Dark Reflections: The Water Mirror: Book One [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Kai Meyer (Author), Toby Longworth (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2006 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Dark Reflections (Book 1)

In Venice, magic is not unusual. Merle is apprenticed to a magic mirror maker, and Serafin–a boy who was once a master thief–works for a weaver of magic cloth. Now, Venice is under siege by the Egyptian Empire; its terrifying mummy warriors and flying sunbarks are waiting to strike. All that protects the Venetians is the Flowing Queen. Nobody knows who or what she is–only that her power flows through the canals and keeps the Egyptians at bay.
When Merle and Serafin overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen, they are catapulted into desperate danger. They must do everything they can to rescue the Queen and save the city.
Kai Meyer’s bold, original fantasy conjures up a land of magic and menace as Merle and Serafin begin a journey to unimagined realms in the extraordinary world of Dark Reflections.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–Enter a magical Venice where stone lions fly, mermaids swim the canals, and tradesmen create miraculous cloth and magic mirrors in this novel by Kai Meyer (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2005). Venice is under siege by the Egyptian army and is protected by the Flowing Queen, a magical force that flows through the canals. Two orphan girls, Merle and Junipa, are apprenticed to the mirror maker, Arcimboldo. Junipa is blind but Arcimboldo quickly replaces her eyes with magic mirrors that allow her to see the world around her. Merle, the more adventurous of the two, befriends Serafin, an apprentice to the dressmaker and a former thief. When the girls overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen, they become embroiled in a scheme to control Venice. Characters are well defined and Toby Longworth's smooth narration brings each individual to life. His interpretation of an emissary from hell who attempts to form a pact with the Venetians is especially chilling. While the plot suffers from the ubiquitous need to create a trilogy, and ends in an abrupt and unsatisfying manner that will either annoy or intrigue readers, fantasy fans who persevere will be rewarded.–Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From AudioFile

Dark reflections and fleeting images of a magical underworld color this fantasy set in medieval Venice. Two young teenaged orphans become apprenticed to a maker of magic mirrors and discover that the ancient city of canals is in desperate danger from attacking Egyptian forces. Reader Toby Longworth invigorates this peculiar tale with the kindly, wise tones of the elderly mirror maker, as well as the unsettling yet protective voice of a resident mermaid. Longworth shines in his portrayal of apprentice Merle, who possesses an innate but naive understanding of magic, as she teams with magical mermaids in a quest to save the famous city. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Audio CD
• Publisher: Listening Library (Audio); Unabridged edition (February 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307284476
• ISBN-13: 978-0307284471
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,073,233 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)