Scan barcode
A review by nancyotoole
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
3.0
In 16th century England, Elizabeth has been sitting on her throne for thirty years. Beneath the streets of London there is another monarch, Invidiana, the heartless queen of the faeries. Above ground, the young Michael Devin has just gained Elizabeth’s favor by becoming one of the elite Gentlemen Pensioners. Below, the fae Lune has fallen out of favor with the court, and begins to fear for her life. When she sees an opportunity to get back in her queen’s good graces, she takes it. This mission will bring her above ground to the world of mortals, where she and Michael Devin will come face to face, and learn about a pact between two queens that has shaped both Englands for decades.
Midnight Never Come is a well researched work of historical fiction that does a great job of fully immersing the reader into the time period. Having a basic knowledge of the “real life” key players will help the reader enjoy the story, but I don’t believe that it’s necessary. One thing I liked was the parallel between the two queens, the bright and the dark, and the two courts. I also liked how the author gave supernatural reasons between real life situations (for example, Elizabeth’s “celibacy” is seen as being Invidiana’s cruel work). The book is not perfect. It does start off a little slow, but when things start to pick up (during act two) it really becomes interesting. The last eighty or so pages is near impossible to put down, so I suggest setting aside plenty of time to read them so you can finish the book without interruptions.
The author has quite a nice writing style that at times can be truly lovely. Unfortunately, I feel as if it also distances the reader from the characters, at least initially. Once the reader gets future into the book, they characters, such as the heroes, Lune and Michael, prove to be complex and likeable. Many of the side characters, such as the two Queens and the kind Goodmeeds, are just as interesting.
I’m really glad that Midnight Never Come was recommended to me. Apparently a sequel, In Ashes Lie, came out roughly a month ago. I look forward to picking it up once I get the chance.
Midnight Never Come is a well researched work of historical fiction that does a great job of fully immersing the reader into the time period. Having a basic knowledge of the “real life” key players will help the reader enjoy the story, but I don’t believe that it’s necessary. One thing I liked was the parallel between the two queens, the bright and the dark, and the two courts. I also liked how the author gave supernatural reasons between real life situations (for example, Elizabeth’s “celibacy” is seen as being Invidiana’s cruel work). The book is not perfect. It does start off a little slow, but when things start to pick up (during act two) it really becomes interesting. The last eighty or so pages is near impossible to put down, so I suggest setting aside plenty of time to read them so you can finish the book without interruptions.
The author has quite a nice writing style that at times can be truly lovely. Unfortunately, I feel as if it also distances the reader from the characters, at least initially. Once the reader gets future into the book, they characters, such as the heroes, Lune and Michael, prove to be complex and likeable. Many of the side characters, such as the two Queens and the kind Goodmeeds, are just as interesting.
I’m really glad that Midnight Never Come was recommended to me. Apparently a sequel, In Ashes Lie, came out roughly a month ago. I look forward to picking it up once I get the chance.