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This is my fourth series by Jeff Wheeler that I have read and in all of his other series, book two are always intense and non-stop. The Harbinger Series is no different. Wheeler has a way with words that grip his readers to draw them in. After discovering that this book takes place at Muirwood Abbey, I was so excited to continue the story. Even though the timeline is much further into the future, Muirwood Abbey still has its magical charm and peacefulness. I really enjoyed seeing the twist on the old ways with this new future. One of my favorite, and dreadful, parts of the book was bringing Kingfountain together with the empire. Two of my favorite worlds finally combined again. However, the worlds are on the verge of war. Wheeler truly exudes his words to describe the tension between the places and making it hard to choose a side! The pacing of the book, as always, was perfect. There was never a dull moment even with the amount of details he provides. Each place is easily imaginable and I can truly see the world as I read about it.

Cettie and Sera. What do I say about these two amazing girls? Wheeler has always created these amazing, strong willed characters and these two are no different. I really enjoyed seeing Cettie coming into her abilities. She started out with nothing and now with the help of the Abbey, she is truly showing her strengths. I also really enjoyed how she was already part of the Fitzroy family. Her past is still questionable and I like how subtle Wheeler makes it. The question lingers there but it is never the dominating part of the book. Sera has grown up so much. The devotion she has to her people is enduring and really makes you want her to become empresses. While she still struggles and gets distracted, her growth has really shown with how much she is willing to take responsibility of the whole empire. Towards the end, I was crushed at her disposition even though I know everything will work out in the next book. I cannot wait to see how much further these two girls grow in the next book.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Mirror Gate by Jeff Wheeler is a perfect addition his world and the Harbinger Series. The story was nonstop and addictive. There was no part of the book that was dull and boring creating the perfect pace. Cettie and Sera are perfect characters for this world. Their personalities are so different but compliment each other in the best way. I cannot wait to continue their story and to watch them grow even more. I highly recommend this book if you enjoyed Storm Glass, fantasy, and a world that is always growing.

Honestly, I can’t say enough about this series. I love the characters, I love the series, I love the way it ties into his other novels (oh heck! spoiler!!) Being as this is the second book in the series it’s kind of hard to avoid spoiling at least little things, so I’m going to try to be as vague as possible, but you are warned.

In book two of the Harbinger series we return to Sera and Cettie. The two young girls with an affinity for “the Mysteries” of this world, have been training and growing in the years that have passed since the first book, Storm Glass. While Cettie has proven to be a natural at connecting to the magical forces around them, Sera is having a difficult time. As the daughter of the Prince Regent she is beset with political intrigue and is unprepared to deal with those already moving to do her harm. Cettie also finds herself the target of a particularly dangerous foe (friend? family?). I’m not sure how things will turn out for the girls, but I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that book three is coming out later this year, so I won’t have to wait too long! Mr. Wheeler is showering us with riches this year!

I have to admit that Cettie is still my favorite. Last book I saw her as a Jane Eyre type character, but this book I am definitely getting some Esther Summerson (Bleak House) vibes from her. She even has her own Mr. Guppy hanging about, causing her consternation with his absolute adoration. I love a Charles Dickens nod! Another character I adore unabashedly is Lord Fitzroy. I do love a book with grey characters, those who are not 100% good or bad, but one thing I love about this series is there are characters who really are a white knight, 100% on the side of the angels. Fitzroy is someone you can you can just love and that feels almost like a relief to this reader.

I will warn you, this paragraph contains a BIG spoiler as we are starting to see some connection … to Kingfountain. In Storm Glass, we found our way to Muirwood (which felt like a homecoming), so this is an exciting new development that ties us even closer to the original books by Mr. Wheeler.

If you couldn’t tell I really enjoy these books, and if you like fantasy, especially clean fantasy then this is the series for you. Book three is coming soon and I can’t wait to see what happens to Cettie and Sera, as well as see how they tie into the larger history of these worlds. I’m holding my breath for an ARC. I’ve been lucky so far. May the Mysteries provide!

Fans of both George R.R. Martin and Robin Hobb must read Jeff Wheeler! Jeff Wheeler lets his readers know that everyone is a pawn in the "great game." Unfortunately, children have to learn how to guard themselves in order to avoid becoming these pawns. "The Harbinger Series" gives us a fantasy world with realistic characters and harsh realities.

"Mirror Gate" is a sequel to "Storm Glass," but it takes place 4 years later. Both female protagonists, Cettie and Sera, are growing up and coming into their own. However, like several other adolescents, both worry about their futures. One, is the ward of a Lord, and the other is the heir apparent to the Empire. The religion haunts one, while the politics haunts the other. It is a shame when people gamble with the lives of others for their own personal gain! In the long run, no matter how long it takes, the worse is presented for all to see.

Jeff Wheeler expands on his world by explaining both the culture, and the government in order for the readers to grasp what is happening, and what will happen by the novel's end. Both the climax, and the ending of "Mirror Gate" has already have me eager to read the next novel in "The Harbinger Series," "Iron Garland."

It is shameful that more readers of the fantasy genre have not read Jeff Wheeler's books. While he remains in the "underground" of fantasy literature, Wheeler continues to lure his readers into his world. If you are behind on Wheeler's works, the you can start with "The Harbinger Series"; and, that's because there are two books in this series, currently. While you wait for "Iron Garland," you can read the rest of Wheeler's books.

This is the second book in Wheeler’s Harbinger series. In this book, Princess Sera is having a hard time learning how to control the Mysteries, something that seemingly comes easy to her friend Cettie. Adding to her misery is her father has come to believe that he is not Sera’s father, but he has not yet disowned her either. In order to ascend the throne upon the emperor’s, she must learn the magic that will allow her to lead her people to victory should the empire be attacked. When the emperor dies, she and her father, the prince regent, are both candidates for the throne.

This high fantasy with steampunk elements is written in such a way as to please YA readers. However, his character development of the Princess and Cettie lacks depth.

Enjoyable book, I wish it was longer. The two main characters are Princess Sera and her friend Cettie. Sera is doubtful of her abilities, while with Cettie she seems born with many abilities. They go through school together and as things progress a war with another world breaks out.

I talked about this book on my podcast, Gamestack. I'll attach an itunes link, but the show is available on dozens of other podcast services, as well as Youtube and Twitch.

This 2nd addition to the series was very interesting. Wheeler does an excellent job in developing the characters and how the magic of that world works. One thing that might be confusing to readers is the development of other nations and the modes of transportation.

Another fantastic book in The Harbinger series- a must read for fantasy lovers!
Mirror Gate (The Harbinger Series Book #2) by Jeff Wheeler is a phenomenal second book! This is one of those series you savor because you don’t want it to end.
So far this series has not disappointed. You can expect twists and turns (not all are predictable), great world building that brings you into the story, and not being able to put the book down.
Warning, minimal spoilers below…
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Cettie and Sera are back, this time a friendship has formed while they are roommates at Muirwood Abbey. Each navigate their lives the best they can during the awkward teen years and what destiny has in store for them. There are big gains and losses this time around. New characters add mystique.
New weapons and magic create trouble. There is revealing of some of the mysteries, knowledge, and history related to the world (Yay!). Expect lots of action and more political moves.

While you read this, you will be reminded that anything is possible, we can be our own worst enemy at times, even when times are tough you must continue on, and similar life lessons. Read the author’s note at the end, you can see how it influenced this series.

This book is not meant to be a stand-alone, so start from the beginning or you will miss key details. The book switches between Cettie and Sera’s viewpoints, but it does not confuse the reader and is beautifully done.

I look forward to listening to the audiobook when released. Also looking forward to the third book being released this year (Iron Garland November 13, 2018). This is going to be a repeat read series for me, which is a rare thing.

I would recommend this series for those who love fantasy with elements of steampunk and good life lessons. If you enjoyed the first one, you will enjoy this one.
Parental advisory/trigger warnings: war, death from war or nefarious characters, weapons such as an arquebus, abductions or attempted abductions (can’t go into specifics without giving major spoilers away), demons/ghosts possessing bodies. The main characters are older teens in this book- there is some mild flirting/pursuing/interest of others. There is no swearing.
As with the first book, I would have no problem letting my younger teen/tween read this book due to the life lessons involved.

*I received an advanced copy of this book from 47North via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review the book!

#MirrorGate #NetGalley #Fantasy #SciFi #Steampunk #Reading #LifeLessons #Books #JeffWheeler #MustRead #Magic #Teens #YoungAdult

This book picks up several years after the first book in the series, Storm Glass, left off.

WARNING: SPOILERS FROM THE FIRST BOOK AHEAD. If you have not read Storm Glass, it's review instead by clicking here: Review of Storm Glass

When the book begins, Cettie and Sera have been at Muirwood Abbey for the past 4 years, learning the Mysteries.

I would love for Jeff Wheeler to write a novella telling more about what happened in the 4 years between Storm Glass and Mirror Gate.

As we learned in Storm Glass, Cettie has an affinity for the Mysteries, and they come to her easily. Sera, on the other hand, sucks at it, and not mastering the Mysteries may put her destiny at risk.

One thing that frustrated me in this book is how everyone kept explaining that all Cettie's problems would be solved once she learns the Mysteries, even though some of those problems were life threatening, and no one ever recommended taking the test early or anything... Not even a couple of weeks earlier than planned... Smh

I read a retweet that said sometimes I want to hug Jeff Wheeler, and other times, I want to throw him off the edge of a ski manor. I had the same feelings several times while reading this series! I've been on a roller coaster of emotion throughout both books!

😘
😄 😲 😮

OMG! That is all I have to say after reading this book! I don't want to give away any spoilers about this book or it's ending, so please just go read it!

This book was just as good, if not better than the first book! I am glad we finally learned a little more about the Mysteries, though! I was getting tired of everyone talking about them and not explaining anything.

The only thing I'm not happy about is having to wait to see what happens next! I looked on Jeff Wheeler's website, and it looks like book #3, Iron Garden, will be released in November, which is waaaaay too long.

This book was AH-MAY-ZING! Again, Jeff Wheeler blew my mind! I can't wait to read the next book in the series! If I can't find an ARC soon, I plan to read the Kingsfountain and the Legends of Muirwood series so that I understand more about Cettie's world.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Was there a time jump as I predicted? Why yes there was! It wasn't quite so dramatic as some of the jumps in the Kingfountain series but you do feel that things have progressed. I was actually quite grateful for the jump as it feels a little like 'fast forwarding' through the bits that everyone could have predicted. We knew that Cettie would be great with the Mysteries and we knew that Sera and Cettie would be friends and reading it would have been nice, but not hugely engaging. 

So we are dropped back into the setting after some years have passed and Cettie and Sera are both getting ready to leave school and enter the big wide world. For both girls, this is hugely significant but it felt a lot more intense from Sera's perspective as for her, entering the world means vying for control of the entire kingdom. Cettie certainly has her share of problems and trepidation about entering the world, but it isn't quite the same. 

I was surprised by how much I still enjoyed both of these characters. Usually, with dual POV I end up rooting for one character and getting bored in the other chapters. In this case, I found them both equally engaging and I just wanted them both to be ok. 

Another thing I was expecting from this sequel was to delve a little more into how the Mysteries work. That does happen to some extent, it isn't a magic system that gives you a huge amount of detail, there's no handy instruction manual anywhere, but it does feel like less of a 'we don't want to explain this right now' than in the first book. 

There is more politics, more whispering behind hands, more danger, more excitement and more oomph behind this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Storm Glass but I think that by moving away from the 'poor Cettie isn't she privileged to be brought into our society' narrative (it's still there but it ceases to be the focus) these two characters were really able to reach a higher potential. 

I am left feeling exceedingly excited for book three, if Kingfountain is anything to go by, we know that Jeff Wheeler can end a trilogy well. I'm excited to see what happens. 

My rating: 4/5 stars

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jeff Wheeler writes the best YA coming of age novels, and this is another excellent story. Book 2 of the Harbinger series continues the story of Cettie and Sera, two strong young women who will have to fight to save their world. Sera, born to wealth and privilege, and Cettie, raised in the lower class Fells are unlikely friends, but their goals and moral strength make them strong allies. Wheeler's stories are well developed, well written, and rich in alternate world building. You can not go wrong with one of his books. Many thanks to NetGalley and 47North for the e-arc. I can't wait for book 3!

Mirror Gate is the second instalment of Jeff Wheeler's planned five book Harbinger series.

Our two young female protoganists, Sera and Cettie continue their respective journeys of self-discovery, while navigating societal strictures and political intrigue.

This is a kingdom that is outwardly being slowly ravaged by a seemingly incurable sickness, but it is the rot from within that is truly corrupting the bona mores of a society that is teetering on the brink of war.

Jeff Wheeler has continued strongly from Storm Glass and expanded upon his wonderfully accessible world building with identifiable, deep characters that are a joy to read from beginning to end.

If you are looking for a fantasy series with strong, young female protoganists, then you can't go wrong with The Harbinger.

The only criticism that I have is that the ending of Mirror Gate was rather muted considering the preceding action. The so-called big reveal was clearly telegraphed by the title of the series, which somewhat deflated this revelation.

That minor gripe aside, a thoroughly enjoyable series so far and I am really looking forward to reading Iron Garland.

Another wonderful book from Jeff Wheeler. He really excels at writing these coming of age books. Wonderful female characters and a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the reader.

I was very excited to return to Jeff Wheeler’s new series and much appreciative of his publishing schedule which allows us to read his novels close together when the characters and details are still fresh. Obviously this book is meant for readers who have read the first book of this series so if you have not read Storm Glass stop and do so. This book continues with Sera and Cettie and once again alternates from their POVs. Sera is once again caught in the intrigues of royalty and who will rule the empire with her father as her rival. Cettie is still navigating the difficulty of being from the Fells but now walking among the elite. This book also adds in the element of the Mysteries that have been eluded to in more detail. If you enjoyed the first book then you will feel the same about this one.

This book can easily be read by readers who read the first book without reading the author’s previous series. However, this book does not spend much time on details explained in his other works. This makes for a quick read as we don’t spend much time on the backstory which is great for readers familiar with the worlds he has created. You could read this book and decide for yourself if you want more detail or if you would prefer to understand the leerings and Muirwood better then read the Muirwood series first. There is also a lot of references to a world called Kingfountain which new readers might not know is taken from the series of the same name (and my favorite of his earlier series). That world is not as important to the story as Muirwood so it could be read after this book without missing much if you want to learn more and it’s worth the read. I suspect we may learn more about how Kingfountain connects as the story progresses.

Jeff Wheeler once again impressed me with his ability to write strong female protagonists. As we learned in the first book Sera and Cettie are very different but both are compelling in their own ways. I am also very glad that Muirwood appears to be a brief footnote in this series. I was worried at the end of the first book that we would be once again be returning to a place that we have done in that series but that is not the case. We will not be following them as students for long. There are wonderful secondary characters and returning characters brought into this story and new unanswered questions as well. As always when I read a series by this author I will be excitedly waiting for the next one.

I do wish the author’s note at the end of the book had been longer. From his other books I enjoy learning about how the book came about and where it is going. I was expecting to read more about how this book ties in with Muirwood and Kingfountain. I’m not sure of the time period this book falls and was hoping to find out. Readers of his previous works might have the same question about a certain prince. I’m awful at names and can’t remember if he is a new character or was in that series.