The Universal Mirror [Kindle Edition]

Gwen Perkins (Author)

Book Description

On the island of Cercia, the gods are dead, killed by their followers and replaced with the study of magic. Magicians are forbidden to leave their homeland. Laws bind these men that prevent them from casting spells on the living--whether to harm or to heal. 

Quentin, a young nobleman, challenges these laws out of love for his wife. His best friend, Asahel, defies authority at his side, unaware that the search for this lost magic will bring them both to the edge of reason, threatening their very souls. The Universal Mirror shows how far two men are willing to go for the sake of knowledge and what they will destroy to obtain it.

The Universal Mirror is a 2012 nominee for the Endeavour Award and was a semifinalist in the 2012 Kindle Book Review Independent Book Awards.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

The Universal Mirror is the first novel in the epic fantasy series, Artifacts of Empire.  Its sequel, The Jealousy Glass, is now available on Amazon.

About the Author

Gwen Perkins has always regarded the deep rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula the one place that she feels most at home. Gwen grew up in small towns across the Pacific Northwest, going to slug races and strawberry festivals when she wasn't scribbling on any scrap of paper she could come by. She boasts the dubious distinction of going to a public school with only eight students, learning Irish sea chanteys from a man who sang with the Clancy Brothers, and catching tadpoles during classes.

Her adult life is generally just about as much fun.

She lives in the City of Destiny (better known as Tacoma, Washington). Her hobbies include wandering beaches, baking pies and lampworking, or creating glass beads. In between all of this, Gwen has written two novels in the Artifacts of Empire series: The Universal Mirror and The Jealousy Glass. 

Product Details

• File Size: 446 KB
• Print Length: 178 pages
• Publisher: Hydra Publications (January 9, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006VYHLNS
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #397,577 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eagerly awaiting the sequel! February 7, 2012

By Tina Ruddiman-Fisher

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Gwen Perkins does an amazing job of creating a world we've never been to. With her wonderfully detailed descriptions of the island of Cercia, as well as the characters in the book, I feel as though I've not only been there, but would love to visit again! It is obvious in her writing, Gwen cares for her characters and their settings and I could practically feel the energy she must have had during the writing process. I cannot wait to see where the story goes and join Asahel, Quentin, Felix, and Catherine in their adventures. My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't longer. Gwen Perkins has left me wanting more.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic World Waiting for Sequels March 7, 2012

By Ella

Format:Paperback

My rating is actually 3.5 of 5 stars.

Set in a fantasy country, where magicians are forbidden to leave or cast, harmful or helpful, magic on people.

This was an interesting read as it seesawed between being high-action and quickly paced to dramatic dialogs. The book is composed of four parts, and in the third, the plot became much more interesting and I became more sympathetic to the characters. The book did promote interesting ethical questions including how much a life is worth, and the value of knowledge. Perkins creates some interesting characters, though I would have liked to see more about the side characters. Perkins certainly set up a universe that's very open to future novels. Personally, I would like to read more about Felix.

On the other hand, there are quite a few typos and occasionally Perkins over-explains an idea.

Nibble: "I used to catch frogs and let them loose on her head, and she never screamed, not once. In fact, she used to put spiders in my tea when her mother called on mine."

I would recommend this book to lovers of fantasy.

I received a free electronic copy from the author.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read in years! March 7, 2012

By Desiree Finkbeiner

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

One of the best books I've read in years! Well written and well researched, the characters and customs of the people fit in perfectly with historical customs of the time period. And though it was a fictional place, the island of Cercia, Gwen's makes it feel real...

The story builds in suspense with every chapter, and drew me in immediately with the tension of grave digging, forbidden magic, rotting corpses, lost love, murder, betrayal and secret conspiracies... Unexpected turns are in store for the reader. I could tell Gwen is personally acquainted with her characters as they are easy to love, hate and empathize.

My favorite character, Asahel, is a tortured soul, trapped in between the classes and feels that he doesn't belong, an outcast who wears his feelings on his sleeve. His hunger for belonging tests his strength, his ability, his loyalty and leads to some unexpected turns in the plot.

Quentin, struggling with his own dysfunctional relationships at home, reaches out to Asahel, risking his own reputation to embark on a great adventure wrought with peril and deceit.

Felix, a character whose true intentions are unpredictable, driven by deep rooted motives, a manipulative character who plays a significant role in bringing the plot full circle. I couldn't decide whether to love him or hate him until the end.

Catherine.. I see myself in this character. Self-punishing and driven, hard-shelled and stubborn, yet a hidden tenderness which eventually propels her into the plot... a lifetime of regrets to atone for. Her weakness becomes her strength when she finally realizes what's at stake and she learns to appreciate what she has taken for granted.

To top it all off, there is an excellent moral to the story... how can you love another if you hate yourself? And how can you be loyal to anyone else if you are not true to yourself? All in all, an EXCELLENT read with action and magical tension. A book about loyalty and summoning the strength within do choose what's right in the face of certain death. 5 well-deserved stars! Can't wait for the next book in the series!

More About the Author

Gwen Perkins has always regarded the deep rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula as the one place that she feels most at home. Gwen grew up in small towns across the Pacific Northwest, going to slug races and strawberry festivals when she wasn't scribbling on any scrap of paper she could come by. She boasts the dubious distinction of going to a public school with only eight students, learning Irish sea chanteys from a man who sang with the Clancy Brothers, and catching tadpoles during classes.

Her adult life is generally just about as much fun.

She lives in the City of Destiny (better known as Tacoma, Washington). Her hobbies include wandering beaches, baking pies and lampworking. In between all of this, Gwen has written two novels in the Artifacts of Empire series: The Universal Mirror and The Jealousy Glass. The Universal Mirror has been nominated for a 2013 Endeavour Award.

She is presently at work on future novels in the Artifacts of Empire series while working on another series in collaboration with Wilson Fabián Saravia.