Book Review: The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

The Mirror King
By Jodi Meadows
Series: The Orphan Queen #2
Paperback: 531 pages
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰ ( 4 out of 5 Stars )

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Related: | The Orphan Queen | Falling Kingdoms |
Categories: Magic, High Fantasy, Favorites

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

**Includes spoilers to The Orphan Queen**. I managed to finish this 500+ pages of book in a little over two days! Sleep deprivation is real, folks. The baby likes early mornings, and I just don't understand where that came from. Sigh. So here I am, fuzzy brain and all, trying to review this phenomenal conclusion to The Orphan Queen and I'm not quite sure how to do it without spoiling the entire series..Wil's character continues to grow and mature, accepting the fact that she just might not be ready to take the throne and become queen of a broken kingdom. She is being held prisoner by the man that she loves, and he has officially announced his wedding date to the beautiful Meredith. The wraith boy that she created while saving Skyvale isn't human, but he is sentient. The fact that he is made from destruction alone and is attuned to Wil's darkest desires poses a problem for everyone in the kingdom.
I love the banter between Wil and Tobiah. The plot line is so fast paced that it provides a gentle reminder that these two are only human. It lightened the tension multiple times when I found myself clutching the book in dread of what could next go wrong.

"My dear Wilhelmina, you're amazingly accomplished at stating the obvious." His voice was groggy, deep with the remnants of his long slumber. "And you're well enough for sarcasm. I think you'll live."
"Well," said Tobiah, "you're later than I expected." I leaned on the wall and let my head drop back. "Someone couldn't just get crowned king and be done with it. I had to stay for almost the whole party after."

I don't want to give away any spoilers, but that wedding scene. Holy hell. I wasn't ready. Everything changed in a heartbeat, the space of a few sentences. I had to put the book down and clear my head for a moment. Arg! It was perfect and terrible, all at the same time, and I didn't know how to feel about it.
Tobiah is that perfect book boyfriend that I am always looking for. He is mysterious and aloof, bored and intense, sensitive and noble. All of those gushy feels were present for him. He managed to be a complete asshole at times, but it was always to protect those that he loved. He always knew the perfect thing to say, as book boys tend to do, but his actions were sometimes less than honorable. I forgive him those faults, as he was consistently losing the people that he loved. My heart broke for him, and the fact that along with these losses, he was responsible for an entire kingdom under attack. I loved him and hated him all at once, and I love characters that can make me feel so much!
The wraith boy that Wil created to save Skyvale was terrifying and deadly. His goals consisted of only one thing; pleasing his queen, regardless of the injury of innocents that came along with accomplishing that. It was scary, what someone will do in your name, and I remember Wil thinking this countless times. Yet she pursued no avenues to get rid of him. It was like he was her pet, and she was keeping him in case she needed to use him. I understand, but at the same time, he ruined so many lives. I would have kicked his ass out of the kingdom long before she decided to do something about him.

Wraith was terrible stuff, of that I had no doubt. But in the shape of a boy, with a voice and consciousness, was it any different?

James was one of my favorite characters, and that particular twist involving him caught me off guard. I had no idea, although it was hinted at throughout the entire second book. A lot of the intrigue in this book was predictable, but there were many times where I was shocked and couldn't believe what had transpired. I loved it. Everything about it! Melanie totally redeemed herself, Patrick was still a complete asshole, Prince Colin was as always a douch-canoe. It was a beautiful story of unexpected heroes, haunting consequences, and forbidden choices. I recommend this duology to anyone who is a fan of Falling Kingdoms, Snow Like Ashes, etc.. A typical high fantasy of royalty, broken worlds, and unexpected betrayals. <3