I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a chance at reading this book prior to publication.

I love my Chinese fantasy. I do! Who would have thought I would be addicted to the world of CDramas and books with gods and goddesses?
This book sounded so interesting and different that it was part of my 'must read' books of 2024.

After finishing it. I'm giving it a kind three stars where if anything it's firm in the 2.5 out of 5 camp.

The problems mainly had to be with the 'tone' and the characters/romance.

Here we have a fantasy kingdom that seems to be rooted in Chinese mythology and folklore. So you would think that the characters act very reserved, follow customs and or attitudes of those from the various dynasties (since this is a fantasy, there can be leniency). There is a very modern tone to this which clashes with the time period. There is the use of 'fuck' 'shit' 'damn' being thrown about, there is dialogue which would make more sense hearing in today's society than in this feudal kingdom. It honestly threw me off. ...

... which then bleeds over into the romance. The romance, which I could *understand* where the writer was going with it, I walked away with thinking that this prince (both of them, though there is one good one in the end) are jack-holes. The author gives a reason for the prince being how he is, but with his writing, his 'failed' attempts at wooing her, his conflict? It did not match what the author wanted us to believe of the prince in the end after we find out what's up with him an why he is acting how he is. He frankly comes away rude, brash, juvenile, and I did not want her to end up with him.

The main thing I walked away enjoying was the story, the mirror world, and the little (though there) court intrigue. It was just sad that the lackuster romance and modern tone / dialogue killed any sort of real enjoyment from this book.

Just finished reading this and wow, it was quite an adventure. I loved the premise and the concept of sentient reflections so the story already had my attention from the get-go.

The romance though, wasn't the strongest aspect of the book and could've been more nuanced with more character depth. The writing style also felt a bit juvenile at times but the plot was quite engaging with enough twists to keep me hooked.

Overall this was a solid debut and a fun read that most YA fantasy readers will enjoy. I look forward to reading more from this promising new author in the future!

3.75 stars ⭐

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this book the moment I read the description—a mirror world that is nearly identical to our own? A prince who is rhe complete opposite of the cold and distant husband that Ying was forced to marry? How intriguing! I could never have predicted the twists and turns the story would take us on next!

Ying was a little timid and naïve to me at first but she quickly became a determine and brave hero, showing compassion to her reflection and to her servants, risking her own life to save the prince (despite his cold treatment of her) and her kidnapped maid. Despite not knowing who can be trusted and having been constantly betrayed by the people around her, Ying never gives up trying to fulfil the prophecy and seal the mirror world forever. She has such a big heart.

Ying and Zhang’s relationship ran hot and cold for a good portion of the book— I’m guessing it was supposed to be a watered down enemies-to-lovers plotline— but I felt the majority of their love was actually attraction for most of the book. Their banter was top notch and it wasn’t until they started opening up to each other that I felt their feelings were actually true. I am glad we got to see the gradual growth of their relationship and the realization of their mutual love for each other.

The Chinese mythology was a wonderful addition. All the creatures and the use of alchemy were things that I had a vague notion of from watching C-dramas in the past but were explored in much more depth within the story.

My only issue with the book was that I wish there had been footnotes or a glossary for people unfamiliar with the Chinese vocabulary. While most of them were decipherable from the context, there were a few that I had to go look up.

Overall a fun and thrilling adventure filled with flashes of horror (I may never look at a mirror the same way again!) and a wonderful love story!

Yes! I've found my favorite dreamy combination of Eastern mythology meets YA fantasy and epic enemies-to-lovers romance! I plan to use all my nerdy bookworm powers to put this unputdownable fantasy novel on your radar! The well-executed world-building, the perfectly described two alternate universes—one a powerful Eastern empire and the other through the mirror where imprisoned reflections of each person and mythological creatures are trapped—and the high chemistry between Princess Ying Yue and her reluctant, cold-hearted groom-to-be, Prince Zhang, are the highlights of this book. Combined with fairytale-style storytelling, they quickly pique your interest from the first page. The increasing tension, fastening and riveting pacing, and intriguing storytelling lure you into a combination of fairy tale, mythology, and Eastern folklore that turns into an addiction, making readers want to sing love songs from the rooftops to show their appreciation for this book (at least that's what I did, and I chose several Swift songs for it).

The story revolves around Princess Ying Yue, who has a great curiosity about paranormal things even though her family taught her otherwise, preferring reliable facts. When the famous matchmaker of the crown predicts she might be the best suitor for the crown prince, her dreamy expectations turn into a nightmare as she's been caged in a palace quarter for three months. On the wedding day, her husband's cold and impolite manners make her understand that she will be doomed to an unhappy marriage, chained to a life without loved ones, in the royal palace where her seven predecessors are rumored to have mysteriously vanished.

When she finds out her own reflection leads a life in the mirror, which opens up an alternate universe, and receives a request from her reflection to switch places, which may help her reflection gain enough power to survive until she returns to her life through the mirror, she accepts the offer quickly. That also means Princess Ying Yue can embrace her own freedom without being forced to marry a neglected cruel prince. As soon as she sets foot beyond reality through the mirror, she meets the Mirror Prince, who is kind, caring, and totally opposite of her cold husband. Even though they look exactly the same, her heart slowly gives in as their attraction reaches its peak. But when she realizes her reflection has a secret agenda and not only herself but the entire empire might be in dreadful danger, she must fulfill her prophecy, becoming the heroine the empire needs. However, she must navigate a dangerous game, choosing between the princes and deciding who she can truly trust and unleash her full potential to save the empire.

Overall, I devoured the entire book in one very long sitting until my eyes got red and dry, but it was truly worth it! This is definitely one of the best books of the year that you shouldn't miss, and it deserves even more than five stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a really refreshing and fun fairy tale. Cute, funny, scary and romantic - all the things I like best in a book. I enjoyed Ying, the main character a lot, and her unique predicament - as well as the various characters surrounding her. I will say, I've read a lot of fantasy and never quite seen something like this, with the mirror world. If you enjoy Asian-inspired fantasy like Daughter of the Moon Goddess and A Magic Steeped in Poison, this is a great one for you.

I received this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION is difficult to rate. On the one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the concept, however, the pacing and character really dragged it down.

THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION is about a young princess Ying, who is being forced into marrying a distant and cold prince. But when she starts seeing impossible things in the mirror, Ying is thrown head-first into a parallel world, full of dangerous creatures and mysteries that span generations. But not all is as it seems in the mirror world, or her own, and Ying is forced to learn to trust, even when she can't trust her own destiny.

But the characters, pacing and general world building left a lot on the table.

I wish I liked this more. This isn't to say I didn't have a good time. I found Chow's authorial voice strong, if not a little stilted, but there was a distinct fairy-tale like style to the prose. It will definitely appeal to YA readers who are fans of Stephanie Garber's Once Upon a Broken Heart and other such romantasies.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this!!!!! I really liked the setting, characters, and premise. All of this was a lot of fun to read and pretty easy to follow. If you like characters that want love and to be loved as well as a strong FMC, you should read this. It is a great debut novel. I will say that there are times where the break between chapters can get a little choppy and the characters might give you a little whiplash. Overall, a good debut novel with a gorgeous cover.

I really did enjoy this book, but it just felt like it was bogged down a little bit with the romance aspect of this book. I really wanted more of the mirror world and the dragons more than the love triangle. Other than the pacing of the book, I really liked the premise. It was fun and had a sense of unease through the beginning of the book almost like a horror novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

The Girl With No Reflection is a fabulous debut incorporating both horror and fantasy elements, with lots of reference to Chinese myths, in a court setting.

First, I’d like to mention that after a couple of chapters I started being a little scared of mirrors, which just goes to show how easily enthralled I was with Keshe’s worldbuilding! In The Girl With No Reflection, our main character, Ying Yue, is awaiting her marriage to the Crown Prince, though he’s kept her locked in her rooms and unable to explore the palace. Ying then begins to start seeing her reflection do things that differ to herself, and becomes terrified when something actually starts to get closer to her.

Shortly, she ends up in the “Mirror World” herself, with the Prince’s cold-shoulder having led her to not even think twice about the idea of skipping her own wedding for that. Ying meets the Mirror Prince here, her husband-to-be’s reflection, and finds him far more charming than the one she is meant for.

The story remains at a fast pace throughout, whilst Ying struggles to decipher who can and cannot be trusted. On multiple occasions she acts a strong main character, repeatedly putting those she loves before all else. She made some dubious choice along the way, but they just helped her grow as a character in general.

I won’t spoil who it is, but I will say that the romance was rather lovely! Some elements of it felt a little quick, but it fit within the fast pace of the story and all of the emotional turmoil poor Ying was being put through.

As the cover itself hints towards, we also get a dash of mythical creatures in this story! The way that a couple in particular were included was fabulous to read, and it definitely added to my enjoyment of the story on the whole.

Overall, I just really enjoyed The Girl With No Reflection, and I’m very excited to read what Keshe writes next!

I received this as an ARC and enjoyed THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION. This novel was not initially on my radar, but I was surprised by how fast I finished the book because the pacing picked up right from the start.

My rating for this novel would be 3.75 out of 5. The story hits the ground running, and the setting puts the reader into an eerie world where the mirror is entirely another world where one’s reflection is a slave, forced to mimic their counterparts on the other side of the mirror in the world where this story takes place.

Princess Ying Yue is chosen to wed the crown prince who treats her coldly and locks her away. That is until she exchanges place with her mirror self and the truth begins to unravel that the mirror world and its inhabitants are bidding their time for the barrier between the two worlds to break so that the mirror people can take over the human world.

A romantic at heart, Princess Ying Yue finds herself drawn to the mirror-version of the crown prince, but there might be more than meets the eye as well of the real crown prince she is wedded to.

What I felt could have been done better in this book was the love story between Princess Ying Yue, and the love triangle between the crown prince, and the mirror crown prince. At times I felt like I was just whiplashed between the two princes whom Ying Yue is trying to figure out who to trust and to give her heart to.

For example, I felt both the crown prince and the mirror crown prince could have been fleshed out more. The love story felt rushed, and at times confusing, despite the overall fast pacing of the story. The cursing also threw me out of the story at times. I have no problems with curse words in a story, but I think because it is fantasy, east Asian in setting, the literal spellings of “fuck you” and others took me out of the story at times. Perhaps it is just not something I am used to in East Asian fantasy-inspired settings. Then the whole premise of the war felt a bit odd. It was not until the last 25% mark that major characters took their stance and looming battles took place. At one point, I wondered if the build-up was because there was an intention for a second book. As of right now, from what I read and understood, I don’t think there is a second book (which I felt is a good thing, since I don’t think a book 2 is needed), so I felt it could have been stronger if the tension of the character being hunted, and the impending war happened earlier compared to waiting to have all this written towards the end.

What I enjoyed was once again, how fast the story moved. The way the author wove in the eeriness about the human world vs the mirror world was great. I did enjoy learning more about the princess and her reflection, and how despite them being mirrors of each other, the reflections can have completely different personalities. At times, it definitely felt creepy to think of our reflections being forced to mimic us from the other side.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

The Girl with No Reflection is a dark, twisty YA fantasy with fascinating Chinese influences but a rushed feeling.

I had very high hopes for this one. I loved the story idea and the Chinese inspiration, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. Many parts felt rushed, and others felt like they were thrown in randomly. The writing felt stiff, long, and cringy at times, but I think more editing would do the trick. I would have also loved to see more character development. That said, there were also many fun moments with the romance and action. I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but the middle felt long. Although this book was not for me, Keshe has terrific potential, and I would certainly check out her future works.

Thank you to the publisher for the free e-ARC!

My absolute favorite part of this book was the worldbuilding. I feel like this was such an interesting twist on a classic portal fantasy. It was so unique, and I loved reading about the mirror world and the mirror people! The beginning of this book was thrilling and had me in a chokehold.

Unfortunately, the romance fell flat for me. I just felt like both of the main characters were a little flat, which kept me from rooting for their relationship, and there was a weird love triangle and also some insta-love. It just made the romance that happened at the end a little too cheesy for my tastes. However, Mei Po was my favorite character! I thought she was such an interesting character, and I enjoyed getting to know her backstory and motivations.

Despite the romance, I really enjoyed the world, and there's even a dragon!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This was great! Combining spine-chilling horror, passionate love story, and high-action epic fantasy, The Girl With No Reflection is a haunting, romantic, fast-paced YA fantasy that will have you afraid to look in the mirror at night.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Love retellings in general, especially Asian mythology and folktales, and this had a distinct flavor all on its own. The world building was intriguing, and I generally enjoyed most of the characters. It did take a while for me to relate to the main lead (it was hard to pin down her maturity level), but I enjoyed this solid read. Definitely an add to our collection.

This was such a unique book! The first half of the story takes a while to build up, but the second half grips you and doesn't let go. What stuck out the most to me was the author's take on how reflections play into our lives, and what humanity means.

I will admit that I truly did struggle with the first half of the book, not so much because of the pacing but because I was so confused by the main character. The concept of the story is that Ying falls in love with the Mirror Prince, and while I understand that she is a sheltered teenager with no common sense, I found myself increasingly frustrated by her. This feeling went away by the second half as she starts making better choices based on what information she has been given, but for a while there I was on the struggle bus.

Additionally, I'm not sure what the tone of this book is, which is probably my biggest gripe. The main character is barely an adult and so the voice felt as though on the younger end of the YA genre and meant to target younger audiences. This itself was not an issue, but the story also features mature situations and profanity which should signal that it is for an older audience. Overall, I would've wished that the author stuck with one side or the other in this spectrum as neither were a bad choice, but it did leave me confused.

The star player here is the Prince as I quite enjoyed his personality and growth more than Ying's, and the ending felt like it wrapped up the story well. I am excited to see more from Keshe and her writing journey in the future.

Thanks to Keshe, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC for my honest review!
Wow. Just wow. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book when I first heard about it. Was it a horror? A romance? A fantasy? All I can say now is yes, yes, yes. The story starts with Ying Yue preparing for her wedding to a cruel and absent prince. She’s sitting in her garden near a still pond when her reflection smiles at her. Only she isn’t smiling. It turns to true horror, though, when her reflection starts reaching out to grab her. Suddenly every mirror is a danger until, in an act of desperation to escape from her wedding, Ying allows her reflection to find her and they decide to switch places. If this already sounds intriguing just wait - it gets even better. There’s a prophecy, an old witch/hag, mythical beasts, and of course the prince’s reflection, who isn’t at all like the real prince. Are you picking up on the potential love triangle?
“That's three times you've saved my life now. Perhaps next time I should save yours.”
Ying is drawn into a game of mystery, deception, and love, where nothing is as it seems and time is running out quickly. The two worlds have bloody history and as Ying and the prince uncover the plot, they also find the missing former wives of the Emperor. Dead. And according to prophecy, Ying just might be next. On the brink of war and with enemies converging on all sides, Ying will have to find the power in herself to save the world and her prince.
“what they never understood— was that she didn't need them to protect her. She needed them to believe in her.”
Did I mention that Ying is a badass warrior? ….and there’s only one bed? *Several* times. (And only one horse?) Oh, and dragons. If this book isn’t already on your tbr, make sure you mark your calendars because this blockbuster debut is one that will stick with you long after the last word.

The book presents a compelling scenario that your reflections are their own person and are trying to overthrow your world. I thoroughly enjoyed the captivating imagery of Chinese royalty setting and culture. However, the romance did feel a little too forced and insta-lovey for my liking, especially since it is meant for YA.

An incredible debut featuring lush Chinese folklore and a terrifying dash of horror. If you weren’t scared of your reflection before reading, you certainly will be after!

The Girl With No Reflection follows Princess Ying Yue after she’s chosen to marry the crown prince. Ying wants a fairytale wedding and marriage full of love but her husband-to-be is cold and confines her to her rooms when she arrives. And to top it all off, there are rumours around the imperial palace of other royal brides who mysteriously disappeared after their weddings. Ying fears the coming future and only has her reflection to keep her company. And then strange things start happening and Ying’s reflections reveals that there is a mirror world and pulls her inside. This world is everything Ying wanted when she first arrived at the palace and the Mirror Prince is kind and sweet. But not everything is as it seems and the two worlds have a long and bloody history and Ying has responsibilities she uncovers that change everything.

I’m a sucker for anything folklore/fairytale especially ones from countries I’m less well-versed in. I adored the Chinese mythology and lore sprinkled into this story and cannot wait to read more from Kesche Chow!! She’s a phenomenal writer and her descriptions were so lovely and atmospheric.
This is a very intense, fast-paced novel full of action and twists. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and I loved all the twists and how much growth the characters and world go through in this book.

I loved the characters. Ying and Zhang and their mirror counterparts were so well-written. Ying is such a badass who knows what she wants and goes after it. I loved her and the growth she went through in the novel. The love story was so wholesome and I was obsessed with them!

I loved the magic and lore and oh wow is the idea of evil mirror counterparts terrifying! The plot in this was really well-paced and kept things interesting and unexpected.

Overall, this is a really great debut everyone should check out in August!!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Such an interesting premise! Loved the book and the author's writing style and had so much fun reading through this wonderful Asian fantasy. Thanks to Netgalley & the author and publisher for the advance reader's copy.

I was lucky enough to score a copy of Keshe Chow's "The Girl With No Reflection" in advance. Once I began reading, I didn’t stop. First Love. Betrayal. And self-discovery. This book has it all, and more.

This fast-paced story will have you rooting for Ying Yue and distrusting everyone. The world building is mesmerizing. Just as you become submerged in Ying Yue’s surroundings, you’ll find yourself thrown into the mirror world- where things are more than just reflected. It brought back my childhood days of reciting Bloody Mary in front of the mirror. Only Blood Mary never came out of my mirror.

Fantasy readers will devour this book.