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mgbrownley's review against another edition
challenging
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Incest, Rape, and War
curls's review
5.0
I loved the first book of the dark glass series and this was an even better sequel.
Olivia is a noblewoman being forced by her father into marriage to the king. Olivia isn’t exactly unwilling, but this is not her decision and it is made clear she will be sold off in marriage to a brute if she fails in marrying the king.
King Rowan is handsome and proud and into his stepsister.
Eww.....
So while Olivia is actually making a friendship with Aston, the stepsister, Rowan is ignoring her the best he can. Olivia uncovers a plot to assassinate the princess and that’s where our story splits.
She can hesitate, call for help, or act immediately herself.
With the last book, each choice felt similar for the first chapters and by the third story it felt repetitious. Each timeline in this story felt different and unique. Also the actual choice made isn’t necessarily the best choice for Olivia and I wasn’t sure if that would have been the one I would have picked. I loved that instead of one obvious choice, each one has a good and bad consequence.
This story is part of a series but you don’t have to read one to enjoy the other.
I can’t wait for book three!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
Olivia is a noblewoman being forced by her father into marriage to the king. Olivia isn’t exactly unwilling, but this is not her decision and it is made clear she will be sold off in marriage to a brute if she fails in marrying the king.
King Rowan is handsome and proud and into his stepsister.
Eww.....
So while Olivia is actually making a friendship with Aston, the stepsister, Rowan is ignoring her the best he can. Olivia uncovers a plot to assassinate the princess and that’s where our story splits.
She can hesitate, call for help, or act immediately herself.
With the last book, each choice felt similar for the first chapters and by the third story it felt repetitious. Each timeline in this story felt different and unique. Also the actual choice made isn’t necessarily the best choice for Olivia and I wasn’t sure if that would have been the one I would have picked. I loved that instead of one obvious choice, each one has a good and bad consequence.
This story is part of a series but you don’t have to read one to enjoy the other.
I can’t wait for book three!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.
that1creativelady's review against another edition
4.0
Still a bit repetitive, though not as much as the first
summer_on_arrakis's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed living out the three different life paths along with the main character. It is easy to immerse yourself in the novel; I found most of Olivia's choices to make fair common sense. With most choose-your-own-adventure type novels (this is NOT a choose-your-own-adventure novel, but it has some similar elements), I find myself feeling lukewarm toward the choices offered. That is not a problem that I experienced with this novel. The three scenarios are well-balanced, and though the main character did not end up choosing the ending that I would have chosen, her reasoning made for a peaceful and satisfying wrap-up. The royal setting and familiar characters make for a pleasant escape. I would recommend this for fans of: the Choices Matter game/novel genre, and TV shows like Reign and The Crown.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
A charming fantasy book with interesting characters and a fascinating plot.
I really enjoyed the book and was hooked since the beginning.
The basic idea of three possible futures is really interesting and gives the plot an unique flavour.
Even this is the second book in a series I had no problem in understanding the plot. Unfortunately we do not know if the next book will feature Olivia and if it will be able to see any further development in her story.
Recommended for fantasy lover.
Many thanks to Kensigton Books and Netgalley
I really enjoyed the book and was hooked since the beginning.
The basic idea of three possible futures is really interesting and gives the plot an unique flavour.
Even this is the second book in a series I had no problem in understanding the plot. Unfortunately we do not know if the next book will feature Olivia and if it will be able to see any further development in her story.
Recommended for fantasy lover.
Many thanks to Kensigton Books and Netgalley
literally_laura's review against another edition
4.0
At first, I did not think I would like this book. Olivia, the main character, is thoroughly unlikable. She is scheming, unemotional, and reminds me of the wicked stepmother from Cinderella (in temperament, not appearance). For all her skill at eavesdropping and reading people, she is blind to the love Rowan has for Ashton until it is pointed out to her. The mirror appears to her quite suddenly. I would've liked more build up, and more backstory on the mirror (prequel novel please!). Reading feels a little clunky at times and I skimmed a bit during choice 2 and 3 as there were parts that were identical to previous choices. Olivia does grow and soften a bit, but the transition from someone you don't like to someone you feel pity for seems forced and a bit rushed.
In the end, this book was a high 3 or low 4 for me. I enjoyed the story in general. It works well as a stand-alone read even though it is part of a series. The idea of the mirror intrigued me. I would not be surprised to see this made into a movie. Honestly, I think that may be a better medium.
In the end, this book was a high 3 or low 4 for me. I enjoyed the story in general. It works well as a stand-alone read even though it is part of a series. The idea of the mirror intrigued me. I would not be surprised to see this made into a movie. Honestly, I think that may be a better medium.
annarella's review
4.0
A charming fantasy book with interesting characters and a fascinating plot.
I really enjoyed the book and was hooked since the beginning.
The basic idea of three possible futures is really interesting and gives the plot an unique flavour.
Even this is the second book in a series I had no problem in understanding the plot. Unfortunately we do not know if the next book will feature Olivia and if it will be able to see any further development in her story.
Recommended for fantasy lover.
Many thanks to Kensigton Books and Netgalley
I really enjoyed the book and was hooked since the beginning.
The basic idea of three possible futures is really interesting and gives the plot an unique flavour.
Even this is the second book in a series I had no problem in understanding the plot. Unfortunately we do not know if the next book will feature Olivia and if it will be able to see any further development in her story.
Recommended for fantasy lover.
Many thanks to Kensigton Books and Netgalley
eloiseinparis's review
3.0
read the first book in this series and absolutely loved it. I was looking so forward to this book, only to find myself disappointed. It is a standalone book so you do not need to read the first in the series. It was the same premise of a young woman given the opportunity to see how her life would turn out given 3 choices, the problem was unlike the first book we only got to see about a year into the future of each choice. That made it feel like 3 unfinished short stories.All three choices were crap, there was no way to avoid major suffering. I liked that. Olivia had a much tougher choice than her predecessor. However I wish we at least got to see how her life played out with the choice she made. Instead we were left with a cliffhanger, and since the next book features a new heroine we will most likely never get know what happened to Olivia. I wish as much time that was spent setting up Olivia’s story had been spent wrapping it up.
prationality's review
5.0
Oh I LIKED this ever so much.
I enjoyed the first book (Through a Dark Glass) quite a bit, though it had some problems with repetition, illogic at times and the fact none of the choices would have been BAD ones. Not overtly. There was pain, but in the end Megan's choices were all more or less safe and had sacrifices which were acceptable.
Olivia? Well. She had three choices, all alike in basic sacrifices that largely did not greatly improve the happiness of her choice. Whereas for Megan choosing one brother over another led to a different brother dying and varying degrees of comfort and satisfaction in life, Olivia's choice quite literally meant her country would flourish or be crushed by her choice of who she let die.
Despite the fact Olivia is not exactly "likeable" much of the time, I did appreciate that she wasn't as passive as Megan in any life she chose. Whether she hesitated, acted with help or acted alone - they were choices Olivia made and that she understood the consequences for. She knew what her future would bring if she let the Princess live - failure and a sentence of death essentially because of the man her father chose for her as a back up husband. How she survives that however is what is most interesting.
As to the choices themselves, my reaction varies greatly about how things turn out.
Hesitating (and thus the Princess dies) means that Olivia is given the life she set out for (marriage to the King), but she finds the perks of that station are few and far between. She learns to content herself with what she can take joy in and finds a way to be useful in protecting her country.
Getting help (thus saving the Princess, letting the King die) means that Olivia finds herself a position of envy and a place to belong at the Princess' side as they protect their country together...but she has to give up a love that she doesn't know she needs.
Saving the Princess by herself ensures that the Princess marries the King, Olivia marries her love and lives a happy life...but at the cost of her country fighting a drawn out and bloody war.
Where I think [b:Through a Dark Glass|34913650|Through a Dark Glass|Barb Hendee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502371904s/34913650.jpg|56176472] stumbled was offering real tension for Megan. In none of the choices she could have made does she suffer unduly. Yes in each one a brother could die, and also in each one there was a period of painfulness, but she ends up happy. fulfilled. I think Hendee was trying to put forth that Megan really wanted a child. In two of the three futures she would be childless (for different reasons), so it made sense why she chose the third choice.
This was not as cut and dry. In none of the futures Olivia could choose would she be sent home. In none of them would she suffer exactly. Her choice was put your personal happiness as a sacrifice to protect your country and help its ruler. And the Olivia who started the story? The one who went to the castle to become Queen, who wanted to hate the Princess but not enough to let her die, who yearned to be something MORE...I don't know if she would have chosen as she did without the warnings the mirror gave her.
Though even in her ending choice she tried to manipulate the outcome to give her some better chance at having it all. Give the lady props she WOULD have her cake and eat it too.
I enjoyed the first book (Through a Dark Glass) quite a bit, though it had some problems with repetition, illogic at times and the fact none of the choices would have been BAD ones. Not overtly. There was pain, but in the end Megan's choices were all more or less safe and had sacrifices which were acceptable.
Olivia? Well. She had three choices, all alike in basic sacrifices that largely did not greatly improve the happiness of her choice. Whereas for Megan choosing one brother over another led to a different brother dying and varying degrees of comfort and satisfaction in life, Olivia's choice quite literally meant her country would flourish or be crushed by her choice of who she let die.
Despite the fact Olivia is not exactly "likeable" much of the time, I did appreciate that she wasn't as passive as Megan in any life she chose. Whether she hesitated, acted with help or acted alone - they were choices Olivia made and that she understood the consequences for. She knew what her future would bring if she let the Princess live - failure and a sentence of death essentially because of the man her father chose for her as a back up husband. How she survives that however is what is most interesting.
As to the choices themselves, my reaction varies greatly about how things turn out.
Hesitating (and thus the Princess dies) means that Olivia is given the life she set out for (marriage to the King), but she finds the perks of that station are few and far between. She learns to content herself with what she can take joy in and finds a way to be useful in protecting her country.
Getting help (thus saving the Princess, letting the King die) means that Olivia finds herself a position of envy and a place to belong at the Princess' side as they protect their country together...but she has to give up a love that she doesn't know she needs.
Saving the Princess by herself ensures that the Princess marries the King, Olivia marries her love and lives a happy life...but at the cost of her country fighting a drawn out and bloody war.
Where I think [b:Through a Dark Glass|34913650|Through a Dark Glass|Barb Hendee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1502371904s/34913650.jpg|56176472] stumbled was offering real tension for Megan. In none of the choices she could have made does she suffer unduly. Yes in each one a brother could die, and also in each one there was a period of painfulness, but she ends up happy. fulfilled. I think Hendee was trying to put forth that Megan really wanted a child. In two of the three futures she would be childless (for different reasons), so it made sense why she chose the third choice.
This was not as cut and dry. In none of the futures Olivia could choose would she be sent home. In none of them would she suffer exactly. Her choice was put your personal happiness as a sacrifice to protect your country and help its ruler. And the Olivia who started the story? The one who went to the castle to become Queen, who wanted to hate the Princess but not enough to let her die, who yearned to be something MORE...I don't know if she would have chosen as she did without the warnings the mirror gave her.
Though even in her ending choice she tried to manipulate the outcome to give her some better chance at having it all. Give the lady props she WOULD have her cake and eat it too.
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