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A review by katyab
The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk
4.0
This was really charming and sincere and warm, and I fired my way through it. Think Jane Austen with magic! :D
Firstly, I thought it brilliantly tackled a number of feminist issues, such as women being forced to choose between their careers and motherhood, the right to education, redefining (and therefore breaking the foundations of) femininity, what true respect means in a marriage... I could go on!
I think what C.L. Polk did best was balancing all the female character's personal goals – whether that's the pursuit of knowledge or a career, domestic life, motherhood, living independently, or a combination – and never delegitimising one in favour of the others. The women who oppose marriage (as it exists in the world of the novel, but there are only some differences with the real thing) oppose it as an extremely flawed and patriarchal institution, one which controls women and limits them to child-bearing objects, used for financial and societal gain. That women in this world are literally collared when they are married, cutting them off from magic while they're pregnant or are potentially pregnant (which usually means they're collared until menopause), really sickened me.
I had so many expectations for what the women would be like in this novel, and I love that I was wrong. I was expecting fierce and bitter rivalry, and what I got was an authentic and supportive friendship. Beatrice and Ysbeta were determined and ambitious and clever and affectionate, and they were the most real and believable partners in magic.
I really liked and was encouraged by the main love interest, Ianthe. And I think that's because Polk allowed him to be imperfect: he often didn't realise when he was benefitting from a system that favours men, and the struggles that women faced, including those of his sister, weren't immediately obvious to him, or he assumed they were about something else. What was even more important, however, was that Polk also allowed him to learn from the women in his life, and be compassionate towards their needs and goals: what freedom means to them, particularly how it's different from permission. Because of his respect and willingness to learn, and because he was so unabashedly loving and besotted with Beatrice, I respected him as a character and therefore as the right person for Beatrice. (And while the first kiss was lovely, my goodness does Polk make you wait for the second, which also breaks your heart...)
I'm curious about Polk's decisions to refer to ships as male though. An interesting inversion, but it doesn't seem right in the world that it's in, especially when the plot revolves around a patriarchal society... Not saying it can't work, I just want to know why ships are referred to as "he"/"him"; what's the context behind that in this world? (Tiny nitpick, really.)
If you wanted Elizabeth Bennet to be a master of her own fortune (and also interact with spirits of the aether and use magic), this comes highly recommended from me!
Firstly, I thought it brilliantly tackled a number of feminist issues, such as women being forced to choose between their careers and motherhood, the right to education, redefining (and therefore breaking the foundations of) femininity, what true respect means in a marriage... I could go on!
I think what C.L. Polk did best was balancing all the female character's personal goals – whether that's the pursuit of knowledge or a career, domestic life, motherhood, living independently, or a combination – and never delegitimising one in favour of the others. The women who oppose marriage (as it exists in the world of the novel, but there are only some differences with the real thing) oppose it as an extremely flawed and patriarchal institution, one which controls women and limits them to child-bearing objects, used for financial and societal gain. That women in this world are literally collared when they are married, cutting them off from magic while they're pregnant or are potentially pregnant (which usually means they're collared until menopause), really sickened me.
I had so many expectations for what the women would be like in this novel, and I love that I was wrong. I was expecting fierce and bitter rivalry, and what I got was an authentic and supportive friendship. Beatrice and Ysbeta were determined and ambitious and clever and affectionate, and they were the most real and believable partners in magic.
Spoiler
I was also expecting a twist or full betrayal from Nadi, but got something warm and protective and touching and I much preferred it.I really liked and was encouraged by the main love interest, Ianthe. And I think that's because Polk allowed him to be imperfect: he often didn't realise when he was benefitting from a system that favours men, and the struggles that women faced, including those of his sister, weren't immediately obvious to him, or he assumed they were about something else. What was even more important, however, was that Polk also allowed him to learn from the women in his life, and be compassionate towards their needs and goals: what freedom means to them, particularly how it's different from permission. Because of his respect and willingness to learn, and because he was so unabashedly loving and besotted with Beatrice, I respected him as a character and therefore as the right person for Beatrice. (And while the first kiss was lovely, my goodness does Polk make you wait for the second, which also breaks your heart...)
I'm curious about Polk's decisions to refer to ships as male though. An interesting inversion, but it doesn't seem right in the world that it's in, especially when the plot revolves around a patriarchal society... Not saying it can't work, I just want to know why ships are referred to as "he"/"him"; what's the context behind that in this world? (Tiny nitpick, really.)
If you wanted Elizabeth Bennet to be a master of her own fortune (and also interact with spirits of the aether and use magic), this comes highly recommended from me!