Quondam: An Ancient Mirrors Tale [Paperback]

Jayel Gibson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ancient Mirrors Tale | Publication Date: May 1, 2008

According to legend, only the dragonspawn born of both Man and dragon can unseat the usurper queen and restore order and magick to Quondam. When Cwen of Adracmora falls through a mysterious portal into Quondam, she discovers her fate and the world's are intertwined in ways that will drag her, heartbroken and vengeful, into the heart of a devastating war.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The fourth and final installment of the "Ancient Mirrors" fantasy series has arrived with "Quondam". The "Ancient Mirrors" series is a line of stories where women do not submit helplessly before men; "Quondam" is no different, following Cwen as she finds herself in another world whose problems will engulf her own world unless she does something to stop it. She must overthrow a Queen to save both worlds in this riveting fantasy. A must for community library collections dedicated to the genre. -- -Midwest Book Review, Library Bookwatch

Review

The winner of the Indie Excellence Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction steers a sure course away from the wreckage-strewn shoals common to the genre, delivering a well-conceptualized story which seems to reflect real history yet maintains definite originality. Quondam is a kingdom under the stranglehold of a fallen wood nymph, Queen Karid, who has ruled ruthlessly for an eon since she was forced by the gods into human form as a punishment. She's thrilled to have blood in her veins, and equally happy to spill anyone else's to ensure perpetual dominance.

Karid sends fire-throwing assassins through a portal to Ædracmorae and wipes out much of that realm's ruling family in order to prevent a prophecy from coming true, which says that a house of serpents will ally with a house of dragons. It isn't enough though, as the queen is seriously challenged back in Quondam by an overlooked niece of the king, the hot-tempered Cwen of Aaradan, back from earlier books with a chip on her shoulder.

Although she is strong, Cwen has much to learn about when to apply judgment and how to see the perspective of others. She finds a chance to redeem herself from her past acts, saying, "`I have been selfish, even ruthless, but this one act will give my life meaning and sweep the blackness from my soul.'" Action is the prime driver, but it is a pleasure to see Cwen and other characters develop and evolve on the way to fulfilling their objectives. The thoroughly power-mad Queen Karid is the exception--she's a fountain of evil deeds from the beginning. Gibson carries over her examination of crossed species in Queen Karid's fear of a dragon/human hybrid with royal blood known as the Islander. He eventually faces a no-win decision, staking his own priorities against the kingdom's.

The book's romantic scenes are about desire, resistance, domination, and lingering bonds--not so unusual among people, but unsettling when applied to a pair of dragons. Just as the female dragons in the kingdom of Quondam are a bit stronger than the males, so too are a number of remarkably resolute women generally more determined and focused than the men. The subtle and healthy message of can-do capability resonates.

Fans of the series should appreciate the way Gibson moves into the meat of the story right away.

Those who come to this book without the preparation provided by earlier titles in the Ancient Mirrors series may experience a learning curve during the first couple chapters, but once they're with the program, readers will appreciate Gibson's fresh plotting and her Welsh-toned myth-making appeal. Quondam is quality fantasy which can stand alone but reads best following the other titles: Dragon Queen, The Wrekening, and Damselflies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Synergy Books (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193353883X
• ISBN-13: 978-1933538839
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,432,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

From my publisher:

Jayel Gibson holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Multicultural Studies. In 1989, she became an elementary school teacher in Escondido, Calif., where she taught the fourth and fifth grades. During her time in Escondido, she was a two-time 'Teacher of the Year' recipient for the Escondido Union School District. In 2003, Gibson retired from teaching to wholly pursue her passion for writing. Using the seedlings of her grandmother's Celtic tales and alternate worlds, Gibson formed the 'Ancient Mirrors Tales,' which include The Wrekening, Dragon Queen, Damselflies, and Quondam.

Gibson's interest in history and folklore is woven throughout the tales to create an otherworldly, yet authentic experience. Through her research into Celtic and Anglo-Saxon cultures, Gibson's 'Ancient Mirrors' series enchants readers in a world and time unlike their own.

In 2007 the Ancient Mirrors series received two USA Book News finalist awards. Quondam (May 2008) is the 2008 National Indie Excellence Fantasy/SciFi Book Award Winner.

In addition to a full-time writing career, Gibson serves as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College, where she teaches writing for publication. She is a popular conference speaker at events like OryCon, Wordstock and the South Coast Writers Conference, and is the online book moderator for Realms of Fantasy magazine. She has been a contributor for Dallas Child Magazine, Education.com and Thefatherlife.com.

Gibson currently resides in Port Orford, Ore., where she and her husband share their home with a number of furred and feathered companions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the series, February 26, 2009

By 

The Book Muncher (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Quondam: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Paperback)

Amidst death and destruction, Cwen of Aradan and her aunt Yávië, the Dragon Queen, fall from their home in Ædracmoræ through a mirror and into a new world called Quondam. It is a dangerous land, one full of death and shifting loyalties ruled by the harsh iron fist of Queen Karid, a corrupted wood nymph forced to wear the skin of humans as punishment for wrongly accepting a human's soul. Karid will stop at nothing to get what she wants, in this case, destruction of the House of Aradan because of a prophecy foretelling Karid's downfall at the hands of a half human dragon spawn, who can only be freed from his prison by an Aradan. There is both hope and despair in the promise of Cwen's placement in this prophecy, but while there are those who want to help Cwen and shelter her from Karid's wrath, Karid has quite a few allies of her own, and they, like their vicious queen, will do anything to ensure the failure of the prophecy.

This final installment in Gibson's fantastical Ancient Mirrors series is by far my favorite. Cwen is my favorite character because of her physical determination and emotional fragility. She is the key ingredient that breathes life into this novel. Gibson is a fantastic storyteller, able to weave a fast-paced story with elements of fantasy in a way that makes Quondam hard to put down as well as create realistic characters that readers can connect to instead of making them mere machines to carry out the tale. One of the reasons I enjoyed Quondam so much more than the other titles in the Ancient Mirrors series is because the outcome is so dependent on Cwen and her fear of loving. This helped make the story in Quondam so beautifully romantic and unforgettable. The multitude of names and new species are surprisingly easy to keep track of, though the shifting points of view are sometimes difficult to get used to. Quondam ends the Ancient Mirrors series with an epic bang that makes me wish the series would continue.

Fantasy fans, especially those who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Abhorsen Chronicles by Garth Nix, and Foundling by D.M. Cornish, will want to go back to the first installments in the Ancient Mirrors series, Dragon Queen, The Wreckening, and Damselflies, before delving into this fourth one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy, August 27, 2008

By 

Crystal Adkins "Crystal's book reviews" (Ashland, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Quondam: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Paperback)

By far my favorite book in the whole series. It finally depicts Cwen as a woman with needs, wants, desires and feelings. A child cursed from birth is who Cwen has been foreseen to be the savior of. She has no idea the extent of the curse of the Islander, but soon all will be revealed.

She is beaten and thought dead, tossed into the sea by the nomads; someone evil is out to rid the world of Aradanian blood. She is left a broken woman with fear of man, and no memories of her prior life. The Islander nurtures her and helps her regain her health for near a year, and then when she learns what the dragonspawn truly is she frees him from the prison he has been condemned to for the past 1000 years.

Along her journey Cwen meets a lifelong friend, the man who will shatter her heart for it is made of stone, and the evil Queen Kerid that has destroyed all of her family. She must learn to be the woman she once was, and she must learn to be the woman she needs to be to hold the dragon's heart.

As I said, by far this is my favorite book in all of the Ancient Mirrors series. The characters were so life like and expressed such emotion, it is difficult to not feel like you're part of the story. I hope there are more books to follow this one, and with Ms. Gibson being such a skilled storyteller, I am sure more is to come.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The fourth and final installment of the "Ancient Mirrors" fantasy series, July 11, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Quondam: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Paperback)

The fourth and final installment of the "Ancient Mirrors" fantasy series has arrived with "Quondam". The "Ancient Mirrors" series is a line of stories where women do not submit helplessly before men; "Quondam" is no different, following Cwen as she finds herself in another world whose problems will engulf her own world unless she does something to stop it. She must overthrow a Queen to save both worlds in this riveting fantasy. A must for community library collections dedicated to the genre.