Dark Mirror [Paperback]

M.J. Putney (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 1, 2011 | Series: Dark Mirror (Book 1)

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory's blood is tainted . . . by magic.

When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she's fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she's one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

But Tory's life is about to change forever. All that she's ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl's worth.

Dark Mirror is M.J. Putney's first young adult novel, and it's enthralling—an historical fantasy that's both fast-paced and deeply moving.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Absolutely riveting. Putney creates a vivid historical fantasy and delivers a page-turning read."

--RT Book Reviews

 

"Putney, an award-winning adult romance author, keeps the pace fast, adds a dash of suspense and shines a friendly light on history while providing plenty of entertainment in her first novel for teens."

--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

M. J. Putney is the author of the young adult fantasy novel Dark Passage. As Mary Jo Putney, she is the New York Times bestselling author of historical romances. M. J. is fond of reading, cats, travel, and most of all, great stories.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780312622848
• ISBN-13: 978-0312622848
• ASIN: 0312622848
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #408,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USAToday bestselling author, Mary Jo Putney was born in Upstate New York with a reading addiction, a condition for which there is no known cure. Her entire romance writing career is an accidental byproduct of buying a computer for other purposes.

Her novels are known for psychological depth and intensity and include historical and contemporary romance, fantasy, and young adult fantasy. Winner of numerous writing awards, including two RITAs and two Romantic Times Career Achievement awards, she has five times had books listed among the Library Journal's top five romances of the year, and three times had books among the top ten romances of Booklist, the magazine of the American Library Association.

Her favorite reading is great stories, but in a pinch she'll settle for the backs of cereal boxes. She's delighted that e-publishing can now make available books that have been out of print.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#85 in Books > Romance > Historical

#86 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

#85 in Books > Romance > Historical

#86 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Historical Romance

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic and Time Travel March 28, 2011

By K. M. Martin VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Putney's young adult debut was an exciting magical adventure with a bit of romance. Tory begins with the typical aristocratic attitude the magic is something for only the lower classes. After discovering that she has magical ability, she is determined to learn to control it and to hide it. However, it is necessary to use her abilities to save the life of her nephew. Her reward is being shipped to Lackland Abbey to be cured of her magic and to never be able to fulfill the dreams of an Earl's daughter.

There are three different groups of students there. The first group is happy with their magic and reconciled to social ruin in order to use it. The second group are nice girls who just want to learn to control the magic and go back to their ordinary lives. The third group also wants to be cured and return to their ordinary lives but they also delight in making everyone else at the school miserable while they wait. Naturally, Tory's roommate is one of these spoiled and over-privileged girls. Cynthia is beautiful but has a very mean and nasty personality.

Tory quickly becomes part of an underground group that is learning to control their magic and use it for England's good. Napoleon is poised on the other side of the English channel determined to conquer Britain. The group includes boys from the companion boys' school, girls and mage children from the local town. Also included are a couple of teachers from the schools too. One of the boys is the Marquis of Allarde. If he isn't disinherited by his father because of his magical gifts, he will be a Duke one day. He is also smart, handsome and brave and all of the girls - especially Tory's roommate - would like to catch his eye. Allarde and Tory have some connection but Allarde is determined to ignore it.

The underground labyrinth is frequently raided by the school to catch those students and teachers who are determined to learn to use their magic. During one such raid, Tory is separated from her friends, finds a magical mirror, and finds herself traveling in time. Most of the rest of the story takes place in that time. One of the people from the future, a descendant of one of Tory's mage friends, returns to the past to beg Tory's help with a problem in his time. Tory and some of her fellow mage students travel to the future to help.

This was an interesting, engaging, and entertaining story. I think it would appeal to young adults who like magic, historical fiction, romance, and time travel. I am looking forward to the second book in the series Dark Passage which will be published in September.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Mirror January 25, 2011

By Isabelle Jolly VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

In the early 1800s, in the time of the Napoleonic wars, the aristocrats did NOT have magic powers, only commoners! When teen aged Lady Victoria,(Tory),Mansfield has to use her power to rescue her nephew who had fallen off a cliff, she was immediately shipped off to Lackland Abbey, a school which teaches 'mages' to get rid of their powers. She knows that her future is ruined, that she will never marry in her class, AND that she likes her powers!

She discovers that a group of the students, both boys and girls, has secret meetings in the labyrinth beneath the abbey. It's led by two of the instructors who teach thim to control their powers, and not deny them. All the students were aristocrats but all of them know they're shunned for life. Her exceedingly annoying roommate, Cynthia, has followed her to a meeting because she thought that Tory was sneaking out to meet a boy from the other side of the school. She finally decides to join the group, too.

The school raids the labyrinth and the students scatter - no one has ever been caught. Tory comes to a time travel mirror and she falls through. She's in the 1940s! A boy, Nick Rainford, finds her and takes her home to his family, all of whom had magic powers. In her time, Jack Rainford lived in the village of Lackland. She stays for 3 days, as the family asks her to train them to use their powers effectively. When she goes back through the same mirror, only the group has missed her. She'd been reported ill.

England is afraid that Napoleon will invade them, even though the English Channel is between them.
People are training to fight them off.

Nick Rainford has found the mirror and in desperation has come to implore her to come back to the '40s to help them. England needs her to help fight off the Nazis.

This is a fascinating story of both the Napoleanic and WW 2 wars.

I enjoyed this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars First YA Paranormal From Famous Romace Author April 28, 2011

By Debra Morey VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Sixteen year old Lady Victoria Mansfield (Tory) lives in an alternative Regency England where magic abilities are relatively common but are frowned upon by the aristocracy as something only "common" people use. Tory's cozy life is upset when she wakes up from a dream where she is flying about her father's estate to find she IS flying or rather floating a yard above her bed. Tory manages to avoid being "ruined" by hiding her new found ability until an accident endangers her little nephew's life. Suddenly, Tory must decide between saving her position in her family and in society or saving her beloved nephew.

This book is by M.J. Putney who is also Mary Jo Putney, a well known Romance author. This is her first YA book. I've read almost all of Mary Jo Putney's books, she is one of my favorite authors and I love the Regency set Historical Romances. I also love Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romances. Also, my 15 year old niece is a huge fan of YA paranormals and I spent most of the last Christmas season researching and trying out new books for her (I always get my niece and nephew a big bag of books for Christmas). So I was very interested in trying this book since it hit so many points with me: favorite author, love of Paranormals, renewed interest in YA books.

I had a little trouble getting into the book at first. The story seemed a little stilted and Tory a little shallow. However, I thought everything picked up once Tory arrived at Lackland, the boarding school for aristocratic magical misfits, and started to discover more about herself, her magical abilities, and the other students and other magic users. Some of the secondary characters are a bit stiff at first (Allarde, a duke's son at the nearby boys' school, had nothing to recommend him except his rank on first introduction) but others are very interesting from the get go (especially fellow classmate and proud magic-user Elspeth and common born storm mage Jack Rainford). Tory joins a group of students who are determined to learn to use their magic and to help protect England from the threat of an invasion by Napoleon. The plot takes a very unexpected turn when the school authorities raid the hidden underground Labyrinth where the students practice their forbidden magic and Tory is forced to flee, gets lost, and stumbles into a mysterious mirror.

Overall, I thought the book started out a bit slow but rapidly picked up. The characters really started to grow on me. Some YA readers may be unfamiliar with the Regency era but will be comfortable with the boarding school setting. Merlin's Mirror and the jump to World War II era England was unexpected and brought a new and interesting twist to the story. I understand a second book, Dark Passage, comes out Sept. 11 and I will definitely give it a try. I will definitely recommend these books to my 15 year old niece.

The book I read was an Advanced Reader Copy through the Amazon Vine Program.