The Mirror and the Light

A Complete Guide to Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror & the Light

This guide was first published in 2024 as part of the 2024 Wolf Crawl slow read of Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell Trilogy. It will be updated with the latest posts during the 2025 slow read. Read more about that book group here.

#1 Wreckage (I)

Wolf Crawl #30: The Damascene cat

#2 Salvage (Part 1/3)

Wolf Crawl #31: Never look back

• Readers’ posts:

  • Meet me, Cremuel. Let us dine. by Andrea

#3 Salvage (Part 2/3)

Wolf Crawl #32: To the underworld

• Readers’ posts:

  • A Cannibal Glint in his Eyes by Andrea

#4 Salvage (Part 3/3)

Wolf Crawl #33: The dead do not negotiate

#5 Wreckage (II) (Part 1/2)

Wolf Crawl #34: No smoke without fire

• Readers’ posts:

  • Eat up the strawberries! by Andrea

#6 Wreckage (II) (Part 2/2)

Wolf Crawl #35: Bone-pickers

• Readers’ posts:

  • Who will cook my supper, Tom? by Andrea

#7 Augmentation

Wolf Crawl #36: Matters that corrupt

#8 The Five Wounds

Wolf Crawl #37: Strange to himself

• Readers’ posts:

  • Bread or Blood by Andrea

  • The Haunting of Wolf Hall: Come in, old ghost

#9 Vile Blood (1/2)

Wolf Crawl #38: The king's body

#10 Vile Blood (2/2)

Wolf Crawl #39: No way forward

• Readers’ posts:

  • His Meal lies heavy by Andrea

#11 The Bleach Fields

Wolf Crawl #40: A list of his sins

• Readers’ posts:

  • 'It tastes better than it looks' by Andrea

#12 The Image of the King (Part 1/2)

Wolf Crawl #41: The dead watch us

• Readers’ posts:

  • 'Naught but yellow and white' by Andrea

#13 The Image of the King (Part 2/2) & Broken on the Body

Wolf Crawl #42: So many words

#14 Nonsuch

Wolf Crawl #43: The dogs of London

• Readers’ posts:

  • Hang on through the Season of Marzipan by Andrea

#15 Corpus Christi (Part 1/2)

Wolf Crawl #44: Bone-weary

#16 Corpus Christi (Part 2/2) & Inheritance

Wolf Crawl #45: Goodnight Master Cromwell

#17 Ascension Day (Part 1/2)

Wolf Crawl #46: Old enemies

#18 Ascension Day (Part 2/2)

Wolf Crawl #47: Eel boy, are you tired of life?

• Readers’ posts:

  • Send Thurston up! by Andrea

#19 Twelfth Night

Wolf Crawl #48: The longest night

• Readers’ posts:

  • A Pudding for a penny by Andrea

#20 Magnificence (Part 1/2)

Wolf Crawl #49: Roll back time

#21 Magnificence (Part 2/2)

Wolf Crawl #50: What light there is

• Readers’ posts:

  • The Dishes leap by Andrea

#22 Mirror (Part 1/2)

Wolf Crawl #51: Mercy

#23 Mirror (Part 2/2) & Light

Wolf Crawl #52: And now no more

• Readers’ posts:

  • Magic and religion by Nikki

  • Vile blood by Nikki

  • The flow of information by Nikki

  • Alternative futures by Nikki

  • Fatherhood by Nikki