I did not like this book as much as the first one in the series. However, I appreciate that the author listened to reviewers who said the first book did not have enough world-building.

I read this book a few years ago. When I didn't know that we had to make a review here as well. I remember liking this book, still have to finish the rest of the series actually!

I would like to thank Entangled Publishing and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book and I still got fooled I was thinking of an independent book and I see that it is the second in the series: "The Witchling Academy" which makes me want to read the prequel even more.

It features Seraphina who is the seventh daughter of a witch. She feels isolated following the loss of her powers and the loss of her mother.

A young professor brings her to his house to hire her in his moonlighting detective agency. He offers her what she has always dreamed of: a chance. Thanks to this professor she will pass the entrance exam to the magic school and maybe find her family. Except that ghosts will possess her, she will struggle to escape and she will find that the souls of lost witches and sorcerers appear to her in mirrors. She will try to save the world from witches.

A book read in one go, so much so that I hooked into the story so captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns with endearing characters. Too eager to read the previous book to learn more about the characters.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honesr review.  I loved Seventh Born and Miror Bound was just as good. I love Sera she grow on you as you follow her path to finding her family and working for her the one person who gave her what she craves.... a chance. She not only grows as a character, but her magic and abilities grow as well. She is on the path to fulfilling her wishes and dreams.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review from the publisher via NetGalley.**

Title Mirror Bound (The Witchling Academy #2)

Author Monica Sanz

Release Date September 10, 2019

Description from Amazon

Conspirator. Failure. Murderer.

Seraphina Dovetail is used to being called all these things. As the seventh-born daughter to a witch, and the cause of her mother losing both her powers and her life, Sera has always felt isolated. Until Nikolai Barrington.

The young professor not only took an interest in Sera—he took her into his home, hired her for his moonlighting detective agency, and gave her the one thing she’d always dreamed of: a chance. Under Barrington’s tutelage, Sera can finally take the School of Continuing Magic entrance exam to become an inspector and find her family. Now if only she could stop her growing attraction to her maddening boss—which is about as easy as this fiery elementalist quitting setting things on fire.

But when ghosts start dragging Sera into possessions so deep she can barely escape, and then the souls of lost witches and wizards appear trapped in mirrors, these two opposites will have to work together to uncover a much deeper secret that could destroy the Witchling world…

Initial Thoughts

I’d be lying if I said the author’s name wasn’t my primary reason for wanting to read this book. I can’t resist supporting a fellow Monica. I also happen to love books about witches so this was a total win-win. I read Seventh Born back in September but never got around to Mirror Bound until this past weekend. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy Seventh Bound, but it wasn’t a series that screamed “where’s the next book? I need it right now”.

Some Things I Liked

Nik and Sera. I liked their relationship and I thought it felt realistic.
The timeline. I also really appreciated the timeline structure of this story. A lot happened in the first book and I thought the six month time lapse felt appropriate for the storyline.
The magic system. I also really liked the world building and magic system used in this book. We got to see some of it in the first book but Mirror Bound elaborated on the world in a much needed way.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

The ending. It was kind of a letdown. I hope there is a third book in this series because I would like to see more of Sera and Nik.

Series Value

I enjoyed this series. I’d definitely read the next book (if there is a next book). I think book 2 solidified my enjoyment of the series overall and made the over-arching storyline stronger.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I’d continue with the series and it had everything I look for in a good witch story. I’m not sure if the next book would be a “drop everything and read it” kind of book, but, I’d add any sequels to my TBR.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Given by Nandi Taylor – if you liked the magic school element of this book, give this January release by Nandi Taylor a try.
The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross – if you liked Nik and Sera’s relationship as well as secrets and a main character who is looking for her lost family, try this series by Rebecca Ross.
Emerald’s Fracture by Kate Kennelly – again, if you like Nik and Sera’s slow burn romance and you liked the magic school setting, give this shorter series by Kate Kennelly a try.

Wow this book was just so good and so easy to get lost in. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I just didn't want it to end. I just couldn't get enough of these wonderful characters and I just loved getting to see their journey. I will most definitely be reading more stories from this wonderful author.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

This picks up where the first left off. You do need to read the first to understand this one because there are references to the past incidents that you need to know about to help put all happening in this book in context.

Favorite character: Barrington. Love him. He is patient and kind. He doesn’t think much of himself and as he learns about his brother it kills him on the inside.. He sacrifices alot for Seraphina in this book and he changes. He is still patient and kind but he grows and you see his feelings more. You see the depth of who he is and his love for those he considers family. But also you see the depth of his feelings for Seraphina and his belief and faith in her. He is doing more than Seraphina sees when it comes to the case they are on.

Favorite moment: Barrington last decision when it came to a particular madam and how he shows his understanding and acceptance of himself, who his brother had become and his feelings for Seraphina. This happens in the last part of this action packed book.

The storyline: fast paced and filled with danger, intrigue and action. You have Seraphina and Barrington at each other at times but this is due to the stubbornness of our awesome female lead and her own self doubt, jealousy and frustration at things. Seraphina is also feeling alot of guilt and it weighs on her. We see a little political intrigue where it feels like a star wars moment and the veil of the dark side is upon them but you have the rebellion quietly out there as well. The romance area is a slow one but sweet and is left in a good spot. As is the story for she wraps things up nicely but still leaves the door open for more books to be written about Seraphina and Barrington. I love the danger and reveals that come out as they go on the hunt to see what has happened to the orphans. How we get a myth become reality and how it affects everyone involved in some way. I love seeing how Seraphina has overcome so much and is on her way to what she wants.

Overall: Still love our female character Seraphina as she grows and begins her future and getting her goal. She is stubborn and has so much love to give. The romance was sweet and the ending in this aspect was sweet. The story isintriguing and filled with mystery, reveals, secrets uncovered, acceptance, moving on and growing. A great action packed tale that has you on your seat and wondering will they figure it out, can Seraphina save him and when will they get together. Loved this book in the series and hope we get more of Seraphina and Barrington.

This is a great sequel to Sevnth Born, Sera is now living on Barrington's house, working as his assistant. However although she is almost ready to enter the aetherium she is still face with discrimination due to her Seventh Born status. She is also facing accusations of her contribution to Timothy's death, however Sera is such an strong character that she endures. Barrington's also faces his own problems, however Sera's love for him help him overcome this. Sera's love for Barrington' is clear in this book, I love that he seems to be so untouch by her love, however depends on her so much.

I really loved Mirror Bound!

But let’s start from the beginning and I need to tell you that Mirror Bound is actually book 2 of The Witchling Academy series. To be honest, I have not heard of it before but I was lucky to be given access to both books and be able to offer you a more in depth review.

The series starts with Seventh Born in a world where withches are the norm and there is a strong held belief surronding the birth of the seventh born girl of a witch. Let’s me tell you it is all about rainbows and unicorns.

In fact, the books are about one of those unlucky seventh born, thus the title of book one called Sera. It starts off with her being in a with school and of course being the odd one out.

I would say that this is your typical High School drama but with withces, but I do not think that this overly siplified statement would do it justice. There are classic tropes in the plot, but at the same time it isn’t as clear. It actually goes to the next level and there are quite a number of twists and turns that kept me really hooked.

The leading male character is Barry, and he is also very complex, I mean Monica brought together 2 people with extremely difficult back stories together and IMHO, it was extremely well done!

Though none of us live in a world where witches are the norm, it was very easy to feel part of this world and care about the 2 main leads. Between both books, the timeline is quite good, though at times I wanted things to go a little faster.

But, you know me beloved readers, I am an impatient one!

I am writing this and to be honest, I cannot wait to have my hands on book 3 and it makes me wonder on the size of the series, Mirror Bound opened up a lot of plot points, and I do not think that it will take just one more book to resolve. Frankly, I would be happy with another 3 volumes or more if that is the case because there is so much to explore.

As I was reading, I realised books around witches are not usually one of my common reads, and the one series on the topic that I am most obsessed with is the series called The Day 12 Witches Burned by Grace M. DeLeesie and I do enjoy in a more fun tone Annette Marie’s The Guild Codex series. We can safely say that this series is joining these other 2 I just mentioned in my Witch related themed favorites.

Though it is slower paced than my liking, the books are very well written and captivating, I am going to be very highly recommending them to you all. I do suggest to start with book 2 as it sets up everything you need to enjoy Mirror Bound.

I do hope you love it as much as I did!

the follow up to seventh born, mirror bound, might suffer a bit of sophomore slump in that it's a book that is perhaps trying to do too much. the fantasy, the magic, the forbidden romance are all there, but so is the shadowy government subplot and more magical rules and exams and schooling.

but all of these elements are still good. the story is still enjoyable and the chemistry between sera and nik is still so compelling. just make sure you pick up book one before this one, as it is definitely part of a series and you will be missing something if you haven't read what came before.

**mirror bound will publish on september 10, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (entangled teen) in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved reading the first book, because of the magical atmosphere and the characters. Going into the second book, I had very high expectations! That's why I gave this book 4 stars and not 5. But nevertheless, this story is absolutely beautiful!

After reading the first novel, I already knew that Monica Sanz writing style is extremely captivating. She creates the whole fantasy world so effortlessly, which just blows my mind. The chemistry between the characters is particularly dominant in this book and I enjoyed every single second.

The whole book series is so underrated! You definitely have to check out the first book in this book series, if you haven't done that yet.

Sequel to Seventh Born!
Thanks to Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read and review Mirror Bound by Monica Sanz!
Sera doesn’t remember much of her past. She’s lived with Nikolai Barrington for the last two years. Barrington is helping Sera do everything she can to become an investigator because she wants to solve mysteries and help others as Barrington has helped her. She’s a seventh born shunned by everyone. Sera has also been tortured due to being a seventh born and Barrington has given her a place to heal in mind and body. She feels safe in his home and his staff treats her with love and kindness also. Sera has a crush on Barrington and she questions if it’s only because he’s made her feel safe and secure or more than that. Together they solve mysteries and hunt criminals, human and supernatural. Barrington’s tumultuous past is partially revealed, as is Sera’s past. The two of them have much in common and their relationship continues to grow stronger. They encounter the Enchantress who drains the magic and life out of humans and they are faced with a dangerous opponent! 4 stars for this romantic fantasy for young adults!

Mirror Bound by Monica Sanz is the second book to this interesting series. We follow Seraphina trying to get into the continuing school so she can become an inspector, dealing with her feelings for Nikolai, and still taking on cases with him. Well, until a particular case that he doesn't want to take presents itself.

Are the secrets in the mirror?

Seraphina Dovetail
Seraphina has changed since the last book and its good to see a bit of the difference in her. She has more control of her magic and seems to be doing a bit better. Well, except for the occasional ghost appearing. Her hot-headedness is still there, and she takes a case without Nik. That can be either a good thing or a bad thing. It didn't go very well as she needed his help. During that time, she was working on her entrance exams, and all seems good.

Government
We see more of the magical government in this one, and it seems a bit off to me. They say that they have moved on from being Purists, but not all of them hold the ideals. You have to keep your eye on those people. The main person in government that we have seen from both books is Mr. Delacourt, Timothy's father, who isn't very happy with Seraphina. He also might be after something that he probably shouldn't be messing with.

Three Stars
Mirror Bound by Monica Sanz is the second book but this one kind of lost me in it. There was just a lot going on in the book that made it hard to concentrate. I am giving Mirror Bound by Monica Sanz a three-star rating, but I am still recommending it to everyone that loves to read about Young Adult fantasy books.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope that you enjoyed Mirror Bound by Monica Sanz.

Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Well color my surprised when half way through this one I was like am I missing something. O, yes I am book one!! So it seems that I accidentally picked this one up not realizing it was a book two. Well facepalm for one in isle three. That being said I think I would have loved this one even more if I would have read book one. Which I hopefully will be getting soon. This one was still good although I was missing everything from what happened in book one. All of the story elements in this one fit together like a puzzle. and The mystery just worked so well. I fell for the characters and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to go back and read book one so I can then reread this one again with all the information that I kind of needed in this one.

Perfect for the Halloween season, Mirror Bound is a fantasy story that will bring all the magic! Especially with that cover!! 

If you've read my review of the first book, Seventh Born, you will know just how excited I was to FINALLY get my hands on this sequel. 

In this book, we follow the main female character as she is trying to come back after having been expelled from the magical academy. She leans on her handsome professor to guide her through life and dives into the detective work (and possibly love??)

But she begins to encounter new ghosts that do more than grab onto her and quickly challenges her abilities. 

I wan't as blown away by this sequel than I was with the first book, BUT it still was a fun, mysterious YA Fantasy that had me reading all night long which lead to me giving this one 4 out of 5 stars. 

It's a spooky, charming, magical read that I think is perfect for reading closer to Halloween. It definitely gave me instant Fall vibes!

Mirror Bound was a magical read. It really was. If I hadn’t loved the first book so much this would probably be a five star review, but I think the first book gave me very high expectations. Seventh Born was a 5 star plus for me. I loved every second.

Mirror Bound has all the ingredients to make another pulse racing read. The seventh born are the key to the story and Sera is on track to get everything she wants.

The mystery is spine chilling and kept me guessing at every turn.

I like this book I truly did I just expected it to blow me away. The story is good and the elements fit. I loved bits of the journey but struggled with other slower parts. If you keep an open mind when going into this you will enjoy it.

4 stars out of 5. This is a continuous series. The books need to be read in order. I recommend the unique adventure and look forward to more.

Another glorious mystery romance! After reading the first book Seventh Born with it’s historical fiction meets fantasy vibes, I immediately signed up for book two and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint!! This book is a slow burn—in more ways than just romance—and I’m living for it.

I’ve been having trouble writing this review because I’m so afraid of giving something away by accident. But once again the way this world is constructed was so interesting to read. I love all the witches and seeing all their magical powers in action. Plus, seeing the witchy hierarchy and the absolute awful way seventh borns are treated had me so invested. And everything is such a slow burn in this series!

Slowly slowly slowly we’re drip fed more information about Barrington’s past and Sera’s true identity, which creates such a glorious tension in the plot. And the romance!! UGH. It feels like it’s been so long since I read such a great slow burn romance and it was amazing seeing Barrington and Sera inching their way closer to one another. My girl Sera made some decisions that got on my nerves, but she’s so smart and independent.

There’s a great set up at the end for the next installment and I am 100% here for it! I can’t wait to see how this all plays out!!

*FINAL WORD*
This series is like Sherlock Holmes witches romance and I’m LOVING IT. Can’t wait for the next one!

Mirror Bound is the second novel in The Witchling Academy series by Monica Sanz and is a darkly beguiling sequel that will rival its predecessor with is enigmatic storyline, lush writing and slow burn romance.

Seraphina Dovetail is a seventhborn; the seventh child of a witch and the cause of her mother’s loss of powers and life at the time of Sera’s birth. Scorned, ostracised and ridiculed, Sera has always felt alone. Until she met Nikolai Barrington. The young professor not only took an interest in Sera’s studies but he opened up his home to her when she was expelled from the Aetherium’s Witchling Academy. Sera dreams of becoming an Inspector and one day possibly finding her family, but with her memories locked away in her mind, finding out who she is seems like a faraway dream. Working alongside Barrington offers Sera a reprieve and an outlet for her magic and curiosity but as her affection and attraction to Barrington grows, Sera struggles with the knowledge a future between them is next to impossible. As their latest case sees missing children and ghosts dragging Sera into possessions so strong she looses grip on who she is, Sera will need to lean on Barrington and trust him with all she is if she has any hope of surviving.

I have to say before anything else that I am without a doubt bewitched by this series. Enchanted. Enthralled. Captivated. And absolutely in love with Sera and Barrington. As with the first novel Seventh Born, Monia Sanz once again sweeps her readers into a darkly magical world of defiance, magic and blossoming romance. Vivid and alluring, the setting is entrancing and protagonist Sera’s voice effortless to follow. Sanz details a rich and passionate gothic-esq atmosphere and keeps her readers bewitched with the mystery and intrigue she adds to the storyline as Sera and Barrington investigate a case of missing seventhborn children.

Mirror Bound once more unfolds through the perspective of protagonist and seventhborn Seraphina. Readers will have discovered Sera’s history in the first novel and be aware of all she must overcome as a seventhborn. Sera’s life has been one of pain, ridicule and cruelty in a society where people believe seventh children to be cursed and monsters. Sera fights to rise above her place and I genuinely adore all she is and all she is battling to become. Sera’s voice is a strong and passionate one. She’s not perfect and has her moments of vulnerability but she’s intelligent and forward thinking and genuine to follow. I feel like she has been continuously growing throughout each novel and I can only imagine the person she is going to be by series end.

After a lifetime knowing only isolation and loneliness, Sera has found a true friend and ally in the form of Nikolai Barrington, a professor and inspector who has taken her on as assistant. Theirs is a relationship full of respect and value, but also attraction, with a undeniable chemistry simmering between them. The slow burn of their romance shines throughout Mirror Bound with Monica Sanz weaving moments of electricity and tenderness to their exchanges. I adore seeing them together and have no shame in admitting their relationship is a highlight of the series for me; I devour any moments where they are together and feel like their romance has been written spectacularly by author Monica Sanz.

Rich and haunting, Mirror Bound was an exciting novel that was beautifully written and paced and features a heroine you can’t help but get behind. Monica Sanz builds this instalment to a shocking final few chapters and leaves me dying to see what is next in store for Sera and Barrington—I can’t wait for the opportunity to join them in their adventures once again!

Mirror Bound is the sequel to Seventh Born, and if I were to compare the sequel to the first book of the series, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as good as the first one. Seventh Born was a fast-paced story, as was Mirror Bound. The difference is Mirror Bound dragged in some parts, while Seventh Born flowed at a steady pace. I know this sounds like I didn’t enjoy the book; the pacing of the book in certain spots is my only complaint. Watching Sera grow was fantastic and intriguing. I truly enjoyed getting Barrington’s backstory was perfection. It was nice to see what makes him who he is. In the first book, you know and understand he’s a complicated man, which is what endeared him to me. I don’t know how to explain it, but I adore complicated characters, and Barrington was the creme de la creme for me.

Watching Sera pursue her dreams of becoming an inspector was inspiring. The danger she faced and still trudged on was exhilarating. She’s pretty badass. The development of Sera was well done, and I’m excited to see where her character goes. The development of the relationship between Sera and Barrington is such a slow burn, and I love it. However, I also loved that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. There was still mystery and intrigue and more information about Seventh Borns. Watching the two of them work together was so, so much fun to read. While the sequel wasn’t as high as the first book, I enjoyed this story, and I can’t wait to read the next one!

Wow, I enjoyed reading these books so much! Sera was really easy to relate to, even if her exact circumstances being a seventh born which meant her existence killed her mom, isn't the most common. But the anger and frustration that she felt, oh, boy was that relatable!

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, with the different focuses like air or earth. And the whole, if you have seven girls, then the 7th one kills the mom. Yeah. I enjoyed learning alongside Sera about her magic, as she learns control over her magic and her fiery temper.

I did read the synopsis of the 2nd book before I read the first book. So knowing that she'd be attracted to him, I really devoured their interactions, and they were so much fun to read! It was like, are they really interacting like that? It was epic!

Both of these books had pretty interesting mysteries. Both are mixed in with the magic, because that's the world. Sera is 18, and with the nature of the crimes, I would categorize this series into upper YA, and depending on the length of this series, NA. It's not totally dark, but it could be pretty intense!

Yeah, these books were such great reads, I really enjoyed them!