A breathtaking debut novel

Reflector is everything I like in fantasy, more specifically in urban fantasy (my favourite kind of fantasy). Great worldbuilding, fantastic characters, magic, elves, demons and it all works so well that it never feels foreign. It’s plausible and relatable and that is so impressive to me. All the more so as it’s the author’s debut novel (they also write fanfic, which you’ll find here).

Vess is a daemon but she’s also a woman and a sorceress. Not just any sorceress, but I can’t get into that without spoiling and believe me, you don’t want me to spoil this cleverly intricate story. Vess the woman, though, falls fast and she falls hard (her words), and why wouldn’t she when Wally is so adorable? And the best reflector Vess has ever worked with. As they fight all sorts of undead people, their connection grows, both romantically and as warriors in a war for power and revenge.

There’s a very definite Ghostbusters feel (the dispersal of spectrals, the motley crew) but with a whole lot of feelings instead of the comedy. It’s a wild ride, pulsing with energy. The author nailed the pacing, alternating action scenes and quieter, reflective moments with the same success.

As with most debut novels, the proofreading isn’t perfect and there are small flaws here and there. None of that however took away from the pleasure the story brought me. The author says they write out of love, things that people can pick up when they’re having a bad day, and even if there’s nothing fluffy about this story, it achieves its feel-good goal. There’s gore and pain on the way to happiness, which only makes it more precious.

A sequel, titled Dark Star, is in the works and should be released in a few months and I’m already trying to convince myself that I can be patient. 4.5 stars.