I really wanted to like this book but it just didn't work for me. There were not enough explanations of plot points, world-building, or plot-logic. Things just kept happening and the main character didn't really interrogate anything. I really wish there had been more about the mirror world and it's past. I found it hard to stay invested in the story. The romance felt like its own story in a way and not well-integrated into the main plot problems though I did like the relationship between Ying and the Prince.

This book felt like two different books in one. The first half was intriguing and pulled me in immediately. I love the concept of a mirror world and was loving this one, until we got to the main conflict of the story and it fell apart. The second half was so different, I completely forgot we were dealing with a mirror world. There were cool concepts being introduced, but those were immediately discarded. All that could be forgiven if the story had strong characters, but that's not the case here. Both the Mirror Prince and real Prince are forgettable, and the main villain of the story all but disappears by the end. But the main problem is Ying, the main character. There are ways to create naive characters, but that is not present here. She acts based on the latest information she gets, no matter how inaccurate or destructive it is. How can she be surprised the gate is opened when she was told it would open if she passed?! There is no forethought with her, and it became aggravating to read from her perspective.

This is a book with a strong beginning, fumbled the middle, and missed the landing.

A great debut fantasy based on Asian mythology. A lot of mystery and suspense, but also great tension and romance between the MCs. The royalty aspect and mirror world were great!

I had to DNF this book sole for the fact that I am terrified of mirrors and things coming through them. What I read was so well written and I think it is engaging and a great idea I just cant read it with fear.

This was a really great read--super fun with wonderful world building. Great for fans of fantasy! I highly recommend this book.

This was such a unique concept with a mirror world! The slow build up was so worth it. Loved the Chinese mythology, the action and the romance!!!

(NetGalley froze me out of this at 83% complete. So, I had to wait for it to release, then wait for it to get to me from the library. Ugh, NG, just ugh.)
~4.25*~
This is an alternative history, magical realism, mature YA, romantic fantasy based in ancient China.
~
PROS & CONS
+World building.
+All (but especially the main) characters are believable.
+The plot is creative, weaving entertainment with mythology and history.
+Overall vibe alternates between (justifiable) feminine rage, creepy AF (mirror creatures), and ('just kiss/talk already!') romance.
+Contains a Queer couple (named secondary characters) with the FMC in firm support of them.
+Correct levels of violence and loss portrayed in the war they undertake. (While it may not be the kindest thing to consider a pro, it is rare to have anything touch main characters in stories like this. Though they don't get to linger over losses, because of war, it still occurs.)
++Dragons. Not just any dragons, Asian Dragons. Riding dragons using their manes to hold oneself upon them? Heck yeah.
+'Chosen One' internal mythos that actually works.
-/+ The FMC. This is a hit and miss issue, but especially near the beginning, she chafes. While the FMC is frustrating, she's also completely understandable. She is so out of her depth that her depth feels bad about how out of it she is. Start: being overly naive yet headstrong, nearly getting herself killed multiple times and instead opens a door that gets multiple people killed. Progress: being harsh in all interactions, asking accusing questions constantly, and still being so naive that she gets a bunch of people killed. End: naive but actually self-aware about it, extremely (justifiably) violent, and more mature by bounds.
- The Prince. Yes, yes, he's misunderstood and tortured and blahblahblah. He's also so frustrating. His learned sexism (or concept that safety = confinement) shows regularly, he doesn't explain anything in a way that doesn't sound like an order, his unlearning process is slow, and sometimes his tendency to assume he can handle threats (or challenges to his authority) gets them into just as much trouble as her naivete. At one point the Prince even lectures the FMC about being able to take guards and not needing to do everything herself, but also, he insists on doing the exact same thing.
-/+ The characters are very hormonal and struggle so hard to communicate, YA 'first love' style. These two MCs deserve each other so much; they balance each other's flaws and fit together in a way that reads more chemistry and real than many. (It gets hot & heavy, but after a certain point it fades to black, it nicely straddles the line between spicy and closed door, for YA audiences.)
- The lack of secondary named characters except villains (or key family members, or maids). Royals who run around without any guards, not even a convenient-to-name bodyguard. (When one is the dedicated heir to the Empire and the other is his 'destined bride', thus possibly being pregnant. I'm sorry, but how is there not at least a single guard per character?) The Price apparently has super loyal military unit guys, but we learn no names, and none play vital roles, we just see some die. While the few named secondaries we get... the maids' role rapidly dwindles out of the story and the family's roles are mostly tragic plot pieces. (Example? "The soldier who had given her his cloak"... like why not ask what his name is? Why must we have this poor nameless man referred to this way three times?)
- This is an oddly intermittent issue, as sometimes they're good about it and the rest they're awful, but the way animals are treated by the main characters. The dragons are not thanked, to the point that when one is being maimed the FMC physically and verbally assaults it because it's thrashing unthinkingly, endangering others. I get that the animals are voiceless characters, but 'putting it out of its misery' without communication is still not okay.
~
If you liked the general plot of Twilight* but wanted something better, I'd recommend this one.
*Not the vampire plot, the "normal girl stumbles into nonsense with powerful creatures, her and the guy she is obsessed with save their part of the world because she's actually super special" plot.
~
TLDR: Romantasy book girlies will love this, especially with that cover.

Keshe Chow’s The Girl with No Reflection is a dark, captivating story that blends mystery, fantasy, and deep emotional struggles. It’s a tale about identity, loss, and the search for truth, wrapped in a world that feels both eerie and mesmerizing.

The story follows a young girl, Sable, who lives a strange, isolated life in a world where she doesn’t cast a reflection. As she begins to uncover the secrets behind her condition, the book takes you on a journey full of twists and surprises. Sable is a relatable and flawed character whose vulnerability makes her easy to root for, even as she makes tough decisions in a world filled with danger.

Chow’s writing is beautifully descriptive, creating vivid imagery that immerses you in Sable’s hauntingly magical world. The atmosphere is often heavy with suspense, but moments of warmth and connection balance it out. Themes of self-discovery and facing one’s past are explored in a way that feels heartfelt and meaningful.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy a mix of emotional depth and dark fantasy. With its unique premise and engaging storytelling, The Girl with No Reflection is a memorable and thought-provoking read.

Rating: 4.5/5

I really enjoyed this book and i can't wait to see where the author goes in the future with their writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for an ARC.

Princess Ying Yue is promised to the king’s son, but her dreams of a fairytale marriage fizzle when the prince treats her coldly and locks her in her rooms with no explanation and no company other than her mirrored reflection. Then one day, her reflection speaks to her and offers a bargain: switch places with her so the reflection can recover from a grievous injury, and the reflection will marry the prince. Ying agrees, and she discovers an upside-down world of danger and mystery, perhaps the most curious element of which is a handsome prince who’s warm and kind unlike his duplicate in the real world.

I really liked how this book brought together familiar elements– eastern mythology, enemies-to-lovers, a mirror world– and told an exciting, interesting story that had me glued to my e-reader. There’s so much suspense and mystery in the first few chapters that made me think this was more of a horror fantasy than a strict c-drama inspired fantasy, which I loved. I also really liked Ying, who manages to be distinct from most heroines– she certainly makes bad decisions, but it’s because her information is incomplete (not because she’s a moron). We also see her take action in real time rather than endless pseudo-lyrical prose that tells instead of shows.

There’s a bit of a McGuffin situation with an ancient book that I found less compelling (99 temples to search) and I found the ending wrapped up a little too neatly, but the ride was a lot of fun.

I learned from another review that this novel is inspired by “The Fauna of Mirrors” from Jorge Luis Borges, which I’ll have to hunt down.

It had an engaging premise but the author, in my opinion, did not have the skill to pull off the premise. In this book, the main character is betrothed to the prince but no longer wants to marry him after supposedly discovering that he’s cold and cruel. She ends up discovering that her reflection is sentient, that a whole other world exists through the mirror. She also makes a deal with her reflection and enters that world, instantly falling in love with the mirror version of the prince.

I have so many issues with this story, the least of which is the insta-love with the mirror prince and later with the real prince. I struggled to understand the mirror world (how it was created and how it became connected to the real world.) The main character was also a bit of a wet blanket that’s also somehow supposed to be a chosen one of sorts. I kept reading to see how the author would ultimately resolve the story, not because I enjoyed it. When I put it through CAWPILE (the rating system created by G at BookRoast on YouTube), it earned a three but I need to rework how I calculate my ratings because this book did not deserve a three star. I have downgraded it to a 2.5 stars.

"The Girl with No Reflection" is a captivating, eerie read that blends mystery with a touch of supernatural intrigue. The premise of a girl who can't see her reflection is super unique, and it really had me hooked from the start. The writing is atmospheric and tense, keeping you on edge throughout. The main character is relatable, and her emotional journey adds depth to the plot. While the twists and turns were thrilling, some parts felt a bit predictable, and I wish a few of the side characters were more developed. Overall, it’s a solid, gripping story that’s definitely worth the read!

first, i'm so sorry. i didn't enjoy this book at all. that was absolutely comical but not the intentional kind of comical😅

so the concept is that there's a whole different world on the other side of mirror, and the "mirror people" was cursed to mimic everything the real people do near the reflective surface. but they're actually different individuals with different personalities.

it didn't take much time for Ying attracted to the mirror prince, in less than 24 hours, to be exact. which was ridiculous.

Ying is gullible, stubborn, reckless, petulant, witless, the list could go on. she's that kind of MC who can fight because she's the youngest and has many brothers. naturally. good luck on telling her anything because she'll absolutely do the exact opposite. she's also the Chosen One, the key between 2 worlds, ultra special individual who's been prophesied for long. etc etc. nothing's wrong with this but her behaviors were just frustrating and tiring to read

i don't want to talk about the romance because it's awful. it made me cringe, rolled my eyes so hard and frowned constantly. just no.

and the fantasy aspect, i felt like i should just accept whatever the terms at face value, with no clear reason or explanation. so they're mirror person, their skin is solid and cold like porcelain. whatever they need in order to mimic the real person will instantly appear out of thin air, like clothings or stuffs. they can also shapeshift into animals. they need light to live. sure yeah whatever. but WHYY?

the only positive thing is that i managed to finish it in several hours so that's something.

The Girl with No Reflection was incredibly hard to get through. All of the characters had very little depth and interacted in out of the norm ways. Throughout the story I found it hard to have empathy for the main character as her decision making and conflict resolution skills were dismal. It attempted many of the normal tropes that are normal in contemporary fiction but none of them landed well. Often times stories written with a mixed era are difficult for readers to fully immerse within, and I think this was the major issue.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for sharing this book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I feel extremely conflicted regarding this book; hence why I didn't review it immediately. There were a lot of aspects I enjoyed in this book. Specifically, I loved the mirror world concept and the descriptions of when our main character goes inside it. I thought it was going to be more of a gothic read just based on those first few chapters and I wonder if these expectations were ultimately what led me to... not enjoy this book as much?
The Mirror Wolrd and the Mirror People were incredibly eery and there was always tension to it even when our main character becomes enamored with the mirror version of her fiancee. To me, the plot twist was very obvious but I don't think that the author was trying to surprise us with it.
The romantic elements of this book sort of forced me to suspend my disbelief several times, which is not good. The angst and tension felt forced, but I liked the idea of the two main characters together so in my eternal fangirl heart I just accepted it as it was. The jealousy of the prince toward his mirrored self and how it played his insecurities was perhaps my favourite nuance to the romance.
As the plot progressed, it became obvious that despite this book being action-packed, it was just too condensed and the plot wasn't allowed to breath at any point, therefore feeling a little empty at the end. Nevertheless, this made me read the book faster because something was constantly happening, so there's that. I think this could have worked best as a duology.
All in all, I don't regret reading it. The vibes were there and it was a fast, entertaining read.

The concept of this story with the mirror world and reflections with their own minds and dreams (some not quite so good, but you can't blame them because their curse is pretty darn awful). I was more interested in what Mirror Ying was up to though, and not quite so much the real Ying who was, how shall I put this? A caricature of a teenage girl. She only had the most extreme of emotions, from something like, "oh, the prince brushed my hand, now I am eternally in love with him and life is not worth living if he is not by my side, to I am in the pits of despair because I was betrayed, and then, oh. the other prince touched my hand, now I am eternally in love with him!". Though I liked that she did not feel her maids were not important enough to save/help. The roller coaster of emotions and the not thinking before running into bad situations really did put a drag on the story, and even the dragons could not save me from not liking Ying.

But I did finish the book because I was interested in the mirror world and the people living in it. I think the story would have been more interesting with more history about them and the Crimson emperor, than Ying's trials to become the savior of the real world.

Positives: THE WORLDBUILDING IS GORGEOUS!!!!! i'd recommend this almost for that alone. Negatives: The characters are pretty standard to flat, and some of the twists are VERY clear beforehand. 3.5 stars, rounded up. Tysm for the arc.

It is appearing to be more common day after day for these books with beautiful covers and premises to draw you in, only to be let down by lack of substance of the plot. I was really looking forward to this book, but after reading all these negative reviews who agree with me, I cannot recommend this book to my audience. 3 Star neutral review

DNF ~ 20%

I actually really like the protagonist's energy. She's kind of a mystery enthusiast. Unfortunately, I don't really enjoy the pace of the plot or anything else going on in the story thus far. The writing style is serviceable, but didn't stand out. I may pick it up again and revise my review later.