Welcome to The Mirrorworld Chronicles!
YA Contemporary Fantasy with Humor, Romance, and Hope
The Mirrorworld Chronicles is the intersection between reality and fiction. It’s a road sign that dares to tell you that magic is just down the street from you, perhaps even in your own backyard.
Because the truth is that life is magic.
This world is fantastical. People are astoundingly complex.
And words might just be the most magical thing of all.
I started this newsletter because I believe that books are powerful and necessary. They can shape us in a way that nothing else can. Choosing what book to read next is a lot like choosing your next meal: some books are healthier for your soul’s well-being than others and it’s important to watch what you’re consuming.
As a Christian, I am committing to be more conscious of my reading choices and what I’m promoting to those around me. My goal is to share stories, both from other authors and myself, that will be edifying to your soul and glorifying to my Holy Father. Here at The Mirrorworld Chronicles, I’ll be sharing book reviews/recommendations of fantasy fiction and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks and updates for my current Christian fantasy novel (part of my Seeds of Ever series).
I love romance, especially when it comes with witty banter and a healthy dose of angst. So you can probably imagine that I LOVE fantasy romance (I mean, it’s like getting to have coffee and caramel together, how is that anything but awesome?!), but what I don’t love is getting a spicy surprise thrown into the mix.
If you’ve been looking for no-spice romance with your fantasy, then you’ve come to the right place!
Where legends and fairy tales might be true after all...
What if Adam and Eve's children spread farther apart than anyone could have guessed?
What if there used to be doorways to other worlds?
What if the Tower of Babel was an attempt to rip open the only portal they weren't supposed to open?
From my lifelong love of The Chronicles of Narnia and my interest in fast-paced contemporary fantasy comes a vast universe of interconnected worlds and races of people long resigned into the pages of myth and legend.
Long ago, the Wizarding Council chose to separate themselves from the corrupted policies of the High Council that oversees all the seven mirrorworlds. Determined to keep their population safe from their schemes, they set out erase all acknowledgement of the other worlds and closed up all the ancient doorways. Certain families were chosen to stand guard over these dangerous secrets - keeping our world safe from the grasping hands of the highly-trained Reapers. But sealing themselves away did nothing to prevent corruption from fostering within.
When an ancient war looms once again on the horizon, the question soon begs to be answered: were the portals really closed? Or was the whole thing a ruse from the start, and if so, what awful truth were they trying to bury?
Meanwhile, the mirrorworlds have fallen under the sway of the shadowman’s curse, and are growing desperate for a cure. Inspired by a prophecy by the all-but-forgotten church, the High Council elects to reinstate an old challenge called the Redemption Trials in a last-ditch effort to find the girl meant to unlock the path to the cure.
What are The Redemption Trials?
Close the portals. Solve the clues. And try to stay alive.
The Redemption Trials is a competition that spans across the seven mirrorworlds, but primarily takes place on Djinnae, Sylph, Faerie, and Unda (the second, third, fourth, and fifth oldest worlds, respectively). The game has been played for centuries. No one has ever managed to win, and few people have ever made it back out alive. Unfortunately, the game must be won eventually, or all the mirrorworlds will be consumed by an ancient curse plaguing all seven mirrorworlds.
Book 1 of my Seeds of Ever series is a noblebright contemporary fantasy about a girl who can’t dream, the secrets haunting her family, and the stranger who seems willing to throw everything away to keep her safe.
It’s going to be published as a series of binge-able-sized books, starting (most likely) at the beginning of August 2025. A couple of things to keep in mind during this process:
The overarching series, Seeds of Ever, will most likely be 12 books long, with each ranging anywhere from 100-200k words.
I’m releasing these books as “Seasons,” which means each book in the Seeds of Ever series are also mini series with their own smaller plotlines getting wrapped up within their mini season. I’ll be Publishing each season as a set of “Episodes” that will be rapidly released before their omnibus collection (that Season/Book for Seeds of Ever) is officially published.
This means that once the overarching series is complete, we’ll end up with 12 chonky books that will encompass the whole series. 😍
If you joined in 2023, you’ll notice that some chapters were published here and I initially planned to publish the whole first draft this way. However, outlining has taken me a lot longer than I initially expected and this story has changed quite drastically since then. In order to keep moving forward at a sustainable pace and provide the best quality books for you, I’ve decided not to post an online serial of my work-in-progress (WIP).
About the author
Lydia Woodward is a fantasy writer, bookdragon, and caffeine addict with a passion for character-driven stories. Most of all, she’s a daughter of the High King and seeks to bring Him glory with the words she reads and writes. She believes that words are magical and that books have the power to feed souls. In light of that, she strives to carve out a corner of the internet where Christians and no-spice readers alike can enjoy incredible stories without without worrying about spice or gore.
What you can expect
The Mirrorworld Chronicles will release every Tuesday at 10:00 am (EST), starting in April, 2025 (health and schoolwork permitting).
So, if any of that sounds interesting, welcome! And thank you for coming!
