A Mirror Mended by Alix Harrow

 

I guess you think those 'happy endings' happen naturally.  Zinnia Gray is here to tell you that sometimes princesses need a little help in order to live happily ever after.  Zinnia has a degree in folklore and she has helped forty-nine princesses to win their prince and secure their throne.  The fact that living in a fairy tale allows her to ignore her own life and its terminal illness diagnosis has nothing to do with it, or so she would tell you.

But this tale seems different.  Instead of a princess asking for her help, the evil queen has asked Zinnia how to leave the fairy tale.  The queen is evilly gorgeous but she knows that if Snow White becomes queen instead, her future includes dancing in red hot iron shoes until she dies and she'll do anything to survive and avoid that future.  Surely Zinnia can tell her how to escape.

Zinnia is repulsed by the woman but also secretly fascinated by her.  Eva, the name Zinnia gives the queen is fascinating in her quest for survival because that's a topic that is always uppermost in Zinnia's mind as well.  As Eva grudgingly accompanies Zinnia to save the latest Snow White, they encounter friends from some of Zinnia's other rescues and become at least friendly enemies of each other.  Can they learn each others' truths?

I don't think it's possible for Alix Harrow to write a bad book.  She is a Hugo winner and her writing is light yet memorable.  I've loved everything I've read by her and this novel is no different.  She has a lesson to impart but never does so heavy handed.  Zinnia learns that life is to be lived no matter what is coming and love is worth anything.  I listened to this novel and the narrator has exactly the right sarcastic tone to portray Zinnia.  This book is recommended for fantasy readers.