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thereadingraccoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
4.0
Read for: BNYA book club March meeting
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2022: Sapphic book
The Midnight Girls is a young adult fantasy novel about the handmaidens of powerful witches forced to gather the hearts of princes and what happens when they meet.
When Marynka (aka Midday) is healed in the brink of death by the witch Red Jaga to be her latest personal monster she has no choice but to spend the next five years pulling the hearts out of the chests of princes to strengthen Red Jaga’s power. But Red Jaga’s two sisters (the White and Black Jagas) have their own monsters chasing hearts and it swiftly becomes a competition. When the witches discover that in a middle of a war between their land (Lechija) and Rusja that the Lechijan prince Józef and his coveted pure heart are vulnerable they will send all three girls to find the prince. Working alongside White Jaga’s monster Beata (aka Morning) Marynka will throw herself into the winter festivities in the capital city in hopes of getting to Prince Józef first. But Black Jaga’s monster Zosia (aka Midnight) is a powerful adversary and it will become a cat and mouse game of monsters vs each other vs a prince. The girls will also discover that their feelings for each other run deeper than just the competition and that maybe there is a future for them beyond hearts, princes and the witches that control them.
This is a fast paced and enjoyable fantasy novel for audiences of all ages. There is enough humor and action to go around and readers will enjoy the friendship and banter between Beata and Marynka. The chemistry and attraction between Zoisa and Marynka are clear from the start but some readers may find the romance a little rushed. I would have also liked a little more background on the witch’s magic and how the hearts served them. I would enjoy more books in the world of Lechjia and discovering more of the backstories of Prince Józef, his love interest Kajetan and the generations of doomed monsters that have served the witches.
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Suicide attempt, and Blood
nutm3g's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
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
5.0
The Midnight Girls was an exciting and entertaining read, where the villains were given the chance of a romance story for once. The sapphic enemies to lovers felt fully hashed out and believable, exploring the thin line between love and hate (as well as how quickly it can shift between the two). I enjoyed that the author did not set out to write a story where they would be "redeemed" or turn good, but rather let their love and story unfold while they remained true to themselves. While set in a semi-real historical backdrop where Poland and its people grappled for freedom from their oppressors and their right to maintain their identity we see Zosia (Midnight), Marynka (Midday), and even Beata (Morning) grapple with the same ideas of freedom and identity. It was an enjoyable read, with wonderful magical world-building.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Stalking, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Gun violence, War, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Torture, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent
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