All Mirrors Could Be Dangerous

I recently finished reading Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher. This is OwlCrate's August Adult book.

This exclusive edition features an exclusive redesigned dust jacket by @artbysarahmason, with holographic stenciled edges, a reversible dust jacket by @evangelinegallagher, hardcover case design by @heyatlascreative, and end pages by @jariarambaran. The book is also signed by author T. Kingfisher on an author page with an author's letter bound into the book, as well as bonus content.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

  Rating: 3.75/5 stars

"Healer Anja regularly drinks poison. Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all."

The story follows Anja, a skilled healer and poison expert whose curiosity knows no bounds. She's constantly experimenting with poisons and their antidotes, sometimes even testing them on herself in her quest for knowledge.

Her world turns upside down when the king arrives at her workshop with a horrifying confession: he killed the queen after discovering her cutting out their elder daughter's heart. Before Anja can process this revelation, he begs her to examine his younger daughter, Snow, believing she's been poisoned by palace enemies. Having been recommended by her father, Anja feels duty-bound to assess the twelve-year-old princess and search for a cure.

With help from two guards—including Javier, who becomes an unexpected friend (and possibly more)—Anja begins investigating. She examines Snow's room, studies her daily routines, interviews palace staff, and even encounters Snow's delightfully narcissistic talking cat, Grayling.

However, as she delves deeper, she discovers that Snow's condition might not be poison-related at all. Instead, it seems connected to mysterious mirrors that act as portals to a supernatural realm where a sinister force awaits. For Anja, who has always relied on science and knowledge, this presents an impossible challenge: how can she use magic—something she barely understands—to heal the princess without endangering everyone involved?

While the opening chapters felt somewhat slow and dense, the story hit its stride after the first quarter. True to Kingfisher's style, it delivered surprising twists and intelligent storytelling that kept me completely engaged.

Check out Hemlock & Silver, and discover what happens when you have to watch out for mirrors.

Happy Reading :)