The Mirador (Hardcover)

by Sarah Monette (Author)
Key Phrases: thaumaturgic architecture, last indiction, first indiction, Lord Stephen, Lower City, Lord Shannon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Monette continues the fantastic saga begun in Mélusine and The Virtu with virtuoso narratives of theatrical, political and magical intrigues. Within the walled city of Mélusine, destabilized by unsolved murders and the lack of a legitimate royal heir, stands the fortress known as the Mirador, from which wizards strive to consolidate and increase their power. Felix Harrowgate, the Mirador's most powerful wizard, and his half-brother, former assassin Mildmay the Fox, find themselves mired in new intrigues when Mildmay's lover, the renowned actress Mehitabel Parr, becomes an unwilling spy for the rival wizards of the Bastion. Felix is further distracted by endless bickering with his partner, Gideon Thraxios, and trying to understand the implications of the backwards sky in the magical dreamworld of the Khloïdanikos. Mehitabel fears the destruction of her theatrical company, and the lowborn Mildmay struggles against the prejudice of wizards and lords. Though Felix's more esoteric magical problems remain unresolved, several plot lines find satisfying conclusions, and a well-developed world waits to be explored in sequels. (Aug.)
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Product Description
The dashing wizard Felix Harrowgate has reclaimed his sanity, magic, and position in society. But even as he returns to his former place in the Mirador-the citadel of power and wizardry-there are many who desire his end. Mildmay the Fox is an ex-assassin, a cat-burglar, and Felix's half-brother. Tied to Felix by blood and magic, Mildmay goes where Felix goes-even into the Mirador. There, Mildmay finds himself drawn to an alluring spy of the Bastion, a rival school of wizards.

The Bastion desires above all else to bring down the Mirador, and Felix is the key to its destruction. But Mildmay cannot let Felix stand alone, and will fight to save both his brother and his city from certain ruin.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Ace Hardcover (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044101500X
• ISBN-13: 978-0441015009
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #504,760 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 3 in The Doctrine of Labyrinths Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wrenching, excellent novel, August 12, 2007

By	M. Jacobs (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This is a profoundly upsetting book, worse even than the previous two in the series. That probably doesn't sound like much of a compliment, yet it is, because the reason this novel leaves you in such an emotional muddle is entirely due to the depth of affection you feel for the characters. There's not a fantasy author in the business right now better than Ms. Monette at drawing you into her world and making you believe absolutely in the people she's writing about.

There's not as much pure adventure in this novel as there is in its two predecessors, which is inevitable given the fact that the action takes place entirely in Melusine. Nor does this book exhibit the solid emotional core that made _The Virtu_ such a joy to read--the complicated, fascinating relationship between Mildmay and Felix. While that certainly still exists, it is neither explored nor developed. Felix has lapsed back into his nasty, self-centered ways, and is backsliding by degrees on the promise he made to his brother not to use their magical bond against him. Mildmay is stuck, for most of the novel, in exactly the same amnesiac place he occupied when _The Virtu_ ended. And there are very few scenes in the book that involve only the two brothers. You understand why they're being so cautious, and yet so careless, with each other, yet you can't help but feel frustrated by the distance between them. You hope for better, but you never get more than occasional echoes of the intensity that characterized their journey back to Melusine.

All that aside, the plot does move with its expected intricacy from point A to point B, Mehitabel's character emerges from the shadows, Mildmay continues to exhibit his extraordinary talent for finding his way through mazes both literal and figurative, and Felix narrowly escapes the gruesome fate planned for him by his enemies. By the time the book ends you do have reason to hope that life is going to improve for the brothers, which I suppose is about as much in the way of optimism as one can expect from such a dark, painful novel.

This is an excellent read. The book won't make any sense if you try to start with it, though, so begin at the beginning with _Melusine_ if you haven't already. And if you've visited Ms. Monette's world before, by all means keep going with it. It's very much worth your time.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the wait!, August 7, 2007

By	E. R. Smith (Soon to be Chicago) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been counting the months and days for this third book in the Melusine series and it was indeed worth the wait. Set two years after the events in The Virtu, the first person narratives of Felix and Mildmay are joined by those of actress/spy Mehitabel Parr. The lapse in time as a plot device works well for her character, giving plausability to her settled position and blooming career on the stage. Felix and Mildmay seem to be in a holding pattern though, with their relationship and situations at the beginning of this book much the same as where we left off in The Virtu. The only big exception to this is Felix's (now) longstanding partnership with Gideon dissipating the sexual tension between Felix and Mildmay (something I was actually disappointed in). Though it's been suggested that everyone seems to be constantly on the outs with each other in this series, it makes me appreciate Monette's writing even more that everything is not suddenly sunshine and kittens. The characters all have pasts that fostered such a lack of trust for anyone in any sort of protector role (their various Keepers not to mention Malkar) that the smallest step in the development of their relationships is an emotional milestone. This is definately a world where one's quickly thrown to the wolves and she doesn't let you forget it. Mildmay's desperate need to have some sort of relationship with Felix is for me the most compelling of all the plot lines, though Felix's descent into the world of tarquins and martyrs and his slow realization that he's becoming what he hates most is right up there as well. Sorry Mehitabel...it's hard to compete with that much drama.
Set almost entirely in the city of Melusine, this book had me drawing parallels to Tanith Lee's "Secret Books of Paradys" and not only for the use of French names and places. Lee's dark and haunting books drew me in like a fish on a hook and Monette's are just as compelling with the rich, sinister atmosphere and history of her world. The first person narratives give the sense that she's telling these stories straight to you, through the characters, like ghost stories on a dark night. That's part of what makes me unable to put the darn things down until I've read them cover to cover. The author's website gives a useful map of the city and an explanation of the calendrical system, a touch that shows how she's thought this world through to a delightfully intricate level which includes family dynasties, labyrinth-based religions, ancient magics, the city's own form of caste system and this volume's focus on spy machinations. Let's not forget the Obligation d'ame whose mention always leaves me curious to see where it will all play out. To make a long review short because I don't want to give away plot points - there are alot of authors who write alot of books that I enjoy reading in a year, but Monette's are on a short list that really capture my imagination. They leave me feeling like spreading the word about how fantastic they are (this is the first review I've ever written in all my years of using Amazon - that's how strongly I feel about this series!). And needless to say, I'm already eagerly awaiting the next one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this series, October 8, 2007

By	Theresa - See all my reviews

Sarah Monette has created an absolutely fascinating world, but it is her characters who really draw me in. I love both Felix and Mildmay (though Mildmay is my favorite). I wasn't sure if I would like having Mehitabel as a narrator, but it seemed to work and allowed the reader to see outside both Mildmay and Felix.

I don't know if I enjoyed this 3rd installment as much as the first two. Don't get me wrong, I liked it quite a bit. And the first 2 were so good, that even if this one wasn't as engaging, it is still worth 5 stars.