The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows Series: The Orphan Queen #2
Also in this series: The Orphan Queen
Published by Katherine Tegen Books on 4/5/16
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 544
Source: Edelweiss
My content rating: YA (Nothing more than kissing, Some violence)
My rating:
Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.
HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.
HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.
HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.
In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.
***NOTE: This review is for the second book in a series but doesn’t contain anything but the mildest of spoilers for the first book. To read my review of The Orphan Queen, click on the link.***
Oh my goodness, this book!!! I seriously have no words for how utterly fantastic this book was. In fact, this review is going to be somewhat short because I don’t feel like I can talk about anything specific without giving things away. Suffice it to say, the book was everything I was hoping for in a sequel and it finished off the duology beautifully!
What Fed My Addiction:
- So. Many. Things. I’m honestly going to have a really hard time talking about this book because there were so many amazing things that took me by surprise, but to talk about any of them, even vaguely, would feel spoilery. Wil and Tobias go through some EXTREME ups and downs and Wil’s strength and character are tested in incredible ways. Meadows took so many unexpected turns, and I loved every moment of it!
- The feels. This book put me through an emotional wringer – There were parts of this book that made me gasp aloud, scenes that made me angry and frustrated (for the characters, not because I wasn’t liking the book), scenes that had me swooning, and key events that made me cry. It was killing me in all the best ways!!!
- The conclusion. The finale was so incredibly satisfying – everything I was hoping for and more.
What Left Me Wanting More:
- Nothing. Okay, at 544 pages, this book does feel a bit long. It didn’t drag for me at all, though. Meadows packed a lot into this book in order to make this a duology. But, in the end, I’d much rather have a slightly longer book two than a plot that’s stretched out to fill three books.
I loved The Orphan Queen but honestly wasn’t expecting to be so blown away by this finish. This book propelled the series into All-Time Favorite status for me. Without a doubt, 5/5 stars!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
About the Author
Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut. She is the author of the INCARNATE Trilogy and the forthcoming ORPHAN QUEEN Duology (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen).
*A Kippy is a cat.
Her “unofficial” bio: (Which I had to include just because I liked it so much. Plus, she loves ferrets – I’ve had five of them, so I can completely understand!)
Like many writers, I’ve always wanted to do this professionally. You know, after I decided against being an astronaut.
Unlike many writers, I didn’t skip straight from picture books to adult novels. I have fond memories of going to Bookstop every month for the latest Baby-Sitters Club (which I kept reading, even after I realized they were never going to let the paranormal elements be real), and even fonder memories of hanging out in my middle school library. The librarians probably knew exactly what they were doing when they suggested book after book and discussed them with me at length. I, of course, had no clue they were turning me into a book addict, but it worked out for the best. Once I found the books where magic and other fantastic elements were real, I was hooked.
When I was twenty, I met a boy, moved 1,500 miles, and married him all within six months. I now realize that was crazy and dangerous, but it seemed natural at the time and, again, worked out for the best. Not only did we stay madly in love, he worked full time at a hard job so I could stay home to write books and, hopefully, one day get published.
The other crazy thing we did was fall in love with ferrets. They have their own bedroom.
My hobbies, aside from spending all my money on books and Kippy/ferret treats, revolve around yarn. I love crocheting, knitting, and spinning. In addition to several handspindles, I share my living room with a spinning wheel named Bob.
I feel the same – absolutely loved this book! And all the twists and action packed in was fantastic. I agree it felt right for this to be two books too – only partly because I’m glad I won’t have to wait for another one to find out how it all ends. LOL
Oh wow, it sounds like this was an amazing conclusion to the duology and that you couldn’t get enough of the feels and what was happening. It’s a pretty long book, but it does seem like one worth the read. I have this one but not book one, so I’m going to have to get that and start reading soon!
That’s such a fabulous feeling when a dualogy ends on such a high note! I just got the first book, so now I’m definitely bumping it up on my to-read list from your reviews, yay. ?
I’m dying to get my hands on this! I’ve been waiting so long since The Orphan Queen, and am just waiting for my copy to arrive soon. Your review was wonderful – definitely intrigued me without spoiling anything 🙂