Dark Mirror: Mary Jo Putney’s YA debut

Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney

M.J. Putney, a.k.a. Mary Jo Putney, is a well-known author of romance novels. In Dark Mirror, Putney makes her young adult debut. Dark Mirror is a blend of fantasy and historical romance set in an alternate history in which magic exists and is legal, but is considered gauche, fit only for the lower classes.

In 1803, young Victoria Mansfield learns she has magic and knows she must keep it secret if she is to make a good marriage. The jig is up when, at a crowded fete, she has to use her powers to save her nephew from certain death. Family friends give her the cut direct and her father packs her off to Lackland Abbey, a school where aristocratic young people learn to suppress their magic. She’s in for a surprise, though. Not everyone at Lackland believes in forsaking magic, and soon Tory meets a secret society dedicated to honing their powers in the hopes of using them against Napoleon.

At this point I’m going to put a spoiler in my review. It’s my opinion that you need to read this spoiler before deciding whether to read the book. I did know about this plot element and was able to adjust to it; I think I’d have been utterly disoriented if I hadn’t known. But I’ll let you decide; If you want to see it, highlight the following text: Tory discovers a mirror that zaps her into 1940, where she befriends a family that needs her help — and her friends’ help — during WWII. [end spoiler]. This almost sounds like too much concept for one book, but it mostly works.

Dark Mirror is, overall, a sweet story focused on friendship, finding oneself, and budding romance, set amid two wars. The love story is cute and written at an age-appropriate level. The ending is particularly touching.

There are issues, however. The dialogue is often stilted — partially because so much of it is expository (between the magic lessons and the explanations to Tory about how things work) and partially because it’s just too goody-goody. Haughty Cynthia is a delightful exception. She starts as a “mean girl” and even when she becomes more sympathetic, she’s still snarky, which makes her a scene-stealer. There is also at least one continuity issue: Mrs. Rainford initially talks about scrying as if Tory taught her to do it, but later Mrs. Rainford learned the skill elsewhere and begins to teach it to Tory.

I have mixed feelings about Dark Mirror, but I’d certainly give a second book a chance — especially if it stars Cynthia and Jack as the lead couple.