Review: Solid end to a fantastic series.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 14, 2014
I found myself starting The Mirror with both feelings of excitement and sadness. Excitement, as it was another book in the Northwest Passage series, a series I have loved since I started it two years ago, and sad as it was the last instalment of this fantastic series. I’ve always had a soft-spot for this series, so I knew that bidding it farewell would be difficult, but I knew that Heldt wouldn’t disappoint when it came to delivering a fantastic story for the series to bow out on.The story focuses on the lives of Ginny and Katie Smith, twin daughters of Joel and Grace, the main characters of the first and third books in the series. I liked both of the girls, although I have to say that I prefered Katie over Ginny as I just found Katie a touch sweeter and a little less cruel than Ginny. They were both lovely girls though, and I loved how they found a way to get by in the sixties without making fools of themselves, by getting jobs and accommodation as soon as humanely possible, instead of leaving it all to the very last minute. All the characters in The Mirror were wonderful to read about, with the exception of Steve and his family – I could not warm to them whatsoever! It was great to be able to revisit Virginia too, as I loved her character in The Mine. That didn’t change in The Mirror, in fact, if its possible, I think I loved her character more!I have come to appreciate the way that Heldt crafts wonderfully believable relationships in all his books, and The Mirror was certainly no exception. Mike and Katie’s relationship in particular was incredibly touching, they were both shy and almost determined to remain ‘just friends’, which was admirable but it was clear that they would definitely end up as much more than that. I loved the way Heldt tackled the sixties era realistically too. Things were very different in the sixties, especially where racial equality is concerned, and he weaved this into his story respectfully and thoughtfully.The Mirror, much like The Fire, had an ending that certainly had my eyes misting up at various points! I almost didn’t want to write this review, as then it means that this series is over, at least for the moment. The Mirror did not disappoint me at all, not that I expected it to. John A Heldt has proved over these five novels that he is a master when it comes to crafting an excellent time-travel romance, and I cannot wait to see what he produces next.