A review by shelbyday
The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

3.0

Oh, this book! I am still processing it. I give it a solid 3, maybe even a 3.5. I LOVED the first book but this one fell a bit short of my expectations. I still really liked it. Let me tell you what I really liked about this one first. Meadows does an amazing job with the chemistry between Tobiah and Wil. Seriously. I think she may have missed her calling as a romance writer. The air between these two characters sizzles. I also loved the further character development of James. The ending battle scene and outcome between the two armies and their leaders was great. Didn't really see it coming and it was very satisfying the way it all worked out. The last stand against the wraith was also a surprise and made me cry. It was precious. Meadows is a great writer and never failed to pull me in. Now, what I didn't like. I'm about to say something crazy. I have come to hate trilogies...I was so excited to learn this was a two book series...but....I really wish this had been a trilogy. Here's why...I felt there were several plot lines that needed more development. #1 The relationship between Tobiah and Wil was great, and I loved the letter writing, but I wish there had been more. I know they were separated for most of the novel. But I would have liked a bit more interaction between them when they were reunited. I would have liked to hear Tobiah's side a bit more, especially more on his feelings for Meredith and how he felt he had made a mistake. It didn't even need to be a whole lot, maybe just a few more pages to see how truly complex the situation was for him. I also feel like their ending interaction was a bit hurried. I would have like one or two more chapters on them settling in and moving into their new version of the future. Everything at the end happened way too quickly. I did LOVE his last letter to her. (I melted!) #2 I wanted to know more about the difference between magic and wraith. I felt like she teased us with something amazing and then dropped the ball on explaining it and developing it a bit more. #4 The plot twist about a certain radiant and his creation could have been explained more. It could have taken up a whole half of a book. How his magic was discovered. The guilt he felt about using it. The guilt and uncertainty and deep devotion that he felt with his creation. And I would like to have had a little more time with his creation after his discovering of his true origins just because that was a huge life altering discovery. #3 James! Sigh... I would have liked to go more into detail about his background. In one of the novellas, we learn of a surprise and then in this book there is another surprise, but no mention of the first surprise. They both could have happened and don't have to be mutually exclusive, but it they were not brought together in The Mirror King. I feel like the subject could have picked up from the Novella and added a bit more emotion and bonding between Tobiah and James. There were so many bonds between them and I would have liked Meadows to explore all facets. She is definitely an author I will keep my eye on, both as a YA librarian and as a YA fan. I think these are her first two novels, but I can't wait to get my hands on more of her stuff. Maybe she will write some more novellas and/or an epilogue to clear some things up. There are a lot of possibilities that she could still explore with these characters and storylines. I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed. ;)