I was genuinely curious about this book; the plot seemed promising, and the first chapters had drawn me in. However, as the story progressed, the romance turned out to be forced and illogical, with an unconvincing love triangle that made things even worse. Moreover, I found the protagonist quite unlikeable, even irritating in some of her choices, which made it hard to empathize with her. These elements unfortunately ruined an experience that could have been far more rewarding. A real shame, because the initial potential was all there.

The idea of this book is great. In a way, it reminded me of Coraline, with a parallel world that’s not quite like ours, even though the same people exist. But there are more than enough differences, so no need to worry that it’s just a cheap copy.

The plot was nice. But unfortunately, it was very very foreseeable. There were many plottwists and I guessed most of them immediately. The ones I didn’t guess were so far fetched that they barely made sense.
In fact, most of the plottwists were so obvious, that I gaslighted myself into believing that it wouldn’t happen that way as no author would write something that obvious. I would’ve liked more suspense, or a bigger surprise at some of the plottwists. So that was quite the disappointment.

Ying was fine as a character. A bit naive, prone to making kind of stupid decisions, but to be honest - I’d probably react the same way in her place. She’s been sheltered and doesn’t know how to stand up for herself, she barely has any real life experience. So I’d say that she’s actually kind of realistic.
Unfortunately, the other characters were also bit too foreseeable for me. I saw through basically everyone immediately and there was no tension left.

The romance lacked chemistry. It started out in a good way, but Ying was too indecisive in my opinion. On one page she couldn’t decide whether to trust someone, the next page, she was ready to declare her love. It’s okay if she’s naive, but at some point, I seriously started questioning her intelligence.

I’m not a big fan of the ending. Sure, it was thought through and worked well, but it was a bit too cliché for me. I also wish that the aftermath of the grand finale had been stretched out a bit more. So many terrible things happened, and no one seems to care. Maybe show me, how everything needs to be rebuilt, how it doesn’t just stop and turn into a fairytale?

There were some very nice scenes though, that were very well written and I really enjoyed. The book definitely has potential, but it needs editing.

Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder&Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl With No Reflection is a young adult fantasy standalone in which we follow Ying, the future bride of the Crown Prince, as she accidentally opens a gateway to a portal world and must try to close it to prevent a war... or worse.

The magical world created was so beautifully executed and not something I have seen done often. Full of magic, mystery and intrigue.

Also the cover is stunning and does justice to the beautiful storytelling. I cannot wait to see the special editions!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl With No Reflection is a young adult fantasy standalone in which we follow Ying, the future bride of the Crown Prince, as she accidentally opens a gateway to a portal world and must try to close it to prevent a war… or worse.

Can we just take two seconds to admire the beauty of the cover of this book? IT IS STUNNING. Thank you to the artist who made this happen.
I loved this book. It was whimsical, magical, lots of vibes, and everything I wanted it to be. I was here for the portal world because it felt like a unique or less common concept in fantasy books (at least, I do not read a lot of it), and I did not hate one second of it because it was very well executed.
The first half of the book was very promising, and I felt like this book would be a five stars read from me, but right after that huge plot twist around the middle of the book, I was hooked and almost could not put the book down. There are betrayals, plot twists, revelations, tensions, you name it, and it just made me feel like the novel was faster-paced than at the beginning.
The romance between the characters was good and can be qualified as enemies-to-lovers, but I was definitely here for the plot and the worldbuilding. I think the world I would choose to define the relationship between Ying and the Crown Prince is… angst. So much angst. But that angst definitely made me read more because I wanted them to be together and have a real chemistry like they should.

I highly recommend this book if you love portal worlds and Asian-inspired fantasy!

What can I say this story was phenomenal it was so unique I've never read anything like it I absolutely loved it I couldn't put it down it was so entertaining such a magical gripping read. so the story starts with ying who is chosen to marry the crown prince she is such a romantic strong willed person which is what I think makes her so vulnerable and gullible her prince turns out to be cold and indifferent and she ends up spending all her time locked away in her quarters looking at her own reflection this is when she starts to see strange things in her reflection in the mirror 🪞 she get pulled threw the mirror into the mirror world which is the complete opposite to her world and the crown prince in the mirror world is so much more loveable and caring and she instantly falls in love and she has to go between worlds to work out where the other seven wives who mysteriously disappeared after there own weddings have gone to this is a beautifuly written magical mystery story in a amazing imaginative world it was mesmerising I really enjoyed this story so much and I loved all the mythical creatures any book with dragons and phoenix's is a definite read for me absolutely amazing 👏

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm not sure what grabbed me about this story; it sucked me in, and I didn't put it down until the last page. I feel like I'm still processing my feelings about The Girl With No Reflection – I know I enjoyed it, but writing this review has been challenging as I struggled to get attached to the characters. They weren't sticky enough to engross me with their personalities, especially the protagonist Ying Yue. I've gone into more detail in my Goodreads review. The plot, dragons, and the mirror people do all the heavy lifting to keep your eyes glued to the page.

Keshe Chow's writing is crisp and direct, narrating a plot of suspense and mystery and drawing you in like a strange shadow glinting off a mirror's surface. Her storytelling twists a dark, eerie vibe around a marvelous premise of sentient reflections of the mirror world who are treacherous, murderous, dark-hearted creatures who desire to destroy the world. Her world-building creates a vibrant realm of Imperial palaces, resplendent gardens full of koi carp pools, and elegant courtiers dressed in silk and finery.

A fascinating Asian-influenced fantasy with a unique plot angle, unlike any other story I've read in this market. Full of gorgeous world-building and Grimm's fairytale gory, dark-vibed storytelling that is strangely seductive. If you loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Six Crimson Cranes world building and thick plots, you will find yourself sucked into The Girl With No Reflection.

The Girl With No Reflection is a stunning, dark, historical fantasy. I was completely enthralled by this story; it firmly had me in its grip! I loved the eerie, almost horror adjacent feel it had in the beginning. The world building was truly something special and I adored the mythology expertly woven throughout.

Ying is a phenomenal main character; she is a flawed and truly compelling. Seeing her relationship develop with Zhang was really beautiful and I loved watching them grow together. Keshe Chow is a fantastic character writer!

I did feel the author fell into the trap of over explaining things at times and the plot started to become a bit lost or at least slightly muddled about midway through. However, the concept and character writing was strong enough to overlook these issues.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl With No Reflection! I would definitely recommend it to lovers of Asian folklore and romantic historical fantasies with a darker edge.

This book is an interesting YA position. It has beautiful storytelling and a captivating beginning. I found the idea of a parallel world hidden behind the mirror fascinating. On the other hand, the fact that its inhabitants were bound to their counterparts and forced to mimic their actions but remained quite independent was rather weird. Also, the characters needed more complexity, with those apart from the main couple and their reflections being almost non-existent. I also felt like I was being told and not shown the characters’ personalities.

My expectations for this novel were very high, but unfortunately, I was disappointed. Also, I love this book’s cover art, and I was planning to buy a physical copy, but I changed my mind after reading the arc.

I enjoyed this book, it was a good read but I'm afraid it won't be becoming part of my roman empire.

The romance was good but could have been executed slightly better, which is always a risk when you do a love triangle.

The Girl With No Reflection is a YA fantasy that is inspired by Chinese mythology. I really enjoyed reading this influence and the cultural references throughout. The book has a really interesting premise, I loved the idea of a mirror world and the consequences this could have. I feel the first half of the book worked better for me with the worldbuilding and intrigue this created. Unfortunately I lost some of my interest in the second half as the plot took some predictable turns and I didn't feel as invested in the romance as I would have liked. Overall this is an interesting, unique fantasy with a brilliant concept that many fans of YA fantasy will enjoy.

Hmm, I'm not sure if I actually like it or if I want to like it because the idea itself isn't bad. The writing style is good, but something is missing. Maybe I have to read it again.

I hate giving low ratings, but I really don't know with this one.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

This was a rough one for me. (I hate reviewing ARCs and giving a negative review but wow, this was bad.)
The first half was fine, it felt very classic young adult Asian fantasy. The concept of a mirror dimension where our reflections are real, actual people was interesting.

But my god, this was let down by its writing style, by its long, drawn out plot and its flat characters. Around 50% in, it feels like the author is doing everything in their power to hit some sort of word count. (I hate the miscommunication trope so much, and that was a big part of this.)

The main character… She falls instantly for the character that is clearly going to betray her. She then instantly falls for the other character after the betrayal. She’s very traditional, but then she’ll randomly swear in a way that feels too modern for the story.

Spoilers here: there is a scene where her brothers get hung. Two of several brothers, and she never mentions their names. It’s just her brothers. Nameless brothers, hanging for her perceived crimes. And she seems very upset, and the scene is honestly written kind of graphically. And it felt so out of place? Like it was there just to get an emotional reaction.

This just didn’t know what it wanted to be. I probably have more complains, but yeah, I really didn’t like this. If this was much, much shorter, with much tighter editing, and with actual personalities for its characters, this could’ve been great.

Every time I read asian inspired fantasy, I am disappointed.
I had to DNF about midway through, sorry, this was hard to get through.

I fell for the pretty cover and alluring title bit this was incredibly boring and painful to trudge through. DNF.

I loved this book, the characters were so well done, the concept and storytelling were perfect and I was lucky enough to get a fairyloot special edition of this too which is exceptionally beautiful ♥️

The Girl with No Reflection has an interesting concept, I was instantly intrigued by the idea of escaping into another world through reflective surfaces. I mean who hasn't wanted to escape at one point or another.
There was drama, suspense, and mystery wrapped in a whimsical sometimes dark fairytale vibe.
It was an enjoyable read.

3.5/5 stars

I find The Girl With No Reflection to be a particularly difficult book to rate and review. On one hand, I did enjoy it and it had several intriguing things going for it. But it also had elements that held it back from being a particularly good story which I do believe it could have otherwise achieved based on the premise alone.

The Mirror World and general idea were unique and intriguing. I also enjoyed the writing, it was neither lyrical nor flowery but I found it crisp and to the point. This also added nicely to the eery undertone - it's probably a stretch to call this horror but there were definitely some unsettling elements and I appreciated the over all atmosphere. It's also great that this was a standalone of which I find there aren't enough around. The author also did well in wrapping this up as it didn't feel rushed or in need of a second book to make this a more rounded story. Another aspect I really enjoyed were the cultural elements included.

Ying is a little tricky as a main character - I want to say she was fine. She won't be ranking among my favourite main characters but I also don't believe she is as unlikeable a main character as I've seen in some other reviews. She is capable both in terms of navigating the new court life and some fighting skills. She also didn't have a bad head on her shoulders, although she did make impulsive decisions from time to time.

One of the biggest critiques I've seen raised for this particular book was the romance or rather how fast Ying falls in love. I can see where these complaints are coming from and, as a lover of slow burn romance, I also felt deprived in that department. That being said, I don't actually think this was poorly done. Ying is still a young girl who dreamed of being in love and having high expectations of her arranged marriage with Prince Zhang Lin. Once she gets to know her husband to be, she is disappointed given rejective and domineering nature of the prince. I don't find it at all farfetched that it wouldn't take all that much for a girl in her position to then find solace in the Mirror Prince; he is the mirror image of the man she wanted to love but, unlike the real prince, treats her in a way that meets her expectations of love and care. From a reader's perspective, yes it feels things develop too fast and we're missing out, but I do also find it hard to blame Ying for it as, when I stop to think about it, I do see how this could have happened.

The main part that let me down was prophecy though. While I enjoyed the Mirror World and the general idea behind it, the prophecy around Ying and also in relation to the Mirror World felt underdeveloped. I don't think the prophecy was ever satisfactorily explained, especially in regards to what exactly The Fish is. I can let slide that Ying simply happens to be the chosen but I just couldn't quite wrap my head around what exactly this all entails and it unfortunately only became more convoluted as the story progressed. I actually feel as though I only have a vague notion of how things were solved in the end.

Despite all, I did enjoy this novel and do see myself reading it again in the future. I enjoyed the writing style and will definitely want to keep an eye on what the author writes in the future. I would still recommend giving this book a chance, especially if you enjoy Chinese inspired fantasy. I would just take it with a grain of salt that it's definitely not as great a book as it could have been, but I think the positives still merit giving it a fair chance.

This book has an interesting concept with the idea of this other world through reflective surfaces, where the beings were acting as reflections. However, it did feel as though it had plot holes which left me not fully understanding how it would work in actuality. The drama, suspense, and mystery all brought intrigue to the story and I was interested to see where the plot would take us. I had some suspicions about certain characters that turned out to be true. Ying seems very impulsive and immature, and not a character that I warmed to, so it was hard to really connect to the story and to feel invested in the outcome. The love triangle element in the story isn't one I enjoy either, nor is the instalove which seemed particularly far fetched. Overall I think the story didn't do itself justice but it was enjoyable enough to see it through to the end so I'm sure plenty of readers will love it.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A beautiful romantic fantasy story with so much influence from Asian mythology and culture. I can see this being a big hit with my students.

The Girl With No Reflection
Keshe Chow

“As you now know, the mirror world is not like our own.”

This was a lush fantasy read about a girl set to marry the Crown Prince, except he’s cold and indifferent and confines Ying to her room, giving her no freedoms. Then there’s the rumours that swirl around the imperial whispers of seven other royal brides who after their own weddings, mysteriously disappeared.

Left alone with only her reflection for company, Ying begins to see things. Strange things. Movements in the mirror.

‘Her heart hammering, Ying leaned closer, not daring to breathe. A moment passed, deceptively calm. Then her reflection slammed against the glass, face up close, hair disheveled, teeth bared.’

On the eve of her wedding, she unwittingly tears open a gateway and is pulled into the Mirror World. The Mirror World is full of sentient reflections including the enigmatic Mirror Prince.

‘Remember who the monsters are.
Who were the monsters? It was getting more and more difficult to tell.’

Ying soon learns that not everything is as it seems, not everyone is playing nice and the Mirror World is full of monsters.

She was to marry a most indifferent husband.
“You foresaw we would have an auspicious marriage, did you not?”

As you’re reading this you question who is good, who is bad and who, if any should you trust. I adored the paradox that there is two of everyone, a duplicate with their own minds. There’s evil and mystery lurking everywhere.

“You want to talk about playing dirty? You’re the one who poisoned me!”

We hit some of my favourite troupes, enemies to lovers, one bed at the inn and forced proximity. This was a fun escapism read.

‘Caught between two worlds. One, her own world, a familiar world, in which she was doomed to loneliness. The second, the Mirror Prince’s world: cold, vicious, full of monsters.’

Thank you so much for this ARC. @hodderbooks @keshwrites.
This was released 8th August, out now!

(REVIEW POSTED 26th AUGUST 2024)