairy tales happening around her. I loved her journey with accepting her story, and as someone who is chronically ill, I thought it was really well written.

I loved the romance in this story and thought it really added to everything. The way that it was sweet and funny but also deep and added to Zinnia's journey made it all worth it.

Fantasy lovers, this series is a must-read!

In the follow-up to Harrow’s A Spindle Splintered, readers are once again thrust into the fairytale multiverse when Zinnia Gray gets sucked into a mirror and finds herself up against an evil queen in the world of Snow White.

Zinnia, as you might remember, is an expert on Sleeping Beauty, and since the events in A Spindle Splintered, has been hopping in and out of that fable, rescuing princesses and giving them better options for their future. But she knows deep down she is messing up the multiverse and delaying her own ever after.

When she gets plunged into a world not her own, she has to unravel the mystery of Snow White all while figuring out how to save herself… and possibly the evil queen too.

Once again this author upends long-held tropes showing readers that not everything is black and white and even the most evil characters might just be misunderstood and desperate for agency. This is a quick novella-length read, with snappy dialogue and a very likable protagonist. I gobbled it up in one evening.

I enjoyed catching up with Zinnia, and even Prim and Charm. The ending leads me to believe that this just might be the last installment in this series… but one never knows. We just might see these characters again.

I was eh about book one and I’m eh about book two.

It was short.
It was riddled with pop-culture references.
It was just…okay.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanusa @torbooks @forgereads for this ARC.

A MIRROR MENDED drops 6/14/22

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for giving me access to an eARC for review!

Maybe this is my fault for reading the 1st novella just before this one, but A Mirror Mended didn't quite live up to A Spindle Splintered in my opinion.

I still found the story enjoyable, and I found some aspects quite interesting (such as the discussions about vanity and agency) but I didn't like the humour or the plot as much as novella 1. I think it felt a little more heavy-handed with its message and I didn't particularly LOVE the romance aspect (especially as it went from being kind of cheesy/jokey to very sincere very quickly due to the short page-count). I was also expecting that - with the 5-year time jump from book 1 - Zinnia would be a bit changed from all her travels but she felt quite samey to me.

I think that if you love novellas, definitely give this series a try! Personally, I like spending a bit more time with the characters and the world which there just isn't enough time to do in stories this short, but I think it's a really interesting concept. These books are by no means bad, but I'm not sure that this one will necessarily stick with me.

I think these stories are perfectly suited to novellas, and Harrow is doing such a great job with them. I love Zinnia and her adventures, and I love seeing how she's growing/grown up. I can't wait to see what's next from Alix E. Harrow!

The second book in the Fractured Fables series, A Mirror Mended continues Zinnia’s journey as she tires of rescuing hapless damsels in distress. However, when she looks in the mirror and sees an evil queen, she must decide whether to help her. I am loving this series! It’s unique and immersive, and the writing is fantastic!

Zinnia is a dynamic protagonist. Funny and acerbic with a smidge of wisdom, she has a strong voice, and her journey, both physical and emotional, is compelling. All of the characters are dynamic and unique, and many are so different from what you’d expect. I think that’s one of the things I like most about this series. It makes you reexamine what you think you know about fairy tales.

I absolutely loved the comical and perceptive analysis of traditional fairy tales and societies’ willing and oblivious acceptance of some really twisted, gender-degrading stories. It made me wish I had taken similar college courses on the topic when I was in university. It was so eye-opening and yet not? I mean if you really examine canonized fairy tales like Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and, of course, Sleeping Beauty, you can see quite clearly the oppressive, patriarchal settings and situations. I like that this book debunks all preconceived notions about the stories and characters.

Though it’s a relatively quick read, the story is layered and includes more serious issues, especially since Zinnia faces a terminal illness and knows her time is limited. The story is also filled with rich imagery, and the comparisons are fantastic! I love the author’s writing style and use of figurative language. “So I’ll just say it was bad. Like, if a snake f*#@ed a tarantula and their babies died in a tar pit, only to be reanimated by a necromancer who graduated at the absolute bottom of his class.” Not only is that a vivid visual, but it’s too funny! I love stories that entertain, make me laugh, and make me think, which is exactly what this story does.

I would definitely recommend this book and series to readers interested in YA fairy tale retellings. It’s sharp and funny and smart, and the writing is fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

Okay so, I've read the first book a little less than a year ago and I loved it with a burning passion. This one is the same.

I loved Alix E. Harrow's writing and the main line of this story (the idea of Fairytale Multiverse is golden and leaving rent free in my brain) just works so well I just read the first one in one go, and the second one, too.

The characters are great, three dimentionals, and feel almost real enough to touch. None of them are perfect, they have their qualities but most importantly they are flowed and are still growing. I loved all of them but especially Eva, who's lack of agency made her into a villain. It opens a door about villain not being evil but doing what they need to do to survive and I trully enjoyed it. I fell in love with Eva's character. It's a fast read and it's really funny but also kinda political and important in the way it talks about agency over your own story. I can only recommend it!

To say I flailed at the first of these A Spindle Splintered is the understatement of the century. Its full of badarse women, squishy love interests and all around wholesome female relationships because who doesn’t need a friend that will literally break the universe in order to save you? I went into this having ridiculous expectations. I thought maybe it would be a flash in the pan. I was wrong and I'm so glad about it.

So, we begin with Zinnia having so regularly disappeared into other versions of her tale, that she has lost any meaningful contact with her best friend. While she's been busy avoiding her fate, everyone else has moved on without her. It’s the typical tale of leaving a never looking back despite the fact that those people were your entire world. Having saved numerous Briar Rose’s in their many forms, Z begins to feel like maybe she should end her questing and relight old fires. Until she finds a portal like no other in the form of a broken mirror (don’t you know those bring you 7 years of bad luck). What harm could one final rescue do? Right?

Let me tell you, these are not your average prince saves the girl, they ride off into their happily ever after stories. When Zinnia meets Eva (I loved the word play to get this name btw), she thinks she knows what she's in for. But alas she is wrong because this Evil Queen doesn’t want to terrorize her Snow, she just wants a happier ending than dancing until she dies. Which honestly the thought of it was a little weird to start but this twisted tale effortlessly flows to make the reader pity the Queen and her inevitable plight. It's not even a case of I love villains – this villain isn't villainous, she just squish and sweet and oh my heart.

Once again Harrow pulls you in with her vivid imagery and fast paced narrative. Between the mirror diving and the role reversal, you don’t really have a chance to overthink it. Nor do you really want to. Its punchy and pithy and honestly a murderous Snow White is everyone's nightmare.

I want to highlight here, that this is definitely an LGBT+ book. If you don’t like sapphic love stories, I would probably give it a miss because EVERYONE IS GAY. Not even sneaky glances gay, its full-on Kiss the Girl playing in the background while you audibly cheer gay. But it's also not obnoxious about it (in my opinion), it just kind of, is. In multiple relationships.

While it seems like this is just a fantastical romp through multiple fairytales, it also has a more serious side. Our protagonist is terminally ill and has been counting down her days since she knew of her disease. It chronicles co-dependency, lost friendships and found family. Deeper themes include abuse and reliance through diversity as well as discussing mental health and adoption. What I’m trying to say is that on face value this is a big happy sticky marshmallow but once you start reading, you realise it's just a big old onion that accidentally rolled in some sugar.

So, my verdict? This is actually a cracker of a novella. Coming in around the 150 page mark, its short enough to read in a single sitting but also in depth enough to make you really think about the whole villain trope. It has meaningful (although short) discussions of otherwise taboo issues whilst at the same time not feeling heavy and cumbersome. In other words, I'm saying it's amazing.

Love this fairy tale series. This novella perfectly captures the angst of Zinnia and her quest to save as many fairy tale females as possible. Harrow does a wonderfully original twist to her stories.