The Obsidian Mirror
By Catherine Fisher
Published on April 23rd 2013
Published by Dial
Source: Publisher
Published by Dial
Source: Publisher
This is my first book by this author. I know Incarceron has a huge fan base, so I was looking forward to reading something by this popular author. I enjoyed the author's writing style. I found it easy to read and more ya than mg. I thought she blended conversations and actions well (there was a good balance of both).Jake's father disappears while working on mysterious experiments with the obsessive, reclusive Oberon Venn. Jake is convinced Venn has murdered him. But the truth he finds at the snow-bound Wintercombe Abbey is far stranger ... The experiments concerned a black mirror, which is a portal to both the past and the future. Venn is not alone in wanting to use its powers. Strangers begin gathering in and around Venn's estate: Sarah - a runaway, who appears out of nowhere and is clearly not what she says, Maskelyne - who claims the mirror was stolen from him in some past century. There are others, a product of the mirror's power to twist time. And a tribe of elemental beings surround this isolated estate, fey, cold, untrustworthy, and filled with hate for humans. But of them all, Jake is hell-bent on using the mirror to get to the truth. Whatever the cost, he must learn what really happened to his father
I am, though, conflicted on this book. I spent about 3/4 of the book wondering what in the world was going on (and for some reason spent the first 1/4 of the book not knowing what time period it was.) That is my fault- I know they were sending emails and using cell phones, but I think it being set in a village with an old and creepy abbey made me think of historical fiction. Which it was... kinda.
I enjoyed the tie-in of the fae in this book. I am always a huge fan of fae, but I wonder why they were there (plot-wise I get it, but I am not seeing why they were neccesary). There is no romance in this book, but I wasn't disappointed. I enjoyed the interactions between characters. I have to say, my favorite character was Wharton (Jake's teacher). I felt like he was the voice of reason and the voice of "what the heck is going on here??" voice in the book. I also don't read many books narrated by males, but I really enjoyed this one.
This was a fun introduction to this author for me. I look forward to finding out more about this world (and what on earth is going on!). A mix of light fantasy and science fiction with a dash of history, The Obsidian Mirror was a fun and adventerous read with serious undertones.
