Today's post on mirrors is inspired by my beloved Jodi Meadows. She got to reveal the cover to her brand-new novel THE ORPHAN QUEEN, for which mirrors play an important part. So important, the cover is full of mirrors.
It got me thinking. Mirrors play an integral part in many beloved novels.
For example, Snow White. If you've never heard of the fairy tale, you've been living under a rock!
The story of Snow White and her evil stepmother is so popular, it's been portrayed again and again in new versions. And each new version always has a magical mirror...
Another beloved fictional character whose destiny is closely entwined with mirrors is Alice from Lewis Carroll's THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS, AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE, the sequel to ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.
Curious Alice is wondering what the world must look like on the other side of her mirror. When she steps through the mirror, she enters a new realm, and has more fantastic adventures. This journey of Alice's isn't as well-known as the Disneyfied version of Carroll's first novel, but it all begins with a mirror!
And of course, most people think Disney's Frozen is the story of The Snow Queen. But did you know that the story of The Snow Queen has a mirror at its core? When the troll's distorted mirror shatters, shards fall to earth. When a shard falls into Kai's eye, his heart is darkened and the Snow Queen is able to swoop in and take advantage. In this case, mirrors are evil and lead to downfall and ruin.
Mirrors are everywhere. So many novels are inspired by them, in ways both good and bad. In fairy tales. In fantasy novels. In contemporary books. On TV. In video games. At the movie theater. Is it a reflection (no pun intended) on how ingrained they've become due to these classic stories? Something more sinister? However you look at it, mirrors are here to stay, and THE ORPHAN QUEEN is the newest novel to embrace the magic of mirrors.
When I heard that mirrors will be important in Jodi Meadows' brand-new duology, I was intrigued. I already wanted to read THE ORPHAN QUEEN because I really loved INCARNATE, ASUNDER, and INFINITE, and am so eager for a new series from her--a high fantasy one at that! Plus, it's only two books, not three. Be still my heart, not a trilogy! I only have to wait two years for a finale!
Jodi keeps hinting that mirrors are incredibly important in her new series. The cover for THE ORPHAN QUEEN has a cloak made of mirrors:
The city lying in wait behind her there? It's called Skyvale, the "mirrored city."
Don't you want to know more about this world full of magical, mysterious mirrors? I do, I do!
The wait to March will be long and hard, but in the meanwhile, check out this brand-new summary about the upcoming novel and add the book to your TBR!
It got me thinking. Mirrors play an integral part in many beloved novels.
For example, Snow White. If you've never heard of the fairy tale, you've been living under a rock!
 |
| The Queen with her mirror in an American illustration from 1913 |
Mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?
The Evil Queen, Snow White's Stepmother, uses a mirror to spy on Snow White, and also to maintain knowledge that she's the fairest in the land. Until, of course, the day Snow White's beauty overpasses her own.
The story of Snow White and her evil stepmother is so popular, it's been portrayed again and again in new versions. And each new version always has a magical mirror...
Another beloved fictional character whose destiny is closely entwined with mirrors is Alice from Lewis Carroll's THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS, AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE, the sequel to ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.
Curious Alice is wondering what the world must look like on the other side of her mirror. When she steps through the mirror, she enters a new realm, and has more fantastic adventures. This journey of Alice's isn't as well-known as the Disneyfied version of Carroll's first novel, but it all begins with a mirror!
And of course, most people think Disney's Frozen is the story of The Snow Queen. But did you know that the story of The Snow Queen has a mirror at its core? When the troll's distorted mirror shatters, shards fall to earth. When a shard falls into Kai's eye, his heart is darkened and the Snow Queen is able to swoop in and take advantage. In this case, mirrors are evil and lead to downfall and ruin.
Mirrors are everywhere. So many novels are inspired by them, in ways both good and bad. In fairy tales. In fantasy novels. In contemporary books. On TV. In video games. At the movie theater. Is it a reflection (no pun intended) on how ingrained they've become due to these classic stories? Something more sinister? However you look at it, mirrors are here to stay, and THE ORPHAN QUEEN is the newest novel to embrace the magic of mirrors.
When I heard that mirrors will be important in Jodi Meadows' brand-new duology, I was intrigued. I already wanted to read THE ORPHAN QUEEN because I really loved INCARNATE, ASUNDER, and INFINITE, and am so eager for a new series from her--a high fantasy one at that! Plus, it's only two books, not three. Be still my heart, not a trilogy! I only have to wait two years for a finale!
Jodi keeps hinting that mirrors are incredibly important in her new series. The cover for THE ORPHAN QUEEN has a cloak made of mirrors:
The city lying in wait behind her there? It's called Skyvale, the "mirrored city."
Don't you want to know more about this world full of magical, mysterious mirrors? I do, I do!
The wait to March will be long and hard, but in the meanwhile, check out this brand-new summary about the upcoming novel and add the book to your TBR!
~*~
O F F I C I A L I N F O:
Title: THE ORPHAN QUEEN
Author: Jodi Meadows
Release Date: March 10, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins
SUMMARY:
Wilhelmina has a hundred identities.
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
She is a princess. When the Indigo Kingdom conquered her homeland, Wilhelmina and other orphaned children of nobility were taken to Skyvale, the Indigo Kingdom’s capital. Ten years later, they are the Ospreys, experts at stealth and theft. With them, Wilhelmina means to take back her throne.
She is a spy. Wil and her best friend, Melanie, infiltrate Skyvale Palace to study their foes. They assume the identities of nobles from a wraith-fallen kingdom, but enemies fill the palace, and Melanie’s behavior grows suspicious. With Osprey missions becoming increasingly dangerous and their leader more unstable, Wil can’t trust anyone.
She is a threat. Wraith is the toxic by-product of magic, and for a century using magic has been forbidden. Still the wraith pours across the continent, reshaping the land and animals into fresh horrors. Soon it will reach the Indigo Kingdom. Wilhelmina’s magic might be the key to stopping the wraith, but if the vigilante Black Knife discovers Wil’s magic, she will vanish like all the others.
Jodi Meadows introduces a vivid new fantasy full of intrigue, romance, dangerous magic, and one girl’s battle to reclaim her place in the world.
I absolutely love, love, love this cover. It is fantastic! I'll definitely be picking this book up. It sounds and looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it GORGEOUS? I want it right NAOW ;)
DeleteThis sounds amazing! I love the cover! I can tell you worked so hard on this post. Thanks for the background! I can't wait to read it. I'm still waiting to read Infinite unfortunately because I have to Inter-Library Loan it so I can request it next month.
ReplyDeleteRachael, thank you! :) I really did, too. And I wasn't sure it was ENOUGH because I wanted the post to be special because Jodi is special, you know?
DeleteYou need to get a Twitter account so we can chat, lol!
Can you only do so many inter-library loans at a time?
Oh that is what you meant about Inter-Library Loan. I didn't get it when you asked me on my blog. The book has to be 6 months old so Infinite reaches that point at the end of this month so then I can request it and read it sometime in July. I was just popping over here to tell you that Winter got pushed back all the way to November 2015 so now we have to wait longer for the last book in the series, but Fariest, Levana's backstory is to be published in January. Since you have asked twice I signed up for twitter. I can not gaurantee I will stick with it. I have had twitter accounts in the past and always stopped using them. My username is RachaelBooks94.
DeleteCool post! Very interesting to read. The Orphan Queen looks amazing - I'm so excited!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThe Orphan Queen does look good.. and no trilogy. I am mind blown about that. I seriously loved her Incarnate series so I am sure this series will be just as good!
ReplyDelete