The Dark Mirror

Bridei Trilogy #1

By: Juliet Marillier

Narrated by: Michael Page

Bridei is a young nobleman, a fosterling of one of the most powerful druids in the land, Broichan. All of Bridei's earliest memories are of this dark and mysterious man he trusts above all others. Broichan seems to have plans for Bridei, seems to be training him for a special purpose the older man will not divulge.

One bitter Midwinter's Eve, everything changes when Bridei finds a child on their doorstep - a child abandoned by the Fair Folk.

It is the height of ill fortune to have truck with the Fair Folk, and all in the area counsel the babe's death. But Bridei sees an old and precious magic at work and, heedless of the danger, fights to save the child. Broichan is wary but relents, for Bridei must grow to be his own man and make his own decisions.

As Bridei comes to manhood, he watches the shy girl Tuala blossom into a beautiful woman, and feels things he didn't know were possible.

Broichan sees the same process and feels only danger, for Tuala could be a key part in Bridei's future...or could spell his doom.

Public Domain (P)2005 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Get lost!

Got lost in the story. I would listen and rude my bike, before I knew it I had ridden double my normal miles. Loved the performance of the reader I will specifically look forward to hearing him again.

One of my favourite audiobooks

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys following the unfolding of a deeper storyline. The story is fully absorbing, but one caveat is that if you prefer a fast-paced book peppered with exciting battles, this one may not be for you.

What did you like best about this story?

The complex relationships between the characters is what really shines in this book.

Any additional comments?

The Dark Mirror contains some of the most memorable characters that I have encountered among the hundreds of audiobooks that I have consumed, and Michael Page gives a flawless performance.

Enjoyed the story but was a little slow to start

I've listened to over 10 audiobooks from This author and have enjoyed them all. This one was a little slow to get to the main story flow but I like the characters and the author's writing style, so I continued. I must admit this is the least favorite of all her boos that I've experienced, but it is still worth the time to listen. I anticipate that the characters will be developed more in the other series books.

The narrator's performance was well executed. Having the ability to create different voices for various characters is a great trait of this performance.

Beautiful story

Any additional comments?

This book is very slow to progress, as a great amount of (bordering on mundane) detail is given to each stage in the character development, but by the end it became a beautiful enchanting story which I didn't want to end. Although it was slow, I did not find myself bored. My only complaint would be that the author spent soooooo much time on the (bordering on mundane) details of each character's lives and VERY little time on the parts that were really anticipated and waited/hoped for. I do love that she dedicated time to building such great characters, though, as they were all wonderful and unique. I'm looking forward to book 2 to see what unfolds for the future of Bridei and Tuala, and all of Fortrieu.

The narrator did a great job with all of the character's voices, although, I never really care for the female voices that male narrators do.

Loved

Loved this book ... Narration was good and looking forward to book 2. Little predictable in places I hope my book is as good

So good.

I love all of Juliet Marillier’s work; this did not disappoint 💕 already can’t wait to continue the series.

Strong female characters and mature writing

Would you listen to The Dark Mirror again? Why?

I DID listen to it again, in fact I listened to the whole trilogy twice. But I also listened to the whole Blackthorn and Grim trilogy (by Juliet Marillier) twice and can definitely say that Blackthorn and Grim is 5 stars and this trilogy, although good - is 4 stars. The main reason for that is the narrator, who in this Bridei trilogy just can't compare to the multiple narrators in Blackthorn and Grim. Also, there were times where the dialogue seemed to drag in this book..the political machinations of Bridei's court bored me and god I just wanted to punch the druid Broichan (or however the hell you spell it, OR say it, because THAT changes after book 1) in the face for being such an ass. But hey, stay the distance to book 3 and you'll find yourself warming up to the Druid. But the things I enjoyed the most was the growth and strength of the protagonist Tuala, who endures much and grows through it. And although this trilogy is set in a dark ages period which is so inherently masoginistic, the female characters are allowed to display strength and (justly) win respect, so they still come across as strong. I love fantasy but don't love fluffy YA, so I enjoyed the mature writing style displayed here.

Which character – as performed by Michael Page – was your favorite?

The narrator did a pretty good job of all the characters, lending most of them with a distinctiveness that helped the listener to easily distinguish between all of them. The only problem I had was that the narrator infused many of the voices with a gravelly, growling tone that made them seem much older than they should be. This was even more noticeable in the second and third books. Bridei is in his early twenties but sounded WAY older, which was distracting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, rather savoured over a longer period, then listened to again to pick up details missed in the first listen

Any additional comments?

Overall an enjoyable book, but I enjoyed books 2 and 3 more because I was more invested in the characters by then.

Good Listen

Loved the story line and characters, Juliet Marillier has an awesome knowledge of the Irish folklore.

Simply Loved It!

The book was wonderful and the reading perfect! So glad I found this gem. The book was never slow and perfectly written.

Couldn’t sit it down

I loved this story. I almost stopped listening at the very start but as soon as the baby was dropped off I fell in love with the story and couldn’t stop listening.