I have loved and recommended everything I have read by Alix Harrow. While the novella format took a little getting used to, the story was well worth it. The characters are interesting and compelling-- and I love a villain reclaiming.

These Fractured Fables are absolutely amazing novellas. The retellings bring a different spin to the fairy tales than we’re used to. While A Spindle Splintered was focused on Sleeping Beauty, A Mirror Mended turns its focus to Snow White. The path this retelling takes is AMAZING and I can’t love it more than I do!

I will say that there were some missing bits - the world building mostly - which you’ll have in a set of novellas of this type, but that’s a little pet peeve of mine.

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio of this one!

Delightful and laugh-out-loud funny. This (especially in audio format!) felt like a friend telling a particularly hilarious story full of brutally honest truths. Bitingly funny, sharp as a mirror shard, and highly satisfying.

A Mirror Mended is a beautifully sympathetic complicated story that felt like the never ending psychological thriller. I was happy to be done with it. I think I would have liked it better if it was shorter. It talks about writing your own story in life (very repetitive throughout the book), how villians can become protagonists, and not running away from your issues. There were many forced pop culture references and lots of fun sarcasm. The unexpected oddball romance with the older lady seemed seemed forced also. I just didn't get it. Overall, OK story, just not for me.

I had to go back and reread my review of the first installment in the series to remind myself why I was so excited for this one. Because this one wasn’t so exciting.

It’s not that “A Mirror Mended” is “bad,” it’s just like a weak reflection of the first - as if the plot and characters and ideas had been watered down somehow and the soupy mess was ladled into a book.

First and foremost, since I’m reviewing this as an educator, I will state for the record that I can never have this book on a classroom library. The constant profanity precludes any chance of this one being a recommendation for my high school kids, let alone the middle schoolers. I just don’t understand why an author would choose to characterize her “bad ass” narrator by stopping to the cheap trick of coarse language. There are far more compelling and creative ways to show personality without resorting to the caricature trait of tossing curse words . And this novella starts with a bang of NSFW prose.

That aside, I found the story a little confusing. I love fairy tales and seek out the fractured versions for both personal and classroom use, but this is not Snow White and it’s not Sleeping Beauty, despite some of the characters from both stories appearing. I understand the multiverse concept, but that wasn’t the problem here.
Another confusing thing is the relationship between Zinnia and Charm. It is mentioned umpteen bazillion times that the [former?] best friends haven’t spoken in months, but when the “big reveal” finally comes and the rift is explained, I just said, “huh?” For those who are fans of Charm and Prim, don’t get too excited… they’re barely mentioned in this novella, and their scenes are pretty vanilla.

I didn’t mind the love story part of the tale; the redemption, by finding true love, of an evil character is a trope, but I just didn’t find it convincing here. I get “love at first sight,” but … even that was weak and sloppy.

There are so many plot holes, I couldn’t keep track. I’m not sure if the book was written this way purposely or just poorly edited for length, but either way some of the gaps had leaps that were too big to hurdle.

The ending, again, clearly leaves room for sequels, and I certainly wouldn’t let this one lapse stop me from trying one more. I think the series has definite promise, and if I could find a version that wasn’t so expletive driven, I’d love to collect the series for some of the “bad ass chicks” who I teach.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #MacMillan for the ALC in exchange for my honest opinions.

8 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/06/12/a-mirror-mended-by-alix-e-harrow-review/

Zinnia Grey—professional fairy-taler and knight in shining armor—has a problem. The problem is not that there aren’t enough princesses to rescue, but too many. Once you’ve made out with 20 princesses, offed 40 evil stepmothers, or gotten drunk with two or three huntsmen and dwarves, everything just starts to run together. So much so that Zinnia is beginning to wish some of the princesses might take initiative and solve their own problems.

The next mirror Zinnia looks in has a face looking right back at her.

Only this face isn’t the young, naïve visage of a princess, but a more mature evil staring back. The more mature, ATTRACTIVE, GORGEOUS, face of evil. But this evil queen isn’t looking to stop Zinnia, she’s after her help. Because she’s learned how her story ends and wants to escape it before the inevitable comes to pass. But should Zinnia decide to help her, the lines of good and evil may blur, and narratives may become irrevocably damaged. Plus, she might just fall in love.

—

Okay, so it’s $11 for the ebook, or $7.30 for the audiobook version. Please tell me how that makes sense. Normally, I’d just say that the ebook is too expensive and leave it at that. But I’m legitimately confused. I understand that recorded books are more expensive because the author, the narrator, and the publisher all need their cut instead of just the two—but how does it work the other way around?

Anyway, the story. The story is good. I even enjoyed it more than the first one.

See, Zinnia is on a princess-rescuing-bender. It’s been too much, too fast, too long. She has a problem, and the path between right and wrong has begun to blur a little. In the beginning, there’s no way that she’d have considered doing this, but after dozens of weeping princesses and blushing brides she is just looking for a bit of backbone. Or an attractive evil queen that shows some spine (and maybe a hint of cleavage).

No problem with the characters or romance this time around—even I found it a bit refreshing. It did take me a bit to get into, and experienced a bit of a lag in the middle (which was disconcerting since it’s only three hours), though that could’ve boiled down to what I had going on versus how well the narrative was selling itself. So am I really going to criticize this for failing to blow me away? Apparently so, but not much.

The simple fact is that there’s a really good story here, or retelling, at and above the level of what we were previously presented. It’s certainly a good read—or listen, if that’s what you’re into. I quite enjoyed the audio version, as once again Amy Landon brings Zinnia Grey to life in a way I failed to experience from just the text. I’d whole-heartedly recommend A Mirror Mended, particularly as an audiobook—and not just because it’s less expensive.

Now, will there be another, or is this the last we’ve seen of Zinnia Grey? Obviously I can’t get too much into this because of spoilers, but sufficient to say that the conclusion is adequately open-ended to allow for more adventures, but the ending itself was magical enough in its own right to provide the series a proper ending. So… I dunno? Maybe? Either way it was a good ending, one that you’re sure to love whether or not it’s the end of the line for Zinnia.

Following the events of A Spindle Splintered, Zinnia Gray has been traveling around her personal fairytale multiverse saving a multitude of sleeping princesses when she finds herself in a different story. A Mirror Mended continues to deconstruct and examine fairytales and their tropes as Zinnia discovers that fairytale princesses are not the only ones that can feel trapped in their stories.

While the pacing for A Mirror Mended is not quite as engaging as A Spindle Splintered, fans should overall enjoy this installment. Although the story explores the importance of endings to stories, I would be surprised if this is truly the end for Zinnia and her travel through Fractured Fables.

Full review and discussion on episode #157 of Narrated podcast scheduled for 21 Jun 2022.

This is book 2 in the Fractured Fables series, the first book is called A Spindle Splintered. They are short novellas that give a modern twist to fairytales so while the first book centered on Sleeping Beauty, this one is giving light to The Evil Queen. I thoroughly enjoyed this one as much as I did book one. It was funny and creative so I’m looking forward to see what Alix E Harrow does next. Book two does take a lot from the first book, following the same characters to an extent so totally recommend you read them in order but these books are very short. Very fast reads so if you are into some new retellings, ones that definitely give like the more Disney vibe, check these out. I’m glad I stuck with the audiobook because it brings these quirky characters to life even more.

I must say I really enjoyed this book more than the first book. I love how Alix E. Harrow flawlessly mixes fairy tales into our modern world. I would really love to hear more about Charm's life since we got such a great peak. My only issue is that this series of books end way too quick!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The second in the Fractured Fable series finds Zinnia facing the evil queen from Snow White and her tell-all mirror. Zinnia is still searching for her happy ending and finds herself facing off with the queen. The queen needs a favor from Zinnia and the odd couple find themselves reluctantly working together.

This was another fun story with the spunky, larger than life protagonist Zinnia. She is by far the best part of the series!! The pop culture references throughout added a lot of humor. This is a quick read and an interesting twist of the fairy tales that we remember.

4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #AMirrorMended #AlixHarrow

I loved book 1 and I was SOOOOO excited for this one. However I worried that I missed a book between this one and the first because I felt so lost??? Maybe I just needed a refresher before beginning. I was super confused.

I have a hard time rooting for the villains so this book just felt a bit meh to me.

Zinnia is still a badass, I totally love her.

The writing itself is brilliant.

The story just made me feel a bit lost!

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 seriously 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!!

I absolutely adore this series! I have struggled with fractured or reimagined fairy tales over the years. I'm drawn to them conceptually, but so often they just don't hit the right tone for me, leaving me more than a little Goldilocks-ish (this one is too similar, this one too different; this one is trying to hard, this one is not trying hard enough). Alix Harrow has absolutely hit the nail on the head with this series though, managing to work the feeling of tradition and a connection to the stories and storytellings of the past while bringing an entirely fresh, feminist, and modern energy and charisma to the familiar characters and tropes, even when deliberately spinning their ridiculosities on their heads...

In this latest book, we find our fearless protagonist, the indomitable Zinnia Gray, at a bit of a crossroads as she realizes that her life's work may be affecting not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her. With snark, wit, wisdom, and a lot of forehead-slapping realizations, Harrow brings us into Zinnia's mind and heart to explore life, love, and the consequences of our actions. She does this with humor, more than a few heartstring tugs, and loads of thought-provoking imagery, dialogue, and question-raising.

I once again listened to this book. I'm relatively new to audiobooks, but have thoroughly enjoyed this particular series in an audio format because of the extraordinary job that narrator Amy Landon has done with both books. She tells a story, rather than reads a book - and the difference is exceptionally noticeable. She IS Zinnia, and her inflection, pacing, and tonalities all resonate with spot-on perfection.

I hope Zin, Charm, and Prim find their way to keep bringing us life lessons and not-so-subtle reminders about what is truly important for many books to come!

***5 Stars***

Overall,
The second book in a delightful series by Alix E. Harrow, I received an Audio ARC from Netgalley. In preparation for reading this book I read the first book and enjoyed it immensely. In this book we join Zinnia Gray once again 5 years after the events of the first book. She now spends her days traveling to various Sleeping Beauty realms saving as many damsels in distress as she can. One day instead of finding herself in yet another Sleeping Beauty tale she finds herself face to face with the Evil Queen from Snow White, what follows is a fast-paced adventure. Ultimately, Zinnia is faced with figuring out her own story and how it will end. One thing I really enjoyed was how this book and the first were written. It was a very personalized version of first person. I don’t know why but I just felt like I was there in Zinnia’s head thinking the exact same things.

Narration,
This book is only 128 pages long so listening to it only took about 4 hours. Amy Landon does a great job narrating. She has a great voice and does different voices for each character. I would definitely recommend her narration in the future.

Cover
Keeping with the theme of the first book, I will say that these covers make me think the book will be much darker than it actually is. They are cute, but I don’t think they really hit the theme of the book.

Recommendation
If you are in need of a quick fantasy retelling fix, written in the first person and like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White I would recommend this to you. I am not sure if there will be a third book, the ending of this one felt pretty finished to me. There are some sapphic moments but its all pretty PG. There are some darker themes but there is no gore. This is easily YA accessible in my own opinion.

**I received an Audio ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my free and honest review. Thank you Tor.com Imprint and MacMillian Audio Production for the opportunity to read this book.** #MirrorMended #Netgalley

This book was enjoyable in the moment, but not something I will ever look back on. I enjoyed the witty narrator, but that was about where my enjoyment ended. I feel like the story was convoluted and honestly just didn’t make a whole lot of sense in some places. A lot of things occurred through happenstance and sidestepping around plot holes. I can’t say much without spoiling what happens throughout the book, but the entire universe-traveling plot line didn’t make a whole lot of sense and it kinda just felt like the author was writing with no care for the plot holes and story implications she left in her wake. To be fair, I read this as a standalone, so maybe that is why I was so confused.
I have heard the first book is better and makes more sense, so I may read that next, but overall, I was very unimpressed with this book.

This book is my everything. There's a part of me that hopes someday we'll get a third book, but this book also wraps up in such a way that I wouldn't want anything to ruin it. And that's about all I can say without giving away spoilers!

I loved the world we're introduced to in the first book in this series, A Spindle Splintered, where basically there's a whole multiverse out there where different iterations of fairy tales are all playing out. The tone of this series and focus on Aarne-Thompson tale type index reminds me strongly of Seanan McGuire's Indexing series. So if you like that series, check this one out (and vice versa!) The second book focuses in on what it means to be the protagonist (or the villain) of your story, as well as some exploration of gender politics and ageism in fairy tales. Also there's an excellent Sapphic romance arc and who doesn't love a hot villain!?

I listened to this on adiobook, narrated by Amy Landon. Amy Landon does SUCH an incredible job with this narration, especially conveying Zinnia's snark and the Evil Queen's regal tones. I love her narration so much, I went explicitly looking for more books she's narrated so I can continue to listen to her.

This is the second book in the Fractured Fables series, and needs to be read after the first book, A Spindle Splintered.

I was over the moon to be granted early access to this sequel to Harrow's A Spindle Splintered, to which I also received early access, and reviewed last October. [That review can be found here: https://debbybrauer.org/#a-spindle-splintered] This time, present-day Ohioan Zinnia finds herself in Snow White's story, but from the Evil Queen's perspective. With this reboot, not only do we get a feminist viewpoint of the fairy tale, but the story also addresses the frequent villainization of older women in fairy tales and folklore. These interesting aspects aside, I didn't like the sequel nearly as much as the first installment, which was funnier and more exciting and did a better job of character development (which is impressive considering the short length of the work).

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected June 14.

Alix, Alix, Alix...how do you do it?

Seriously, how is everything that Alix E. Harrow pure gold? A Mirror Mended did not disappoint. It was funny and sassy and action packed, with a bit of emotional intense parts as well. This book is the second installment of the Fractured Fables series. I did read the first book and there are several references to the events of the first book, but I think you could get by without reading it if you had to...however you should red the first one too because it's wonderful! Anyway, in this book Zinnia falls into the tale of Snow White. I love all the differently imagined versions of the story.

Overall, so well written and a delightful story! Highly recommend!!

Alix E. Harrow is a favorite of mine and I was delighted to see what was going to happen in the Splinter series. It was like visiting old friends and this new take on classic tales is refreshing. I loved it as much as I've loved all her other titles!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC of this!

I really enjoyed the first one and was so excited to dive into this one immediately after. I think this one was even better - I loved the villainous love interest, the continued look at how perspective makes a villain, and continuing to see the main character grapple with the reality of her chronic fatal illness. The ending was absolute perfection. The narrator did a great job and was easy to understand on my usual playback speed. I'd definitely recommend this for fans of books in books, villain origin story retellings, and those who wanted to see casual queer rep in their fairy tales growing up.