We all know the story. Once upon a time, blah blah, wicked queen, beautiful maiden, seven dwarfs, poisonous apple, magic mirror, happily ever after. But who ever actually thinks about that poor magic mirror, forced to answer inane questions from its evil owner? Well, now the story can be told. How Mira was once a young woman studying to be a witch, until her fellow apprentice and adopted sister betrayed her, transforming her into an enchanted mirror. How the mirror did her sister’s bidding, transforming her appearance, answering questions, casting spells, and so forth. How one day, her mistress vanished, leaving the mirror in solitude for a full century, with only the barest reserves of magic to keep alive. And how, one day, the mirror found a new mistress, one she could manipulate, and how they set out to change both of their lives. Mira, as the mysterious magic mirror, befriends a young runaway, Ivana, and soon brings her into contact with a merchant and his daughter, Talia. With the judicious application of magic, identities are switched, and Ivana and Talia are both cast onto different paths of their own choosing. It’ll be a time of discovery for all three, as they seek out the things that mean the most to them: love, a safe marriage, a return to humanity. The value of sisterhood will be explored, and the power of love will be tested. But will there be a happily ever after for Mira, Talia, and Ivana? That remains to be seen.

Mira, Mirror is an imaginative interpretation of the events surrounding one of our most beloved fairy tales. Mira’s present-day quest is interspersed with flashbacks to her days both as a human and as a servant of the wicked queen-to-be, so that we gradually get to see how she could both love and be betrayed by the person she trusted the most, leading her to her current set of choices. Her slow journey from heartless mirror to loving person is poignant and believable, especially as she relearns how to trust, and how to value people for more than what they can do for her. Harrison brilliantly recasts a minor prop from the original story as a tragic heroine, and in doing so, adds a whole new dimension to the tale, for a job well done. I’ve seen a lot of retold fairy tales, but Mira, Mirror proves that there’s still plenty of room for new exploration.