Angel of Elydria, the first book in the Dawn Mirror Chronicles by A.R. Meyering, is going to be one of the harder book reviews I’ve had to write, due to the fact that events unfold on top of one another, making it hard to describe without spoiling. It’s like trying to describe the Harry Potter series without giving away that he’s a wizard. Can’t be done. In an effort to keep the surprises to a maximum, I will share the back cover blurb as the premise:
At the crossroads, where dreams become nightmares, lies the world of Elydria…
It’s not every day that a college student dies and is revived in a distant world far away from her small hometown in Oregon. But that’s exactly what happens to Penny Fairfax. Penny soon discovers her near death experience awakened an ability to manipulate the dreams of others, permitting her to unlock hidden secrets from the past and create vivid illusions.
Trapped in Elydria with her English professor, Penny must navigate a world of gas lamps and glittering façades on the verge of collapse in search of the way home. Haunted by a malicious specter wearing an iron funeral mask, she learns that her gift of life comes with a high cost. Now, Penny must escape its wicked intentions, solve the mystery that is unleashing havoc on Elydria, and return home without meeting death a second time.
Intense, right? My first impression was that this story was quite overwhelming, but as I read it, I was sucked into the vortex and found I couldn’t get away…and I didn’t mind. The storyline is fast-paced and develops quickly, but events occur in a real, yet satisfyingly coincidental way. To add to the blurb, I’ll just say there are three worlds within the Dawn Mirror, one of which is Earth, one destroyed, and one swiftly losing its magical resources. Add to that the missing Angels of each world (their gods), someone turning the goblins into wraiths and creating an army, a specter haunting Penny, dream-stealing, magical forests, flying moths, a missing King, and the fact that they don’t have Elydrian money or any idea of how to get home.
The core characters are flawed and intensely loveable for their unique traits and pasts yet to be revealed. Penny is a stubborn introvert who finds herself in a situation that forces her to let her guard down, trust others and stand in the spotlight more than she could ever wish. Hector Arlington is a timid, shy man, with a love of knowledge and a fear of his own power…not to mention the last of his kind. Simon Shaw is an aspiring magician with an intense need to be needed. Annette Deveaux is Elydrian society’s star, delicate as a flower and with a voice that can move mountains, if she wishes…and the final addition to the group, Argent Clemons, is a quirky crafter with an intense understanding of magic and big plans. Their journey seeking safety and answers in a foreign land is entertaining and unique, because there is always something new to learn, but it’s all remarkably easy to accept and imagine.
Descriptions and depth are a strong skill of Meyering, and she gives the reader a clear grasp of Elydria and knowledge of how magic works within the Dawn Mirror, while maintaining a depth and complexity that is applaud-worthy. Some twists and turns are anticipated, yet the pre-meditated thought and intention behind each is magical in itself. My criticisms lie in the fast pacing of the story and the occasional over-use of adjectives and descriptions, but there is something charming too in the full immersion into each scene that leaves little to the imagination beyond the author’s vision. Meyering knows her world and it demands to pop off the page. It will captivate you, no question!
musings of a reader. 