Dark Mirror by MJ Putney

Dark Mirror
MJ Putney
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Pages: 304

Rating: 4 stars

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.
When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.
But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.

This was such a fun read! Historical fiction mixed with magic and fantasy make the best sort of reads in my opinion, so I could not wait to read this one. Dark Mirror had a bit of a rocky start, but it was smooth sailing from there on out!

The first 40 pages or so were very slow and the writing seemed almost detached. The story was very disjointed and had no flow. After this, it picked up and I just loved discovering what the characters would do or what would happen next. For a good portion of the book, I did have to really suspend reality as even with the fantastical I had a bit of a hard time believing certain things would happen. Despite this, the story really was a lot of fun. The magic element was a huge part of the story, yet it didn't override the other aspects. It was a perfectly balanced book.

Dark Mirror had a great cast of characters - they were all really well written. There was not a single character I did not like, and I really am excited to see more of the characters in book 2. The characters were definitely my favorite aspect of the book. Tory was a great main character, she had spunk and was quite strong.

Can I just say I love this cover? Historical books have the prettiest of covers. It was a fun, fast read with characters that are so charming. I am so excited to start book 2, Dark Passage, and see what is next for the characters :)