Irvine gives us a world with competing races:Charon,Faellem, and Aachim.This epic tale is seen through the eyes of two memorable characters: Llian, chronicler who seeks to solve 3000 year old murder and Karan, a sensitive who comes to regret fulfilling a promise to make a dangerous mission for a friend.Karan is in possession a powerful mirror that gives the ability to see places at a distance and twist reality. Soon she and Llian will be hunted by ruthless mage,Yggur and his sinister minions called the Whelm! Irvine's novel has seen of lyrical beauty as he describes all of the exotic cities and ports of the lavish world.The other characters in this book also are memorable like Karan's friend,Maigraith who embroils Karan
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in her mission to steal the mirror from Yggur and is tortured by
fanatical Whelm.Faelamor-Maigraith's ruthless patron who will stop at nothing to gain the mirror for herself.Magister Mendark, cunning ruler of Thurkad who has ruled the city for thousand years! Another thing I loveabout this book is plot twists as our hero and heroine must escape from various forces that seek the mirror for themselves.
The review of this Book prepared by Rodney Powell
Aspect, Jul 2001, 6.99, 672 pp.
ISBN: 0446609846
Three worlds (Santhenar, Aachan and Tallallamem) had passages that allowed humans to travel between them. However, out of the void came the bellicose Charon who conquered Aachan. The war forced the closing of the bridges that linked the three orbs. On each world lives natives and aliens from the other worlds. In common among the three worlds are a deep fear of the Charon and a desire of those left on the wrong world to return home.
On Santhenar the chronicler Llian makes known the contents of top secret documents that contain dangerous information from a more magical era. His release of them turns him into an ostracized pariah among his peers. The psychic Karen is forced into stealing the magic Mirror of Aachan, an artifact that can save or destroy worlds. Soon afterward everyone on planet and some beings that are off-planet are after Karen. After meeting Llian, who joins him in flight, Karen struggles to survive.
The first book in Ian Irvine's “The View from the Mirror” series is a complex, well-written science fiction fantasy that takes readers on a wild graphic trip into a strange universe. Santhenar and the key cast seem genuine and the concept of passages between tri-worlds appears real because of the tremendous depth of description, but that also slows down the epic a bit. This reviewer is disappointed that A SHADOW ON THE GLASS is not a stand-alone tale as the adventures continue with volume 2 THE TOWER OF THE RIFT that will arrive in bookstores in January 2002 or currently purchased along with 3 and 4 over the net.
Harriet Klausner
The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner
