sapphic_swiftie's review
4.0
having read the first book in this series, [b:broken wish|52000222|Broken Wish (The Mirror, #1)|Julie C. Dao|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1586811509l/52000222._SY75_.jpg|76683194], about a year ago, i decided to pick this one up. although, both both were good, i think i liked this one just a bit better than the first one and rated it a half a star higher. i really liked the mix of magic and historical fiction in both of them and it is definitely something that makes this series so enjoyable and memorable to me. i also really liked the connections to [b:broken wish|52000222|Broken Wish (The Mirror, #1)|Julie C. Dao|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1586811509l/52000222._SY75_.jpg|76683194] and how it was mainly about zora but still talked about elva and mathlida.
one thing that kinda annoying me was that the romance kicked off a bit too soon. i would have liked to see a bit more banter and build up instead of just insta-love. however, the romance was very cute and i was rooting for zora and phillip the whole time. romance does play a major role in this book which i didn't really expect but didn't mind either. zora was just okay and kinda annoyed me at times but phillip was sweet. the author could have definitely explored his "i dont see color" and that entire conversation though.
also, i would have loved the book to bit a bit longer so we could see the story end when i did really like the setting and time period though and the struggles that the book covered though.
overall, this was a beautiful and enjoyable book! bonus points for the dedication at the beginning!! i'll be continuing the series when [b:fractured path|59568495|Fractured Path|J.C. Cervantes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637603729l/59568495._SY75_.jpg|79186120] comes out in july!
one thing that kinda annoying me was that the romance kicked off a bit too soon. i would have liked to see a bit more banter and build up instead of just insta-love. however, the romance was very cute and i was rooting for zora and phillip the whole time. romance does play a major role in this book which i didn't really expect but didn't mind either. zora was just okay and kinda annoyed me at times but phillip was sweet. the author could have definitely explored his "i dont see color" and that entire conversation though.
also, i would have loved the book to bit a bit longer so we could see the story end when
Spoiler
phillip was released from jail and the two of them were settled down in san francisco and raising their children.overall, this was a beautiful and enjoyable book! bonus points for the dedication at the beginning!! i'll be continuing the series when [b:fractured path|59568495|Fractured Path|J.C. Cervantes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637603729l/59568495._SY75_.jpg|79186120] comes out in july!
theflowerwitch's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
lazygal's review
3.0
Apparently this is the second book in a series, but it's not clear that readers starting here will have missed anything. It's not so much a fractured fairytale as a mashup of many parts from tales like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Frog Prince, all blended into a Jambalaya and shot through with references to the highly stratified colored community in New Orleans. For me, including likeable characters would have helped: Zora is so miserable and then determined to stand on her own, refusing help, while her cousins are not-quite-ugly stepsisters but definitely accepting of society at that time. Zora's magic is also an issue, and frankly, I just didn't care.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss.
anxiousdaydreamer's review
5.0
Thank you to my library and to Disney Publishing for providing me a free ARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
The story of Shattered Midnight follows Zora Broussard after she is sent to New Orleans to be in hiding after a magical accident she caused in New York.
I have to say, I was pretty impressed with this story. It has very vivid imagery, and as someone from Louisiana I appreciated the little details that completed the scenery. Zora's story was quite intriguing and drew me in very quickly. I really enjoyed following her adventures. I kept finding myself picking up the book to read it instead of doing things I was supposed to do.
The ending made me want to read book three to find out what happens next. I can't wait.
The story of Shattered Midnight follows Zora Broussard after she is sent to New Orleans to be in hiding after a magical accident she caused in New York.
I have to say, I was pretty impressed with this story. It has very vivid imagery, and as someone from Louisiana I appreciated the little details that completed the scenery. Zora's story was quite intriguing and drew me in very quickly. I really enjoyed following her adventures. I kept finding myself picking up the book to read it instead of doing things I was supposed to do.
The ending made me want to read book three to find out what happens next. I can't wait.
missrenn's review
5.0
This novel, along with the first book, have always awakened a sense of nostalgia in me. I don't know what it is, but the stories, and this one in particular, are full of equal measure fantastical elements and pertinent social commentary. In this story we follow a bi-racial girl, Zora, and her time in New Orleans as a singer at a speakeasy. Her magic comes from her music, and she is described as a "song bird" throughout the story. In walks the male lead, a white man, and their romance is fast and hot and controversial for the time.
I LOVED the atmosphere of the book and how it connects to the first book. The concept of a generational series still amazes me. I loved how characters and magical objects were intertwined from both novels and I can't wait to see how they do it in the next book because THAT ENDING was not okay....the cliffhanger almost killed me.
I LOVED the atmosphere of the book and how it connects to the first book. The concept of a generational series still amazes me. I loved how characters and magical objects were intertwined from both novels and I can't wait to see how they do it in the next book because THAT ENDING was not okay....the cliffhanger almost killed me.
kylielovesbooks's review
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This series is really cool, as it spans over generations of a family through 4 books written by different authors. This is the second installment and takes place in 1920's New Orleans. It gave me a little bit of The Diviners vibes taking place in the same time frame which was fun. We don't immediately know how these characters connect to the ones in the previous book and they actually connected in a way I wasn't expecting.
The characters were well done. We have the main character Zora who has been forced to hide out with her aunt and cousins in New Orleans because of something horrible she had done with her magic (we learn what this is later on in the book). She is trying to navigate being a young black women in a time where it was hard to be a young black woman. Her only friend is Jo, who sings with her at the nightclub she sneaks out to. I thought they had a wonderful friendship and it was a joy to read about. Zora meets Phillip at the nightclub and even though he is white and they are not legally allowed to be together, they form a relationship that is absolutely sweet.
While I was able to fly though this book, it wasn't super exciting. The writing style was wonderful though, and I could picture New Orleans and the clubs and parades perfectly. I did really enjoy the bittersweet ending and so many things happened that I didn't see coming. I had it all planned out in my head how I wanted it to go but I knew something bad was going to happen.
I'm actually really interested to see where the next book takes us in this family's story!
This series is really cool, as it spans over generations of a family through 4 books written by different authors. This is the second installment and takes place in 1920's New Orleans. It gave me a little bit of The Diviners vibes taking place in the same time frame which was fun. We don't immediately know how these characters connect to the ones in the previous book and they actually connected in a way I wasn't expecting.
The characters were well done. We have the main character Zora who has been forced to hide out with her aunt and cousins in New Orleans because of something horrible she had done with her magic (we learn what this is later on in the book). She is trying to navigate being a young black women in a time where it was hard to be a young black woman. Her only friend is Jo, who sings with her at the nightclub she sneaks out to. I thought they had a wonderful friendship and it was a joy to read about. Zora meets Phillip at the nightclub and even though he is white and they are not legally allowed to be together, they form a relationship that is absolutely sweet.
While I was able to fly though this book, it wasn't super exciting. The writing style was wonderful though, and I could picture New Orleans and the clubs and parades perfectly. I did really enjoy the bittersweet ending and so many things happened that I didn't see coming. I had it all planned out in my head how I wanted it to go but I knew something bad was going to happen.
I'm actually really interested to see where the next book takes us in this family's story!
antoinettepowb's review
5.0
Book 2 of The Mirror series did not disappoint! Picking up with the descendants of characters from Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao, we travel from Germany to New Orleans as the families of the magic mirror and enchanted red shoes continue to intertwine. Zora is an amazing character, from dealing with the secret she's running from, trying to respect her family that doesn't treat her the best, to deciding whether love and magic are worth the risks she's taking. I loved the ambience of 1920 New Orleans and the jazz scene, manifestation of Zora's magic through music and the forbidden love Zora and Phillip.
Thanks NetGaley and Disney Publishing!
Thanks NetGaley and Disney Publishing!
wienerschnitzel315's review
4.0
Cute story with 1920s setting that I definitely appreciated. Who wouldn’t love a fast paced fantasy set in New Orleans with all its Jazz scene
jenayross's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5