Into the Reflection. A book review.

What a page-turner! Into the Reflection is a fantastic read. It's as amazing as Book 1: Daughters of a Winter Night. Bravo. 5 stars!

Book Cover of Into the Reflection

I was thrilled when Doug Belair published book 2 of the Daéfinlyr series. I fell in love with his work when reading Daughters of a Winter Night and couldn't wait for book 2 to hit the shelves.

This book review was first published on Reedsy Discovery.

If you had to wait an entire year to see what Time's Tapestry has in store for Orin and his friends, I recommend starting from scratch to really immerse yourself in the magical world of Ganelon and Saéthenghal – I did.

Into the Reflection starts where Daughters of a Winter Night ends, atop nar Cenfeal when Orin d'Shardolay and Nohrjane encountered Bethesela. Orin is forced to come to terms with his troubled past and unknown future. He knows he is at the centre of what is to come, but that doesn't mean he likes or accepts it. With the support of his friends, the daéfinlyr, he tries to stop the Dark Queen from completing her quest: Freeing her husband, Gorath the Bound – an immortal creator who has an axe to grind. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game in which both parties try to gain the upper hand as they work against time, prophecy, and new foes.

The shadow’s black eyes flew wide. Its knife clattered to the ground as its hands flew to the gash in its throat. For a moment, it stood in blood-soaked disbelief. Then, with a wet gasp, its knees buckled. It wavered, toppled forward, and collapsed at Steele’s feet.

When I reviewed Daughters of a Winter Night, I mentioned Doug Belair was a master of worldbuilding, and I stand by that. If you are into magical realism or fantasy, I'm certain the Daéfinlyr series will not disappoint.

Into the Reflection is exciting, funny, and a real page-turner. It is full of lovable characters, thrilling battles, magic, and fantastic imagery. Not to mention the plot twists—while I'm generally quite good at guessing what's next, Doug surprised me time and time again.

“I’d rather eat a bowl of worms,” Nori called back over his shoulder. In the same instant, someone put a bowl of thick porridge in Orin’s hands. When he felt sure the contents weren’t moving, he put a spoonful of acorn-tasting mush to his lips.

The Daéfinlyr has become my favourite series. How I wish book 3 were available already!

You can read The Daéfinlyr many a time—I know I will read Daughters of a Winter Night and Into the Reflection again when book 3 hits the shelves.

You can find Into the Reflection here.

Must Read!