The book has perfect setting, perfect characters and just the perfect amount of spice. I loved the description of two different realms and how the main character had a part to play in both the realms. In one realm, there was a responsible prince in real world while in the other realm, beyond the mirror, there was a charming mirror prince. All the strange happenings consumes Ying Yue and on the eve of her wedding, she accidentally opens the gateway to another realm. The secrets haul off and mystery unveils with romance, curse, prophecy and quest.

Thanks to the Author and Publisher.

Stunning cover and interesting concept, but quickly falls into too many ya tropes that are clunkily executed.

It impressed me with all the love & terror it held—a brave princess married into a royal family that hides a distressing history, a dutiful crown prince, dangerous reflections filled with vengeance, and a fantastical prophecy. Full review will be posted on 20th August.

This was a very unexpected worldbuilding, yet a very intriguing and fascinating one. A Mirror World, a prophecy, a curse, a really strong FMC, and all in an Asian setting.

The Emperor's family seems to be cursed, and now Ying is chosen to marry the grumpy prince. But before she has to do this, she is drawn into a mirror world that could be freeing or dangerous. From this point, nothing in this story will go as you think.

I loved the concept and would have liked to spend more time in the mirror world to see how everything works. However, this is not the kind of story this book wants to tell.

Instead, Ying has to unravel mysteries and find how own place in everything. And she has to fight - for herself, her friends, her love, and eventually everything in this world.

This is a standalone novel, which I very much appreciate. However, if the author ever wants to write a prequel featuring Mei Po, I'd be in so much.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hodderbooks for the eARC!

#TheGirlWithNoReflection #Netgalley #Bookstagram

3.5/5⭐️

I found the premise of ‘The Girl With No Reflection’ intriguing and I loved the sound of the concept. I did end up reading most of it in a very short space of time. In fact, I found myself most enraptured by the book in the darker and eerier moments and ultimately would’ve enjoyed more of this. Thus I found it quite jarring, jumping from these moments of tension to the FMC, Ying, throwing herself at any relevant MMC at any given time- particularly when claiming love within what feels like 5 minutes of meeting. This paired with the miscommunication trope made the romance aspect of the story less appealing to me, as it felt like we were just going around in circles.

I am not typically one to try and guess where a story is going, but I did find certain plot points highly predictable and some aspects very convenient. In the same breath however, some of the twists really did take me by surprise, especially early on. I did, however, run into more plot holes than I can just brush over but I do think that is hard to remedy in a high stakes, fantasy standalone.

I didn’t find myself too attached to any particular characters apart from two whose places in the story both ended quite abruptly with minimal explanation. Something that I was very glad to see was Ying’s growth as a character towards the end, in which she is almost unrecognisable from the naive girl we are initially met with.

All in all, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to readers who enjoy high fantasy and don’t mind a quite prominent storyline alongside it. I think the story has a lot of potential.

This brought the energy of a super spooky Coraline but with way more mirrors. I actually really enjoyed the eeriness this brought and thought it was full of potential. Where I struggled was in the character dynamics. Ying's interactions with the mirror prince felt rushed and somewhat jarring. Equally so with the regular prince. Ultimately had to DNF as I found it very distracting.

The Girl With No Reflection has so many elements that I enjoy. I love the setting and attention to detail and the set up was so good. However, I have a few issues that are not quite working for me and at this point, 41%, I have made the decision to not finish this particular book. Thank you so much for approving me for a review copy.

This was SO close to being a perfect read for me, and I was blown away from the beginning as it was so atmospheric, eerie and captivating.

I loved the characters and the worldbuilding, which was perfectly explained and paced as the main character journeys along the strange, enchanting world she finds herself (literally) drawn into.

Things I adored: fierce chemistry between the leads, pleasantly surprising twists, engaging character growth, political drama, high tension throughout kept me gripped till the end. I was kicking my feet and twirling my hair as the romance heated up and I LOVED the misunderstandings and angst because it actually makes so much sense for the story and characters and shows they have to learn to trust each other, and that it's not easy to love in this dangerous world.

Things I'd critique: the tone occasionally gets muddled between a YA fantasy and an adult horror/Chinese political novel. I think it takes the best from both tones but sometimes, especially towards the end, favours heart over logic and depth. It's not a bad thing, just sometimes I felt the story was full of realistic violence, tension and complex messages, then became a younger and "hope and love win all!" vibe.

big thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advance review copy.

4 stars.

this was a very fun read, actually. it was unique and engaging enough to keep me interested, right up until the very end. i loved the characters, i loved the setting (it's set in a fictitious, imperial china), and i loved the story. the only thing i didn't entirely follow was the relationship between the main character and her love interest(s). but again, i think this was just a case of the 'standalone curse', because it's just one book and things have to move quickly to advance the story. this and the lack of communication between them, which was very frustrating at times. like, just *talk*, please.

but overall, this was very good, and i would definitely recommend it. especially if you read and loved 'the girl who fell beneath the sea'.

TGWNF is a fantasy romance where two worlds co-exist in parallel to each other for millennia, one mimicking the other for the last thousand years...and Ying is the key to the fate of their worlds.

Perception is a major theme of the novel, as appearances and truths are deceiving. Inner selves are hidden away and so. are. real. FEELINGS! (We'll be back). This developed tension where we flip-flopped between one world and the next, between one person and their doppelganger out of mistrust of reality. Who and what is real?

I am surprised by the story's very tight scope, lingering little on Ying's status quo before getting engaged or the resolution long after the climax, as I haven't seen it as often with my recent reads. Considering the story's few plots, it allowed it to stay tight and taut (and light) around the Mirror World, royal secrets, and romantic plotlines.

My cover analysis where I guessed there was going to be something involving immortality did not lead me astray here! Yes, some of the elements in the cover are there more for opulence, others more for plot, but many of their inclusions doubled as hints at the Mirror World's way of life.

Back to real feelings (see): I was not surprised with a certain reflective twist. The build-up for it was giddying to read but alas, the swiftness and the context of how she got to meet him were clear red flag set-ups that the relationship was truly smoke and *mirrors* (ba dum shh). So, the guessing game was quick to be over on the "will-they-won't-they" front. Ying's romance with Zhang is sweet, though challenged by naivety, misunderstandings and guarded walls. Considering the nature of their relationship, it pushes the story towards the upper end of YA.

TLDR: a solid debut with a fun concept.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hodderscape for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Inventive premise, poorly structured

It feels like that there's a new East Asian fantasy published every week, which is both a good thing and a bad: good for representation and redressing the extant imbalance, and bad because of the sheer volume of both good and bad books. Sadly, this is one that comes with an interesting and inventive premise but fails to live up to novelist structure or character development.

Using the tropes of East Asian fantasy (Imperial families and palaces, ink and silk, elegant gardens, pools of carp, dragons and phoenixes) but with the added innovation of a parallel world on the other side of mirrors and other reflected surfaces, Chow's novel is intended for young adults, with a little spice, but written like a middle grade novel: problems are presented on one page, and then the solution appears on the next, with no foreshadowing or allusion to the experience, skill or information, so the plot becomes a run of episodic coincidences and the characters develop randomly, lurching from love to hate, from fear to loyalty. Yes, it is fiction and anything can happen in a novel but there has to be at least an internal consistency.

Feels like a first draft: two stars.

This was fantastic, the concept was so unique and I devoured this book.

I am thoroughly on edge about mirrors and the idea your reflection may be sentient or another realm mimicking you until they wish to strike. This plot plays into this concept and does it brilliantly. Mixing a little horror with high fantasy and arranged marriage.

Our two main characters are pure tension and combative energy throughout, but in true enemies to lovers fashion they find they complete each other. I liked how big a role both characters play in the plot and there’s some real growth on both their parts.

This book had the potential to be great because the whole idea of a mirror world is freaking genius! The plot was ok but I didn’t like Ying and it’s hard for me to get into a book when I’m not a fan of the main character. I also struggled with the writing style and pacing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
5 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in The Girl With No Reflection and the relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

Thank you to author and publisher for the arc!

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me at 64%. I really wanted to continue reading just to finish it but unfortunately I do not have the time to finish a book I don’t enjoy, I simply have too much to read.

This story had such an amazing prose, the characters were very loveable but the execution of it just felt lacking and the writing didn’t keep me interested.

The Girl with No Reflection had been on my tbr for far too long before I finally got round to reading it.
I am beyond excited and happy that Keshe got a traditional publishing deal with Hodderscape - she deserves it, and this book is amazing. I hope it gets to all the readers!
It was well written in a way that kept me coming back for more. The whole premise of the mirror world is actually quite creepy when you think about it. But I loved the characters, Ying was a little naive but likeable. The Prince, bless him, just didn't know how to express himself.
The world building was so well done. I can't stop thinking about mirror worlds now 😅

Actual rating: 4,5 stars

This book surprised me in the most pleasant way. It's been on my radar for months, but the synopsis sounded like it could be hit or miss for me as I don't usually enjoy portal worlds. However, I love Asian-inspired fantasy, and the cover was too beautiful to not give it a try, and I'm so glad I did.

It took me a minute to get into the book because at the beginning, I wasn't sure if maybe this book would be more vibes than plot as it starts more slowly and you're not quite sure what direction it is going to take.
That changed rather quickly, and when I was a third into the story, I was fully invested.
The first half of the book was really good, the second half was phenomenal. It REALLY picked up pace, there were lots of twists and turns and different elements, but they all worked together so well.

At the end of the year, I always make a top 10 list of the most unique books I've read that year, and I have no doubt that this will be in my top 3.
The way the mirror world was done was so cool and I haven't read anything like it (granted I usually avoid portal world books as I said), and there was so much lore, references to mythology and history, some alchemy and interesting characters thrown in, I was truly in awe of the world the author created. I also think it takes quite some skill to craft such an intricate world for a standalone without making it feel convoluted or confusing. Even though the world was quite complex, I never struggled to understand what was going on.

I think the book is more NA than YA as it was quite dark, which I personally really enjoyed. It almost felt like there were some horror elements added in with the different beasts.

I also loved the cast of characters, and I especially enjoyed the changing loyalties and revelations that kept you on your toes about all the different characters.
The romance was lovely, too, though it wasn't my favorite aspect of the story (not because it was bad, everything else was simply better in my opinion).

Overall, I highly recommend this book and I'm excited for whatever the author writes in the future.

There were so much potential here. The beginning was starting well ; the mirror world and the reflections being people on their own mimicking people from the real world - it was extremely interesting. The announcing war between both worlds, and the need for Ying to close it was, here again, interesting.

But the story suffered a very bad main character and confusion on the Chosen One side.

First off, the plot holes and Chosen One confusion : Ying learns there's a second world in the mirror reflection everything happening in her world? Oh yeah, cool. Ying is 'the Fish' ? No problem. The others can transform themselves into animals? Oh yeah sure, that makes totally sense. Nope. Ying may have always been interested in mythology etc, there is no way this is a logical reaction from a person, from her magicless world, learning that all of that exist. She's just stoical.
And then, that... Fish ? What does that even mean? There is no explanation, it's been taken for granted, she knows what it means of course she's the Fish... While here I am after finishing the book still not really knowing what it meant to be the Fish.
And Ying is the Fish ? But then a fish-turning-dragon rider ? Oh wait no she's a Phoenix ? Please make up your mind. Chosen One is one thing, not 3, or even more.

I also really didn't liked Ying. She's insufferable. She's falling in love in not even one full day? She's naive, doesn't/can't think first, she's egoistic, and then there's only her eyes to cry (a awful lot) from her mistakes. She thinks herself superhuman, and everything goes pretty easily with her. There's also no character development at all, except the last 10% where she FINALLY discovers what she's supposed to look for since the beginning.

I'm really disappointed and sad, it's a pity. The story had so much potential but it felt like the ideas were weaker than expected, and Ying the MC was all the "not like any other girl chosen one" characters mixed into one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC

I found the concept of the novel really intriguing and wasn't let down by the execution. I liked the mythology aspect and the eastern-asian culture. I wasn't too fond of the insta-love, but it worked. I wish there would've been a bit more character development since the book was so long. Otherwise it was an enjoyable book with amazing and enchanting descriptions and I couldn't see the ending coming which is a major plus point.

I thought the whole concept with the mirror world was really intriguing (and a bit creepy, which was a clear bonus) and I was excited about it from the start. The motives and behavior of the reflections were also interesting and I wished we’d seen even more of both the reflections and the mirror world.

Another strength of the novel was the vivid descriptions and I do believe the “Enthralling” and “Enchanting” descriptors from the blurb’s were very accurate. The first half of the book was more captivating, while the second part was rather predictable and dragged a bit more.

What did bother me was the insta love (x2), the extreme impulsiveness and naivete of the main character and lack of depth of most characters, which I wouldn’t have commented on if it wasn’t for the fact that the book is almost 500 pages long and surely a bit more development of the characters could have fit in. I think shortening the time Ying spent doing research and instead spending more time on the backstory (the mirror world, the empress, Ying’s family’s history) would also have made me more invested in the story.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and a good debut.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC.