Didn't enjoy this book nor the writing style of this book. I did end up going and coming back to it as I really wanted to enjoy this book as it reads well. However this book just wasn't for me. Thank you for the arc

I did not finish this book. I tried to read it but I won’t be finishing it. I won’t be rating this book.

I’d like to thank Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Smoke And Mirrors: The Trueheart, is about Corbin’s life, when he was a young age, his mother died, and she was the only one that took care of him and didn’t want to go live with his aunt, so he found out that he could turn into a crow, so he lived among crows most of his childhood until someone caught him and took him to this luxurious reformatory school.

This was very fast reading, I loved the start of it, and this book really proves that it is for the young audience and it’s really cool for teens that want to start reading urban fantasy.
This book got me turning pages, although I didn’t like most of the behaviour of most of the characters, I didn’t even liked how Corbin acted sometimes, but as a person, I know that is how teenagers act.

I will give this book some 4 stars because at least it was entertaining and it really got my attention, although I was waiting for more of it.

Not going to lie, but I was first interested in this book because it reminded me of the trench album by twenty one pilots... haha

BUT obviously, this wasn't about TOP...

I really enjoyed this book and it was a very fun and interesting and unique adventure.

This was a really cool read, and I highly recommend it!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.

I'm very sorry to say that I have not finished this book. It sounded very promising and I was very excited to start this story. I believe the story in itself has potential, but the way it was written didn't do it for me. It felt like one big info-dump, just telling the reader what happens and why exactly that is. It's predictable and not entertaining to read, to me. Perhaps it might work for a younger audience that hasn't read many fantasy books yet.

DNF at 36%

I really tried to like this. Sadly, I just couldn't get into it. The writing style felt a bit too simplistic for me, and I couldn't connect to any of the characters. The premise was interesting, and it has potential, but after giving this two attempts, I really don't see myself enjoying the rest of this.

Thanks to Helene Opocensky and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

After the death of his mother, Corbin becomes depressed.  He has never known his father and he knows that child services will send him to live with his Aunt Graciella in Connecticut.  As Corbin is wishing for a way out of the situation, he locks eyes with a crow outside his window.  Soon, Corbin realizes that he has transformed into a crow himself and follows the crow by his window to his nest.  Corbin lives as a crow for years, transforming back to a boy to explore the nearby farm.  He is discovered by Maxim Moritz Grobian who knows Corbin's secret and wants to teach him more about being a mage.  Maxim rescues Corbin and helps him to regain his life as a boy and a mage, enrolling Corbin in Maxim's school for magical beings.  Corbin feels a heavy weight of gratitude towards Maxim; so when Maxim asks Corbin to go on a dangerous mission to Hexenheim, Corbin readily agrees.  The quest involves finding Maxim's estranged daughter, Lorelei while being tracked by a ruthless Inquisitor.
Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart is a young adult fantasy with magic, romance and intrigue.  I was pulled into the story from the prologue where Corbin makes a daring escape by turning into a crow and flying away.  After that Corbin's story delves into the world of mages. Corbin's character was intriguing.  He was easily moldable by those around him since the loss of his mother and finding his new magical abilities without any support; however, Corbin is able to see the truth behind the intentions of those around him, magical or not.  I was impressed by the many types of magical beings and their origins as well.  Most of all, I liked seeing how Corbin and his classmates came together to subdue the Inquisitor who was against magical beings while realizing that the magic within them can be used for good to enhance the world and themselves. While some of the plot may have been expected, Smoke and Mirrors: The Trueheart is a fun, fantasy adventure with wonderful characters and a cliffhanger ending that makes me want to dive right into the next book.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Quick Thoughts

I was surprised at how much I loved this book. Fantasy books are always a bit hit and miss to me. I do admit that I am pretty picky with the genre, but this one really hit the mark for me.

What I loved most about this book was the all of the worldbuilding. Every element was developed with a great attention to detail. The history, the way the magic works, the reasons behind everything that happens, past and present, nothing was left out. The writing truly puts you inside the story, so you are surrounded by it in the best way possible.

The characters were also deeply developed, so I felt connected to all of them. They all had a purpose in the story, none of them felt like they were there just to take up space, which I really liked.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I don't have any complaints. If you're looking for a fantasy book with lots of attention given to the world-building, this book might be for you!

I can't shake the feeling that i have been reading this book before, but I am unable to remeber when.
I am being honest - this book was too much. Too cliched. Too many Oh-I-already-know-how-that's-going-to-turn-out. Too much romance, but that's a very personal thing...
I don't know what to say about that book other than that is was a medicore read. A predictable one. The shifting was pretty interesting but other than that, there was nothing in that book that might've knocked my socks off.
For younger readers, it might be a well-done book. For me, who has grown up with Inkheart, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, it just felt like I knew what this book was going to be about already. No one is expecting anyone to reinvent the wheel. But this... This was just not me. It was too familiar, too much telling instead of showing and way too many flat characters.
I am sorry for anyone who likes this book. In that case, it really is me and not the book. I fear I have outgrown this genre and most teeny relationships, especially when they're hetero...


I received a free ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Smoke and Mirrors is a somewhat Harry Potter-like YA fantasy, where very rare mages hide themselves in the world amongst us non-magicals while the last inquisitors try to root them out to the last. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I decided to read the book, but the crow on the cover got to me. I love crows, they are such amazingly smart birds, I took the leap.

Smoke and Mirrors centres on Corbin and how he discovered he had magic the very worst day of his life: the day he lost his mother, his only caretaker, his life, a woman who wasted away from heartache. And here, at just 10 years old, he became a crow and flew off to live as a crow, until another mage found him, taught him, shared his dream for mages not to be excluded and persecuted anymore and ultimately set him up in the only mage village on Earth.

It was a sweet story, very clear, the magic of that world is very well explained, and no reader should be left wondering how any of it came about or what it means. The plot did not go as far as I thought it would, and I know the author is keeping a lot up her sleeves for future reveals to pepper in the next books and to heighten the character conflict. I guess there will be a lot about the Elf world next. Delving more into this first volume, I’m a little sad to say I found the characters a little too simple for my taste. I do like things a little more convoluted and personalities a little more defined. As it is, I have very little sense of the friends of Corbin, except for Lorelei and Hyacinth. There is also one big flaw in Corbin’s mentor, Max’s past. It is not explained how that was possible, it contradicts some of the things which are said in the last few chapters of the book. Maybe it will be explained better later, because as it stands it made little sense to me, world building wise. I cannot mention it without spoiling so I’ll keep that to me, unless someone asks :D Sadly it will remain a mystery to me as I won’t continue the series, I do think it really is suited more for people who haven’t read much fantasy.

I was bothered by all the kissing and flirting between friends. To me that was very weird. Even in a fantasy incorporating romance. I liked the main character less for all his casual kissing of girls. It doesn’t really fit with the rest of his thoughtful and very aware persona, I thought.

This is a light book for people who want a little magic, romance, light plot twist. It reads very fast and will take the younger bookish people into a casual fantasy novel. I would also recommend it to all the people out there wondering how they really find new wizards in Harry Potter. This book has a much better explanation!

this was a great scifi novel, i really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the world that they were in. I look forward to more from the author and hopefully in the series.

This one starts out kind of boring then picks up. I enjoyed the story and the characters. Overall, I think this would be a good book to borrow before you buy.