Book Review: The Mirrored Shard

Media Type: Print Book (ARC)
Title: The Mirrored Shard
   *Series: Iron Codex #3
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: Hardcover; 304
Release Date: February 12, 2013
Source: Publisher
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Intended Reading Group: Young Adult
Content Screening: Mild Violence
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HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart
Recommended to: Readers who are fans of the Iron Codex series.

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Aoife Grayson must face death to win back Dean—the love who was ripped from the Iron Lands of the living when he was shot in the arctic north. But getting to the Deadlands is something that Aoife can’t do on her own. And if she can find a way there, Tremaine would surely never allow it. He has sworn to keep her in the Thorn Lands, the fairie home of her mother, Nerissa. But Aoife is determined to find her way out. And she has no trouble if that means she has to kill Tremain and his queen to do it.

The Mirrored Shard opens on an Aoife much different than before. After everything that has brought her to this point in the series, she is a shell of her former self. With Dean gone, the world descending into madness, and her essentially being the cause for it all, I can’t deny her demeanor was easy to understand. Still, I instantly missed the Aoife from the other stories. Strong and witty Aoife. I crossed my fingers that things would resolve themselves, and read on.

Now, what first drew me into this series was the world building. Kittredge’s writing would flow onto the pages, and I was so drawn in to Lovecraft that I couldn’t look away. She built a world where I was able to visit an airship and meet some Fae in the same breath. So imagine my chagrin when I realized that The Mirrored Shard was lacking the descriptive writing I fell in love with. Actually, it is still here. Just less of it. I wanted more of the eerie Deadlands, more of the cold and calculating Fae.

Which brings me to my final issue, and in truth the reason why this book garnered fewer stars than the previous two for me: the plot. In previous books Aoife’s adventures have always been daring and grand. Filled with danger, narrow escapes, and requiring quick thinking on her part. I loved the camaraderie between the characters. In The Mirrored Shard, I felt like a lot of that was pressed into the background. Aoife is so focused on getting Dean back that she acts much like a petulant child most of the time. The Fae, the Old Ones, everything that kept the story moving, is shoved back for Dean’s rescue. It just felt off.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this book. There were portions that shone for me, and others that were slow to get through. I will admit that I was very glad to see everything finally wrapped up neatly. I wouldn’t say no to another book, especially because I’d love to see where things go with Aoife. For now, I’ll say goodbye to this series with a smile on my face. Thank you to Caitlin Kittredge for allowing me to escape into Lovecraft. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Other books reviewed in this series:
The Iron Thorn
The Nightmare Garden

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.