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.

As someone who writes and reads a lot of nonfiction, I am not the typical romance reader because I'm very picky about worldbuilding and I have a hard time immersing myself in a story unless it's really engaging on an emotional level and the magic is well thought out and convincing. That said, I absolutely adored this book. The worldbuilding is immaculate, the writing is poetic but not fluffy or overly dramatic, the romance is authentic and the heroine is absolutely captivating. Ying is the perfect mix of stubborn and resolute, but also hopeful, brave and just a tad naive. I adored this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a fresh fantasy rooted in historical fables and folklore, with a romantic twist and OF COURSE sinister mirror demons!!

I LOVED this eerie, twisty fantasy steeped in Chinese lore! From the first page, the writing is lovely – quick, glittering and sharp as a knife – and I simply could not stop turning the pages. The story is a complex, assured blend of horror, mystery and fantasy, with breathless twists, creepy heart-stopping imagery and SO MUCH ROMANTIC ANGST! I especially loved the finely etched worlds, and how all the clues to each twist were cleverly layered into the thoroughly enjoyable action (and tingly romance) packed plot. Absolutely one of my favourite YA dark fantasies of the year!

Story 5/5
Characters 4.5/5

I loved this story so much. The Chinese mythology was its own character in the story and beautifully added layers to the people. Ying’s journey and transformation from girl to woman is a triumph. She overcomes so many obstacles, the biggest one being herself. I enjoyed how raw and real she was throughout the story - in moments where she wasn’t at her strongest, she still persevered.
The description of the mirror world versus the real world was vivid and haunting. The differentiation of the people and creatures painted a clear picture of what was happening. As the story progressed it was keeping me on the edge of my seat!
The other characters develop important aspects of Ying’s story. There are a few that are more prominent and they challenge her in many ways - courage, strength, love and loss. Without them, Ying wouldn’t be the character that I have grown to love.
The love story is a journey that follows along the main plot, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It again is so raw and real!
This is a fantastic debut novel and I look forward to Keshe’s future works!

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.