Starred Review ALA Booklist (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Starred Review The Prince and the Pauper is given Arabian Nights flair in this clever retelling that unites magic and adventure. Nalah is a peasant girl in New Hadar who must hide her magical abilities or be arrested. Halan is a powerless princess in the Magi Kingdom, where magic rules. Neither 12-year-old knows the other exists, but a magical mirror Nalah creates at the request of a family friend becomes a portal between their worlds. When Nalah's father is abducted into the other world, Nalah has no choice but to follow. Disappearing through the mirror, Nalah and her friend Marcus realize that this is the fairy tale kingdom they learned about as children. When Nalah and Marcus find themselves captured by a rebel leader, they discover that Princess Halan, Nalah's tawam (mirror image), also is being held. Enchantment, plot twists, and the realization that what you see is not always what you get, make this debut novel inviting and fun. First in the Shard series, this romp will hook readers with its appealing tween characters, exotic settings that blend old and modern, and empowering fight between right and wrong. Give this to readers who love to cheer for the underdog!

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A tale of two girls fighting for justice and truth in a Middle Eastern-inflected world of magic. Nalah Bardak, or, as the other magic-using Thauma kids call her, "No-Luck" due to her clumsiness, helps her struggling father sell glass trinkets at the New Hadar market. The Hokmet government strictly forbids any magical activity, so most Thauma live quietly, trying to sell their wares inconspicuously. Her friend Marcus Cutter fares better, as his rich family has connections that allow them to continue Thauma craftwork. When Zachary Tam, an old family acquaintance, asks the Bardaks to re-create an illegal mirror, Nalah secretly takes the commission, hoping to earn enough to start a new life far from Hokmet rule. As soon as Tam receives the mirror, however, he kidnaps her father and escapes through it into another realm. Crossing over in pursuit, Nalah and Marcus find a world eerily similar to their own. There, Nalah meets Princess Halan, a decidedly powerless royal who dreams of life outside her palace walls and whose story unfolds in alternating chapters. Under extreme circumstances these two must work together to reveal the truth of their worlds and restore peace. Cyprus creates in Nalah and Halan two appealing and independent female protagonists; their mirrored worlds are a fresh alternative to familiar medieval Europe-esque fantasylands. A story that will inspire many to find the light within. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A tale of two girls fighting for justice and truth in a Middle Eastern-inflected world of magic. Nalah Bardak, or, as the other magic-using Thauma kids call her, "No-Luck" due to her clumsiness, helps her struggling father sell glass trinkets at the New Hadar market. The Hokmet government strictly forbids any magical activity, so most Thauma live quietly, trying to sell their wares inconspicuously. Her friend Marcus Cutter fares better, as his rich family has connections that allow them to continue Thauma craftwork. When Zachary Tam, an old family acquaintance, asks the Bardaks to re-create an illegal mirror, Nalah secretly takes the commission, hoping to earn enough to start a new life far from Hokmet rule. As soon as Tam receives the mirror, however, he kidnaps her father and escapes through it into another realm. Crossing over in pursuit, Nalah and Marcus find a world eerily similar to their own. There, Nalah meets Princess Halan, a decidedly powerless royal who dreams of life outside her palace walls and whose story unfolds in alternating chapters. Under extreme circumstances these two must work together to reveal the truth of their worlds and restore peace. Cyprus creates in Nalah and Halan two appealing and independent female protagonists; their mirrored worlds are a fresh alternative to familiar medieval Europe-esque fantasylands. A story that will inspire many to find the light within. (Fantasy. 8-12)

School Library Journal (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Gr 4-7Into the crowded highway of middle grade fantasy enters newcomer Cyprus, with a mystical tale of two girls from mirror worlds connected by a magical shard of glass. Halan is heir to the Magi Kingdom; but alas, this princess is devoid of magic, and thus a detriment to her world. Nalah, a glassblower's daughter, lives in New Hadar and holds a powerful magic within her that threatens to erupt in a land where magic is strictly forbidden. When wealthy Tam approaches Nalah and asks for help repairing a magical mirror, Nalah sees a chance to solve her family's money woes. She doesn't realize that by helping Tam she creates a link between the two worlds, which Tam escapes to while kidnapping Nalah's father. Nalah must travel to the Magi Kingdom to rescue her father. Nalah and Halan team up to uncover the identity of the rebels who are torturing innocent people, even if it implicates the King, Halan's father. The girls' tales unfold in alternating chapters, which eventually overlap in this adventure. VERDICT Those searching for a new fantasy may want to give this one a try, but a fair amount of violence and a somewhat complicated story line may keep less confident readers from sticking with it.Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA