Reviews with content warning for Death - Midnight Ruin

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Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert

7 reviews

thats_so_raychell's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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bookishlucy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have conflicting feelings about this book. I've enjoyed the series immensely so far and I can't help feeling slightly disappointed in this one. It wasn't bad by any means. I still enjoyed the developments of the overarching plot

So excited we're getting Circe in this series, even if she is the villain currently!

And I liked the relationship between Charon, Orpheus, and Eurydice.
My qualms with the book are the following (Potential spoilers, I've tried to mark as many as possible but proceed with caution!):

There were more spelling/grammar errors in this book than usual. Mistakes are always going to slip through but compared to the 5 previous books, there were a lot more in this one than usual. And besides the usual typos, there were some pretty big mistakes like missing words or dialogue that was practically repeated only a paragraph later by the same character. Individually these wouldn't have been a big deal and wouldn't have impacted the reading experience, but I couldn't help but notice the stark difference in quality compared to the other books in the series. This one almost felt rushed.

Besides the spelling/grammar feeling rushed, the story also felt rushed. Charon comes off a little strong. I get that they have an existing situationship that we got glimpses of in the previous books but I would've liked to see their relationship develop a little slower. Instead, we were immediately thrust into it from the very first chapter.
If I remember correctly, Charon literally says 'I love you' to Eurydice in the first chapter.

Charon doesn't seem to have much internal conflict about being attracted to Orpheus/wanting him to be part of a trio with him and Eurydice. I feel like this seems out of character since he's usually so overprotective of her.
Orpheus traumatized her by almost getting her killed. I don't feel like Charon would be so blazé about Orpheus being around.
He seems fine with adding Orpheus to their relationship long-term from the start and I just think it would make more sense/be more interesting if he was struggling with conflicting emotions.

Despite all of this, I still enjoyed the book, though not as much as the previous 5 installments. This is the first book I've rated lower than 4 stars which makes me extremely sad since I was really looking forward to Eurydice's book.
I will still be reading Dark Restraint the second it comes out!!

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frantically's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Fun addition to the series!

I'm impressed by how Robert managed to redeem Eurydice and Orpheus' relationship – never would've imagined I'd like them together again. This is a poly relationship with Charon, too, but Charon and Eurydice only start dating at the beginning of the book as well which makes it all a bit too unstable for me, there's a lack of foundation with Charon and Eurydice's relationship which makes it hard to believe that they're the stable couple here, the couple Orpheus yearns to be a part of. This was probably done to not copy the Patroclus x Achilles x Helen relationship but I don't think I would've minded a repeat of that! The latter seemed a lot more natural imo.

I've not been quiet about the fact that I'm primarily here for the romance, not for the politics. I still don't think it was necessary to turn a series that started as "Modern!Hades has a sex club lol" into "Here are the intricate politics and diplomacy involved in trying to run a Modern!Olympus". I love scheming just as much as the next person but please Katee, this isn't ASOIAF. All that to say, I've had my suspicions on who the Big Bad was for some time now and I'm both elated at the reveal and a bit disappointed that this is the route we're going for when this is supposed to be this great feminist retelling. Hope that resonates with someone and I'm not alone!

Loved seeing more of Hades and Persephone again, they remain the best couple in this series for me (with the best book as well) and it's great to see how Persephone's grown into her role as Hades' partner. With Charon as an MC we really return back to Hades' realm and it felt like coming back to my favourite dysfunctional home.

As much as the pet play was advertised for this book, it didn't play that much of a part! Didn't think I'd be into it (and I'm still not really lol) but it was fun and even if the actual play didn't have that many scenes there were loads of dog puns that I chuckled at.

Like other reviewers have said, I'm too far in to stop now – let's see how Roberts manages to fit BDSM into a more and more complex political story next...

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A really good installment--we got the overall plot moving forward and the relationships between Eurydice, Charon, and Orpheus unfolded so well. I actually like that Orpheus didn't have to grovel, it felt like a more realistic approach to forgiveness than if groveling had been the whole book. I really liked the sex scenes, though I can see why some people weren't into them. I do think it's funny that Charon and Orpheus kept emphasizing that "oh we can see ourselves falling in love with each other but we're not there yet" as if this whole series isn't full of characters falling in love within 2 weeks.

Also, I think it's so interesting that the further we get from Neon Gods, the less I actually care for Persephone as a character. She's getting on my nerves. But I'm so excited that Hera/Callisto is going to be more prominent in the next book (I want her and Zeus/Perseus's book soooooo badly, it's gonna be so good).

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wrenl's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Well that was unexpected. I was super excited for this book. I wanted the sweet Eurydice to be tempted by the dark and devastatingly handsome Charon. I got something unexpected. A throuple with a lot of BDSM. Which I’m okay with. Just unexpected for this book. I think writing about polyamory unleashed something in Katee Robert.
But the thing that bothers me about this book is the political plot. The previous Dark Olympus book got me hooked on the politics, but it’s barely there with this one. I want more about Minos’s plans. Sadly, Eurydice, Orpheus, and Charon are not the best group to have that information. Good for me though because Ariadne and the Minotaur (aka the next book) will have oodles of insight on that front. More plot please!

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booksandteatime's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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bangiebangs's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Spice: 5/5

I was extremely excited to read this book – huge expectations, and it did not disappoint. I think this hit the perfect balance between spice and the intricate politics of the larger arc, the threat to Olympus from outside, brought closer by Minos and his entourage.

The TL;DR is this: This book is PAINFULLY spicy, and it is full of political intrigue and a little heartbreak. It will keep you both on the edge of your seat or sighing softly as you relax back into the pillows. It’s a fantastic mix of politics and personal relationships, and features a budding switch, a surprise puppy, and the sexy glue that holds it all together (not THAT kinda glue, get your mind out of the gutter… for now, at least). It is exciting, well paced, really well written, and will leave you wanting more.

This book follows another one of Demeter’s daughters, Eurydice. In previous books we learned that her former lover, Orpheus, had betrayed her to the last Zeus and caused her serious harm in the process. She appeared here and there in the series, and we could see her get a little better: attending Minos’ party with Charon, meeting with Ariadne… and getting a mission from Callisto, the new Hera, that sets Eurydice on the path to carving out a new place in Olympus for herself.

Midnight Ruin finds her in Hades’ club where she regularly spends time. The story picks up where the last book ended, with her trying to set up a meeting with Ariadne. When that falls through, she is approached by Thanatos, breaking one of the rules she is supposed to follow, to watch but not engage. And – as will be the case repeatedly – Charon catches her and things get intense. The process of her learning to trust and also be trustworthy is a recurring theme in the book, which is echoed by other characters struggling with (and starting to overcome) their insecurities and metaphorical demons. Healing is very sexy indeed.

The book circles through more spicy and more political chapters as relationships form and change, and political events speed up. Charon is the fuel to Eurydice’s personal relationships and turns out to not only be a reliable and loyal friend, but a selfless lover in all possible ways. Without spoiling the story, we get to see Orpheus returning into her life and finding a space that makes the lives of all involved better. On Charon’s side, we can see him struggling with the baggage that this constellation brings and we get to enjoy the resolution that brings him a surprising new love. And finally, redemption for Orpheus – and he has to work for it (he loves it, and so do we)!

All in all, the dynamic between the three is so well done and was such a delight to read! Inventive, devious, surprising! I don’t often have such strong physical reactions to books, but suffice it to say that not only did this make me squeal with joy and giddiness but I’m pretty sure I left puddles on my seat because when I say that the spice was SPICY AF… it was ridiculously hot and tickled my brain in the most intriguing and devastating way.

Politics is pretty seamlessly woven into the story, and there is more of it in this than previous installments: the unrest after Hephaestus’ murder and the publication of the assassination clause has been growing. The Thirteen and all legacy families find themselves in increasing danger of being attacked, anytime, anywhere. Everything feels faster and more intense and it’s so well written you can almost feel the claustrophobia and growing feeling of hopelessness as no place remains safe and attacks increase not only increase in number but also hit closer and closer to home. Some things that happen had me gasp and just quietly beg that the worst case was not what was happening… mostly because I fully believe Katee Robert is fearless enough to kill off characters.

They certainly are devious enough to keep us guessing about loyalties and plans within plans. Is Hermes a traitor or not? Where even is she right now? We don’t know. What happens when the barrier finally breaks? Is there still time for diplomacy? We don’t know. Who will survive the larger attacks that are sure to follow? Is there maybe an even bigger villain behind the person who wields Minos and his family? So many questions!

Suffice it to say, I cannot wait for Dark Restraint, which I expect will give us more insight into the goings-on on the side of the attackers (and move everything forward, of course!). The way that future events are teased is another reason you should dive into this series if you haven’t already.

So, to sum up: Go get this book and a good bottle of your favorite beverage and settle in for a good night! Maybe put your phone on silent as well, just saying.

(This review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel with thanks to NetGalley.)

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