The Mirror King
(The Orphan Queen #1)
By Jodi Meadows
Hardcover, 544 pages
Published April 5th 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books
Average Rating: 4.27
Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.
HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.
HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.
HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.
In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.
Hsdhfokjdkljdlakjdiwhabcueljkladfhgasdfg. << THAT IS WHAT I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW. A complete and utter wreck full of turmoil, happiness, pain, and chaos. I’m a ball of emotions that won’t stop churning inside!!
That was worth every single second of waiting; I’m so wonderfully satisfied!! I cried so much during this novel. My pillow was soaked by the end of my second reread. I finished this book while in class, which probably wasn’t the best idea because I wanted to assume fetal position, but I needed to finish this. I don’t think I focused at all that day even after finishing the novel. I wanted to cry, and I did…subtly. I mean how embarrassing would that be if I really let the water works begin? At school? In front of all my classmates? They wouldn’t understand!! (Okay, some would..but still!!) Anyway, I promptly reread the book and finished it in the comforts of my blankets where I allowed myself to ugly cry, and still managed to be feel those heart-wrenching emotions knowing how it would end. Final words: I’m a broken person inside.
Everything was written to perfection. The book immediately started where we left off in The Orphan Queen, thank god, and Wil immediately went to one of her Ospreys, aka Connor, aka flasher aka healer, in order to save Tobiah’s life. We went right into the action and it was wonderful. Thank you so much Jodi for not writing some filler first chapter!! Tobiah (obviously) doesn’t die but in those first few chapters I really wondered if Wil wouldn’t be able to find Connor in time. AND, there was that damn wraith boy that got in the way of ALLL my hopes and dreams!! But the frustrating thing is, is that I can’t help but be sympathetic and pity him because he is the key to everything. Everything. This novel just moved at such an amazing pace with such beautifulness (I hear by declare that a word) that I couldn’t handle my emotions. Meadows is an expert torturer. It was like she was slowly, veerrry slowly, shredding my heart into pieces then slowly putting them back together again with super glue. Furthermore, the plot and ending was so good and the hype around this conclusion was worth every single minute of intense fangirling. The romance, the heart-breaking devastation that the characters faced, the war(!!), and everything in-between was indeed perfection.
“When Patrick is in the deepest dungeon, the wraith vanishes, and all my friends are safe: then I will be all right.”
So, I reunited with Wil once again and I love her defiance in this novel. She defies James and his guards, she defies Tobiah and the crown, she defies Patrick and the Red Militia, she defies pretty much everyone and becomes this badass, radiant (in both senses) QUEEN. OH THE FEELS. I’m so proud of her! *sniffles* The Mirror King really explores the consequences of her falling in love with [spoiler] Black Knife/Tobiah, with her animating the wraith into a (kinda, sorta) human boy (man was that a tragic and heart-rending scene to read…), and with Patrick leading an army against the Indigo Kingdom in her name. Wilhelmina must face the reality of becoming queen and what that means for her and her subjects. Furthermore, her loyalty, her bravery, her love for her friends and her vow to claim her kingdom again was refreshingly the reason (one of them anyway 😉 ) why I love this book, hell, this series so much. She goes through some serious development and I’m so happy and honored I was along for the ride. This character is the epitome of strength, love and amazingness. She is the best part of this novel, next to Tobiah of course.
Tobiah. OH MY GOD THAT LIST. THAT LIST BROKE ME. THAT LIST. THAT LIST. THAT LIST. I LOVE YOU. YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING. *swoon* Best. ending. ever. Tobiah, you ended Book 1 drowing in stupidity but you redeemed yourself and so much more in Book 2. You are one hell of a character. In my opinion, The Mirror King allowed readers to get to know Tobiah and Black Knife as one. I mean they are the same person but this book blended the two together and I got to see Tobiah deal with his Black Knife persona as the prince and how painful it was for him that he couldn’t be Black Knife anymore. Tobiah had to come to terms with the decisions he made as crown prince and as the vigilante, then later when he becomes king. He had to choose between duty and his heart, and no matter how cliché that sounded, Meadows twisted and morphed that idea so impeccably that it was just amazing. In The Orphan Queen, Tobiah and Black Knife were separate people but in The Mirror King, he became the real Tobiah who was Black Knife. (If I’m still confusing you, which I’m sure I am, GO READ THESE BOOKS AND YOU WON’T BE CONFUSED ANYMORE!!!) Tobiah, along with Wil, learned the tough responsibility of ruling a kingdom and I think Meadows portrayed that perfectly.
(…I’m still not over that list.)
“Black Knife crossed the room, a shifting heat and presence. A gloved palm cupped my cheek, hesitantly…It took everything in me not to lean into his touch; he was warm and solid, and like this he was my friend. But he was also Tobiah, and meant for someone else.”
THE ROMANCE IN THIS NOVEL GAVE ME CHEST PAINS. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t do anything but cry. Then I jumped for joy at the end. Because that ending. THAT LIST. *sigh* This book is perfect. Juuust perfect. I cried, I reread, I loved. That is the best thing that a book lover can do. These novels are the best books to come across. They are diamonds in the rough. Absolutely the best ride I’ve ever read.
I recommend these books to everyone in general and everybody should read them because they are amazing.
The Mirror King is the perfect blend of romance, magic and action. (And Tobiah because Tobiah is goals, and Wil because she is also goals). I’m devastated that Wil and Tobiah’s story is over but there are TWO amazing books that represent the best of the best YA novels. And, guys, I’m seriously book hungover. Go read these books now so we can be book hungover together.
Keep calm and read on,
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Side note: Comment how many times I used the word “perfection” or any form of that word. XD
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A Court of Mist and Fury
The Orphan Queen (The Orphan Queen #1)
I finished this book in a night. I couldn’t stop if I wanted to, I just kept flipping page after page because I needed to know what would happen next. I revel in those books that won’t let me put it down until I’m done. The Orphan Queen truly had power over me.
The emotional distress I felt reading this book was overwhelming. It didn’t help that the plot and conflict was also amazing and tore my heart out of my chest. You will get the feels reading this book, I promise.
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Addictively Turning Pages 