Have you ever wondered if there is life anywhere else other than the Earth or if there is life on the Earth that is yet to be unraveled? Are they also called human beings and live exactly the way we do? Are they aware of us and the life on Earth? What kind of mysteries do our world and the ones beyond it, if they exist, hold? Gouveia is intrigued by similar curiosities and conveys them through her novel, Mirror Tree.
A battle was unfurling in Drifters Realm, and Roe knew she was at its center. Though Ori was the one with the Sorcerer Obligation, Roe was feeling stronger than ever before. She could feel something ascending in her, but it was beyond her understanding. No first-year Life Giver could do what was a piece of cake for her. Moreover, Ori struggled to master his Obligation, Theo was still a lion and they just met Tora. To add to the misery and turmoil, teenagers felt chaotic and lost. Everyone at Drifters Realm knew that Zane would stop at nothing to accomplish his secret mission. He had figured out a way to employ an infinite wave of Guardians who were manipulated to thrash anyone who was in their way to serve their ruler, Zane. Though the odds of winning against Zane are almost impossible for Roe, she is not going to budge without a fight.
Roe is not your average high-school teenage girl interested in boyfriends, parties, and college applications. She is magical, with her Life Giver Obligation and the flower backpack. She is fearless as she takes on the challenge to save Drifters Realm on her shoulders. She is determined to stop Zane and expose his evil plans to everyone. But she is also emotionally vulnerable. She misses her father who has given his powers and memories to her. She feels responsible for Ori because of his impulsiveness, unpredictability, and immaturity. She feels sorry for Theo because he is stuck in the body of a lion and Roe hasn’t been able to free him yet. She is confused because she just met her twin sister, Tora, who she wasn’t aware of. On top of it, she was in a dilemma because she believed in herself yet there were moments when she felt that she wasn’t enough to save everyone- her family, friends, comrades, and her world.
On the cover of it, this book is about a group of teenagers who are going to fight against their evil ruler to re-establish truth and justice, but if one looks closely enough, this book is filled to the brim with emotional intricacies, necessary life lessons, and a trailer to the novel realm. This book is a classic story of victory of good over evil with twists and turns that are not only unanticipated but can give you goosebumps of excitement.
After the positive welcome of the first book of the series, Drifters Realm, Gouveia does not let her readers down and even exceeds all their expectations in the second book of the series, Mirror Tree. Building a series around the theme of fantasy thriller, the success of such a series rested heavily on how well the author could engross the reader in a world they have never experienced. But, what shines through both of the books of the series is Gouveia’s writing style. She is not only fluent in her flow which sets up the desirable rhythm for the novel, but her literary genius oozes out on every page that she writes. The way she deliberates upon the minutest detail of the topography that the book encounters at different junctures is an art, very few can master. Gouveia provides her readers with a theatrical performance of the novel through her words, and she can bind her audience in a way that putting the book down before the end becomes very difficult. Gouveia commands the skill of communicating emotions in a way that connects to the reader at an intimate level. The reader finds a part of themselves in each of the characters that she develops throughout the story. Gouveia is unique in the sense that she delivers the storyline with exciting unpredictability, sets her story in a unique environment, introduces her readers to characters with relatable joys, dilemmas, sorrows, and challenges, and conveys her writings in simple but impactful vocabulary. Her writing style is fit for a wide audience that transcends the usual age-based classifications of literature. She provides a full package in her book that guarantees a good time for her audience.
In Mirror Tree, one of the characters that becomes particularly fascinating is Tora. Been only introduced as the daughter of Quinlan, in the first book, the second book delves a little deeper into her character. A Storm Catcher by her Obligation, Tora’s world crashes when she gets to know that Zane is not her father. While she is still pondering upon the ways to process the betrayal of her life, she meets Roe, Ori, and Theo, who are her real siblings. The character development of Tora has been one of the most challenging journeys in the book. She leaves behind her world to discover the truth with people she does not know can be trusted and who do not trust her. A significant milestone for Tora is when she hands over her Shadow Stone to Roe, thus expressing her faith in her ability to attain the collective goal. Though her immediate goal is to expose Zane and take her revenge, she wants an answer to ‘Who am I’? One can observe this need to know herself in her unidirectional focus on finding her mother. The reader empathizes with Tora in her sorrows, grief, anger, frustration, confusion, and anxiety. At the same time, the reader feels inspired by the unwavering determination and individuality that the teenage girl possesses. Thus, Tora becomes one such character in the book that the readers would want to know more about.
The novel, Mirror Tree, is not only a fantasy tale but it is a book of strength, teamwork, fearlessness, determination, and self-belief. The book through various instances schools the reader on how one can achieve anything in life if they put their hearts and minds into it. One of the notable instances is when the teenagers are in a battle with the Guardians and Roe uproots the Sleeping Giants to encircle the teenagers for safety. She had to believe in herself and act in her determination to save everyone and she was able to achieve that. At such monumental points, the readers realize that more than the powers that each of the characters possesses because of the Obligation they are awarded, the magic is in their belief, and the hard work they put in to master their Obligation. Moreover, it is only through teamwork, the strength of the collective, that they fight fiercely against the non-beatable infinite army of Guardians. Thus, Gouveia not only delivers an interesting series but drops lessons along the tale for her readers.
This fantasy-thriller is only the second book of the series, Drifters Realm, and is a jackpot of an engrossing storyline, relatable characters, unanticipated twists and turns, nail-biting challenges, meaningful life lessons, and an incomplete end, that leaves the reader on the edge, yearning for a further story. Don’t miss out on the adventure—grab your copy now on Amazon and continue the journey with the Drifters Realm series!
