Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She's heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow. But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner-none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it's too late. The Mirror: Broken Wish marks the first book in an innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, Jennifer Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.

Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao is the first book of The Mirror series which is essentially a fractured fairy tales series. The concept is that four different authors each contribute one book to the series which tells the story of a family saga over the generations — with a magical twist. Dao’s story of a friendship gone sour and the future consequences of one bad choice was quite the starting story. I am so interested to see the direction this series will take.

Dao’s Broken Wish opens up with a young couple who live next door to a woman named Mathilde in 1800s Germany. The couple has had zero luck getting pregnant. The wife has struck up a friendship with Mathilde. However, there are all kinds of rumors about Mathilde. She has a way to help the couple with their fertility issues. In exchange, she asks the wife to have dinner with her weekly. The wife does not keep her promise — and a promise unfulfilled has consequences.

Flashforward to the future, Agnes, the wife has a daughter — Elva. She also has two sons. Mathilde has essentially moved away from the house next door and is living in the woods. Agnes’s family has found financial success — however, for every three good things that happen, one bad thing happens. Elva has an ability — she is able to see the future in the reflection of water. One day she sees a scary vision of the future and decides to do whatever she can to prevent it. This also has consequences.

I genuinely enjoyed reading Broken Wish. It wasn’t quite what I had expected — i.e. the main characters being white. However, it does a decent job setting up the following three books to come. Having read the second book in the series, Shattered Midnight, I can really appreciate Dao’s contribution to this series. I found I enjoyed reading about Elva and how she learns magic beyond her scrying ability. The world building was interesting as well. At this point, I am really looking forward to reading the final two books in The Mirror series.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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