An all around fun YA fantasy experience.

It reminded me a little of Mortal Engines, of the Keys to the Kingdom series and even a little of the Caraval series. The different floating Arks and their differing magics and powers give a really magical feel to the book that kept me hooked without a hint of romance throughout.

I enjoyed the world building. Despite being somewhat meek, I enjoyed Ophelia as the main character. She was strong-willed and handled her situation with far more grace than I would have.

The story was slow until around the 65% mark. It was only really then that the plot began to slowly unfold and the tempo of the book began to increase. From then on, I really was hooked.

I'm not sure how to feel about Thorn, but I'm certainly interested to see where the situation with him and Ophelia is going to go.

I also hope we see much more of Fox in the books to follow.

A whimsical portal fantasy, that was such a good time!

This book is quite long, but I had fun with it. It has a complicated and well-paced story, with memorable characters and great writing. I did want more world-building, but that may be expanded on further in the series. Overall, a fun fantasy with a twist!

I had been intrigued about this book for a while so was excited to get a copy for free through NetGalley. There was a surface level enjoyment and there were parts that I liked, but I don’t think it ever quite hit the point where I felt pulled in. I was never lost in the writing as I hoped to be, but that is not to say I did not like the book.

I liked Ophelia and Fox and Thorn, each of these characters felt distinct and developed and I liked them a lot, but I found other characters almost blurred together or were lacking in the same details and enjoyment.

I don't know why I've never read much from the steampunk genre (let alone French steampunk, from which this story is translated). Steampunk is a literary movement that mixes fantasy and science fiction. I'd reference it as uchronia, refering to the Industrial Revolution with reminders of the Victorian Era. This is how I project in my mind the colossal work of author Christelle Dabos, who managed to write a steampunk story that stands out among its own genre.

"A Winter's Promise" is the very first volume of the Mirror Visitor Quartet, showcasing the moment when Ophelia's world is turned upside down. It's tough not to say more without spoiling anything, so I won't. I read the novel in a couple of sittings, even if there wasn't as much action (so far) as I thought there would be. We do spend, however, a lot of time in Ophelia's shoes, observing, discovering and appreciating a world building of staggering beauty. If you like stories with imaginary worlds, singular architecture and flamboyant characters, this is for you.

I've also read the original book in French, but the English translation is fantastic too. There are puns that don't translate exactly the same, but the resulting feeling is the same (in my humble opinion). Great job.

Thank you to Christelle Dabos and NetGalley for providing me with this ebook to review.

I was torn between 3/4 stars for this novel, because the world building and narrative voice was excellent and sincerely drew me in. I felt like I was reading something inspired by pockets of different beloved fantasy novels: the world building and secrecy reminded me of Golden Compass, the mirror travelling reminded me of Alice in Wonderland and the court intrigue/ hierarchy gave me Hunger Games vibes. Yet, the novel never felt derivative and has certainly carved out it's own niche. Especially in terms of the powers afforded to each family; they're extremely particular and interesting.

Dabos has a beautifully descriptive writing style, she is very economic with words but builds a strong picture in the reader's mind allowing us to become immersed. The characters she crafts are, for the most part, relatable and likeable. The plot is somewhat slow in this first novel with not an awful lot happening and yet Dabos manages to retain high tension as we follow Ophelia/ Mime trying to navigate a cut throat class system and an unwanted marriage.

However, I have two main problems with the novel: Our main character can read objects and learn about the owners of those objects and yet she usually fails to do so throughout the novel despite being desperate to understand her situation. She under-utilises her gift despite her suspicion of Berenilde and everyone else around her.

Secondly, the relationship between Ophelia and Thorn is extremely confusing. He is rude and cruel to her at the beginning of the novel, yet a few short conversations later (and I mean few. And I mean short), she believes he is softening towards her based on him saying: "I'm starting to get used to you" and "Your fate is of real concern to me". The interaction between them is stilted and lacks believability.

That said, I'll certainly continue onto the rest of the books in the series based on the uptick in plot acceleration at the end of the novel and the world building.

Set in a world where the Earth has fragmented into independent celestial islands called Arks, lives a museum curator named Ophelia. Ophelia, who has the ability to read objects and to mirror travel, has dedicated her life to her museum, and has no interest in marriage. However, she soon finds herself in an arranged marriage to a cold and distant man called Thorn, and is forced to leave her own Ark and travel to his, the Pole Ark, to be married. On this new Ark, Ophelia finds herself embroiled in the politics and intrigue of the local Court.

The first half of the book is a little slow, and it took me a while to be interested in Ophelia. However, as Ophelia becomes embroiled in the politics of the Pole Ark in the second half of the book, she becomes more interesting and the plot moves along at a decent pace. The book’s magic system is interesting and the world building is engaging. Overall, despite a slow start, I found the story enjoyable, although I never felt fully engaged with any of the characters.

I originally read this in french so to read it in English and catch all these moments I maybe hadn't got the first time round was amazing! Ophelia is the right amount of chaotic and you are thrust into her life from the very beginning and the charming interactions she has with the other characters near and dear to her. They all have little bits worth paying attention to like the dice that Thorn carries and the Ophelia's scarf. The world is a little confusing at the beginning as you are dropped in the deep end but as you start to understand it more, this is probably one of the best world building in a fantasy book I've read in a long time.

2/5 stars. I wanted to like this book. The cover is beautiful and the concept sounded intriguing. Unfortunately, it felt like an amalgamation of every other YA fantasy book out there. There was very little that set this book apart or made it interesting. It also, at times, felt like there was a subtle undercurrent of not really appreciating or supporting women's capacity to be their own agents of change.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

The world is shattered into countless parts, the so-called arks. On them live all kinds of people. Ophelia and her family live on Anima, an ark where values like family and warm-heartedness are very important. Ophelia grows up in a colorful and noisy family with many siblings. Nevertheless, she doesn't quite fit in with the family, preferring to withdraw with a book and her lively scarf or escape through mirrors and wander the corridors of the museum, where she can read the history of various objects just by touching them.

One day she is confronted with the fact that she must marry Thorn, the accountant of an entirely different ark, known everywhere for his cool, logical and dismissive manner. Ophelia must leave the only home she has ever known and go to Citaceleste. A cold ark, where there is always snow and the northern lights dance in the sky during the eternal night. But Thorn soon makes it clear that Ophelia's presence is not welcome. For Thorn's clan is notorious for its powers. With their claws, the members can inflict pain on others without even touching them. Soon Ophelia finds herself in the midst of intrigue and surrounded by people with different skills and must decide - who is friend and who is foe?

The mirror visitor series has created such a unique world as I have rarely read before. You are thrown right into the middle of Ophelia's life at the beginning and it is a wild roller coaster ride with all sorts of whimsical, yet somehow lovable characters. Especially all their little quirks like Thorn's dice or Ophelia's scarf or their powers made this interesting. The world can be a little difficult to understand at times, but once you get the hang of it, the author's imagination gives the reader great pleasure. It is one of the most enjoyable series I have read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well executed fantasy story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Europa Editions for providing me with this ARC!