  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 05/01/2016 Gr 4–7—A magic mirror, traded for Margaret's crutch, sets off a merry fugue of medieval travels. Although the focus continually returns to Margaret, the lives of a delightful cast of characters, including her sullen mistress, a wily peddler, a boy with bagpipes, a monk, a beggar, a lonely and frightened princess, and even the wild-eyed man whose face appears to Margaret in the mirror, are gradually untangled and rewoven together. The sense of anticipation as connections are revealed to readers before the characters make them is fun and pushes the story forward. These twists and turns may be a concern for struggling readers, but period-inspired comedy will maintain engagement, especially when combined with such a lively plot. The whip-smart dialogue plainly divulges deep characterization without falling back on tiresome exposition. Although the book, including the cover art, seems to advertise a fairy tale, the historical aspects of the novel actually shine brighter, even when they focus on some of the lighter aspects of medieval life. - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 05/01/2016 Margaret, a crippled orphan girl, has the worst luck. She is taunted and teased by local boys at the market, and her caretaker, Minka, has no patience for her. When she happens upon a peddler named Bilious, who saves her from the bullies, she thinks her life might just change for the better. Bilious gifts her with a magic mirror, which he says will show her her heart’s desire. When Margaret, who is already desperate to escape a marriage pact with the local hunchback, sees a green-eyed, red-haired man in the mirror, she is convinced he is her father and runs away. But Minka and Bilious are hot on her trail, and her adventure does not go as planned, instead giving her hope and fear in equal measure as she encounters both thieves and friends. Long, known mostly for historical and realistic fiction, takes to the fractured fairy tale genre well. Fans of slightly silly adventures will enjoy this, cheering for Margaret as she hurtles along her wild journey. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2016 Margaret and her guardian Minka have barely scraped by for years, and while Minka clearly loves Margaret, she seems to have decided that the way to help the girl exist in this cold, medieval world is to toughen her up through meanness. When Margaret glimpses something in a magic mirror, she convinces herself that she should journey to find what she saw, and off she goes, even with her long-injured leg and penniless state. Margaret’s pure heart leads her astray on occasion, as she is too wont to believe in others, but she’s so earnest and charming that it’s impossible not to root for her as she learns she may be a princess long believed dead. Unfortunately, many moments are conveniently resolved through overheard conversations or the appearance of the right person, and there’s consequently little tension. In addition, there are so many characters that it’s hard to sort them all out, particularly given the zippy pace clearly meant to keep things moving. Despite the book’s issues, though, Minka is a gem of a character-all irascible bluster and slowly warming heart-and her evolution makes her much more worthy of Margaret, who deserves a lot better than life has given her. AS - Copyright 2016 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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