A Winter’s Promise: Book One of The Mirror Visitor Quartet Spiral-Bound | May 12, 2020
Christelle Dabos, Hildegarde Serle (Translated by)
★★★★☆+ from 50,001 + ratings
A Winter’s Promise: Book One of The Mirror Visitor Quartet
Amazon Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book of 2018
One of Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best YA Books of 2018
One of Publishers Weekly's Best YA Book of the Year
A National Indie Bestseller
Longlisted for Irish YA prize Great Reads Award
Lose yourself in the fantastic world of the arks and in the company of unforgettable characters in this French runaway hit, Christelle Dabos’ The Mirror Visitor quartet.
Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.
The World of the Arks
Long ago, following a cataclysm called the Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands, now known as arks. Over each, the spirit of an omnipotent and immortal ancestor abides. The inhabitants of these arks each possess a unique power. Ophelia, with her ability to read the pasts of objects, must navigate this fantastic, disjointed, perilous world using her trademark tenacity and quiet strength.
An unforgettable heroine, a rich and bountiful universe, intrigue and suspense: A Winter’s Promise is perfect for readers of Margaret Rogerson’s An Enchantment of Ravens, Melissa Albert’s The Hazel Wood, V.E. Schwab’s “Shades of Magic” series, Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, Kenneth Oppel’s “Airborne” series, and N.K. Jemisin “Broken Earth” series.
Extract:
I think we could have all lived happily, in a way, God, me and the others, if it weren’t for that accursed book. It disgusted me. I knew what bound me to it in the most sickening of ways, but the horror of that particular knowledge came later, much later. I didn’t understand straight away, I was too ignorant.
Praise for A Winter's Promise
“A best seller in France, Dabos’s debut novel evokes both the whimsy and the deep-seated sense of justice of the Harry Potter series.”—Jen Doll, The New York Times Book Review
“The unusual settings, original characters, dark intrigue, originality, and fast-moving plot result in a book that leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next volume.” —School Library Journal (Starred Review)
“Dabos’s darkly enchanting debut, a French bestseller, employs vibrant characters, inventive worldbuilding, and a sophisticated plot that will dazzle readers.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“A captivating fantasy thriller rife with magic and intrigue.” —Foreword Reviews (Starred Review)
"This French import is a stunningly atmospheric fantasy that doubles as an exceptional character study. There’s more in this series and we can’t wait to see where Dabos takes it next."—Entertainment Weekly
"This French best-seller, the first in Dabos’ immersive Mirror Visitor quartet, holds as much appeal for adult fantasy readers as for teens.”—Booklist
"Imagine the poisonous politics of Versailles in a glittering, steampunk world of quill pens, airships, masks, illusions and murderous courtiers and you will have an idea of the conceit...will leave readers with plenty of appetite for the next installment." —The Wall Street Journal
“If you haven't yet heard of what many have dubbed the ‘Harry Potter of France,’ now’s your chance. […] Ophelia is dedicated to finding out the motivations behind her betrothal in this dark, magical adventure.”
—Bustle
"Adult readers who gravitated toward the intricate world-building of Harry Potter or reveled in the dark trickeries of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass will find themselves ensnared by A Winter's Promise...This graceful but strong novel is perfect for those seeking a new fantasy series to capture their imaginations."—The Amazon Book Review
“Dabos has managed the rarely seen triad of complex worldbuilding, nuanced character development, and enthralling plot, even making it look easy. […] Not a drop of mastery is lost in translation.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A Winter’s Promise is a beautifully structured system of mirrors, reflecting in its glittering facets many other books.” —TLS
“This new novel had me glued to the couch as I flipped pages like mad. A debut novel by a French author, A Winter’s Promise begins a four-book fantasy series that vibrates with the wonder of Harry Potter’s magical world and has all the dark, opaque shadows of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. [...] Ophelia is a hero for the ages, and I hope this series becomes the next big one that grabs the imaginations of young adults and adults alike.” —Omnivoracious: Amazon Book Review
”As mesmerizing as a waking dream, A Winter‘s Promise is certain to ensnare you in its unique, dizzyingly magical world of treachery, illusion, and intrigue.” —Margaret Rogerson, author of An Enchantment of Ravens
“Christelle Dabos plunges us into a fabulous, fragmented world of danger and treachery. I loved her reclusive, mirror-walking heroine Ophelia, whose grit and integrity will surely win through!” —Katherine Langrish, author of Troll Fell
“A Winter’s Promise is an elaborate hall of mirrors, a hallucinatory marriage of Pride and Prejudice and Game of Thrones.” —Matthew Sketon, author of the Endymion Spring books
“A fantastic epic, definitely, but also a coming-of-age novel, this first volume makes a strong impression. A novelist is born.” —Le Figaro
“Today, The Mirror Visitor stands on the same shelf as Harry Potter.” —Elle
“Christelle Dabos impresses in this first novel with the power of her imagination. The architect of a bewitching and complex world, she sustains it with a subtle sense of wonder and elegant, flowing language. From metaphor to metaphor, this addictive and charming novel is also a great coming-of-age story.” —Télérama
“From the very first page, you are thrown into this universe, launched through one of Anima’s mirrors, never to return.” —20 Minutes
“Readers’ passion for this series comes from the pleasure of walking up and down the world of the Arks, weightless floating islands that are ruled by family spirits and humans gifted with special powers.” —Le Monde
“With surgical precision, Christelle Dabos has created a hybrid world between fantasy and the Belle Époque.” —MadmoiZelle
Christelle Dabos was born on the Côte d'Azur in 1980 and grew up in a home filled with classical music and historical games. She now lives in Belgium. The Mirror Visitor, her debut series, won the Gallimard Jeunesse-RTL-Télérama First Novel Competition.