Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

This novel is inspired by the fairytale Snow White and has hints of Alice Through the Looking Glass, but isn’t too similar to either. Fantasy with some romance and a little horror, there is also a talking cat in Hemlock & Silver. Well, Grayling is probably a cat.

Anja is a healer who specializes in researching antidotes to poisons. Anja is summoned by the King to diagnose and treat Snow, the King’s 12-year-old daughter. Snow is frequently ill, and may have been poisoned. Very reluctantly, Anja travels with the King’s retinue and guards Javier and Aaron across the desert to the King’s country home.

Snow’s mother and sister have died, so the King will do anything to save her. Anja eventually discovers silvered apples that Snow has eaten, and learns that they come from the other side of the mirror. Anja, Grayling the Cat, and handsome guard Javier have adventures in the beautiful and creepy mirror world. Reflections there do not always behave as predicted, and Snow has an unexpected reason for eating the silvered apples. Some humor along with the adventure, plus a romance, make for an enchantingly good read.

Brenda