by Sharon Tucker

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of A Choice of Secrets. We also have a link to purchase the book from Amazon, and an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.

“Whatever choice you make makes you.”
? Roy T. Bennett, “The Light in the Heart” (2016)

The Dark Mirror series by Barb Hendee delivers in terms of intriguing and well-developed characters, complex plots, and the creation of a believable world. This is certainly true with her newest, A Choice of Secrets (2018), where the younger daughter of White Deer Lodge sees something happen that she should not have seen, and then has knowledge of a secret that will dramatically affect her family and their future alliances.

The quiet world of White Deer Lodge, a fiefdom inter-dependent on its neighbors for safety, has much to offer with its rich, agrarian lifestyle, plentiful crops, good hunting, and all-around bonhomie. Its lands have a coastline that has been safe from marauders to the north until the time the novel begins and these northern raids begin to visit their shores. In such threatening times, alliances are struck by any means, often not the least of which is a mutually advantageous marriage between houses. Such is the case then when the eldest daughter of White Deer Lodge is promised to the eldest son of a nearby island kingdom and of course, part of the betrothal agreement includes the assurance of coastline defense. This agreement pleases everyone concerned with the possible exception of the bride who has other concerns.

These concerns have to do with what the younger daughter unwittingly discovers and what to do with her uncomfortable knowledge. Should she tell no one and let matters evolve as they will? Should she tell her parents what she knows? Perhaps she should take her eldest brother into her confidence and rely upon his judgement in the matter. At this point, our dark, three-paned mirror presents a look at three possible outcomes that depend upon what the youngest daughter does about the secret she knows.

I have enjoyed the previous three books in this series but must admit that A Choice of Secrets is the most engaging yet. The book’s central dilemma and potential solutions were so readily feasible that the book could well have had today as its setting—well, except for the dark mirror, perhaps. Too, since the solution that was chosen was one we can perfectly agree with, if that isn’t perfect, I don’t know what is.

You can find more fantasy reviews, including previous books in this series, in our Fantasy and Fangs section.

To enter to win a copy of A Choice of Secrets, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “choice,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 1, 2018. U.S. residents only. If entering via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

A Choice of Secrets

You can use this link to purchase the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Sharon Tucker is former faculty at the University of Memphis in Memphis TN, and now enjoys evening supervising in that campus library. Having forsworn TV except for online viewing and her own movies, she reads an average of 3 to 4 books per week and has her first novel—a mystery, of course—well underway.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.