Mirror Mirror
By Gregory Maguire 

Mirror, Mirror takes place in sixteenth-century Italy. Like Wicked, his earlier work, Maguire has taken the characters in Mirror, Mirror from a famous fairy tale. This time it's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The innocent and angelic Bianca De Nevada is Snow White. Bianca, only eleven, lives with her widowed father. The historically famous Lucrezia Borgia is the jealous woman trying to do away with Bianca. Also in the fantasy are the dwarfs and the magic mirror. The way Maguire brings the magic mirror into the storyline is exceptional.

Bianca's father is sent on a false errand to the Middle East monastery by Cesare Borgia, Lucrezia's well-known brother. Bianca is left in the siblings' care. Cesare is attracted to young Bianca. In history, Lucrezia, Cesare and their father, the wicked pope, were known for their incestuous relationships. This is part of the storyline, too. Lucrezia becomes jealous of Bianca and orders her killed.

Maguire has written another fascinating fantasy, and again, the characters are immoral, corrupt and difficult to sympathize with. Be warned: this fantasy is meant for grownups -- not children or teens - because, like Wicked, the content of this fairy tale is R-rated. This is my third Maguire book, and I have to say, although it is spellbinding, it cannot compare to Lost.