I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BROKEN WISH by Julie C.
Dao Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book
Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Author: Julie C. Dao
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 320
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org, Purchase a SIGNED copy!
Sixteen-year-old Elva has a secret. She has visions and strange
powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what
happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She's heard the terrible
things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts
that follow.
But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner-none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it's too late.
The Mirror: Broken Wish marks the first book in an innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, Jennifer Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.
“Broken Wish is the perfect dark Disney fairytale.” – The Disney Blog
“Julie C. Dao sets the bar high with Broken Wish, a stunning and skillful introduction to the world of The Mirror, Disney's new fractured fairy-tale series written by four different authors that follows a family curse through the ages.” - Medium
“Fairy tales were literally the foundation of how I started writing my first full-length novel at the age of eight. So, it felt like coming full circle when Disney asked me to write the first book in this series, and I had a blast incorporating classic fairy tale themes with my own twist. Hanau, Germany is none other than the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm, and as a lover of dark fairy tales, I felt that there was no setting more perfect for me to explore. My book takes place during a time when rural villages would still have clung to superstition and prejudice, and that gave me an excellent springboard for this book about a woman who has never quite fit in and longs for love and friendship.” - Julie C. Dao on Broken Wish in Publishers Weekly
Broken Wish is the fantastic first book in a new young adult fantasy series that lovers of fairy tales are going to devour. As soon as I read the description, I knew that I had to read this book. I love dark fairy tales and fantasies and I'm obsessed with magic and witches; I was so excited and had high hopes for this book. I'm so happy to say that it didn't disappoint in the least. The only reason I didn't give it a full five stars was because of the writing style the author used. Point of view is a huge deal for me personally as a reader and I almost always prefer the first person because it allows the reader to connect to the narrator on a deeper level than the other styles. This story is told in the third person POV, so I wasn't able to fall into Elva's world as much as I wanted and I definitely didn't have the deep connection I hoped for. Again, this is a personal preference only and it doesn't reflect on the book or writing itself. I just wanted to explain why I didn't give it full marks.
The historical setting in rural Germany was interesting and a perfect fit for a fairy tale like this. The book talks about many important topics alongside the fantasy story - one of which is how places like Hanau (the setting of the story) would have been a breeding ground for superstition and witch hunts. Basically, if anyone - especially a woman - was wealthy, or incredibly beautiful, or different in any way - they were often accused of witchcraft and either driven out of the area or killed. We see this a lot in stories set in these times and in actual history as well. It's a very important and universal topic that needs to be addressed and this was a great platform for it.
I loved the characters and really enjoyed getting to know them throughout the story. Elva was a great main character who was complex and realistic. The other major characters were pretty rounded as well and I liked getting to know them and to see their relationships with Elva and one another change and grow throughout the book. The story line was pretty predictable but that didn't matter much to me. Most fairy tales have the same trope so I found it easy to figure out what was going to happen. But it wasn't supposed to be a mystery or anything, so I brushed it off and focused on the author's unique spin and original details. Although it might feel like a story we've heard before, it's been given a breath of new life with this book and I can't wait to see where the rest of the series will take us. I very highly recommend this book to fans of YA, fantasy, fairy tales, historical fantasy, and retellings.
Julie C. Dao is the author of the acclaimed Rise of the
Empress duology, including Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Kingdom of the
Blazing Phoenix, as well as the follow-up novel Song of the Crimson Flower. A
proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York, she now lives in
New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes. Photo Credit: Melody Marshall
Website | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads
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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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10/1/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/2/2020 |
Excerpt |
Week Two:
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10/5/2020 |
Review |
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10/6/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/7/2020 |
Review |
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10/8/2020 |
Review |
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10/9/2020 |
Review |
Week Three:
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10/12/2020 |
Review |
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10/13/2020 |
Review |
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10/14/2020 |
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10/15/2020 |
Review |
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10/16/2020 |
Review |
Week Four:
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10/19/2020 |
Review |
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10/20/2020 |
Review |
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10/21/2020 |
Review |
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10/22/2020 |
Review |
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10/23/2020 |
Review |
Week Five:
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10/26/2020 |
Excerpt |
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10/27/2020 |
Review |
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10/28/2020 |
Review |
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10/29/2020 |
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10/30/2020 |
Review |
So excited to read this. I loved Julie's last book series and can't wait to see whee this one goes!
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