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deecreatenola's review against another edition
2.0
I found the Mirror of Her Dreams among my mom’s many thousands of books that she left. I immediately had a warm feeling of recollection and put the book aside to keep. I thought rereading it would be like visiting an old friend. However, now that I’ve done so, I cannot be sure whether I read it or not. Parts of it are familiar…maybe. Other parts not at all. And overall I have a lot of problems with the book.
First there’s Terisa. When we meet her, she’s a completely blank slate. She has pretty much always done what she was told. She grew up in a house of very little love, and seemingly never had any dreams or goals for herself. She’s so blank that she even questions her existence, leading her to put up mirrors all around the condo her father pays for her to live in. This is not the kind of heroine I want to read about – someone who has no inner drive. Yes, she gains it over time. But there’s nothing there at the beginning. It’s aggravating to have a female character drawn this way. And it only gets more aggravating when she goes to Orison.
One night while she’s questioning her own existence, a young man crashes through one of her mirrors. Amazingly, or maybe not, he convinces her to come back through the mirror with him to Mordant. Mordant is an alternate world, medieval in nature with a castle, a king, princesses, etc. The young man, Geraden, believe Terisa is the champion meant to save them, basically from themselves since their king has checked out of all of his responsibilities and not dealing with any internal or external threats.
Like any good medieval story, there are wizards, in this case Imagers who can do magic with mirrors. She meets Master Eremis who is immediately taken with her – and wants to “take” her. Now, we know Terisa is an innocent, but on more than one instance she completely melts before him. She lets him undo her blouse, suckle her breasts, feel her up, etc., but consummation is always interrupted.
It’s clear this book could ONLY have been written by a man. This is not a strong heroine, lifting her blouse every time the mysterious magician arrives. Come on! The story pits Geraden and Eremis as opposed suitors in a sense. Now, I get that women are drawn to bad boys. That is true. But Eremis is sort of icky. We don’t 100% know if he’s good or bad, but it’s clear he is icky, and I do not want my heroines falling for the slop he delivers. Geraden is good and kind and goofy. I don’t see this innocent young woman who’s got no experience with men and barely believes she exists would immediately lift her shirt for smarmy Eremis who seems to be at least ten or twenty (or more) years older than she is. It sounds like a male fantasy, packaged in a female fantasy book.
The story as a whole is slow moving for all the nearly 650 pages. I wanted so much more from the story. I wanted Terisa to quit dithering. I wanted some clue to what was really going on (but I guess you don’t find that out until Book II). I felt like we spent most of the time going back and forth to rooms, drinking wine, looking out the window. Sigh.
Something interesting the author does that I want to bring up, which is naming things. The land is Mordant, and there are numerous regions contained within it. The castle is Orison (maybe the area around the castle, too). Each of the other regions within Mordant also has a leader, like nobleman, who seems to be titled based on the region. So the leader of Tor is the Tor, the leader of Domne is the Domne, for Armigite it’s the Armigite, and so forth. I found that unique. Slightly confusing, but interesting, too.
Then there’s the issue of Alend and Cadwal. These seem to be beyond Mordant and are enemies. The leader of one of them (and it got confusing) is the High King Festten. I could not figure out why he was the High King yet Mordant’s leader was the King. What made him the High King? The High King also had a sidekick, like his own super-Ninja, called the High King’s Monomach. This was not a word I’d ever seen before but it’s presented like “a thing.” So the world building was good overall.
Individual names were interesting, too. I didn’t know if Terisa was pronounced Theresa or Teriza. Geraden is foreign but sounds like it could be a name we would use. I was never sure how to pronounce Artagle (long ‘a’ or short ‘a’?). I think the naming in this book was really good.
I don’t know if I’ll read Book II. This experience was so frustrating, especially since I was expecting a comfort read. I do want to know what happens. I read a lot more fantasy thirty years ago, and mores have clearly changed. I was a feminist then but probably a more self-aware feminist now, and the charged testosterone and masculinity of Mordant and this world were difficult. The women could prevail in the next book. But can I take that chance?
First there’s Terisa. When we meet her, she’s a completely blank slate. She has pretty much always done what she was told. She grew up in a house of very little love, and seemingly never had any dreams or goals for herself. She’s so blank that she even questions her existence, leading her to put up mirrors all around the condo her father pays for her to live in. This is not the kind of heroine I want to read about – someone who has no inner drive. Yes, she gains it over time. But there’s nothing there at the beginning. It’s aggravating to have a female character drawn this way. And it only gets more aggravating when she goes to Orison.
One night while she’s questioning her own existence, a young man crashes through one of her mirrors. Amazingly, or maybe not, he convinces her to come back through the mirror with him to Mordant. Mordant is an alternate world, medieval in nature with a castle, a king, princesses, etc. The young man, Geraden, believe Terisa is the champion meant to save them, basically from themselves since their king has checked out of all of his responsibilities and not dealing with any internal or external threats.
Like any good medieval story, there are wizards, in this case Imagers who can do magic with mirrors. She meets Master Eremis who is immediately taken with her – and wants to “take” her. Now, we know Terisa is an innocent, but on more than one instance she completely melts before him. She lets him undo her blouse, suckle her breasts, feel her up, etc., but consummation is always interrupted.
It’s clear this book could ONLY have been written by a man. This is not a strong heroine, lifting her blouse every time the mysterious magician arrives. Come on! The story pits Geraden and Eremis as opposed suitors in a sense. Now, I get that women are drawn to bad boys. That is true. But Eremis is sort of icky. We don’t 100% know if he’s good or bad, but it’s clear he is icky, and I do not want my heroines falling for the slop he delivers. Geraden is good and kind and goofy. I don’t see this innocent young woman who’s got no experience with men and barely believes she exists would immediately lift her shirt for smarmy Eremis who seems to be at least ten or twenty (or more) years older than she is. It sounds like a male fantasy, packaged in a female fantasy book.
The story as a whole is slow moving for all the nearly 650 pages. I wanted so much more from the story. I wanted Terisa to quit dithering. I wanted some clue to what was really going on (but I guess you don’t find that out until Book II). I felt like we spent most of the time going back and forth to rooms, drinking wine, looking out the window. Sigh.
Something interesting the author does that I want to bring up, which is naming things. The land is Mordant, and there are numerous regions contained within it. The castle is Orison (maybe the area around the castle, too). Each of the other regions within Mordant also has a leader, like nobleman, who seems to be titled based on the region. So the leader of Tor is the Tor, the leader of Domne is the Domne, for Armigite it’s the Armigite, and so forth. I found that unique. Slightly confusing, but interesting, too.
Then there’s the issue of Alend and Cadwal. These seem to be beyond Mordant and are enemies. The leader of one of them (and it got confusing) is the High King Festten. I could not figure out why he was the High King yet Mordant’s leader was the King. What made him the High King? The High King also had a sidekick, like his own super-Ninja, called the High King’s Monomach. This was not a word I’d ever seen before but it’s presented like “a thing.” So the world building was good overall.
Individual names were interesting, too. I didn’t know if Terisa was pronounced Theresa or Teriza. Geraden is foreign but sounds like it could be a name we would use. I was never sure how to pronounce Artagle (long ‘a’ or short ‘a’?). I think the naming in this book was really good.
I don’t know if I’ll read Book II. This experience was so frustrating, especially since I was expecting a comfort read. I do want to know what happens. I read a lot more fantasy thirty years ago, and mores have clearly changed. I was a feminist then but probably a more self-aware feminist now, and the charged testosterone and masculinity of Mordant and this world were difficult. The women could prevail in the next book. But can I take that chance?
crowandnightingale's review against another edition
5.0
I adore this book but it's been years since I let myself be absorbed by it. I have my issues with Terisa, but reading this today, at 43, I can now understand why I was so enchanted with this book when I was younger. I think I discovered it in high school or right out of high school. I WAS Terisa. The weakness. The fear to speak out. That was me. When I tried a reread a few years ago I found myself wanting to smack her, make her realize how she needed to wake up. I could see how I had been the same way and it made me feel shameful.
I love the world Mr. Donaldson created here. The magic of mirrors and imagery is completely fascinating. I was going to just read the first book and finish the duology later, but when it ended I found myself needing to stay in Mordant and finish Terisa and Geraden's story. While it has its flaws, I still love this story and I expect I always will.
I love the world Mr. Donaldson created here. The magic of mirrors and imagery is completely fascinating. I was going to just read the first book and finish the duology later, but when it ended I found myself needing to stay in Mordant and finish Terisa and Geraden's story. While it has its flaws, I still love this story and I expect I always will.
neglet's review against another edition
One of my favorite fantasies. The protagonist is passive and unsure of herself, but that just makes the political intrigue of the world she's taken to that more intricate and fascinating. I love books with twisty political mysteries, and this one is full of them.
biblio_amy's review against another edition
2.0
It was an interesting story that had much more potential if I cared about the main characters at all.
natalie36's review against another edition
2.0
FINALLY FINISHED.
I really do like the main characters, Terisa and Geraden, but this was just way too drawn out with some truly questionable scenes/attitudes.
I really do like the main characters, Terisa and Geraden, but this was just way too drawn out with some truly questionable scenes/attitudes.
kadidiawc's review against another edition
Way too complicated trying to understand the “magic”
And not all that interesting either
Language didn’t grab me
And not all that interesting either
Language didn’t grab me
kkxx2's review against another edition
3.0
Ridiculously boring and dry, but it has a solid plot and character development.
bookwyrm_kate's review against another edition
2.0
Couldn't finish; so very, very boring. Character was so passive, she was like watching paint dry.
madirowa's review against another edition
I got so far through this book.... I was halfway done. And that's saying something because this book is a massive brick! I wanted to finish. I really did, but I've realized after putting it down in April and not picking it back up a few months later that there is no way I can force myself to read it.
At first I was interested. I thought that the magic with the mirrors was very cool, but that can only carry the book for so long. The main character, Terisa, was far too frustrating for me to handle any longer. She is so dull and all her motives are completely wrong. She drove me insane.
One of Terisa's actions that was pretty much the breaking point for me was her attraction(if that's the word for it) for an annoying rude middle aged man. How old is she again, in her young twenties? Yes okay, whatever, I mean it's not like there is this cute and adorable young man about your age who is practically in love with you hanging around. I mean, come on! What is wrong with her?
Maybe the book gets better, I won't know because I just can't finish the book. I was able to tolerate Terisa until her actions just started to make no sense. If don't know what love is, please don't try to find it with a middle aged man! Once I get through about 50% of the book I usually try to finish, but this is just not one of those cases.
At first I was interested. I thought that the magic with the mirrors was very cool, but that can only carry the book for so long. The main character, Terisa, was far too frustrating for me to handle any longer. She is so dull and all her motives are completely wrong. She drove me insane.
One of Terisa's actions that was pretty much the breaking point for me was her attraction(if that's the word for it) for an annoying rude middle aged man. How old is she again, in her young twenties? Yes okay, whatever, I mean it's not like there is this cute and adorable young man about your age who is practically in love with you hanging around. I mean, come on! What is wrong with her?
Maybe the book gets better, I won't know because I just can't finish the book. I was able to tolerate Terisa until her actions just started to make no sense. If don't know what love is, please don't try to find it with a middle aged man! Once I get through about 50% of the book I usually try to finish, but this is just not one of those cases.
itabar's review against another edition
1.0
In a word: Boring. Prolix.
In two words: glacial plotting. Unsympathetic characters.
In five words: Pathetic, colorless, wimpy uninteresting heroine.
I'm 1/3 of the way through listening to this (9 hours or so!!) and I'm thinking of quitting. Maybe I'll read it so I can skim. God he's wordy and keeps saying the same thing over and over and over again (maybe I don't exist, my father didn't love me). Boohoo. Hullo? We get it!!
Mostly, I want to slap the heroine. And the king. Or kill them both so the story would be over.
In two words: glacial plotting. Unsympathetic characters.
In five words: Pathetic, colorless, wimpy uninteresting heroine.
I'm 1/3 of the way through listening to this (9 hours or so!!) and I'm thinking of quitting. Maybe I'll read it so I can skim. God he's wordy and keeps saying the same thing over and over and over again (maybe I don't exist, my father didn't love me). Boohoo. Hullo? We get it!!
Mostly, I want to slap the heroine. And the king. Or kill them both so the story would be over.