THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION
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Princess Ying Yue believed in love … once upon a time.
Yet when she’s chosen to wed the crown prince, Ying’s dreams of a fairy tale marriage quickly fall apart. Her husband-to-be is cold and indifferent, confining Ying to her room for reasons he won’t explain. Worse still are the rumors that swirl around the imperial palace: whispers of seven other royal brides who, after their own weddings, mysteriously disappeared.
Left alone with only her own reflection for company, Ying begins to see things. Strange things. Movements in the corners of her mirror. Colorful lights upon its surface. And when, on the eve of her wedding, she unwittingly tears open a gateway, she is pulled into a mirror world.
This realm is full of sentient reflections, including the enigmatic Mirror Prince. Unlike his real-world counterpart, the Mirror Prince is kind and compassionate, and before long Ying falls in love—the kind of love she always dreamed of.
But there is darkness in this new world, too.
It turns out the two worlds have a long and blood-soaked history, and Ying has a part to play in the future of them both. And the brides who came before Ying? By the time they discovered what their role was, it was already too late.
THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION (previously called Fauna of Mirrors) was awarded the Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards in 2022. Here's what the judges had to say:
"Fauna of Mirrors is an exhilarating and dream-like fantasy novel. The audacious and poised Princess Ying Yue, recently married in the kingdom of Jinghu Dao, is not one to sit idly by while her new family locks her away, and certainly not when a battle of epic proportions is raging outside her window. The mirror, a central theme of the novel, creates boundless metaphors, engendering a sense of suspense, mystery and introspection. It is a story about love, empire, betrayal and ultimately finding oneself.
Keshe Chow is a remarkable creator of fictional worlds. Her exquisite imagery is bright, crisp and utterly enveloping. The judges felt the breath of the enormous ox-like Aoyin, were enchanted by the mesmerising movement of koi and astonished as each gripping twist and turn in the narrative was revealed. It is not an overstatement to say that there is never a dull moment in this novel. It is an exciting contribution to the genre and an absolute joy to read."
Portrait of THE GIRL WITH NO REFLECTION protagonist, Ying Yue. (Credit: Neal Hopkins)
Ying and Zhang from THE GIRL
WITH NO REFLECTION.
(Credit: @mariyand_r)
Ying and Zhang from THE GIRL
WITH NO REFLECTION.
(Credit: @thalia_art_)