The Mirror: Broken Wish

By: Julie C. Dao

Narrated by: Emily O'Brien

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

The Mirror: Broken Wish marks the first book in an innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, J.C. Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.

Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She's heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow....

When Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner - none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it's too late.

"Broken Wish is a darkly glittering fairytale of shattered promises and powerful magic. Dao opens a door to an enchanting new world tucked within the seams of our own." (Emily A. Duncan, New York Times best-selling author of Wicked Saints)

"An enchanting beginning to what promises to be a gripping family saga. Broken Wish whisks readers into a beautifully wrought fairy tale that is at once familiar and new, and introduces readers to Elva, whose family's past is riddled with secrets and curses. It will be hard to put down until the final page!" (Elizabeth Lim, New York Times best-selling author of the Twisted Tales books)

"A clever tale about the importance of promises and the limits of friendship, perfect for a snug night by the fireside." (Liz Braswell, New York Times best-selling author of the Twisted Tales books)

©2021 Julie C. Dao (P)2021 Disney Hyperion

First of a four-book series

Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao is the first book of a four-book series of fairy tales, each written by a different author. It’s a captivating story of one family over several generations, beginning in 1848 with a childless couple granted one very big wish. While the scope of this book is small, limited to one family in a small German village, it has tantalizing glimpses far into the future.

Dao captures the feel of old fairy tails that issued warnings to children and adults alike. The overall theme of Broken Wish is that promises have power, and if you break them, there are consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Elva is the result of a wish, but also a broken promise, and she is born with the ability to see the future in her reflection. Her parents, fearing their daughter being cast out as a witch, call it a curse, and Elva swore at a young age never to look in a mirror or in water again. That isn’t as easy as it she hopes, though, and one night she catches a glimpse of the boy she likes hooking a prize fish and decides to tell him she dreamed it. When it comes true, he coaxes the truth out of her; he thinks her ability is a gift, not a curse, and she decides to access her power consciously for the first time.

Using a basin of water after everyone else is asleep, Elva opens herself up to the visions. She sees a horrible storm, destroying everything her family has. Unable to sit back and just let it happen, Elva sets out to change the future. In doing so, she causes the very devastation she’s trying to prevent.

While the book does not have a happy ending, there are tendrils of hope and intrigue strung throughout, leading the reader to want to read the next book.

beautiful fairy tale

Let me just say, the narrator had the perfect voice for this story. she makes it sound whimsical and so fairy-tale like, it's so easy to fall into the story.

Julie C. Dao is one of my favorite new authors, she has an amazing ability to tell stories with strong female leads and interesting settings and good side characters. I wish she was writing this whole 4 part fairy tale series, because I know it would be fantastic. (but, I will give benefit of the doubt and read the next book!)

definitely recommend