The beginning of the book was captivating, with a thrilling horror element involving the mirror and the alternate world that truly drew me in. However, I had to stop at the 66% mark. My review is based on what I’ve read so far.

I admired the Ying's bravery, her ability to protect herself, and her determination to right some wrongs. While the beginning was strong, the story began to lose momentum for me as it progressed. Though I had a glimmer of hope during and after the "underwater scene" (no spoilers here), but my frustration grew as Ying continued with her path of poor decisions.

I believe this book is well-suited for a younger audience, maybe tweens and early teens. However, be aware that there is some mild language. It’s a story filled with magic, twists, a strong princess, and a slow-burn (mild) romance with her prince. For now, I’m shelving this book, but I plan to recommend it to my nieces and possibly return to it later.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Sadly this book didn't connect well with me. I tried to muster through, but found I couldn't connect with the characters and got lost in the descriptions throughout the story. I'm sure a lot of readers will love it though and I'm glad I got the chance to read it and see how the story unfolded!

Okay so… I’ll break down my review like this:

What I liked-

What a unique idea. I loved the concept, loved the imagery of the fantasy world this character lived in, and throughly enjoyed the first 40-50% of this book. From the very first page, the author hooked me in. And I was desperate to get to my book to read the next chapter.

What I didn’t like-

Ying became UNBEARABLE as the story progressed, right up until the end. She refused to listen to anyone, even when her actions caused herself and other consequences. It was painful to watch her decisions and the lack of plot armor she had. She could do whatever she wanted, and even if something small happened it’s okay because there was answer for that too. Everyone catered to her and gave in. Even if they hated her or didn’t like her it still worked out for her. One minute she was told “no you can’t do that” then she pitched a fit and then she got to do it. Maybe it’s subjective because I despise main characters that pull the “don’t tell me what to do” so blatantly… but it was SO hard to watch.

The plot was predictable, especially the character motives and every move wasn’t a surprise so it was hard to keep me enthralled as the story progressed. And the ENDING???? Plot armor is still working double time on Ying and Zhang 😂

I truly thought the beginning was so enticing, so unique, and I loved Ying. But as the story progressed, the characters and the plot felt weaker. I loved the idea the author imagined, but it didn’t seem to really execute for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

Rating: 1.5 stars

I've been so ridiculously excited for this book, which makes the fact that this was kind of a mess that much more disappointing.

The thing is, The Girl With No Reflection had a lot of potential with a unique premise that naturally lends itself to incredible worldbuilding, but Keshe Chow didn't deliver.

Everything about this book was extremely underwhelming. There was absolutely no depth. The worldbuilding was flat and the magic system wasn't developed or explained at all. The writing was stilted and often juvenile. It was an awkward mix between attempts at more formal, flowery language and a butt ton of colloquialisms. The plot was as substantive as a reflection, which is to say, not a lot. From the outset, it's riddled with plot holes, and the story was disjointed throughout. What started out as a horror-fantasy quickly devolved into a steamy attempt at YA romantasy. The romance was essentially insta-love at its worst. (To add insult to injury, we're forced to sit through it TWICE because of the love triangle.) Neither love interest was particularly compelling and had as much depth and dimension as a piece of paper.

If you’re looking for a young adult fantasy romance read that has love triangle, betrayals, Chinese mythology, arranged marriage, and more then check this book out! Ying is an adamant character who can often be stubborn, but she is also young and never expected herself to be the ‘chosen one’. Prince Zhang Lin is a misunderstood character and he definitely has to prove himself to Ying—even against his mirror reflection. The mirror world was a unique and interesting world to read about, and I enjoyed the whole concept of it! It was definitely my favorite part about this book!

Thank you to tbrbeyondtours, negalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

*4.5 stars rounded up

Asian fantasy books have my heart!! The blend of enemies to lovers romance and Eastern mythology was perfection. I loved this debut by Keshe Chow! It’s been a while since a book kept me up so late and I truly found it difficult to put down.

When Princess Ying Yue is selected to marry the crown prince, her fairytale dreams crumble as she is isolated in her chamber by her cold and distant fiancé. Confronted by unsettling rumors of seven vanished brides and eerie reflections in her mirror, Ying accidentally opens a gateway to a parallel realm. There, she meets the compassionate Mirror Prince, who embodies the love she yearned for. However, as she navigates this new world, she uncovers a dark history linking both realms and realizes she holds a pivotal role in their intertwined fate. To save both worlds, Ying must unravel the chilling secrets before it’s too late.

I really appreciated the beautiful world building, which uniquely wove together the real and mirror worlds. The story was so original and I haven’t read anything like it. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and it was so exhilarating. The blend of court intrigue, Chinese folklore, and a dash of horror made this so incredibly intriguing. While there were a few moments that dragged for me and some juvenile actions by some of the characters, it didn’t stop me from wanting to continue reading. This book surprised me in the best way possible and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Girl With No Reflection is a debut with a unique and original magic system, the secret world of the mirror, at the beginning it is a little creepy without being horror, it's very immersive and spooky, more Coraline style than Alice in Wonderland, but woven with Chinese mythology. 

Princess Ying is not sure about her wedding to the crown prince, on the eve of the ceremony, her reflection appears in front of her and invites her to enter her world, in exchange her doppelgänger will marry the prince, and Ying accepts, at first the other realm is the same as hers, there is even a prince who seems nicer than her fiancé, but soon she will discover that there is all a deception, and they have reasons to hold her inside the mirror.
 
It's an interesting, fast-paced story, with a lot of mystery that keeps you hooked, It has its twists, turns, and surprises, sometimes Ying is not sure what to do, the royal house keeps secrets, and the doppelgangers are escaping and attacking.  She will have help from her fiancé Prince Zhang, together they will discover ancient prophecies, related to the chosen one.

It’s a nice debut, it’s fast-paced, the written style is the perfect mix between horror and whimsical, the world is immersive and the characters are brave and strong, but also a bit stubborn, they act before thinking, especially Ying, it's very YA, in a good way, It doesn't feel childish, it just follows the typical steps of a YA Fantasy story; A girl who discovers a mystery, there is danger and prophecies and she has to save the world, normal stuff in Ya,  and yet it entertains, its fun, you don't stop reading. 

My favorite part was the world that the author created, with mythology and magic everything is more interesting, not only the part of the mirror and the doppelgänger, there are also dangerous creatures, dragons, fish, and other creatures from folklore, it has a fairy tale vibe, without being a retelling. 

Read it if you like
• Chinese folklore inspiration
• Royalty secrets
• Princess & Romance
• Prophecies & Monsters
• The Mirror World

So in love with this! Chinese mythology, horror, romance, strong female lead character. Cannot wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to Delacorte Press for the ARC!

Princess Ying Yue is set to marry the crown prince, Prince Zhang, but he’s cold and rude and she’s loathing it… not to mention there are rumors that’s the last 7 royal brides disappear mysteriously. She discovers a mirror world with a Mirror Prince who is much sweeter, and decides to switch places with her reflection to see what potential lies in the mirror world.

Gosh I just love a good fantasy debut!!! THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION is fresh and unique, easy to understand, and so bingeable. There’s a great balance of mythology and inspiration from Imperial China, as well as romance, fantasy, and even some horror elements. I loved the dragons because I didn’t expect them, the “I don’t want you to be honorable” moment, the way alchemy was woven into the story, and that last moment right at the end(!!!!). This is one you won’t want to miss!

Title: The Girl with No Reflection by Keshe Chow
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Pub Date: August 6, 2024
📖 496 pages

🐉 Arranged Marriage
✨️ Cold Prince
🐉 Chinese Folklore
✨️ Love Triangle
🐉 Epic Betrayals
✨️ The Chosen One

The Girl With No Reflection is a YA Fantasy featuring Chinese folklore and a beautiful journey of self-discovery for a young girl in a man's world.

Mini BLURB + Review:

Princess Ying Yue always dreamt her marriage would be one of love, but when she's arranged to be wed to the cold Prince Zhang and finds herself locked away, her dreams seem like a far away dream.
On the night before the ceremony, Ying is attacked by her reflection and inevitably sucked into the mirrorverse. Here, she learns that reflections are sentient, forced to forever mirror their counterparts in the real world.
Ying watches her reflection interact with the cold prince in the real world and she falls for the Mirror Prince, who is kind and caring, despite the man he reflects. The calm doesn't last long, however, and Ying finds herself caught in the middle of a thousand year war and the only one who can close the portal between worlds.

I was hooked from the beginning. I wouldn't have minded more world building/expanding a little further on the lore (because it's seriously interesting) but I loved it. The pacing was quick, for the most part, and I found myself unable to put it down. I was a little concerned about the "instalove" but everything works out, I swear, push past it. I enjoyed the growth of Ying and Zhang, the misunderstandings being explained, how everything fit together.

⚠️ Recommended Age group: 15+ some sexual content a little too explicit for younger readers. Not super explicit but very suggestive💓

Thank you so much, TBR and Beyond Book Tours and NetGalley, for the digital review copy

⭐️ 4.5/5

#TheGirlWithNoReflection #TBRBeyondTours #KesheChow

Ying will soon find her true role, which could impact the future of the two worlds.

Ying Yue, a young noblewoman, is set to marry the crown prince Zhang Lin and become the crown princess and future empress of the Shan Dynasty. However, Ying is not entirely happy because the crown prince is not very kind and loving. There is also something peculiar about her reflection as if it comes alive in the mirror. On the eve of the wedding, Ying makes a pact with her reflection to help it recover from being weakened when she was young. She enters the world of reflections within the mirrors and finds everything is not as it seems. She soon learns that she is prophesied to play a significant role in the future, with the power to change both worlds, and her choices will determine their fate.

This book's setting is ancient China, and it provided me with insights into the lives of royalty during that time. While the story was engaging, I felt that the book was excessively lengthy, which made it cumbersome to read as I progressed.

The protagonist, Ying, displayed determination and kindness, but at times, I found her demeanor overly submissive and irksome. Conversely, Zhang Lin's cold and enigmatic nature captivated me, although I wished for more depth in his character development. I particularly appreciated Ying's reflection's resourcefulness and admired her as a character.

I recommend this book to individuals who enjoy narratives filled with unexpected plot twists and elements of romance.

Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚
Thank you, @tbrbeyondtours & @delacortepress for sending me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Girl with No Reflection may be a longer novel in terms of page number but was a faster read. The story follows Princess Ying Yue who is chosen by a matchmaker as the best suitor to marry the crown prince. This dream scenario turns out to not be a fairy tale and she yearns to escape. She soon learns that there is a whole other world on the other side of the mirror, a new adventure and obstacles begin. There is a lot of mystery surrounding this new world filled with many dangers and some romance. As this is a debut novel, there are some kinks to work out as there are parts of this story that felt a little cliché for the sake of being cliché and others that highlighted some amazing imagery. I don’t believe this novel turned out perfectly, but there are tons to love about it in terms of the smaller elements. The concept of a world existing through a mirror was nicely done along with the author mixing Eastern mythology with modern fantasy. There was a little more “modern-ness” in this novel than I expected. Normally, I don’t mind the use of curse words as they don’t offend me like they may other readers, depending on your preferences, but it did not seem to match the novel.

There are mirror versions of Ying and the Prince along with their real-world versions to track in the novel as the reader does not know the truth. There is a romance in this story, but it did feel rushed and not as fleshed out as I would have expected. The same went for Ying as a character as she was very immature and yet she also had tough moments. I can see where the author was trying to go to create a lot of character growth, but I think her character needed a little more work as she came across too extreme with her naivety. As the novel moves through introducing the characters and setting up how the real-world Ying and Prince would not go together followed by showing how the Mirror Prince is different, there are a lot of subplots introduced. The actual pacing of the novel was nicely done, and the imagery was great, so I just wish that the characters received a little more complexity. Overall, I think the author has a ton of potential and I look forward to reading her next novel.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Delacorte Press, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

On the eve of her wedding day, Ying Yue starts seeing odd things, especially within her reflection. She knows about the many rumors of the imperial family she is to marry into and wonders what may have come of the previous empresses that disappeared.

After a disastrous meeting with her future in laws, her reflection suddenly beckons her to a mirror and begs her to trade places with her because she’s dying and needs to be in the light of Ying’s world to heal. Giving Ying the opportunity to escape for a bit, she accepts to trade roles until her reflection is healed.

This is where she meets the her betrothed’s reflection and he’s nothing like the real Prince in Ying’s world and she begins to fall in love. But soon, Ying realizes things are not quite what they seem in this world in the mirror, and the people in it more so and begins to wonder who she can trust.

I love portal fantasies and to me, this equates to one since Ying portals through different reflective surfaces into the mirror world. The idea and concept I loved, how this world came about and the “curse” that is on the palace, the history and fantasy elements sprinkled throughout, made for a unique and fantastic world.

Ying experienced a lot of growth in here(even though I still find her rather obnoxious 😅). She had to learn to focus less on herself and more on the bigger picture and on everyone. She had to learn how to read people better and to learn to trust and WHO to trust. She definitely went through an experience and made bad decisions, but I like to think she learned from them.

There’s a few other characters from the mirror world and the Prince. I really liked the Prince, but I always love the moody and broody grumpy men 😏 and he definitely was one! And these two, in some strange way, complemented each other.

I will say there was quite a bit of repetition and some things happened so fast that I didn’t understand how or why they happened. Like the dragons.

I also never truly connected with Ying because I felt like she was very selfish, even though she had every right to be angry, she tended to focus more on her own feelings rather than others, and also never focused on the fact she needs to protect the world not just herself and who she thinks is important. I do appreciate she cared about certain people despite their statuses in society. She also would tell the Prince that he doesn’t think before he acts, when she literally does this all the time. I just dislike when a character calls out flaws in someone else when they literally are that flaw 🙄

I also think the book was unnecessarily long. It was good, but some of the repetition could have been taken out and made me feel less like “are we done yet”.

Overall, this is a fun and unique read! Horrifying idea, but still a neat concept and made for a great story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the gifted e-copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When a young woman is chosen to be the crown prince's bride the last thing she expects is to be thrown into a world of mirror selves, war, and the fact that she's torn between the crown prince and his mirror self. Princess Ying Yue wants romance, she wants love... so when she is betrothed to the crown prince she thinks its going to be a fairytale... too bad he immediately crushes that with his cold and indifferent attitude and demeanor. Ying Yue then begins to notice strange things happening around the castle... particularly through the mirror and reflections. Then she meets her Mirror self who pleads with her to swap places so that it would end her suffering and then they can swap back. Ying Yue agrees and meets the Mirror Prince, a mirror version of her betrothed but with a completely different attitude, someone who is caring and attentive to her. Ying Yue begins to fall for the mirror prince yet she is also realizing that her mirror self wasn't being all that honest and that there is a bloody history between the mirror kingdom and the real one... and it will be up to Ying Yue to save her kingdom before it's too late. This definitely an interesting read and the premise was unique. I liked the idea of the mirror universe and the real universe being intertwined. The book felt a bit younger though than I initially thought and I really didn't feel the chemistry in the romance all that much. I do think that younger YA readers will have a lot of fun with this book and enjoy it. While it missed the mark for me, I would recommend it for fans of YA fantasy books.

Release Date: August 6,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 3.75 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
The Girl with No Reflection is a fantasy story in which Ying, a girl about to marry the crown prince, switches places with her reflection to get out of it. Only the mirror world is not what it seems.

“Remember who the monsters are.”

I’ve been wanting to read this book ever since having learned about this book last year! I couldn’t wait to dive into this story.
This book really starts off super strong! I was immediately sucked into this book and invested into the mystery and magical aspect of this story. It was really well done, and I loved how some bits of horror elements were also woven into the mirror world and the mythology throughout the book!

The plot was straightforward and also predictable to me, but that didn’t lessen the enjoyment of this book. It was easy to read and had great pacing throughout, and I was invested in what would happen next.

While the worldbuilding and magic elements were amazingly written, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the characters. Ying seemed a really great character at the start but declined as the story progressed. Her biggest flaw seemed her rashness and also now much her feelings were all over the place. While she did grow, in the middle section she was just annoying to me. I did like how much the mirror versions of the characters were opposite to the real ones, which was really cleverly done.

The romance also didn’t really do it for me. This was mostly due to it being rather ‘insta-love’ like and Ying’s fleeing emotions that jumps from and to. Due to how quickly it all hapepened and progressed, it didn’t really feel believable to me. It was also very predictable what would happen next.

I liked how the story ended, even though it was predictable. It was a great way to wrap up the book and showed off Ying’s character growth really well. In the end, I did wish more information/lore was given about how the mirror world was created.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Girl with No Reflection which had the most interesting world and magic system!



<spoiler> The mirror prince was nice 1 time and she already fell in love with him within a day… I knew right from the start he wasn’t to be trusted, so when that came to light and she was the real prince for who he was, she suddenly falls in love with him within a very short time…</spoiler>

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The promise of a novel rooted in more obscure Chinese folklore appealed to me. A mirror world existing in conjunction with the regular world posed a wealth of possibilities, especially since reincarnation and shapeshifting are among the magical phenomenon introduced. Additional touches, like the pain that inflicts a mirror being when they stray too far from their real-world counterpart and the consequences of a mirror being performing their duties inadequately, emphasized that both worlds could be both beautiful and harsh. I had no trouble understanding why Ying would be so enamored with escaping to the mirror world, just as I easily understood Mirror Ying’s desperation to re-occupy the real world. I enjoyed these chilling components of an otherwise predictable YA romantasy, though I wish they had dominated the page more.

What consistently pulled me from the flow of the story was the tone. Considering its folkloric basis and its imperial setting, I found characters’ dialogue distractingly modern. Ying briefly explicates her lenient upbringing, but even that does not satisfactorily explain her headstrong attitude, disregard for court procedure, and seemingly capable sexual skills. It all seems at odd with the time period.

The central love triangle also proved lackluster. Neither love interested seemed mature enough, and that’s even in comparison to Ying’s pampered, isolated childhood and young adulthood. I expected more development from a nearly 500-page novel. When I struggle to root for a romantic relationship, I look to platonic and familial relationships for recompense. The glimmerings of such dynamics were present, what with Ying’s clear devotion to her brothers and parents and her compassion for her attendants, but I would’ve liked their interactions to be less sparse.

I would not recommend The Girl with No Reflection on the strength of its horror, magical, or historical atmosphere, but it would likely quench one’s desire for a fantastical YA novel with romance at the forefront.

I cannot believe that this isn't a BookTok sensation yet. It's got the perfect combination of a self-insertable main character, interesting love interest, and scary magical portal world, but unlike many other recent hot books, I thought this one was very well-written. 3.5 stars.

Here lies another victim of having an amazing concept idea but poor execution.
What had me hooked was the fascinating concept of a mirror world and the lore about reflection beings. Unfortunately, main lore of the mirror world was interesting to read, the rest of the main plot was poorly executed.
I found the female lead extremely frustrating. She constantly treads the line between being naïve and just plain dumb. Reading from her perspective was irritating as she made one questionable decision after another, always putting herself and her world in jeopardy. She dives headfirst into action without considering the consequences and never consults others. When things inevitably go wrong, she wallows in self-pity, whining about being useless instead of actually doing something to fix her mistakes. I struggled to root for her because of her constant sobbing and lack of proactive effort.
The male lead didn't fare any better. He felt like a cardboard cutout, serving the tired miscommunication trope. Both main characters were flat and one-dimensional, lacking the depth and character development. The romance aspect was particularly infuriating, with the female lead switching her affections between two love interests in an insta-love dynamic that felt forced and repetitive.

The mystery element started strong, keeping me intrigued for the first five chapters. But it quickly went downhill from there. The main villains were glaringly obvious from the start, yet the female lead remained oblivious, trusting every suspicious character she met. It was exasperating to read about her constant betrayals and subsequent shock, especially since she barely knew these characters before handing over her trust.
Most of the plot twists were predictable and lacked surprise, feeling more like convenient plot devices. The main character hardly had to work for anything, as solutions conveniently fell into her lap. That kind of took a lot of the enjoyment out of this book for me.

Thank you to Random House Children for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 A great novel with amazing cover art. This one is for readers who like Asian (myth/lore) historical fantasy (mirror magic) but with a strong focus on romance and inner conflict. Enemies to lovers. It's a bit on the slow burn side and not one I binged but also one I returned to because of the main character. Well written and we get involved in the story immediately from the start.

Okay, my fantasy and romantasy friends — this is a new release to watch! (I cannot wait for my hard copy to come in!)

Princess Ying has an upcoming wedding to a prince who’s cold toward her. More pressingly, her reflection is acting strangely, and she’s the only one who sees it.

100% there’s that horror movie moment with a reflection smiling while Ying is *not*… let’s just say this book gave me chills more than once!

When Ying gets pulled into the reflection world by the mirror of herself, she takes the chance to let her mirror version marry Prince Zhang.

Except in a new, dangerous world, she needs to figure out who to trust. Her reflection? The mirror of Prince Zhang, who’s kind to her?

The stakes are high, folks. No spoilers, but this fantasy romance is filled with lore and love and characters who want to do the right thing in completely unexpected situations.

Like, you know, when our reflections being autonomous beings.

I enjoyed so much of this — the characters were relatable and even witty, the world-building and imagery absolutely lush, and the romance was among the most satisfying I’ve found in a fantasy novel in a long time.

Is this one of those books I plan to collect several versions of? Yes! It’s a new classic for me, up there with Once Upon a Broken Heart.

I highly, highly recommend for a fast-paced and endearing read.