The Moth in the Mirror

By A. G. Howard

An original ebook-only novella in the Splintered series, told from the points of view of both Jeb and Morpheus. Morpheus wants to know more about his rival for Alyssa's affections, so he digs into Jeb's memories of his time in Wonderland. But he may be surprised by what he finds. This brand-new story and perspective from A.G. Howard's dark, magical world stands alone but also provides a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come in Unhinged, the sequel to Splintered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781613126585

Book preview

~ 1 ~

The Moth’s Machinations

You’re sure about this, Morpheus?

I am, Morpheus answered, dragging off his gloves and tucking them into his jacket. You, however, appear to need convincing. Magic tingled at his fingertips, a pulsing blue light just beneath the skin. Due to the iron bridge outside, his powers were limited to a few benign tricks. But it would be enough to get his point across if necessary.

The carpet beetle—who stood as high as Morpheus’s collarbone after Morpheus had consumed a shrinking potion—gulped behind his many clicking mandibles. His carpeted hide quivered. No, no. Please, you misinterpret my reservations. The insect’s twiggy arms trembled as he flipped through the alphabetical tally on his clipboard of all the memories that had been lost in Wonderland. It looks like a boring way to spend an afternoon, is all … spying on a human’s forgotten moments.

Morpheus shifted, and his wings cast a shadow over the beetle’s face. Ah, but this particular human has much to teach me.

This particular human had managed to capture something Morpheus desired above all else in the world.

Have a seat—the beetle pointed to a white vinyl chair—and I’ll ready the memories for you.

Morpheus swooped his wings aside, sat down, and took a drag from the hookah provided by his host as a courtesy. The sweet, candied tobacco seared his windpipe. He blew puffs of smoke, fashioning them into Alyssa’s face. It was easy to picture the way her eyes always frosted to blue ice when she saw him, filled with both dread and excitement. He adored that about her: the sharpened edge of her netherling instincts, warning her not to trust him, softened by human emotions forged during their shared childhood.

Before her, he’d lived his life in solitude, never needing anyone. He had no idea what spell she’d cast over him. She was beyond frustrating, always pledging her devotion to the wrong side. But her charm was undeniable. Especially when she defied him or glared at him with righteous indignation. It brought the most delicious snarl to her lips.

Morpheus set aside the hookah, although the burning in his chest had nothing to do with smoke. Alyssa was the only one who could quench the fire there, for she was the one who had first stoked those flames.

They’d spent five years together—childhood playmates—until her mum ripped her from him, bloody and wounded, and he had to stew in remorse and guilt from a distance because of a foolhardy vow he’d made to stay away.

Being deprived of his friend gave him his first taste of loneliness. Even all the years he’d spent in a cocoon prior to ever meeting her, trapped and claustrophobic … even they hadn’t prepared him for the desolation of her absence.

Then at last she’d come back to him, reviving all the old feelings he thought he’d mastered. That time, too, was short-lived. She’d left again, by her own choice. The resulting pain and loneliness were excruciating. Debilitating.

She’d only been gone from Wonderland for six months, and he didn’t understand this sick emptiness inside that could only be filled by her touch, her scent, her voice. Solitary fae had no use for such nonsense. They required no companionship, abhorred emotional baggage. Their affection and loyalty belonged to the wilds of Wonderland and to no one or nothing else.

So what had she done to him to change that?

Each time he saw his

Reviews for The Moth in the Mirror

[larissabookgirl_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When Alyssa and Jeb journeyed into Wonderland, it was obvious that this pair shared a special bond. How else could they have endured the dangers and tests thrown their way, only to survive at the other end? Though they did not escape unscathed. Alyssa has discovered her netherling side and is now a Queen in that chaotic world, and Jeb, he has lost his memories of his time in wonderland. But lost memories can be found if you know where to look.The Moth In The Mirror is no longer recognisable to himself, so to gain what he most desires, to find peace again, Morpheus will to fight to win his love. But his love Alyssa has given her heart to the mortal Jeb, and he cannot understand why. So to find out what this mortal holds over his love, to destroy his rival for her affections he will become Jeb. In this short novella Morpheus swims through Jeb's missing memories from moments in Splintered that have only now been revealed.

[catherine_gv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It was rather disappointing, compared to the first book. It was all about romance, and it's just not my type... Too cheesy

[jessica_reads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This novella is the hold over for between books 1 & 2 (obviously since it's labeled 1.5), and is intriguing. I like getting parts of a story from different perspectives and getting inside Morpheus' head was fantastic. I loved his character in Splintered, and I will say it again - I hope he wins. Morpheus wishes to know more about his competition in order to win Alyssa's heart. So, he works his magic to get inside of Jeb's head. He walks the path of a mortals thoughts and gives their side of the story as they size each other up.

I wasn't impressed with Jeb in Splintered, and I am decidedly more against him now. The novella served the purpose of almost making him seem like an exist-able character, but overall it didn't work for me. Even with Morpheus seeming semi-crazy, I want him to win.

[destinyisntfree · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It had been a while since I had read Splintered, and I have not read Unhinged yet, but really wanted to read this one today.

I really loved Splintered and have anxiously been wanting to read Unhinged, but I have not had a chance yet.

This glimpse inside Morpheus' sick little mind only made me dislike him even more.

Morpheus is the character you love to hate. I am hoping that something will redeem his qualities before the end of the series, but I just am not sure how he will pull it off.

When Jeb finally formulated a plan with Gossamer, I wanted to cry.

Now, I have to find the time to read Unhinged and Ensnared.

[isisunit · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An original ebook-only novella in the Splintered series, told from the points of view of both Jeb and Morpheus. Morpheus wants to know more about his rival for Alyssa's affections, so he digs into Jeb's memories of his time in Wonderland. But he may be surprised by what he finds. This brand-new story and perspective from A.G. Howard's dark, magical world stands alone, but also provides a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come in Unhinged, the sequel to Splintered. This is a very brief novella, in which we get to learn more about both Jeb and Morpheus. However the way we learn about them is very creative and interesting, for we learn about both as Morpheus experiences Jeb's memories. Although Jeb is terrified of becoming like his father, he proves time and again that the two men could not be more different. Where his father is violent and angry Jeb is levelheaded and gentle. Even when his frustration with Morpheus starts to get the best of him he manages to pull back from the edge, for his love for Alyssa overrides any aggressive tendencies he may want to express.Too bad Morpheus looks to be planning to use Jeb’s internal fault lines to beat him in winning the lovely Alyssa to his side. This demonstrates his selfishness, for he comes across as far too impatient to wait and allow Alyssa to live out a mortal life with Jeb, before then returning to Morpheus and Wonderland, having fulfilled her mortal dreams.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Fun short read told from Jeb and Morpheus’s POV. If you are a fan of Splintered and need a quick fix before reading Unhinged, I would highly recommend reading this.Opening Sentence: “You’re sure about this, Morpheus?”The Review: Morpheus has never quite figured out what is so appealing about humans. The girl he loves is determined to reject everything Wonderland has to offer for a simple human boy. Morpheus has decided that to better understand Alyssa he needs to see what she sees in Jeb, so he enters into Jeb’s memories of his adventures in Wonderland. Did you ever wonder where and what Jeb was doing when he wasn’t at Alyssa’s side? In The Moth and the Mirror you get to see glimpses of Wonderland from Jeb’s POV.If you have read my review of Splintered you will know how much I love Jeb. He is selfless, sweet, caring, loyal and a total hottie. Then there is the cunning, mysterious, gorgeous Morpheus. Both boys are amazing characters and it was fun to be inside their heads for a little while. It helped me to understand both of them better and just made me love them even more.If you are a fan of Splintered you will want to pick this one up. It adds extra insight to the story and it was a really fun read. It will help pacify you while you wait for the release of Unhinged (which is totally incredible)!!!! Anyone that has yet to start this series, what are you waiting for? It is by far the best retelling I have ever read and you really need to pick it up.Notable Scene:His spiel was rehearsed— mechanical, even— but Morpheus’s pulse raced. He waited for the beetle to shut off the lamp. As soon as the insect had left the room and closed the door, Morpheus’s body came apart at the seams— floating through the darkness as if he were made of dust motes. All the pieces reassembled themselves on the silver screen in vivid, cinematic colors, until he was inside Jebediah Holt’s head, wearing his body, feeling his emotions.In that moment, Morpheus gave himself over to the experience, seeing things as a human for the first time in his life.FTC Advisory: Amulet Books/Abrams provided me with a copy of The Moth in the Mirror. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.