The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg – review

Have you ever read a book that had such an emotional impact that it left you somewhere between buoyant and bewildered by the end? Perhaps it came unexpectedly, or perhaps you knew it might happen because of your connection with the characters. Either way, come the last quarter of the book, you found yourself weeping your way through it, staying up till 6 a.m. and then unable to sleep, thus getting up again because you just couldn’t stand to leave it where you did. Have you ever done that?

Well, I did. This book wrecked me. But, then, I’ve come to expect that of a Carol Berg novel, and I’ll tell you one thing–I enjoyed it. Rough as the emotional upheaval was as I was reading–for it’s true, I get far too involved with her characters–the ending was satisfying enough that I spent the rest of the day grinning.

Given the nature of the main character, I’m not surprised at all that I got a little emotional. Anne de Vernase is, herself, a character of strong emotion, though she maintains a strictly controlled exterior. This underscores the difference in presentation when compared to The Spirit Lens, where we were guided through the story by Portier’s logic and analysis of events. As the previous book of the Collegia Magica was driven by Portier’s desire to solve the mystery assigned him by the king, so is the second book driven by Anne’s determination to vindicate her loved ones.

Her ability to control herself is severely tested, first by the destruction of her family–her father a traitor, her mother insane, her sister found dead, and her brother imprisoned–then by being uprooted from the only life she has ever known. Alone and unable to control her own future, she is thrust into court life where everyone knows her as the daughter of the traitor Michel de Vernase. With no one to rely on, she begins searching for her own answers and, along the way, learns more than she ever expected about the mystery of the Aspirant, about herself, and about who her true allies are.

To begin with, I feared that Anne’s intensity and her views about Portier and the injustices done to her family would upend everything that I had thought true in the first book. At first, in fact, it did. Her opinion of Portier is so strong, and his ability to become exactly what others expect of him is so good, that for a time I truly found him despicable. It saddened me, for Portier had been one of my favorite characters in the last book, but Anne’s belief that he was nothing more than the heartless Royal Accuser overshadowed that. At least, until his motives became clear.

Dante featured in this story more than expected, but after his turnabout in the last book, I knew he would come in somewhere. As a figure of terror within Eugenie’s court, he stands out as a great shadowy uncertainty. His purposes remain unclear to others, and there’s much confusion as to why Eugenie retains him as her first counselor. Moreover, evidence of his presence can be found wherever strangeness or torment has occurred, even at the Spindle where Anne’s brother is housed. Anne comes to despise him even more than she despised Portier, as all the evidence suggests that he has committed terrible acts upon others.

As to Anne’s character, I came to enjoy her personality. She’s strong-willed and unafraid. She does not back down, particularly when in front of others, but she still retains a vulnerable side that appears when she’s alone. She’s clever and resourceful and very good at reading people–should Portier ever need a protege, Anne would be a perfect candidate.

I was also intrigued by what was written about Eugenie. In The Spirit Lens she was something of an enigma, lauded and loved by Ilario but mysterious to the reader and even to her husband. Many of her actions—such as keeping Dante close to her—elicited many questions. But the more I saw of her, the more I could see how interesting she is. She’s an intelligent woman, and inordinately kind, able to see the best in others when most cannot. But she has been emotionally damaged by the deaths of her children, and she remains under the threat of being cast aside if she cannot produce an heir. Her position as Queen is a difficult one, but she does the best she can.

The ending I found quite satisfactory, as it wraps up the majority of questions left by the first book while still leaving a few new, yet related, mysteries that will lead into the third. I think fans of the Collegia Magica books will be happy with the resolution as it stands so far. According to Carol Berg’s blog, the third book will partly feature Anne’s point-of-view again. I’ll welcome her back gladly and wait to see who else will join her in telling the last of the story.