The Missing of Clairdelune: Book Two of The Mirror Visitor Quartet

Gr 9 Up-"The Mirror Visitor Quartet" continues in this second volume, as the wedding day of Ophelia and Thorn draws closer and the emotional distance between them grows larger. As the fiancé of the outcast Thorn, Ophelia finds her place in the Pole one of ostracism and danger. Farouk, the ancestral Spirit of the Pole, wants her to use her gift to "read" his book to find its hidden secrets, but Thorn insists that she wait until they marry and exchange powers and let him do the reading. Meanwhile, influential members of the court keep disappearing and the mirages on the Pole seem to be failing. In her new job as Vice-storyteller, Ophelia finds herself with a lot more attention than she—or Thorn—desires. Add to that, her family makes the trip to the Pole for her wedding, further complicating her life. While there is a short summary of the first volume, A Winter's Promise, at the beginning of the book, it is not sufficient to make the second book of the quartet an easy read without having read the first. The complex plot with a multitude of characters remains strong, as does the world-building. Main characters continue to be fleshed out and details of the Pole, its inhabitants, and its history explained. Intense intrigue and alliances make for a suspenseful read.