Review of Dark Mirror

Dark Mirror by M. J. Putney
Pages: 320
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Review Source: Amazon Vine Program
My rating: 3.5/5
Dark Mirror has a unique look at practicing magic. After some aristocrats throw a fit about how mages are cheaters, etc they get it banned within the aristocratic society. Its still okay for commoners to use magic so they can still have weather mages, etc. If your a young person and a aristocrat and you are found to have magic then you are a disgrace to the family name and sent to Lackland Abbey. All of a sudden the person goes from social status to nothing status as if it was your fault magic is in your veins.

It is a huge culture shock for the young Lords and Lady's to go from high station to low station. Some learn to live well with this life and others refuse to believe that they can't still live like they are still in society. Others embrace their magic and practice in secret down in the labyrinth with others.

Lackland has a abbey for girls and one for boys and when they practice in secret it is teens from both abbeys. It is here that Tory really finds herself and deals with her magic. She also has a very strong connection with a young Lord, Allarde. Tory is very torn between wanting to be rid of her magic so she can go home and embracing her magic because its a part of her.

Now here is the part that threw me a little bit when I was reading. See I was always wondering what does the mirror have to do with anything, then boom she goes through a magic mirror and ends up in 1940 and I was like, "What" I didn't read anything on the back that said  she travels through a mirror to a different time and at first I didn't like it much but then it was sort of interesting how the story weaves between the two places 1803 and 1940, both eras on the brink of war both needing the help of these young mages.

After they travel to 1940 the last half of the book deals with a group of the Irregulars as they call themselves, helping with WWII. In England at this time there was a great evacuation of British and some French troops and although I found it interesting how the author puts a story around a great historical story, it seem to drag on a bit.

It was a great story about some misfits who find courage to unite and not worry about social stations. The Irregulars were not only boys and girls born into aristocratic society but also commoners. They shared a common bond which was magic.

Over all I find it very hard to tell to much about this story without giving away something that should be discovered on its own while reading. I think if you like books about magic, teens, and history then I think you would like this story.

Also if you like this story I seen that the author has put out a short story about Allarde. I seen that its free on Amazon.com. I don't know about the other book sites.

Blog Hop!

I am running a bit behind with this post as I usually try and get it up on Friday, but was a little busy. Better late than never..LOL The blog hop is hosted by Crazy-for-books.

"Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

Wow, there are so many good books coming out this summer, hmm lets see. Let me think a minute......

 Looks like a fun kinds book!


Been looking forward to this one for a while.

Sounds good!

Well there you go, three books  that I would like to read that are coming out in May. There are a lot more but I am limiting myself to three..LOL

What about you? What are you looking forward to reading this summer?

Trailer Thursday!

Was searching though the book trailers on Youtube and thought I would share some that I thought were looked pretty cool.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hi Everyone! Today here in Missouri is a very wet day. I am so sick and tired of rain and the forecast says we have two more days of it. :( Since its Monday that means its time to let you know what I am reading. First though I would like to let you know about my recent review of Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis in case you would like to check it out.

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Book Journey.
Last week:
Didn't  finish anything, just didn't get much reading time.

This week:

Dark Mirror by M. J. Putney (Its been a pretty decent read.)
Die For Me by Amy Plum (Its a book I am reading on my computer so its taking a while but its a good book)

Next week:

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

So tell me what are you reading?

Happy Easter Everyone!

I just wanted to wish my readers a Happy Easter. Today is sort of a gloomy Easter Sunday as its been raining for today's and still raining today. It sort of comes and goes and right now the clouds are looking like they are going to burst forth in some more rain. :*( 

Our church is having a dinner and Easter egg hunt afterwards for the children so I hope it stops raining long enough to be able to have a little fun after church. :)

Have a safe and Happy Easter with your friends and loved ones! God Bless!

Review of Kat, Incorrigible

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
Pages: 304
Publisher: Atheneum
Review Source: Amazon Vine
My rating: 4/5

Kat, Incorrigible is about a young lady Kat Stephenson who has magic running through her veins. She loves defying her stepmother in just about any way she can. Kat is only twelve years old but she thinks she is the only one who can save her sister from having to marry a man she doesn't love. She cuts her hair to look like a boy and tries to run away but she is caught by her sisters.

Kat never knew her mother she grew up with only what her sister might have told her, but she did know that her mother was a person who had magic. She had seen her sister Angeline with their mothers magic books and that she is dabbling in magic. She also realizes that her sister put a love spell on a young man who is extremely smitten with Angeline. So she decides its time to find out more about her mother and sneaks into the cabinet where all her mothers belongings have been stored. While she is here a small gold compact catches her eyes. With this compact begins a very magical adventure.

Kat braves herself against a dangerous Highway man, faces off with the nasty man Elissa was suppose to marry, breaks very strong spells and even though things never seem to go the way she has planned she always seems to save the day, so to speak.

Kat, Incorrigible was a fun quick read that will interest young readers as well as old. It over all is just a cute story about a young girl who is trying to find her place in her family. Her two sisters knew their mother, but she did not. Her two sisters are of marrying age while she is not. She can't stand her stepmother trying  to marry off Elissa just to get money so she fights back. When she discovers she has magic in her it makes her feel more connected to her mother.

One thing that I was a little puzzled over was  the fact that she didn't take well to her stepmother. I don't remember how long her dad had been married to her stepmother, but I would think since she grew up with out a mother she would have took to her more. She just seemed so emotionally not attached her her stepmother and it seemed strange to me.

Over all I think its a fun book for everyone and would recommend this book to those who like quirky, fun books about magic.

Its a blog hop!!

Blog Hop Friday is hosted by Crazy-for-books. This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at The Paperback Princesses. She asks:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Sometimes I do and some times I just look out for books that will be coming out. I just finished this book called So Close the Hands of Death by J.T. Ellison and although it was good there was a lot of back story I needed from the previous books even though they can be read alone. I enjoyed it enough that I want to go and buy the other five that came out  first and read them in order then read this one again so that I can have the complete vision of the author was going for.

More often though I just look for when the author has a new book coming out instead of going back to look for old books.

What about you?

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
Page: 43

Puzzled, Tory said, "She must be very powerful to be able to suppress students when the abbey grounds block most magic."

"She has a way of resisting the dampening effect Lackland has on everyone else," Elspeth explained "She needs that to evaluate students and teach magical control."

So far the book is okay, but its just getting started so hopefully it will get a bit more interesting as it goes on.


Die For Me by Amy Plum
Page: 57

"I'm fine, but you shouldn't be. You just lost a friend in a horrible accident and your standing there like nothing happened. I don't care who you are or what you've done to make you run away like that. But for it not to affect you...you got to be seriously messed up."
A surge of emotion crossed Vincent's dark face. He looked upset. Well, good.

"I don't understand you. And I don't want too." My eyes narrowed in disgust. "I hope I never see you again." I said, and begun to walk towards the gate.

So far this one is interesting.

Tease me, please! :)

It's Monday! What are you reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey. Its were I get to share with you what I read last week, what I am reading right now and maybe what I am going to read next. :0)

Last Week:



This week:




Next week:

I don't know I have so many that I need to read I might just close my eyes and pick one. :O)

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. I didn't get a lot of stuff this week but I had to restrain myself while at Books-a-million and their 75% off sales items. I haven't been able to go to a bookstore in a long time and I could have stayed in there for hours and spent way to much money..lol.

Here is what I got:


The first two cost me 3.97 the last one was 3.00 :) I so wanted to get more but I had to budget myself..lol.

For review:




Sounded interesting. :)

Well that's all I got, what about you?