The Mirrors Shattered

By Author / Illustrator

A.J. Hartley

Genre

Fantasy

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

UCLan Publishing

ISBN

9781912979035

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

01-10-2020

Synopsis

The problem with doors is that they open both ways. There are monsters inside, and some of them are trying to get out ...

Mr. Peregrine has been kidnapped! Now it's up to Darwen, Rik, and Alexandra to rescue him. They'll embark upon a journey that will take them deeper into Silbrica than they've ever gone before, and there, on the other side of the mirror, they'll find the strangest sight of all: an exact replica of Hillside Academy. This is only the first of many connections that Darwen and his friends are about to discover between the human world and the world of Silbrica. And as the connections begin piling up, they'll be forced to confront the most horrifying realisation of all: they've been lied to this entire time.

See also Monsters in the Mirror (book 1); The Mirroculist Mission (book 2)

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Reviews

At the end of book two (The Mirroculust Mission), Mr Peregrine was kidnapped! Now it's up to Darwen, Rik and Alex to rescue him. In The Mirrors Shattered, the final book in the Beyond the Mirror trilogy, they go on a journey that takes them deeper into Silbrica than they've ever gone before; during this search for allies to fight Greyling, they encounter previous creatures of this world and some definitely scary new ones! Will the people and animals of Silbrica help them when they are needed or leave them to fight this battle on their own?

On this journey Darwen and his friends discover many connections between the human world and that of Silbrica and the strangest one is a creepy replica of their school, Hillside Academy. What does Greyling want with the school? Who is this man, and why does he want to destroy not only Silbrica but Darwen?

As the story develops, Darwen realises that he has been lied to by the very people he trusted, and it hurts. Alongside coping with these lies he also believes he is losing his Mirroculist powers and doesn't know how to tell his friends.

This is not just a hugely entertaining book, but an entertaining and engaging series. Within its 424 pages the reader will come across, sinister otherworldly creatures such as scrobblers, gnashers and ghosts -along with nicer characters like Weazen and Moth.

The author lightly touches on the subjects of trust, friendship, betrayal and death, making the plot perfectly balanced and with its pacey, action-packed chapters, a must read for any 11+ reader (especially boys) who enjoy a fantasy novel. The Beyond the Mirror series would also be good for parents to read out aloud to younger fantasy enthusiasts. This is also a great choice for book clubs and intervention groups as there are many discussion points within the plot that can be raised. This is a delightful story, with characters that are likeable and entertaining; I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

424 pages / Reviewed by Linda Brown, school librarian