Book Review: Mirrorwoven by Bori Cser

Title: Mirrorwoven
Author: Bori Cser
Pages: 333
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Synopsis:

Del has two rules. One: Stay away from royalty. Two: Don’t fall in love.

The first is because Del is secretly Adeleine Ventris, runaway princess. After the death of her sister at the hand of her lover, Del has fled her family, home, and all the responsibilities that come with being the queendom’s new daughter-heir—but not before faking her death and magically constructing a new, mirrorwoven face. No longer recognizable as Adeleine, she’s now just Del, a simple musician who knows nothing of court life and can disappear to the faraway opaline lagoon-city of Salato.

The second is because the enchantment hiding Del’s identity can only be unraveled by true love’s kiss. But that’s just fine—Del’s had enough of love.

When Del breaks Rule One and becomes court bard to the new First of Salato, she is resolved to at least keep her head down and stay well out of politics—until she realizes sweet, gentle Clara, the young figurehead who trusts too easily and loves too much, may be the one person less prepared to govern than Del herself. And if Clara loses her throne, Del loses the tenuous new job and life she’s found in Salato.

As Del’s deceptions grow ever larger and more precarious—and as she grows closer to both Clara and Nasca, Clara’s brilliant, dangerous sister—it will take only the slightest push to bring Del’s house of cards tumbling down.

Like, for example, breaking Rule Two.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound

Mirrorwoven is an entertaining YA fantasy, and I enjoyed the unique premise, the atmospheric setting, and the mirror magic. The setting was so vivid, from the canals, markets, boats, to all of the little details of the city. It made it so easy to visualize. The magic was interesting too, especially the way mirrors were used to create enchantments. I liked the idea behind it and the way it was connected to Del and the story as a whole. I do wish we had gotten a little more of the magic system, and I would have loved to see more of Gilnea and learn more about the differences between the two places. I thought there was a lot of potential in both the world and the magic, and I would have liked to see some of those elements explored a little more.

Del was a great protagonist. Stubborn and impulsive, she definitely makes some questionable decisions, which didn’t surprise me considering her circumstances and her initial desperation. She goes through a lot, both before and during the story, and it was interesting to see how she dealt with everything thrown at her. Her love of and passion for music was also fantastic, and I loved seeing how it gave her a sense of freedom and purpose, especially since so much of her life has been defined by expectations and responsibilities she didn’t necessarily want. I enjoyed watching her figure out what she actually wanted for herself.

The romance is a love triangle, which isn’t my favorite, but it definitely added some interesting complications and angst, especially as Del became closer to both love interests. I liked that the two relationships were very different from each other. One seems based more on attraction and lust while the other feels a bit deeper and more emotional, and I was curious to see how it would all turn out, especially with all the secrets and connections between them. I also liked the court intrigue and seeing Del try to navigate this new world while keeping her identity secret. There were some fun twists and turns as the story progressed. Overall, this was an entertaining debut fantasy with an atmospheric setting, an interesting magic system, and a great FMC.

mirror magic
love triangle
hidden identity
secret princess
court intrigue
sapphic romance

Bori Cser is a Hungarian-Australian author of young adult fantasy. At various times she has identified as a classically trained clarinettist, a biology PhD dropout and a dinosaur puppeteer, but these days mostly describes herself as in need of a nap. She lives on Dharug and Gundungurra country in Australia’s Blue Mountains with her partner and three high-maintenance cats.

LINKS: Website | Instagram | Goodreads