The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows: I got this one because cliffhangers are mean

The Mirror King 

by 

Jodi Meadows

This book was a literal roller-coaster of emotions. I remember reading in some writing article or another (which I swear I would credit if I could find it again, Pinterest is a black hole that sucks in information) about how your character should always make the right decision. But get in worse trouble for it! Which is brilliant advice and Meadows took it because I swear Wilhelmina was given absolutely zero good choices. 

(oh my gosh did I tell you guys that I twittered? tweeted? twated? at Jodi Meadows and she actually responded! Ah! Okay story over) 

 Speaking of Wilhelmina

Characters

Wilhelmina: I still love Wilhelmina. Like I said she made the right decision, ever time, and she still had literally everyone and everything against her and it was completely brutal.

But seriously Wilhelmina I don’t need to hear about how you don’t want to be rescued every thirty pages. It probably would have been a jerk move to count how many times she said it. Still She was as sarcastic as ever, not to mention food obsessed and a master forager.

Also her and Tobiah’s flirting was on point. 

(yes that's a thing. it's still dialogue after all)

Tobiah 

Fabulous as ever. Also optimistic knife strikes again. My thoughts on Tobiah have not changed he is as humorous and terrible as ever.

Wraith Boy/Chrysalis: Never has a small boy given me so much heebie-jeebies. 

Welp almost never

For those of you didn’t read the first book (and apparently don’t care about spoilers), The Wraith boy was created by Wilhelmina. While exploring the wraith-land she accidentally called for the very air, stuff that was almost pure wraith, to wake up and save her from something or another. Now seeing as how it was actually wraith and not normal air that she called on it of course didn’t act like normal. It coalesced into a sentient being known eventually as Chrysalis. Basically he is destruction incarnate stuck in the body of a small boy so of course I like him.

On second thought that may have been a bad idea

Patrick: You are a jerk sir. And the creepiest part is that he didn’t even realize it. I have to say that I love villains who know how despicable he is (the Operative from Serenity comes to mind) 

but the righteous have a way of getting under your skin as well.

Prince Colin: While, as a character, the man wasn’t terribly interesting his primary purpose was to stand as a secondary villain. As the appointed overlord of Wilhelmina’s former kingdom he was understandably ticked off when she showed up as the true heir to the throne. 

He was equally despicable as Patrick and that’s kind of saying something.

Likes

That list! Oh my gosh it was so cute! 

Spoilers by the way for the romantic subplot. 

So of course Wilhelmina and Tobiah end up being together (at least as much as they can be together with everything that’s going on) and Tobiah wrote a list saying all the reasons he loved Wilhelmina

 and it was absolutely adorable. 

Congrats Meadows you actually made me squeal like a little girl, there aren’t many people who can do such a thing.

The stakes were ridiculously high! I mean wars with dark wizards are all fine and good but holy cow the ever increasing flood of wraith was terrifying. The first book did it quite well with the slowly increasing width of the wraith crept ever closer to the kingdom it gave me a real sense of claustrophobia I kid you not. But in the second book the rate increased exponentially and I had to fight the urge to just pick up and run for the hills. I was terrified.  

I didn’t have to yell at anybody for being a complete idiot! Well except for the wraith boy but that’s a 

bit unfair seeing as how he was technically born a few days ago.

Dislikes

Some of the secondary characters were a bit bland: which I get! There was an awful lot of them and it’s not like every single one could have adequate screen time(? Or is it page time?) 

but it was a little strange seeing the mildly flat characters standing next to the fleshed characters.

Still! A relatively small complaint compared to everything else that was so awesome in this book. And that ending was perfect. It left just the right amount of closure and question which was fabulous.

 I'm so pleased