The Water Mirror: Summary and book reviews of The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer, plus links to an excerpt from The Water Mirror and a biography of Kai Meyer.

In Venice, magic is not unusual. Merle is apprenticed to a magic mirror maker, and Serafin -- a boy who was once a master thief -- works for a weaver of magic cloth. Merle and Serafin are used to the mermaids who live in the canals of the city -- beautiful creatures with hideous mouths that split their faces from ear to ear -- and to the guards who patrol the streets on living stone lions. Merle herself possesses something magical: a mirror whose surface is water. She can reach her whole arm into it and never get wet. But Venice is under siege by the Egyptian Empire; its terrifying mummy warriors and flying sunbarks are waiting to strike. All that protects the Venetians is the Flowing Queen. Nobody knows who or what she is -- only that her power flows through the canals and keeps the Egyptians at bay. When Merle and Serafin overhear a plot to capture the Flowing Queen, they are catapulted into desperate danger. They must do everything they can to rescue the Queen and save the city -- even if it means getting help from the Ancient Traitor himself. Kai Meyer's bold, original fantasy conjures up a land of magic and menace as Merle and Serafin begin a journey to unimagined realms in the extraordinary world of Dark Reflections. Translated into English by Elizabeth D. Crawford.

Media Reviews

KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick A thrilling, sinister adventure; readers will be eager for the next in the series. Recommended for junior high school students.   Publishers Weekly A complex work of high fantasy....Like the work of Diana Wynne Jones, this novel requires a sophisticated reader to follow its many threads, and one with patience, since most of the tying up is left for subsequent volumes. Ages 12-up.   Kirkus Reviews Mermaids and obsidian flying lions are as natural to this world as the canals and the philosophy. Merle, Junipa and Serafin will need to puzzle out who's good and who's bad as this flowing, offbeat tale continues. (Fantasy. 11-14).

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Sarah
Erg...uh...
This book is really weird....Its all about mermaids, flying talking marble lions, messengers from Hell, queens made out of water, magic mirrors and their makers, mirror eyes, thieves, betraying council members....it just has a weird story line to it.   Read More

Rated of 5 by Troy Rothman
O my gosh
This book kept me at the edge seat and almost nibbling the pages eager to discover what was going to happen next. I recommend this book for thrill seekers, adventure seekers and fantasy reader. This book is appropriate for all age levels and I...   Read More

Rated of 5 by connie
it rocks
i really don't enjoy reading but this was great.

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