This was a beautifully written book that had me gripped from that first eerie, atmospheric page! It also managed to surprise me in the best way possible. I don't often get caught off-guard by books anymore, I feel like I've read enough that I can see most plot twists coming. But this one went places I didn't expect and HOLY WOW WAS IT REFRESHING. Not going to spoiler anything, but Keshe Chow takes what seems like it will be a straightforward story going in and braids it into something beautiful, romantic, tender, adventurous, and at times, chilling (that opening scene!). I was madly in love with both leads by the end....I'm a huge fan of strong characters that aren't overbearing or aggressive, which is a fine balance to strike, but the author here does it so so well. 5/5 stars and can't wait to see more 🤗

This was such a good book! I absolutely flew through this book. The characters were so interesting and I absolutely loved where the author took this story. I will be recommending this book to all my family and friends.

I loved this books unique story of a mirror world, accessible from ours through any reflective surface. The concept drew me in immediately and had me wondering where we were going to go next. You will go back and forth throughout- wondering who can be trusted and who is working to break the barrier between worlds down for good. There were moments that left me feeling genuinely creeped out, ones that had my heart soaring, and ones that left me laughing out loud. A wonderful mix of all the qualities we love in a fantasy combined with a story unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Chow is an author to keep an eye on for sure.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is a phenomenal addition to the romantasy genre that will keep you guessing about who to trust until the very end. (And will also make you never trust your mirror again - that is, if you ever did in the first place.)

I had to finish this novel in one sitting, as once I started reading I could not stop.

I’ve always found that mirrors made me anxious, and after a certain point at night I would never look into them - as I was terrified that my reflection would do something that I myself wasn’t doing.

This novel is what happens when that exact scenario is something that can, and will, happen.

Our main character Ying is soon to be married to the crown prince, but the only problem is - she’s been locked in her room the entire time she’s been there, and every time she meets with him he’s cruel and cold to her. And if that’s not enough, suddenly every reflection she sees seems to be showing her things that only she notices. Until finally, it all comes to a head and she rips away the barrier between her world, and the mirror world.

Here, Ying meets the Mirror Prince - the complete opposite to the crown prince in her world. Kind and loving, the Mirror Prince is the love that Ying has always dreamed of - and yet, she can’t stay in this world forever. Things are happening, war is on the horizon, and soon lines are drawn in the sand between friends and foes.

Keshe Chow has both incredible worldbuilding and characterization in her debut novel, and at no point did I feel bored or felt like something didn’t make sense.

Never once did I feel like yelling at my book because the main character did something I felt was stupid, or obviously the wrong decision. Ying is thrust into this strange world of mirrors, and neither her, nor the reader, is ever certain of who she can really trust. She makes the best decisions she can with the very limited information she has, and even when everything comes crashing down around her - I felt like she did the best she could have done.

I also never once felt that the worldbuilding in this novel was done poorly or without care. As Ying is learning about the dynamics of the mirror world as compared to the “real” world, so is the reader. Whenever I had a question about how something worked - so did Ying, and so we essentially learned the ropes of this reality together.

This novel also gets really intense at multiple times, and there is one scene in particular that shocked me to my core and EXTREMELY raised the stakes. (I might have yelled at the author for this scene in discord, but trust me - it’s worth it.) While much of the beginning of this novel feels like much of the danger will bypass the main character - the tension slowly rises until you can't be certain about who will survive until the end.

I would describe this book as perfect for fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, The Scarlet Alchemist, and Song of Silver, Flame Like Night and would highly encourage anyone who is a fan of high-stakes romantasy to check it out. The romance is fantastic, the worldbuilding is fascinating, and the characters are believable and human.

A GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION by KESHE CHOW
A Unique Twist on the Love Triangle

When the time comes to seal the mirrors, which side will Ying choose?

When Ying Yue is kept prisoner in the Crown Prince’s quarters, she is understandably disgruntled. He’s insufferable and seems uninterested in getting to know his future wife. Right from the start this dark fantasy lured me in when Ying is confronted by her own reflection in the mirror. At first, she’s terrified, who wouldn’t be? But when she’s dragged into the mirror world by her reflection, she agrees to trade places to evade her upcoming marriage, with the understanding it’s for a limited time. During her stay, Ying finds the Reflection Crown Prince-Zhang Lin-much more alluring than the one who exists in the real world. However, things aren’t as they seem, and Ying must return to her world and locate the Book of Alchemy to figure out how to seal the barrier between the mirror world and her own before a war that threatens to destroy them all takes place.

I was delighted to be given the ARC for this upcoming YA dark fantasy.

I found the romance in this novel refreshing. It has a unique twist on the love triangle. Instead of two separate love interests, Keshe Chow cleverly has the reader bouncing between the real Zhan and his reflection self. I truly enjoyed Ying being so strong-willed and although she has romantic feelings, it doesn’t completely take over her character arc. Personally, nothing annoys me more than when we start with a strong female protagonist, and she loses herself and personality when she meets the love interest in the story. I’ve never liked the message that true love equals obsession.

To avoid spoilers, I’d highly recommend this Chinese-inspired mythology novel if you want a unique clean romance with a dark fantasy twist that includes a complex mystery, dragons and other fantastical creatures.

This book was not stop action. The romance went a little to fast for my taste, however the action made up for it.

A regrettable miss for me. I was drawn in by the premise, but the prose lacked a literary quality that I usually need to be drawn into a fantasy world. I do think the prose will make the book accessible for the target audience (YA), though maybe not readers used to “lush” fantasy world-building. I think the plot was also slowed down my some overly common romantic tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 30% of the way through.

It really had a lot of potential but was bogged down by an annoying love triangle. Between the protagonist and the same two guys, weirdly enough. I just didn't like the slow pacing and romance overtaking the unique magical mirror world which is what I wanted to see more of.

I liked the elements of Chinese mythology in this book, although the magic system was a little confusing to me. I think I was expecting something akin to Joanna Ruth Meyer's "Echo North" with the main character going to an entirely different realm, rather than going back and forth between the real world and a literal reflection. The mechanics of the mirror people having to imitate the 'real' people in order for them to have a reflection in the mirror raised more questions than it answered for me. Aside from the logistical questions that I had, I thought the writing was good and I liked Ying. The romance was a bit too fast for me; it seemed like Ying was just attracted to both of the princes, but as soon as one revealed himself to be good (truthfully or not), she decided she was in love with him. I would have liked just a little bit more of a slow burn, especially since I did really like the prince.

Rife with betrayal, heartbreak, and everlasting love, THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION is at its very core, one of the most vicious stories I’ve ever read. Not only was my heart pounding with anticipation every time I turned the page but I was utterly entranced by the dazzling world Chow created.

I think my favourite part about the book was the worldbuilding—which I thought was so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Keshe spares no detail in crafting her mirror-world, spinning a haunting atmosphere that pulls you straight into the pages.

I also really enjoyed the story’s main character Ying, whose multifaceted personality made the experience that much more interesting. On one hand, she is terribly fierce and independent, and one the other, she’s a hopeless romantic looking for someone to call home. Her want for love proves to be both her greatest strength and her greatest flaw at the same time, and I really enjoyed her perspective throughout the entire book.

ALSO the ROMANCE. It was so freaking cute I was literally swooning every time the love interest opened his mouth. He was so head over heels in love with Ying to the point where she had him on his hands and KNEES for her. I’ve never felt so single.

Overall this book was so so so good and I would highly recommend to any fans of fantasy! Thank you so much to Keshe Chow for letting me be a part of your street team and for personally giving me this eARC! A definite 4/5 stars and you do NOT want to miss it.

Evil. Mirror. Twins! Chow expertly blends horror and romantasy in ways that you didn't know were possible. I had high hopes for this one and it was exactly the delight I wanted! Ying Yue is a character that draws you all the way in and the pacing of this book is sublime. You'll barely catch your breath, but you'll never feel wholly winded. The Mirror realm will haunt your dreams. Think Alice in Wonderland vibes meets Chinese mythology. Don't miss this one!