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Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780142407844
ISBN number: 0142407844
Label: Puffin
Manufacturer: Puffin
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: April 05, 2007
Publishing house: Puffin
Age index: Young Adult
Sale Popularity Level: 311387
Studio: Puffin
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Product Description:
Innkeeper’s daughters Adele and Eleda are 'mirror twins'—identical twins whose looks are reflections of each other’s—and their special talents are like mirrors, too. Adele is a Safe-Keeper, entrusted with hearing and never revealing others’ secrets; Eleda is a Truth-Teller, who cannot tell a lie when asked a direct question. The town of Merendon relies on the twins, no one more than their best friend, Roelynn Karro, whose strict, wealthy father is determined to marry her off to the prince. When the girls are seventeen, a handsome dancing-master and his apprentice come to stay at the inn, and thus begins a chain of romance, mistaken identity, and some very surprising truths and falsehoods.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
This is a story about a set of "mirror twins" who are essentially each others opposite; one cannot tell a lie, and one cannot divulge deep secrets. This story follows them through their childhood until about age 17, along with several of the town's inhabitants. Very well-written and engaging--a solid piece of young adult fiction from Sharon Shinn. This is supposedly the second book in a series, but reads as a stand-alone.
Rated by buyers -
This was a lovely story, flawlessly told. I'd give it a 9.75 out of 10. Beautiful job with the characters, the world, and the writing. Yes, the plot is quite predictable -- young adult readers might perhaps find it less so -- but the story's great charm prevents its predictability from detracting from the pleasure of reading it.
Rated by buyers -
The Truth-Taller's Tale (2005) is the second Fantasy novel in this milieu, following The Safe-Keeper's Secret. Adele and Eleda are mirror twins, born at the same time, but opposite in many ways. They look much alike, but one parts her hair on the left and the other on the right. They grow up to be a Safe-Keeper and a Truth-Teller.
In this novel, Adele is the secretive one, who is able to lie at will. On the other hand, Eleda is always honest, unable to tell a lie under any conditions. Woe be to anyone who mixes the two and passes on a story to the wrong twin.
Adele and Eleda are the daughters of innkeepers, so there are always chores to do. The inn is quite successful due to its location and often full of guests. The family's favorite guest, however, is the Dream-Maker Melinda, who stays there every Wintermoon.
Melinda is very popular wherever she goes, but the inn is among her own favorite places. Every year Melinda asks Hannah -- the twin's mother -- what dream would she want and Hannah answers that she has everything she wants. But one year Melinda points out the nature of the twins and Hannah is both surprised and pleased; Melinda gave her a dream that Hannah never knew she wanted.
In this story, the twins have a best friend, Roelynn, the daughter of the richest man in town. Her father Karro has a dream that he is convinced will come true; he believes that Roelynn will marry Prince Darian and become Queen. Karro has business interests with Queen Lirabel and visits the capital quite often, taking Roelynn, but somehow the prince is always elsewhere when he visits.
Roelynn is very satisfied with that situation and continues to have affairs of the heart with the most unsuitable males she happens to meet. Since Karro almost has apoplexy many time over Roelynn's casual romances, something is bound to break sooner or later.
Eventually, Eleda has an affair of her own, which would have turned out badly if Adele had not meddled. Later, Eleda learns of her sister's secret love and keeps this secret safe, which only her sisterly love makes possible.
Once again, the author tells a heartwarming and personal story about two sisters, but this time more about sisterhood, friendship and romance than state secrets. Naturally, this story also has a surprise ending; to everyone, that is, except Adele, who knew all about it from the first. Another Safe-Keeper's secret.
Highly recommended for Shinn fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of ordinary people, extraordinary situations and true love.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Rated by buyers -
This lovely tale works both on the surface and at a deeper level. Sharon Shinn deals with the sexuality and yearnings and dreams of young people in such a subtle, yet insightful way, that I found myself translating Truth-Teller and Safekeeper into metaphor, searching for the hidden import--and not being disappointed. This is a fantasy world, but it works as a model for the real world, for the conflicted personality of the adolescent, with a happy resolution that doesn't subtract the weight of the message. I loved it. I hope every young girl of my acquaintance reads it!
Rated by buyers 
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This book is good for kids that like a story that follows the same plot line as the traditional fairy tale with a few twists. Happy endings all around, and mixed up identities told in a way that isn't too funny that it destroys the tale, but makes it interesting. This is different than the very first book (the Safe-Keeper's Secret), but has more characters and depth to the story, making it a much better book than the first.
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