*Actual rating is 2.5 stars*

Have you ever wondered if there’s more going on inside a mirror than just your reflection? I have and thus found the blurb for The Girl with No Reflection really interesting. It’s a romantasy featuring a mirror world.

I have some mixed feelings about this book. After a slow start where I found it hard to connect with the in-universe real world characters, the story got better once the mirror world and characters got introduced. But after that things started getting muddled, as both the romance and story seemed to go constantly back and forth. The main character’s lack of logical thinking and risking a war for a single person was frustrating, but she does grow as a character and reflects over her past stupid mistakes.

I enjoyed some parts of the story and not others, and had a hard time becoming as invested in the story as I had hoped for.

The Girl with No Reflection has a very intriguing magic system and world, but thats where the positives end for me. The beginning of the book was very promising with a slight thriller aspect, but once the story got going it completely lost me with its awkward pacing.

Going into a couple of my biggest gripes

ROMANCE - My biggest complaint about the book was the washed up romance. The main character, Ying, finds herself in the middle of a love triangle in which I was able to guess the plot of from the start. At the conclusion of the romance arc Ying and the ML have no chemistry and just kind of say that they are in love and the readers are supposed to just believe it? The reasoning for Ying falling in love with the ML seems so shallow and was not believable to me. She went from hating to loving him so quickly. Ying had so much emotional turmoil because of the two love interests... but like,,, she met them yesterday.

PACING - Honestly the plot started to drag for me starting at the 50% mark. In some pages I felt like a million things were happening, while in other parts I would resort to skimming and wouldnt miss anything. It was really tough for me to finish the book past the 60% mark as I really just didnt care about what was happening in the plot and the slower sections just seemed to drag on.

CURSING - The use of curse words really took me out of the story. It just didnt fit into the world of imperial china royalty the book was emulating.

Overall, I am really bummed that I didn't enjoy this book as it was one of my most anticipated releases of summer 2024 :(

DNF @ 20%

This book just ended up not being for me. I really tried to look into it because the premise sounded amazing, but there was too much going on. It felt cluttered and it was hard to focus on one thing because it felt like it jumped all over the place. Others seemed to have enjoyed it so this could totally be a me thing!

DNF around 22%

I wanted to like this and I think the premise was interesting but the pacing was off. I might come back to this later but there were a lot of simple sentences and I know there were two versions of each character but the point that I got to, they all seemed to lack depth.

The Girl With No Reflection was, unfortunately, really disappointing. The writing was childish and awkward with dialogue far too modern and casual for the imperial Chinese atmosphere the book attempted to create. Despite the extremely young tone of the writing, the book often pushed the boundaries of YA with sexual content and jokes. The disconnect between the immature prose and the mature content is only one of the areas where the book doesn't make sense.

The characters were completely one-dimensional, built around tropes and cliches. The reader is told one thing about their personalities only for the characters to behave in a completely different way. Ying is supposed to be clever, highly motivated, and a trained fighter. But she spends the entire book clueless and helpless, blundering through the plot.

The romance is instalust and completely unbelievable. Ying makes stupid decisions and experiences extreme emotional turmoil over men she knows literally nothing about. The entire basis for the "conflict" between the two main leads is extremely childish.

The plot made no sense. Everything that happened felt disjointed and nonsensical. The ending was absurd, unearned, and unrealistic.

I think there are some really interesting concepts in this book. But the execution is borderline disastrous.

I had a hard time discerning Ying’s motivations. She “hated” the prince (for no discernible reason) because an “enemies to lovers” story would appeal more to readers, I presume. The opening sequence in the garden with her murderous reflection was so so good, but as soon as Ying needed to think through a choice or come to a conclusion about a person, she just… didn’t? What was the appeal of the murder prince? Why did she take literally everything anyone ever said at face value? It didn’t even feel like naïveté, just like going through the motions to set the scene for the preferred tropes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Girl with No Reflection really took me on a beautiful journey. It portrayed brutality and oppression but also hope, honor, and love. Its message will resonate with a lot of readers, and I am so happy that I have read it.

We follow Princess Ying Yue who becomes a great heroine. In the beginning of the book, she is naive, to be honest, but that is completely understandable given her upbringing and sheltered life. Personally, I don't like naive characters so I struggled a little in the first 30% or so, but it also made me think. This is a YA book which means its intended audience is not people in their thirties like me lmao. So I re-evaluated my thinking and considered Ying Yue's circumstances and upbringing, and I liked her a lot more. Then came the 40% mark, and the book got from good to devastatingly compelling. It was action-packed and romance-packed and suspense-packed. The plot twisted in aways I didn't think a plot could twist😂

Ying Yue discovered who she is and what she is capable of through mistakes and determination not to fail at the end. She was loyal to her loved ones and to herself. I really, really, really liked Ying Yue and her wish of her love interest not to be so honorable😂😂 She was a strong-willed girl, and she became a strong-willed woman. And her journey was as beautiful as the ROMANCE!!!! The romance was swoon-worthy!!!!!!

The plot and worldbuilding were wonderful, and it showed how much love and care the author put into it. It was a tale beautifully and emotionally written as if we stepped inside the author's soul a little.

I really loved this story!! I believe it will stay with me for a long time. If you liked Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, Violet Made of Thorns, or/and Song Of The Six Realms, you will like this one!

CW include murder on the page.

The Girl with No Reflection is the YA August monthly pick, and this isn't a book you skip. 😉Renew! I'm dying to see the edges and the exclusive cover!

3.75 ⭐️

i was very intrigued from the start with the magic system, but i did struggle a bit with the romance. there were times were it clicked and then times were both mc's felt juvenile. there were also some contemporary colloquialisms which kind of broke the whole historical aspect of the setting at times.

there was quite a lot going on a points, most action is in the second half with the first half being slower-paced. funny enough, i think first half worked a bit better for my taste bc of the intrigue. i don't think i would call this horror rather than fantasy with a few horror elements. bc of the nature of the violence and war and some romance, i would rate this more towards upper YA.

overall, i think this is a solid debut book. there is room for improvement, but i would read another book by this author in the future.

an honest arc review <3

Extremely unenjoyable read that I have NUMEROUS issues with

I- the writing was awkward and childish. the dialogue was really relaxed and modern in a world that was supposed to be historial and with a formal court setting
2- the characters had zero depth and were just made up of tropes. The reader was told all about Ying’s training and her clever mind but never did anything remotely smart. Even when she saves the world she had no clue what she did but everyone praises her for being a genius
3- romance was way too on page for a YA novel, there were numerous intimate scenes and constant lustful longing. It felt extremely out of place and made me uncomfortable knowing this was targeted to a YA audience.
4- more on the romance, it was all instalust and theyre calling it love and it was so annoying. Ying thinks with her dick (speaking of there is an on page dick joke wtf). She has no real connection with either of the men in question. One of them actively is extremely cruel to her. But then we get an “explanation” and suddenly he’s nice to her and was actually being nice all along! What. Absolutely not. He’s an asshole.
5- the plot made zero sense. every ah ha! Moment did not have the intended effect because nothing connected or made any sense. New secrets were found in the magic system whenever it was convenient.

Lastly—
The sapphic rep with the two maids felt very forced and like it was trying to check a representation box.
This was a social rigid patriarichal society and theres no mention of how queerness is accepted. The girls were only concerned about their boss becuase servants arent supposed to fall in love. And then once theyre "public" theyre seen holding hands in the middle of court. it really felt like they were just thrown in there without any thought to how queer people would function in this society. And maybe it was totally queer normative and accepting! But that was never mentioned or lain out for the reader before this one sapphic couple for it to feel authentic.

Overall, miserable reading experience and I would actively recommend against reading this

This is a GORGEOUSLY written debut! Fresh and new, this YA fantasy follows Princess Ying Yue who is chosen to marry the crown prince of a large empire. Far from the great honor this could be, Ying Yue finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving missing prior brides...and that's before she opens a gateway into a realm where reflections of people and beasts are held captive. The world building in this book is richly layered and immersive. I can't wait to see what Chow writes next.

A girl has to battle her own reflection to stop a war and win the hand of the prince she loves.

This book had promise. The Ancient Chinese setting, the lush descriptions, the feeling of almost being in a drama set in the Imperial Court, plus a really cool premise.

But the mythology is a bit all over the place. That's not necessarily a deal-breaker, but I found the whole "fish"/"phoenix" thing hard to follow. The prince is a bit awkward and kind-of a jerk who never really explains his reasons for doing things. I couldn't fully understand why Ying fell for him.

But those things are nothing compared to the issue that kept bringing me out of the story every time it happened - the modern, 21st century American swearing. What place does that have in an Ancient Chinese court? Seriously, the author uses Chinese words and phrases all theoughout the story. Why couldn't any cursing at least be somewhat accurate to the culture and time period? Having a Chinese prince and princess dropping F-bombs in a historical setting like this takes me right out of the story and kills it for me. 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's for the advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

this book was... not for me. perhaps my expectations were too high, but this book was completely different to what i expected. i went into this book hearing that it was similar to "song of silver, flame like night" or "daughter of the moon goddess" - meaning i was expecting lyrical writing, c-drama vibe romance, and a slow-ish (but in a good way) narrative. instead, i was met with instant action and the craziest insta-love i've read in a long time, plus the single most infuriating heroine ever. the action wasn't a bad thing, but it made me feel like i'd missed a few chapters, and by the time i was a third through the book i literally felt like we'd summed up the plotline of an entire novel in like 200 pages. there was just so much going on!

and oh god the romance... *cue my eye twitches*. this girl was fully obsessed and "in love" with the reflection prince in what, 3 hours? they'd had maybe 1 actual convo. i wanted to slap the fmc and say girl.... what are you doing. she was just BEYOND naive. it was truly phenomenal, the lengths that she'd go to in order to draw crazy assumptions about the actual prince, but instantly become infatuated with the other prince. and honestly even the second romance wasn't that captivating for me - it seemed to leap forwards and then suddenly step back again, over and over, and both the protagonists were just so messy and so adverse to actual communication. i didn't like anyone.

the heroine just kept on getting on my nerves - she made the most out of pocket decisions, she was rude and impractical - she irritated me beyond belief. and don't even get me started on how every time someone mentioned something, her memories reappeared... and changed every single time. girl i think it's clear at this stage that you don't remember shit. she was too easy to manipulate, it was actually embarrassing. i should actually stop talking about her, or i'll rant forever!!

anyway... the worldbuilding was very cool, and i did love the almost horror aspects at the start, with moving reflections and mirrors trying to pull people in. so that's a positive! thank you to the author, tbr and beyond tours, and netgalley for the arc copy.

Ying is betrothed to the Emperor's Son, Heir to the throne. But he has locked her in her rooms alone and ignores her, so she finds solace in the arms of his reflection in the other side of the mirror. What follows is a beautifully written, well crafted story about betrayal, romance and magic. I was totally gripped and disappointed when I reached the end - I could have happily read more!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy to review.

Lots of tropes in this one that felt a bit overdone. But enjoyable, fast-paced story! It felt a bit YA so heads up on that. I wanted to like this one more than I did.

the girl with no reflection is a fantasy debut following new princess ying yue, a new princess who braves the secrets of the throne she's married into, the disarray between reality and the mirror world, and being the chosen one with no clue how she's meant to save the world.

this book was a journey alright. it was chaotic, and intense, and confusing. i believe the plot of this, while slightly contrived, made perfect sense when one considers the atmosphere of the book. the mirror world (a world just like ours but different) converges with reality as war begins which makes for a truly mind-twisting novel. the worldbuilding created a vibrant world, and even after ying yue made bad decision after bad decision, i was still so invested. there is so much deceit, betrayal, and confusion amidst this novel but i wholly believe it completely fits the themes and makes complete sense for the plot. the characters themselves cannot trust one another, so why should the reader be able to?

one gripe i had is the romance. ying yue falls in love way too fast with zero buildup other than the fact that the princes are nice to her. every time she was swayed i was like girl STAND UP!!! i believe the romance COULD have been done well, but instead was left to be shoehorned in alongside all the chaos coming from the actual war that is building. the ending was quite nice though, so ill give it that.

overall, a LOT of things happen in this book and whether intentional or not, it does work really well. the romance is meh, but the ending kills. solid three stars!

thank you to netgalley and random house children's for the arc!

The book has potential but it was very haphazard and the FMC was very annoying. I get it's a YA novel but I expected much more of this. I did like the world building and the plot was also good, but the execution was flawed. Hopefully, the final version is better edited.
3 Stars

Oh, Ying. Why did you have to be so inconsistent, immature, and self-centered? The amount of times I rolled my eyes at the things she said or thought was ridiculous. I was rooting for the reflection most of the time. I think my time with YA has come to an end. The insta-love with the mirror prince was the breaking point (pun intended).

I feel like I finished the book in spite of the FMC because there were many times I wanted to just put it down and never pick it back up.

The three stars are just because it has potential if the focus isn’t on Ying.

The motifs in the cover art captures the essence of the book so well.

It starts out like a horror story. Imagine the Ring but mirror form. Ying loves magic and folklore and so the unusual happenstance in the Palace is nerve-wracking.
She discovers a Mirror World but not all is what it seems. There is a malevolence amongst this reflective world.

A prophecy that could lead to war. And she is the key. The Fish. The Dragon. The Phoenix.

The journey of Ying is a fantastical one. Filled with mythical beast, monsters, and facades of truth.
Her would-be-husband is a mysterious man. Cold one moment and hit the next. Throughout this journey, Ying discovers who she can trust and what the true meaning of love is.

The ending was a surprisingly loving one. The ultimate gesture of love.

I finished this book earlier today and I cannot stress enough of how much this book was a hot mess. Correction, it was just a mess. This summary/review might be a reflection of that because I am not even sure where to begin. (1) This book relied heavily on tropes: lover to enemies, enemies to lovers, the chosen one, fated lovers, "main character energy" that is beyond cringe and overly played that we get it. (2) The writing was just not up to par. I've read many YA books and this does not come close to it. (3) The FMC was problematic alone. She was immature, fell in love way too easily, and was way too naive. Add in the whole, "I'm a tough female character, I love swords and I was brought up to be tough because of my brothers/family" was a bit much, too. (4) There were way too many (sub) plot lines happening. Why couldn't we just stick with one major one and then maybe two other ones, versus MULTIPLE ones. It was as if the author felt like they needed to please too many readers versus finding their own niche and sticking with it.

One could argue that it has some good bones and relatively good main plot. This book deserved more time and attention to editing than it did. I hope that it did. Sadly, this is a one for me.

Thank you Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I will be posting this to Instagram, Goodreads, and Storygraph.

Thank you to Net Galley and Delacorte Press for the ARC. I really loved the way this book started, it was really intriguing and I loved the initial concept of reflections and horror. Unfortunately, it soon became very boring, predictable and tropey. All the mystery and intrigue from the beginning of the story quickly disappeared, turning this into a disappointing read.