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A review by vivaldi
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore
4.0
Despite the heavy topics discussed in The Mirror Season, I really enjoyed this novel and it cements my respect for Anna-Marie McLemore of crafting amazing queer fairytale retelling that incorporates elements of Mexican culture & magic realism prose in the stories.
McLemore's signature writing truly shines in their latest novel: it's an emotionally brutal, enchanting, and also at times - mouthwatering, retelling of The Snow Queen. Written singularly from Ciela's first person narrative, this is both a story about self-discovery and a story of navigating through trauma. The imageries in this book is breathtaking and Ciela's headspace is solidly fleshed out, redeeming this McLemore's most emotionally engaging body of work to date.
While I really loved reading The Mirror Season and thought the writing was excellent I think there are a few things to be aware of. The most important factor being the content warnings: this novel explores a few heavy topics so it's certainly something to be aware of if you plan to read this.
The major content warnings are: sexual assault / abuse, homophobia, trauma, injuries, accidents, and blood mention
In addition to the content warnings, I also think the pacing of the novel is something to be aware of. Paired with dense prose, I believe this is one of those books that's best enjoyed when you give yourself some time to fully immerse into it, so if you're used to reading books with a lot of actions / lighter reads this might not be for you.
A few minor disclaimers aside, The Mirror Season might be Anna-Marie McLemore's best writing to date. Its excellent storytelling explores heavy topics through an authentic and complex lens (that's rarely accomplished in books). Perfect for anyone who's looking for a substantial fairytale retelling and a diverse read.
McLemore's signature writing truly shines in their latest novel: it's an emotionally brutal, enchanting, and also at times - mouthwatering, retelling of The Snow Queen. Written singularly from Ciela's first person narrative, this is both a story about self-discovery and a story of navigating through trauma. The imageries in this book is breathtaking and Ciela's headspace is solidly fleshed out, redeeming this McLemore's most emotionally engaging body of work to date.
While I really loved reading The Mirror Season and thought the writing was excellent I think there are a few things to be aware of. The most important factor being the content warnings: this novel explores a few heavy topics so it's certainly something to be aware of if you plan to read this.
The major content warnings are: sexual assault / abuse, homophobia, trauma, injuries, accidents, and blood mention
In addition to the content warnings, I also think the pacing of the novel is something to be aware of. Paired with dense prose, I believe this is one of those books that's best enjoyed when you give yourself some time to fully immerse into it, so if you're used to reading books with a lot of actions / lighter reads this might not be for you.
A few minor disclaimers aside, The Mirror Season might be Anna-Marie McLemore's best writing to date. Its excellent storytelling explores heavy topics through an authentic and complex lens (that's rarely accomplished in books). Perfect for anyone who's looking for a substantial fairytale retelling and a diverse read.