Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams [Paperback]

I've only been able to read the first book and the third book (which is this one) of the series because they are all out of print. Considering how great they are I'm very suprised. This one is my favourite, the characters seem to have more depth than in the first one and Alexia has been shown to be the equal of Tiran. I loved the fighting sequences especially. Very entertaining!!!

This is the middle volume which links together a series of five books. Sharon Green initially started with the intention of writing two individual novels, but the tales grew together in the writing, particularly of this book, into the form of an unusual double trilogy.

Green herself described it in the afterword to the final book as an "odd series" organised into "two crossed trilogies in the form of an X."

The first trilogy tells the story of the sorceress Chalaine and the sorcerer-prince Bariden. This trilogy starts with "The Hidden Realms", and continues as the two stories come together in this book, "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams", which is the middle book of both trilogies. The first trilogy is concluded in the final book of the quintet, the appropriately named "Game's End.

However, another part of the same broader canvass is the story of Princess Alexia and the mercenary captain Tiran d'Iste, both of whom are shapeshifters. Their adventure, which includes both a romance and a quest for a kingdom, starts with "Silver Princess, Golden Knight," and shares this middle book "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams" with the first trilogy. The story of Alexia and Tiran is sort-of concluded in the fourth book in the quintet, "Wind Whispers, Shadow Shouts". The double titles denote this second trilogy.

The linkages between the two stories are clearest in this central volume, where all four characters work together. It starts with both couples as newlyweds, and continues with their linked quests to become the rightful King and Queen of their own kingdoms.

In the final two books, the stories largely separate again as each couple has to defend their own world against attack by powerful evil magic.

If you are going to read this series, it helps to read each trilogy in order and to read "Game's End" last. Hence the sequence is

1) and 2) "The Hidden Realms" & "Silver Princess, Golden Knight"
(Either can be read first)

3) "Dark Mirror, Dark Dreams"

4) "Wind Whispers, Shadow Shouts"

5) "Game's End"

This quintet of fantasy novels, written between 1993 and 1996, is rather more mainstream than some of the author's earlier works. Sharon Green has put a lot of effort into creating the personalities and magic powers of the heroes and heroines, and some of the other major characters. The plots - in both senses of the word - are also quite intricate.

Rather less effort appears to have been put into creating the worlds where the stories take place, the minor characters or most of the villains, most of whom are fairly two-dimensional and thinly sketched out - to such an extent that some of the places in the stories and quite a few of the characters do not even have names. In places there is good use of humour but there could be rather more.

Overall as fantasy novels go this is average, by which I do not mean to damn the book with faint praise. It's not the best fantasy story you will ever come accross, but it's not the worst either.

The main thing going for this series is that it is such an unusual way to build a story as to make it interesting to see how Sharon Green put it together.

I had a hard time getting through this book. Ms. Green has combined Alexia and Tiran from SILVER PRINCESS, GOLDEN KNIGHT and Chalaine and Bariden from THE HIDDEN REALMS. It was hard enough keeping the shape-shifting couple separate from the magicians, but then they exchanged bodies. These newly married couples were already having marital troubles, and then they started desiring the spouse of the other couple. I just didn't like it. So far, I have liked all the other books by Ms. Green.

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