*This review definitely contains spoilers*
At sixteen, Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life and her choice of mates worthy of her status. Then she makes a terrifying discovery that will ruin her life and disgrace her family forever. Tory's blood is tainted... by magic.
When a shocking accident forces Tory to reveal her despised skill, she is immediately exiled to Lackland Abby, a reform school for young mean and women in her position. Tory's greatest wish is to be cured so she can return home and perhaps recover some of her shattered life.
Instead, curiosity and the lure of magic lead Tory to rebel students who have pledged their talents to protect England. As she joins them in their secret studies, she discovers her full powers - and is drawn to the handsome, enigmatic young Marquis of Allarde. But Allarde's reserve and haunting secret keep him away, though she can see equal longing in his eyes.
Then Tory's pledge sweeps her and her friends into a perilous world of danger, challenge, and a triumph that saves Britain from conquest. Can danger also bring Tory and Allarde together, despite all that stands between them?
~zì jiàn!~
At sixteen, Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life and her choice of mates worthy of her status. Then she makes a terrifying discovery that will ruin her life and disgrace her family forever. Tory's blood is tainted... by magic.
When a shocking accident forces Tory to reveal her despised skill, she is immediately exiled to Lackland Abby, a reform school for young mean and women in her position. Tory's greatest wish is to be cured so she can return home and perhaps recover some of her shattered life.
Instead, curiosity and the lure of magic lead Tory to rebel students who have pledged their talents to protect England. As she joins them in their secret studies, she discovers her full powers - and is drawn to the handsome, enigmatic young Marquis of Allarde. But Allarde's reserve and haunting secret keep him away, though she can see equal longing in his eyes.
Then Tory's pledge sweeps her and her friends into a perilous world of danger, challenge, and a triumph that saves Britain from conquest. Can danger also bring Tory and Allarde together, despite all that stands between them?
When I first picked up Dark Mirror, I couldn't stop reading. I was entranced by this world of magic and ruination and titles and war, not to mention the characters you meet along the way. The book starts off in 1840s England, where we meet the clever and curious Tory. At 16, her life is about looking nice, gossip & all that 19th century goodness, but magic rears it's ugly head, snatching from Tory what could've been a very happy ending.
To those with titles and money, magic is frowned upon. If a young Mage accidentally exposes themselves, they're shipped off to repress and get rid of they're powers so they may return to their families. Mortified and ruined, but hey, what can you do?
Tory meets some interesting new friends, the love of her life, and people she did not expect. As a Mage who wishes to learn about her magic rather than destroy it, she (along with other talented Mages) practice magic in secret. After all, England faces greater threats; France, war, Napoleon. The peerage might frown upon magic, but it would benefit them greatly in war, thus the need for practise.
At one of those practises, Tory gets magically transported to the 1940s. She meets future relatives of one of her closest friends back home, teaches them magic, and has a lovely time. Apart from all that Nazi business of course... Lets just say she and her friends get roped into saving a lot of British soldiers, and leave it at that.
I was absolutely in love with this book until Tory left her era to go hang out in her future. I got extremely bored and had to literally force myself to keep reading. That is one of the most painful things to do as a book lover; all these magical stories and you've got to force yourself to get through them! I found the plot, setting & characters in 1940 something to be a bit thin and lacking. Frankly, they were way too on board with Tory being a magical time traveller.
Speaking of stupid, thin & lacking, what was up with Tory's relationship with her true love, Justin Allarde? He lived a tortured life because he'd seen the future and his own death, but at the end of the book that serious issue just magically disappears? I spent the whole book waiting for this annoying little prick to die, and then he lives. I did not like his relationship with Tory, it felt fake & forced and I was disappointed (understatement of the century).
Justin goes by Allarde because he doesn't want people getting too close to him and prefers to have an impersonal relationship with everyone he meets in case he dies. I appreciate the thought, but boy was that lame. Boring! Give me a drool worthy guy to ship Tory with, please! I wish she ended up with her friend Jack. He was a great character, as were Tory's nemesis, and Tory's best friend, Elspeth.
I love all things old. Don't worry, I don't have an old guy fetish (hello, weird), I just adore reading books based any time before the 1920s. At first glance, and up to about halfway, this book seemed like the perfect match for me. But once we moved into a completely different time period, my date with Dark Mirror turned sour and I had to force myself to stay. It had a good ending, but Elspeth & Jack (who were very prominent and important in the first half of the book), were just shoved aside to make room for Allarde. We hear almost nothing about them ever again except for a few half hearted mentions, which is so stupid! I guess it was done Allarde & Tory more time to connect and lend time to sorting out their story. I respect that, but it was a dumb decision.
2.5/5 stars. Would've been 1000/5 stars if we hadn't have ended up with a flimsy romance, or if we hadn't been transported to the 1940s. But hey, I did like Tory, even if the whole gang from the 1800s didn't even need five minutes to adjust to electricity and running water before they were practically natives.
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