The Storm of Echoes: Book Four of the Mirror Visitor Quartet

first of all, oh my G-D was that amazing. i've seen a lot of people rating this much lower than the other books in the series, but i don't get it because i thought this was exactly the way it should've ended. there were some things that upset me, but it wasn't because i thought they didn't fit with the plot; it was because i wanted it to be happier than it ended up being, but there is also hope in the end that things will get better and that there can still be happiness. as always, the characters are what stand out here, more than just about any other aspect of the story. i adored victoria!! she was such a sweet soul and such an interesting character with such an intriguing perspective into the events that were occurring around her. there were some things left unanswered when it comes to her character - as well as with the plot in general - but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of her story and the story as a whole. the chapters from thorn's perspective basically confirmed what i'd already believed about him (he definitely has ocd), but i also loved how it showed the way the genealogists manipulated him into doing what they wanted him to do and, in the end, made his ocd symptoms worse. the relationship between him and ophelia deepened and ended up having me sobbing by the end of the story because of the way they left it, but, like i said, there was still hope at the end. ophelia's character development from the first book to the last one is a massive leap; there's so much about her that grows and strengthens and i was so proud of her by the end. also second was such an interesting addition to the story. i wish we'd learned more about her, but, in the end, i do think that what we were told was exactly what we needed to be to further the plot, etc. the linework, as usual, reminded me so so much of a studio ghibli film: beautiful, but also with that touch of fantasy i grew up loving in the children's and middle grade books that i would read. i feel like there should be more for me to say, but, truly, i was left in a state of awe at the end of this book and generally speechless in the very best way. all in all, the perfect end to a series. i Do wish there was one more book for reasons that will are obvious at the end of the story, but i also understand why it ended where it did. 10/10. would recommend.

The writing is subperb but I found thd characters and their motivations confusing. The plot was really hard to follow and to be honest I'm still not sure I understand what happened except in a very general way. In addition the romance between Ophelia and Thorn was so unconvincing - it almost seemed contrived without adding much to the story.

The whole plot bends ur mind, upside down and backwards and then you get repeatedly punched in the gut with the loss of characters. Good ending, would love some better closure for Ophelia and Thorn.

**spoiler alert** I'm really sad I'm giving this three stars instead of more, especially since one of those stars is granted only due to the quality of the writing and imagination in this final installment of the Mirror Visitor series. Although, come to think of it, too much 'imagination' might have contributed to its flaws. While I was absolutely delighted with the first two volumes, the resolution is needlessly, almost incomprehensibly, complex. Much of the book is devoted to Ophelia's experiences in the dismal Deviations Observatory, where she must continue to take personal risks to investigate the (literal) earth-shattering mystery she is attempting to solve. This (extensive) part of the story had some masterfully weird, dream-like qualities that reminded me of the Gormenghast books. Many of the characters Ophelia encountered in The Memory of Babel are here, as well as new ones, and all are conveniently vital to the overall plot. But none of them are as compelling as the ones left behind: Ophelia's family, Bernhilde, Archibald, Gail, Fox, and Farouk. We get some brief, half-hearted bulletins about them, until their final (abrupt) appearance at the climax. This climax was disappointing. Considering all the metaphysical elements that were being layered in during the course of Ophelia's epic search for the truth, to have everything come down to a boss-battle with a shape-shifter was a let-down. There's another character who isn't in here nearly as much as he should have been: Thorn. I get that Dabos may have wanted to prolong the tension between him and Ophelia by keeping them apart as much as possible, and I'll admit that this approach certainly gave their few scenes a lot of charm and emotional weight. However, since Ophelia has not advanced much as a character over the course of the plot's nearly three years, I was looking forward to see how the two of them could grow together as a couple. We got a few hints, but not nearly enough. I think this was a grave error in judgement on the author's part, as Thorn and Ophelia had the promise of being a truly memorable couple but she basically threw it away. Inexplicably, Ophelia is even shown as caring as much for Ambrose and Octavio as she does for Thorn. After such a detailed, often confusing, even bloated, narrative, the conclusion is, at best a cliff-hanger anticipating a book that will never be written. At worst, it's a slap in the face to readers who were expecting something else entirely.

I am in love with this series! Such a beautiful blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery. I haven’t obsessively read a series like this since Harry Potter, and honestly, these books are better written in my opinion (not dissing the story line, I still love Harry Potter dearly). I could not recommend this series more!

El cierre de la saga. Un poco confuso y me dolió el final pero siento que es un cierre decente

Wife wanted the series which was just nice as I was able to complete the set with this book

El empaque del libro es de muy buena calidad.

I can say that this has been one of the literary sagas that I had enjoyed the most in the past 10 years, only comparable to the Winternight trilogy from Katherine Arden. The author, Christelle Dabos is superb describing with a simplicity and lack of overpuffed words or sentences, in comparison with other authors that preferred a more “baroque” vocabulary. She makes you to dive into the story, places and characters. You share their emotions, thoughts and struggles in such a way. She manages easily for the reader to identify with our beloved Ophelia. She is and forever will be one of my favourite heroines in literature. Real, palpable, human. The fantasy is so real and dreamy, given room to the reader to imagine in their own way. The storyline is masterfully guided from start to end with very surprising “awe” moments Many of the reviews complaint about the end. But there’s nothing to complaint about an “open” end. It gives room for each one to imagine what can come after or even a fifth amazing installment. I will most definitely keep and eye for more work from Christelle Dabos. Here we have enjoyment, quality, real love and emotions, adventure, fantasy, anger, danger, loss.

Loved this four-book series. Unlike so much contemporary fantasy, this series is beautifully written. I might even call it literary fantasy.