The Other Side of the Mirror is an action-packed fantasy that combines magical worlds with our regular world. You never know what is on the other side of your mirror. Eva, the main character is thrust through such a mirror when danger overtakes her family. Years later, her past comes back as danger, love and heartbreak enter her life.

I enjoyed the idea of parallel worlds on either sides of a mirror. The book is obviously part of a series and ends with a cliff-hanger. It is well written and grabs the reader from the very start. I would recommend it for upper grades.

I was given an advance copy of this book, but all opinions are my own. ( )

I'm typically an audiobook person but every spare moment I found, I was reading more and not wanting to put this one down. The imagery of the faerie realm was painted beautifully and easy to see in my minds eye.

The characters developed at a good pace and both their internal monologues and conversations built the story well. While initially I was irritated with how quickly Eva would give into her apprehension when her character was being built up as strong willed but as the story progressed, this was explained. I would have liked a little more description of the different types of faerie powers and how they were assigned/inherited/Gods-given but my lack of understanding didn't take away from the story.

The plot twists weren't as predictable as I had initially suspected and there's definitely a well-written villain. While as a reader, I don't necessarily like a cliff-hanger, I'm glad the story didn't get closed out quickly at the end.

I look forward to the next installation and hope to see more about Quinn. ( )

Fantastic book, could barely put it down. Enjoyed all the build up and can't wait for the next one. I loved all the characters and the story line. The twists weren't as obvious as I thought they would be.

My only critique would be that while only a few days passed, the story would sometimes act like the characters had gained weeks of knowledge or bonding in that time. The dialogue also would occasionally be a little too obvious, or unnatural, not letting things just be inferred.

** spoiler **
Feel bad her friend in the mortal world was just kinda left behind ( )

A really great start to a trilogy; the plot kept me hooked, especially around the last third when it really picks up, the romance is passionate and the reader is left eager for the sequel. The politicking of the faerie world is interesting but not given much of a deep dive; I liked the mirrors being used like portals. The villain is an appropriate "horrible evil guy the protagonist doesn't want" type of character, and a truly loathsome bastard. The story does get a bit tropey (soulmates, fae, "there's only one horse") at times and the romance is too quick for my tastes; the ending and cliffhanger were good but a bit overly-predictable. I question why Quinn completely disappears - knowing her importance to the protagonist, the fact that she never makes an appearance after Eva goes into the fae realm, and that Eva doesn't even think about her after the first chapter or two of being there, feels completely dissonant.

As for the smut - if it's what you're looking for, you'll enjoy it, but it's not my usual choice when I'm reading books. As good as this book is, because the smut isn't my thing, I'll likely stay away from the sequels.

3.5 stars ( )

Warning: Don't start reading this unless you have time to read for hours! (And you're going to be dying for book two once you fly through this one). Evyn has done an amazing job of bringing her characters to life, and I love her version of the fae realm! Eva is really struggling when we first meet her, and it just broke my heart. Once she's whisked away to the fae wilds, things start to change. I love how Bash doesn't appear exactly how I'd expect a fae to appear, while still keeping the mischievous nature that fae are often known for. I don't want to give too much away, but it's fair to say I'm hooked! ( )