Kimberly Reviews Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney + Giveaway!

Kimberly’s Review of Dark Mirror by
M.J. Putney

Book: Dark Mirror

Author: M.J. Putney

How I got it: From the publisher!

Why I read it: The plot intrigued me, and when it was offered to me I took it!

Ok, first of all. I really like the cover. I like the colors and the muted tone, and the image of the girl.

Here is a plot summary that I stole from Goodreads.

“Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.
Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.
When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.
But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.”

This book really pulled me into the story. I kept sneaking a page here and there while I was supposed to be working. (Shhh!) The book was completely new to me, as was the author, and yet there was something about the characters that made me feel like I was on the third or fourth book in a series. Within a few chapters I felt like I knew each of the characters, when they said or did things it just made sense. Everything the characters did felt natural to me.The story has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engrossed. I was NOT expecting some of the stuff that happened, but I liked it!

However, there were a few points in the book where I felt like the characters accepted what was happening too easily. The ‘taint’ of magic and the way that some of the characters felt about it was a little too much, but at the same time the author needed to establish how people felt about magic early on, so it was important. It was just that occasionally I felt like saying “really? Did you really have to say it like that?” But more often than not I was too interested in what was happening to even notice stuff like that.

Overall, a great read. It’s been a while since I’ve been so pulled into a book, I finished it in about a week. Considering that I’m taking 8 classes and working 40 hours a week, that’s a short amount of time for me!
4.5 Stars!

The publisher has kindly given us a copy of Dark Mirror to give away to one of you lovelies! Please leave a comment below with a way to get in contact with you  (email, Twitter, blog, etc.). US only. This giveaway will end April 1st.