The Mirror of Doom is the first book in The Out-of-this-World Adventures of Tim Hunter series, written by Bailey Baxter and illustrated by LaSablonniére. When twelve-year-old Tim Hunter steals his sister Kat’s diary, he gets a lot more than he’d bargained for. His older siblings, Ron and Kat, chase Tim through his grandmother’s Connecticut home – a place where they had all lived since their stepfather, Erick, had mysteriously disappeared two months earlier. Before he realizes it, Tim discovers that he is on the forbidden third floor of the house, locked inside a room with his scary Uncle Edgar. As Tim tries to escape, Edgar distracts him by unveiling a mirror which had once belonged to the Brothers Grimm. From an inscription in the gold frame, Tim learns that the mirror is magical and is a gateway to another world. Tim, Ron and Kat soon find themselves on the other side of the mirror in a medieval land of castles and dangerous beasts. They might have thought of it as a fun adventure, were it not for a prophecy which tells of three strangers from a faraway land who would defeat the evil Queen Morissa, returning King Gunther and Prince Gavril to the throne and thus restoring order to the land of Tryton. When given only two choices – fulfil the prophecy or be executed – the three siblings are told of the simple task ahead of them of stealing the queen’s mirror, but what they find instead is a truth which is too shocking to believe.

Without a doubt, The Mirror of Doom is the most delightful children’s story I have read in some time, with three squabbling children, none of whom possess an ounce of responsibility, suddenly realizing that they have to trust and rely on each other in order to survive. Bailey Baxter’s tale of typical teens was written in a realistic fashion up until the fantasy realm takes over, when they are magically transported to another world. Tim’s humorous narration of the story gave me cause to chuckle in many instances, as he told things from a twelve-year old’s point of view, inclusive of his personal analysis of each of the other characters in the story, holding nothing back. All three of the children are initially shown as quite self-absorbed and selfish, but their emotional growth and respect for one another is evident as they face each challenge head-on. I noticed that The Mirror of Doom has been left open at the end to allow for the possibility of a sequel. I very much look forward to reading that too. Bailey Baxter is a writer with great talent and has a flair for telling stories of intrigue to readers of all ages. I recommend The Mirror of Doom to all readers who enjoy fun, action, sci-fi, fantasy, and a major dose of comedy in their magical adventures.