A Winter's Promise: The Mirror Visitor, Book One

The first instalment in the bestselling French fantasy series The Mirror Visitor Quartet-winner of the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire.Long ago, following a cataclysm called 'The Rupture', the world was shattered into floating celestial islands, known now as Arks. Ophelia lives on Anima, an Ark where objects have souls. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, Ophelia hides two powers- the ability to read the past of objects and their human owners, and the ability to travel through mirrors. When she is promised in marriage to Thorn, the young girl must leave her family and follow her fiance to Citaceleste, the floating capital of a distant Ark. Why has she been chosen? Why must she hide her true identity?With a feisty, unforgettable heroine, a rich universe, romance and thrilling intrigue, A Winter's Promise will appeal equally to readers of Cornelia Funke, Scott Westerfeld and Margaret Rogerson. Discover the first instalment in a grand saga, and a talented new fantasy author with seemingly boundless powers of invention.

Winner of Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, Youth 2016 (France) Winner of Winner, International Success, French Publishing Awards 2020 (France) Short-listed for Older Fiction, Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2019 (UK)

“' The Mirror Visitor stands on the same shelf as Harry Potter .'”

‘Highly original and intricately imagined, this is world-building on an epic scale.’ Bookseller UK
‘Fantastic characters and superb world-building…this richly imagined, enthralling fantasy is packed with intrigue and is a perfect choice for readers of Philip Pullman. A cliffhanger at the end will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next instalment of this epic series.’ Readings
‘The Mirror Visitor stands on the same shelf as Harry Potter.’ Elle
‘As mesmerising as a waking dream, A Winter’s Promise is certain to ensnare you in its unique, dizzyingly magical world of treachery, illusion, and intrigue.’ Margaret Rogerson, author of An Enchantment of Ravens
'A fantastic epic, definitely, but also a coming-of-age novel, this first volume makes a strong impression. A novelist is born.’ Le Figaro
‘Christelle Dabos impresses in this first novel with the power of her imagination. The architect of a bewitching and complex world, she sustains it with a subtle sense of wonder and elegant, flowing language. From metaphor to metaphor, this addictive and charming novel is also a great coming-of-age story.’ Télérama
‘With surgical precision, Christelle Dabos has created a hybrid world between fantasy and the Belle Époque.’ MadmoiZelle
‘Vibrant characters, inventive world-building, and a sophisticated plot.’ Publishers Weekly (Starred review)
‘Translated from the French, this international bestseller is world-building at its best. The unusual settings, original characters, dark intrigue, and fast-moving plot result in a book that leaves readers eagerly awaiting the next volume. It has great adult crossover as the characters and situations cross age levels.' School Library Journal (Starred review)
‘Dabos weaves a story of politics and manipulation in which the stakes are heightened by the fantastical setting…[A WINTER’S PROMISE is] a compelling analysis of society and gives rise to many questions about human nature.’ ReadPlus
‘Rife with politics and magic, this immersive read introduces readers to a new richly imagined fantasy epic.’ Readings Best YA Books of 2018
'A Winter’s Promise is the kind of book that you simply can’t put down once you pick it up. Dabos has crafted something truly exquisite here – a story so rich and intricate, so full of magic and wonder that it draws you in and spellbinds you immediately.’ CBCA Reading Time
‘Phenomenal fantasy…sumptuous.’ Best Kids’ NZ Listener, Books of 2018
‘Refreshing and intriguingly immersive.’ Adelaide Advertiser
‘Endlessly fascinating and addictive.' Chicago Review of Books, Best Fantasy Books 2018
'A smash hit in the French-speaking world—and now we’re lucky enough to have the first book available in English.’ The Spinoff, Best Kids’ Books 2018
‘This fabulous newcomer to YA fantasy will appeal to all ages…an action-packed and often surprising story.’ Herald Sun
‘Entertaining and quite left-field imaginative touches…provide light relief at a number of high tension moments…The first volume [of the series] is intriguing and inventive enough to keep us expectant—even mildly impatient.’ Magpies

Christelle Dabos (Author)Christelle Dabos was born on the C te d'Azur in 1980 and grew up in a home filled with classical music and games. Her love of fantasy began with the Harry Potter series and she is part of a new generation of young fantasy writers. A Winter's Promise, Book One in her debut series, The Mirror Visitor, won the Gallimard Jeunesse-RTL-Telerama First Novel Competition, as well as the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and is an international success. She now lives in Belgium.

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