Reviews

Splintered Magic by L.L. McKinney

jgale_24's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

cakt1991's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Splintered Magic is the conclusion to The Mirror series, this installment by L.L. McKinney and set in New York City in 2000. Of the four, this feels the least like a standalone, with the curse plaguing the two families of the series coming to a head in this installment, and characters from multiple generations interacting. That’s not to say you can’t read it on its own, but the appearance of a character like Elva, for example, would mean more if you’ve read the first book. That being said, I did like how the story flashed back to the events of some of the previous stories, providing just enough information about those stories and characters while keeping this narrative fairly self-contained. 

I really liked the choice to set this book in 2000, as it sets the story in a fairly modern setting, compared to the more historical settings of the prior books, but also set it before the age of cell phones, thus allowing some aspects of the plot to feel more plausible. It’s also odd to read references to the Twin Towers…While this definitely doesn’t feel as historical as the others, 2000 was 23 years ago (!) and will definitely feel like ancient history for a teen in who didn’t live through it, while an adult who picked this up will think differently. 

Tai and Trey are interesting protagonists, and I love the quirk that their birthday every year brings something bad, with this year not being any different. They also both have magical powers, with Tai being able to see into mirrors, and Trey being able to make things change, although he doesn’t always intend to. And with the family bonds and fractures being so key to the series, it was so great to have these two working on it together, as a contrast to the previous books’ protagonists, who were largely alone, although they had their love interests and some family. And speaking of which, while romance isn’t the main focus, I liked the way it was incorporated, and how Ayesha was connected. 

I enjoyed this book, both as a closer for the series and in its own right. I recommend this series if you enjoy YA fantasy with dark elements of fairy tales.

 

lala_books's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75