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mommasaystoread's review
4.0
This coming of age, young adult fantasy is a very quick read. It may be less than a hundred pages, but it certainly doesn't lack depth. The story is full of the things we expect in a fantasy, but the author also tackles some gender inequality, sexual orientation intolerance, facing the unknown in spite of fear, and growing into the person you are with pride. Now, don't get me wrong, those issues are all present, but the author handles it all terrifically and they flow right in with the world she's created. They're also addressed in a way that doesn't distract from the magic of the Pegasi or the wonderful personalities of the characters. The story is fast-paced and fantastical with magic, royalty, a pending war, a conspiracy, a bit of romance, and secrets, big secrets. Ronel Janse van Vuuren took me by surprise with Magic at Midnight. She gave me some pretty deep topics to ponder while mixing them seamlessly into a thoroughly engaging tale. Admittedly, I don't read as much fantasy as I used to, so there may very well be other stories like this one out there, but I will say that this one definitely deserves notice.
jlennidorner's review
5.0
I LOVE this book. Remember Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch? The bisexual gal who runs a stable of pegasi and has to do a covert mission as a princess to prevent war -- yeah, that's freaking awesome and worthy of jumping on a couch. Oh, and the magic castle that actually is a character because (spoiler reasons), give me more of that! This is exactly my kind of book. I'm not saying there aren't similar books in the fantasy genre, I'm saying that this a worthy addition. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, flying horses with personality, the idea that a princess is more than just a title, and anyone looking for an LGBTQ+ twist on fairy tale type fantasy.
The book was free in July on Amazon, which is how I got my copy. There's some romance, a happily-ever-after, controversy, action, plot twists, and it's entertaining. I read the whole book because I really wanted to know how it would turn out for Amy. I mean, one minute she doesn't even know what an indoor bathroom is, and the next she has to convince people she's a princess. Man, I love this girl so much. I want to hang out with her and her pegasi for a month. Just toss me into the pages.
"Every couple of months, a group of human monsters would descend on her herd..." I love the phrasing of this line.
And then there's this passage, where the LGBTQ+ part really makes the fantasy line blur to reality. It really holds a mirror up to real society. :
"Our society forces arranged marriages on people who might never be compatible. And not because they aren't attracted to each other; but because they might never be attracted to someone from the opposite sex."
I never encountered the expression "shout rent the silence" before, but I loved how it was used. I did not find errors in the book. (*As a reminder, Ronel is from South Africa. Therefore, words like "skilfully" aren't spelled wrong.) I even love the formatting, the drop caps inside the chapters that are used as scene separators.
The cover is great and it matches the book climax perfectly. I've read books and stories by this author before and fully intend to read more soon. She's becoming one of my favorites. (Yes, we do follow each other's blogs and social media, and do some of the same online challenges. But we've never met.) This book isn't listed as part of a series, but it certainly left me wanting a second! I can't say I'm "team Rachel," because she has a HEA already. Does that make me "team Francois"? I don't know. Maybe there should be a second book with poly relationships. Perhaps another character as an option?
It passes the Bechdel test in that it has women who talk to each other about something besides a man. They talk about magic, war, conspiracies, how to handle a winged horse, etc.
The book was free in July on Amazon, which is how I got my copy. There's some romance, a happily-ever-after, controversy, action, plot twists, and it's entertaining. I read the whole book because I really wanted to know how it would turn out for Amy. I mean, one minute she doesn't even know what an indoor bathroom is, and the next she has to convince people she's a princess. Man, I love this girl so much. I want to hang out with her and her pegasi for a month. Just toss me into the pages.
"Every couple of months, a group of human monsters would descend on her herd..." I love the phrasing of this line.
And then there's this passage, where the LGBTQ+ part really makes the fantasy line blur to reality. It really holds a mirror up to real society. :
"Our society forces arranged marriages on people who might never be compatible. And not because they aren't attracted to each other; but because they might never be attracted to someone from the opposite sex."
I never encountered the expression "shout rent the silence" before, but I loved how it was used. I did not find errors in the book. (*As a reminder, Ronel is from South Africa. Therefore, words like "skilfully" aren't spelled wrong.) I even love the formatting, the drop caps inside the chapters that are used as scene separators.
The cover is great and it matches the book climax perfectly. I've read books and stories by this author before and fully intend to read more soon. She's becoming one of my favorites. (Yes, we do follow each other's blogs and social media, and do some of the same online challenges. But we've never met.) This book isn't listed as part of a series, but it certainly left me wanting a second! I can't say I'm "team Rachel," because she has a HEA already. Does that make me "team Francois"? I don't know. Maybe there should be a second book with poly relationships. Perhaps another character as an option?
It passes the Bechdel test in that it has women who talk to each other about something besides a man. They talk about magic, war, conspiracies, how to handle a winged horse, etc.
shereadsontrains's review
4.0
I wish we had more time to spend with the pegasuses. But it is a cute book about courtly intrigue, prophecy, and forbidden love. A very quick read.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.
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