Now, I have only read one of Marie’s previous books, and The Midnight Lie is set in the same world as that trilogy. While reading, I kept wondering whether I missed extensive amounts of background knowledge, but from what I have been able to gather from reading summaries is that Ethin, the city in which The Midnight Lie is set, is a sort of footnote in the original trilogy, so there really isn’t much to have missed, and there is no need to worry if you’re just starting here!

The story is beautifully written, and the world is well nuanced and finely crafted into its details. However, the plot and characters lean heavily into tropes, making twists and behaviours very predictable at times, and leading to slightly flat characterisations. I still loved every second of the book, and as I was reading this eARC on my phone, read it within about a day, picking it up whenever I could, even if it was just for five minutes on the tube. The Midnight Lie is extremely well paced, effortlessly switching from intimate conversations to action to tender descriptions without losing tension at any point.

While the story addresses issues of class, abuse, and revolution, what I believe to be at its centre is self-discovery and acceptance. Breaking free from one’s routine and questioning the status quo in every respect. Both Nirrim and Sid are forced to reevaluate who they are and who they want to be over the course of the story, and show signs of growth, and their blossoming romance is proof of that, as is the end of the book. I am very curious to see how the story continues in the next installment…

The Midnight Lie is one of the best YA books I've read in a long time. It started off a little slow, and then I was pulled in and desperate to read more about Nirrim and Sid, and the world around them. Oh Nirrim and Sid have stolen my heart, I was eagerly devouring pages for a glimpse of their teasing, their glances, the brief touches shared between them. I've never read a Marie Rutkoski book and The Midnight Lie was entirely unexpected in all ways.

The world crafted was enchanting as we are whisked off to a world of class segregation, secret magic and an unknown ruler and unknown history. There are the High-Kith, Middlings, Half-Kith and Un-Kith. Nirrim is a half-kith who helps to forge passports for those around her with her 'mother-figure' Raven, to get people out of the world of Half-Kith. Half-Kith are subject to harsher laws, harsher rules and a much drabber lifestyle than those above them. They can't wear deep blues, or rich colours, they're not allowed books or luxury foods. If they are found to break these rules they will be forced to pay a penance or a tithe in the forms of blood, hair, skin, or anything the prison guards can think up and take from them; alongside a prison sentence. When Nirrim is thrown into prisoner she meets a strange traveller Sid (view spoiler) and from there their relationship develops. Nirrim at first is suspicious and unbelieving of Sid and everything Sid says. However, upon her release from prison she begins to question everything around her. It is this curiosity and questioning nature of Nirrim that I began to love as she blossomed and bloomed as a character.

Throughout the whole book, the identity of Sid is a mystery, although I guessed immediately who they were and this didn't feel very subtle. Although I think this was perhaps a point to the plot that Sid's identity was not subtle. Sid was probably my favourite character, as a strong and adventurous spirit. Sid came across as fanciful and fickle character that liked to seduce women, but beneath the surface was a caring, insightful and smart character. I loved watching the relationship develop between Sid and Nirrim and this was the real strength of the book.

The plot-line follows Nirrim and Sid trying to uncover the secrets behind magic in the Ward. They attended parties, took magic potions and occasionally sneaked around. I do think the sneaking and adventure was a little bit lacking in places, and I wanted a little more from the world-building and action in places. This book was very character driven, which was fine. However, I think future books could definitely benefit from more adventure and more focus on the plot as the themes continue to develop. The ending was a bit of a bit cliff-hanger (of shorts), so I am keen that we see more in terms of big world-building plot developments.

This book was a refreshing breathe of air that intertwined fantasy themes, class critiques, LGTBQ themes and more. I loved pretty much all of it, and I am saddened that I'm going to have to wait so long until the next book comes out as this one isn't even published yet. I will 100% be getting myself a paperback version when this book comes out (as I'm not a big hardback fan). I got a copy free from Netgalley.

An LGBTQ romantic fantasy.
You have your magic system than we learn along side outlr main character and narrator, Nirrim. I still dont fully understand the system and feel it need more explanations. Nirrim's character was well thought out and although she is naive, she isn't afraid to find out the truth and fight for what she wants.
A good story.

I have a feeling that I have committed a bookish sin by reading this book first because it’s based off on a world that’s in the author’s other series. I admit that I mostly requested this book because it sounded pretty awesome on its own and the cover is to die for. I should also note that my enjoyment wasn’t at all deterred because of my lack of knowledge of the previous trilogy. So that’s one great point in its favour, don’t you think?

Let’s move to the actual book itself. The book starts with establishing the world that the character lives in. Herrath, a country with a fairly (or rather unfairly) rigid class system. It has High Kith, Half Kith, Middlings and Un-Kith. By their names, it’s not very hard to understand what social strata each one belongs, right? It’s not quite like that? High Kith do enjoy all things anyone from a higher class enjoys, the Middlings are the ones who are free (“Free”) to roam between the borders of High Kith and Middling, and are mostly middle class people and Half-Kith are the lowest on the totem pole who are despised but not quite to the level where they are killed off. Un-Kith is a mystery I will let you solve for yourself.

Nirrim, the main character, is a Half-Kith who’s worked hard pretty much all her life in the Ward (Ward is where all the Half-Kiths are to live, no exceptions) and she has this tiny problem sometimes of distinguishing what is real and what is not. She also has a way of remembering things, it’s a bothersome gift and she has to keep it a secret. One day, she’s doing her regular chores when she decides to do something right and then is accused of committing a crime.

This is where Nirrim’s world starts to change. She meets Sid, a traveler, a fellow prisoner and someone who can’t help but flirt all the freaking time. It is Sid who truly makes it obvious to Nirrim that there’s something wrong with the way her ‘motherly’ someone has been emotionally abusing her all this time. It is Sid who really lights the fire of curiosity in Nirrim’s mind. Why are the Half-Kith not allowed to leave the Ward? Why are they not to enjoy so many things in life? Why such a decisive division between classes? Why are there never any travelers from other country?

Sid also gives her an opportunity to see the world from a different point and it is so good to see that Nirrim isn’t exactly jumping at the opportunity. Nirrim is such a good character, she’s suffered emotional abuse and it shows in various ways throughout the book. She’s a bit passive, not too fond of leaping into the fray and thinking later. She’s a worrier and she’s acting according to her teachings which are hard to shake off. It was good to see that emotional abuse can leave scars of a different kind and they were just as horrible.

The romance was fairly surprisingly well done. I say that because most of the time, as far as LGBT romance is concerned, it’s either focused on the coming out part or they are too chaste about it. Especially for F/F romance. However in this one, it’s dealt sort of realistically? In that, it can happen fast and full of banter and laughter and casual touches too. It was obvious, there were no gray areas and there was nothing too dull about the romance either. So I was very happy about it.

Now, let’s come to the side characters. I loved the side characters from the gentle Annin to the made tougher by her trauma, Morah to the ‘motherly’ Raven. All the characters were so well done. I was then charmed by Sid. Sidarine. She’s cocky, she’s absolutely not perfect and she’s very firm in what she believes in. There are so many issues that she’s battling, mostly parental ones. Her insecurities are something she openly makes fun of, I guess, so that nobody else will. In any case, in her own way, Sid won my heart but I think as far as this story is concerned, Nirrim still has my heart. Completely.

Overall, the world building well done, the side characters have their own lives and live with their brand of traumas and principles, the main characters are great. The writing was lovely and engaging. It was so beautiful at times that I had to pause and take a breath or two before I read further. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA/ fantasy/ lgbt romance or all of those things. The ending though, I want the next installment right now, if possible. Who knew there was there was something to stop my heart at the end? NOT ME.

I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say I’ve been waiting for a new series by Marie Rutkoski for a millenium (or at least it feels like it). So this was always going to be high on my to read list, and to find out it was also f/f just meant it shot right to the top.

The Midnight Lie is set in the same world as The Winner’s Trilogy, but on an isolated island. The main character lives in the Ward, where all Half-Kith must live, separated from the Middlings and the High Kith. Nirrim has been living with Raven for many years, running jobs and forging passports for her. When she ends up in prison after catching an Elysium bird, Nirrim meets Sid, a traveller who wants to know more about the city.

This is a slowburning fantasy story. It’s also a very character-driven one. In terms of big events and action, there’s not a lot, but the characters and the relationships they have are so good, even I, who has absolutely no attention span, was gripped by it. Granted a lot of that was to see if a certain character suffered for being an abusive dickhead, but it was also because I loved Nirrim and Sid and their developing relationship.

As ever, too, Marie Rutkoski’s writing is gorgeous and evocative, and will keep you reading on the strength of it alone. I loved the worldbuilding in The Winner’s Trilogy, and that excellence continues in this book. I think I could read books set in this world forever, just because of how good Marie Rutkoski is at her craft.

In fact, I think I would probably have rated this book 5 stars except for that I was sort of falling asleep in the middle bit (not because it was boring, but because I was tired and needing a nap) and maybe lost track of it all. If I reread it when I was more awake, I would probably rate it more highly.

So, overall, this is probably one of the best f/f fantasies I’ve read, and on some level I’m always going to be counting down the days until book 2 is out.

Cw: questionable consent (off-page), abusive behaviour (in a parental relationship)

Ok, I have a lot of feelings. Let’s go. 

This book setting isn’t totally unfamiliar to YA readers, I’m sure. The Midnight Lie joins the ranks of many other such books where the ‘lower classes’ are kept from various luxuries and our plucky main character rises above the class divide to challenge everyone’s expectations - it’s a story that is all at once familiar and kind of comforting. To be perfectly honest, I would have been tempted to leave this book to one side was it not for the promise of a queer relationship. 

So let’s start with the worldbuilding - or society building as the case may be. The biggest aspect of this story, the driving ‘unfairness’ in this world is tied to status. Those with high status, the High Kith, can wear more colours and explore more pleasures than those who are lower status (as Nirrim is). I thought that this was an interesting way of depicting a class divide - more often than not it’s taken for granted that lower status characters won’t have luxurious items because they are poor - this takes that display of wealth into a much more structured place - and I think it works, it makes those transitions between status groups even clearer, and Nirrim’s movement within those groups feels more definite and powerful. I know that this is a matter of personal preference, but I feel like perhaps a few more clearly set out concrete examples of different things a particular group could or could not have would have not only been interesting but might have saved some time in the rest of the narrative. I’m envisioning some declarations or something similar between parts perhaps? But I also know some people really hate those so perhaps I shall just imagine them for myself!

Let’s go on to the characters and the romance (which are fairly intertwined). I thought Nirrim was a good character, certainly a good protagonist. What I look for in books such as this one is whether the inevitable character growth feels realistic and believable - I don’t want a sudden transformation from meek mouse to warrior princess because it feels like a facade. In this case, I think the gradual movement of Nirrim’s character as well as how she adapts to the influence of different people in her life was really well written. I am always here for a story where a character has to unlearn the things they believed to be true and this was one such story.

So what about the romance? This book is most definitely a fantasy romance at heart, emphasis on that romantic storyline. Knowing that going in always helps me to not get too attached to plot aspects that I know won’t get as much development so hopefully, that helps you too! I fell head over heels for this romance. It may be that I hadn’t read a lovely romance story for a while and it was nice to read two characters falling in love after a fair few examples of purely miserable books - who can say? But no, basically any time Nirrim and Sid were apart I was just desperate for the next part of the book where they were together again. And yes, some of the story is quite cheesy, and yes, it is the ‘rich girl sweeps the low-status girl up in a world of intrigue but it’s ok because she doesn't think it’s right she’s just rich and there’s nothing to be done about it’ story but guess what: sometimes that is really nice to read! 

I’m going to reserve judgement on whether I think this book is a good f/f story (switching to using f/f as opposed to LGBTQIA+ here because let’s be honest this book does not cover all of that acronym) until I’ve read the second book - because it’s either the most frustrating ‘why can’t we have gay romance with happy endings?’ story or it’ll be a great romance across two books. It’s not a call I can make at this stage so I’m reserving my judgement until then. Suffice to say this book has me hooked on these two characters and I’ll be banging on the doors of the publisher’s office as soon as I think they might have a finished manuscript. 

I had a great time reading this book, it has a lot of the elements I love in a ‘comfort read’ with the added benefit of being f/f - I’d recommend it for a rainy afternoon or a late night curled up in a comfy chair - though fair warning you will then have to join me desperately awaiting book two. 

My rating: 4 / 5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. 

The Midnight Lie is out March 3rd!

~ARC received in exchange for an honest review~

'The Midnight Lie' is a romantic fantasy written by Marie Rutkoski which I gather is set in the same world as the authors 'Winners Trilogy' (although I don't think it's necessary to have read it.)

Fairly standard YA fare, 'The Midnight Lie' is heavy on the romance whereas I would have personally preferred more of the fantasy element. This wouldn't have been too much of an issue had the characters been more fleshed out, but for me they were fairly one-dimensional and I didn't really invest in their relationship, and since this was the majority of the book I subsequently lost interest in the story overall.
To the authors credit though, I really enjoyed the writing style, which flows effortlessly and the pacing is great. My favourite part was when Sid was first introduced, which was truly marvellous.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed!

The plot follows Nirrim, who is a Half-Kith. Half-Kith are “lesser” people who are forced to live in the Ward - a walled off part of the city of Ethin. It all begins with the sudden appearance of a beautiful bird which is believed to belong to a High-Kith (The superior people) outside of the wall. Against her better judgement, Nirrim catches the bird and turns it in to the militiamen who arrest her for thievery and charge her with the collection of a tithe for a whole month while she’s imprisoned. In the prison she meets Sid.

Sid is a traveller. The people of Ethin know nothing of other lands but their own so Nirrim hesitates believe Sid but chooses to indulge the traveller as they’re unlikely to meet again. However, Sid takes an interest on her and the rest is history!

What I loved:

- Cocky, flirty, smug and with a fuck-boy attitude love interest. Kind, inquisitive, selfless yet strong main character.

- The relationship and banter between Sid and Nirrim was the best I’ve read in a long time! I haven’t been this invested in a fictional relationship in a long time and Sid has become a new favourite character for sure!

- How well the author explored subjects like abuse by a mother figure, the dynamics of relationships where one part does not bear any romantic or sexual feelings towards the other but thinks they must reciprocate such feelings for fear of disappointing them.

- The further world-building of a world we are already familiar with and how the new information we get fits with what we already know.

- That bloody ending!! What a cliff-hanger! I feel like I’m reading The Winner’s Trilogy all over again. I’m also mad and heartbroken because that ending hurts!

- The mentions of Herran, Valoria and Dacra, as well as the unexpected cameo at the end!

- Nirrim’s sisterly relationship with Annin and Morah. I want to see more of their relationship and how the ending will impact it.

- How Nirrim grows and develops throughout the book. Her determination and resourcefulness are refreshing. I like how she uses her skills to her advantage rather than continuing to let herself be taken advantage of.

This is such a good start to a series, I am amazed! I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed because The Winner’s Trilogy is still one of my favourite series to this day and I still remember a lot of it having only read it once! Revisiting this world makes me want to reread the books and lose myself in Kestrel and Arin’s story.

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC. This book was my most anticipated 2020 release and I was over the moon when I got approved to read it earlier so, again, thank you so so much!

I can’t wait for everyone else to read it and for the sequel to come out. I NEED IT ASAP!

The Midnight Lie is a wonderful New Adult fantasy from Marie Rutkoski, creator of one of my very favourite fantasy series - The Winner's Trilogy. It is filled with magic, f/f romance and so many twists. Here are three reasons I enjoyed this story:

1) Nirrim's voice captivated me throughout The Midnight Lie. There was a sense of detachment, of regret, that was really interesting, especially with a first person narrator.

2) In a similar vein, I really liked Nirrim as a character. Her naivety and her foibles, her inability to see the truth due to her desperation to believe people are good. I liked the very relatable way in which she made herself believe that everything was her fault and that the people around her had her best interests at heart - and I loved her eventual realisation that this was happening, and the steps she took afterwards. Nirrim felt complicated and real. Sid was equally superb, but in a completely different way. Imagine a lesbian, female Nikolai Lantsov and you have Sid: arrogant, flirtatious and irresistible.

3) The way the world connected to the universe of The Winner's Trilogy - the small hints and larger twists - was very clever. I hope there is more interplay in the next story, and possibly appearances from some of my favourites, although so long as Nirrim and Sid are still taking centre stage, I'll definitely be preordering book two.

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski is a young adult fantasy fable set in a harsh , almost dystopian world. Nirrim lives in The Ward, a walled off part of the city populated by the Half -Kith or " lower class" section of society where the rules are strict and any deviation is punished by the payment of a tithe, which is often but not always blood, sometimes harsher tithes such as loss of an eye or even a limb are extracted . As an orphan she was taken in by Raven, a woman who offers a home to several young girls and women. However she is not quite the kindly altruist she seems, in fact she runs an underground operation creating false passports to allow the Half Kith to leave the Ward, and Nirrim is her secret weapon, as her artistic skills and eidetic memory allow her to craft undetectable forgeries. An unexpected visit to a prison cell leads to an encounter with SId, a mysterious stranger who has travelled to the Island from a nearby kingdom , and who is immediately drawn to Nirrim, As the two become closer and Nirrim reveals her secrets, Sid tries to make her understand that she can have a life different to anything she ever dreamed of , but a secret Sid is hiding could cause all their hopes to come crashing down.
This is my first time reading a book by Marie Rutkoski , and I was pleasantly surprised. Despite a somewhat slow opening half, once the author got through the world building etc and allowed the story to progress it moved at a decent pace and kept my interest, I struggled with the character of Nirrim though, she seemed a little to naive , almost to the point of being stupid and this was often frustrating. The love triangle is actually a more interesting dynamic that the usual , one of Nirrim's suitors is an exotic stranger , a forbidden romance, and constantly tells her that they are not to be trusted, while the other believes he loves her, but seems to be almost coercing her into a relationship. Seeing this play out was uncomfortable at times, but it was well handled.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher ,all opinions are my own.

I'm.. well.. kinda disappointed if I'm honest. I was expecting so much from this, but it didn't do it for me. I need to think about my review and what parts to emphasize.

Nirrim is a Half-Kith, the lowest rung on the ladder. Their jobs are to create things that Middlings sell to the High-Kith and Nirrims speciality is creating masterpieces of art with bread. As an orphan she was apprenticed to Raven, a Middling who took her in and created a safe space and life for her, one Nirrim believes is better than anything else out there. She gets by making herself seem as normal as possible, shying away from the militia and living an ordinary life, only Nirrim is anything but ordinary. When she gets arrested and meets an intriguing character in prison this person sees something special in her and takes Nirrim on a journey where she things not only about herself, but about her Island as a whole.

Nirrim was a truly intriguing character, she is normal, or so she keeps telling herself. Only she keeps imagining things that she hasn’t been told, and she has the unnatural ability to remember anything she has read or seen and copy without fault. She believes that she is destined to stay in the ward, the part of the Island designated to the Half-Kith. She has been used by everyone she ever loved, most of the time without even realising it and I loved seeing her growth as a character. She has an awful lot of information dumped on her, betrayed and lied to for her whole life seeing her realise there is more out there for her and coming into her full potential by the end was a sight to see.

“He kissed me and I let him. Sometimes it can feel so good to give someone what they want that it is the next best thing to getting what you want.”

Sid was a similarly amazing character. Born into nobility, and so completely unaware of the hardships of life that Nirrim has been put through, she has an almost humorous look on life. She seemingly never takes things seriously, but through her interactions with Nirrim we see the true Sid come out, a girl who wants something she has been told she absolutely cannot have and her realisation at then end was heartbreaking. There were a multitude of other characters, some you despise and some you love.

“If someone stole her voice, she would still find a way to flirt, even silently, with whomever was nearest.”

I haven’t read any of the authors other works so I am unsure how this would tie in, but you absolutely don’t need to have read them to fall in love with this story and the characters. The authors writing style is poignant and beautiful and I was completely swept away by the story she wanted to tell. This book made me angry, sad, wistful and a whole other host of emotions and I fell head over heels in love. She creates a world that wholly encompasses you as a reader, you get angry at the treatment of the Half-Kith and Middlings and feel an over whelming resentment of the High Kith and their prosperity.

“Goldsandaled dawn fell like a thief upon me I wondered what kind of night was so precious that when morning came it felt as it you had been robbed, as if what you wanted most had been cut from you like a bloody tithe. I had never had a night worth stealing.”

The relationships in this book were brilliantly written. From Nirrims love interests, one she desires but feels she does not deserve/ knows it would be dangerous to have, and the other someone she feels indebted too, someone she feels has a power over her, one that if she didn’t do as they pleased she could end up in a dire situation. It is a brilliant insight into cultures and countries where what you want and what is safe for you might be two completely different things. I lived for the romance in this book and when Nirrim decided the danger was worth it I whooped with joy.

“But I knew what it really was. I liked Sid too much. I liked the sight of her bare back. I had wanted to follow the water droplet with my fingertip. In my bed in the dark I touched the Elysium feather where it burned against my breast. I wondered if the feather had made me want Sid. I wondered if it could make her want me.”

Unfortunately the other main relationship in Nirrim’s life is one she sees as maternal, but anyone reading the book can see how completely the person has wound Nirrim around their finger and tightened and tightened until she can’t, and doesn’t want to see a way out. She is used for her skills, but her naivete make her see people in the best light, and even when she hears stories she only believes them when she see’s facts with her own eyes. She doesn’t realise quite how sheltered her life has been until she gets the chance to leave it, even if only for a small time.

“She lit no lamps along the way, so the home was nothing but heaps of shadows around us. The stairs were soundless beneath my feet. I had never walked up stairs that didnt creak. At the top of the landing, she opened a door to a little bedroom that smelled like her – like her dusky perfume, her skin, and brine. The balcony door was full of pink sky. Sid opened the door, and the scent of the sea rushed in. I followed her out onto the balcony. The sea spread before me. It rumpled darkly against the coast. The sun was drowning on water. I heard the muted calls of gulls. And nowhere could I see the wall. I had never seen the sea. I had never not seen the wall.”

I feel like im blabbering and that might be the case but this book was just so good! It was my first 5 star read of the year and I can see it making it onto my top books of the year already. I will definitely be picking up the authors other works, especially the ones set in the same world. Get this one added to your TBR’s because you don’t want to miss it.

I absolutely adored this beautifully written sapphic fantasy.

Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.

Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.

But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.

Watching the relationship slowly blossom was gorgeous to see. We get to watch it develop from flirting and casual glances to professions of love, giving me such a brilliant glimpse into their story that I am really excited to continue. 

The world-building was amazing, after the first few chapters helped me piece together this whole immersive, rich world. It grows with the story, so you never feel like a load of information is being dumped on you at once. The subtle details you spot at the start gradually form this huge picture, which is exactly the type of world-building I adore. 

Nirrim and Sid quickly became some my favourite characters, with brilliant development and growth over the course of the book. Watching Nirrim grapple with the years of emotional abuse she'd suffered and how that had made her passive was heart-breaking. There's a lot to be said for having quieter characters that slowly allow us to see their inner selves and their strength that they themselves may not know about. With Sid, I can't say too much without ruining the plot, but they're an awesome character. 

The writing style was so, so sumptuous and lyrical. It utterly entranced me and I flew through the pages, just waiting until the next day so I could continue my buddy read. 

Rutkoski has me utterly hooked and I'll be watching out for the sequel, especially after that ending! 

Review will be up on my blog closer to release date.

I feel like Nirrim after the last chapter.

The Midnight Lie is a strange little book. It reminded me of something else I’ve read, though I couldn’t tell you what. It also reminds me slightly of the districts in The Hunger Games, and the people in District 1 and their exaggerated appearances/body modifications. The utter lack of thought for anyone or anything than getting your own pleasure. That’s how I would describe the High-Kith.

Sid was the most interesting character. Witty and sly and mischievous. A shadow in the prison cell which was intriguing and pulled me into the story deeper.

I found the beginning of this book difficult to get into. The first few chapters were filled with poetic imagery which made it difficult for me to try and grab a hold of what was happening or where i was. It settled down after a while which made the pages a lot easy to fly through. And I did.

It wasn’t a slog to read this book and it was interesting but I could get past the sense that I’d read a version/story like this before. I enjoyed that Nirrim was a fighter, quietly getting back at the system which abused her and so many of her people. I enjoyed her banter with Sid. But overall this book left me wanting, devoid of any emotion really, which is a shame because I really wanted to be swept away by it.

What a waste of time...

Writing style: The writing was alright, if a bit bland. Rutkoski often describes the appearance of her characters in great detail and then seems to forget the world-building.

Characters: I hated everyone but Sid. But even Sid became less and less interesting throughout the book. Nirrim was so annoying and blind and stupid... And just so very plain and two dimensional... I hated reading about her. The only interesting thing about her is that she has a perfect memory which is used throughout the book to forge documents or to beat Sid in a card game because Nirrim can count cards.

Story: There was no plot. None whatsoever. There was no build up to a big reveal. Nirrim just reacts to things around her, whines about Sid and is so naive in thinking she can change the world... The big reveal did come, and it was so uninteresting and could have used much more vavavoom. It wasn't big at all.

Content warnings: Nirrim is mentally and physically abused by her adoptive mother and mentally abused by her 'boyfriend'.

I don't even know why I didn't just DNF this book... Probably because I didn't really have anything better to do 🤷🏻‍♀️ I won't be recommending this book to anyone. One star from me for this disaster.

I love Marie Rutkoski and when I learned that she was doing a spin off in the world of The Winner's kiss serie I was in joy.

We are in a completely new world, indeed, we are on an island that has been isolated from the rest of the world for decades. On this island, there are 3 different castes. A very rich one which lives in excess and where socially everything is accepted, a middle class where the inhabitants live well and has many freedoms and finally the last rather poor and socially restricted to many rules. It is an island which also has a rich history around the gods and magic. I must admit that the magic was not present in the first series, but its appearance here is nice. This allows the story to deepen the universe and bring something new.

Our characters Nirrim and Sid are very interesting. I find that Marie Rutkoski is good at writing complex characters and this is again the case. Nirrim is a fairly naive heroine, she has always lived in the poor part of the island, she never asked too many questions until she met Sid. The latter comes from the continent and does not know the island, she realizes that society is unfair and in the course of her quest around magic she will realize how many inequalities there are. She is fearless, she knows what she wants and goes for it. But she remains human and has a lot of ambiguity I really liked her character.

For the plot, I must admit that I was surprised, the novel does not have the fastest pace, but the characters take us with them in their torments and emotions. In addition, the author reserves us, big surprises especially in view of the ending which is absolutely GREAT. Overall, I find this spin off well done, it offers us a real novelty and a richness in the universe which is good. The characters are great and I can't wait to read more.

Quality Rating: Two Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Two Stars

A few years ago I was persuaded to read The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski. I thought it would be too much of a romance for my tastes, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it complex, political, nuanced and exciting. When The Midnight Lie came up, I was prepared to be blown away once again. Sadly, this book turned out to be everything I had wrongly assumed the first time round, only this time my expectations were pretty high.

I had two main problems for enjoying this book. The first was that I couldn’t get behind the main character, Nirrim. As a Half-Kith, a ‘lesser’ citizen preyed upon by law enforcement and just about everyone above her, she’s been brainwashed into thinking she’s inferior. Or at least when it serves the plot. The problem is then that she comes across so stupid and/or hopeless that it’s dull. Subsequently, everyone referring to her like she’s clever drags things into unbelievable territory.

My second reservation is the representation of the lesbian (bisexual?) relationship. It begins with us being persuaded that the love interest is a man because Nirrim’s eye-sight and hearing is conveniently easily-led (some girls can seem ‘masculine’, that’s fine, but for the rest of the book she’s pretty feminised in everything apart from clothes – and I suppose the fact that she’s a lesbian (but associating that with masculinity is already problematic). There’s a part where Sid is described offering Nirrim her arm ‘like a man would,’ and when I read that it immediately crystallised what I didn’t like: it really felt like all that had been done was change the gender of one of the characters. But sexuality is so much deeper than that (and gender is likewise, women aren’t just ‘like’ men or women), especially in a society that shuns non-heteronormative orientations.

The plot itself is actually pretty slow; there’s these massive stakes but it never actually feels massive. It’s too familiar, it’s too predictable (painfully so), and there’s way too much talking for us to feel the urgency of the moment anyway. Nothing really happens. I don’t really know what the story was supposed to be. A love story? Well, that already rings false. A dystopian class drama? There isn’t enough attention paid to Nirrim’s character traits in that case (she has no problem frivolously throwing a very expensive item into a bet, and she doesn’t seem that offended by Sid’s honestly superficial approach to things). A mystery about where magic comes from in this world? That’s basically never in the forefront so I’d call it a cheap option. But turns out that’s actually what it is.

The key fantastical element that allows Nirrim to succeed (something about Nirrim having an over-active imagination? Magic blood? Mind control?! I’m still unclear) is mentioned at the beginning and then disappears for 300 odd pages and comes into play right at the end. And what a strange ending it is. So off-beat, different from everything up until then, but unfortunately not at all satisfying. There was me criticising the romance for being too important to the story, and then the finale has literally nothing to do with any of it. (Top tip to publishers (ft. SPOILER), maybe selling something on the LGBT element isn’t a great idea when the relationship doesn’t actually last).

Rating: 4/5

Thanks NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review 😊

The first thing I must tell you is: do not think this is just like the Winner Trilogy. Otherwise, you might be slightly disappointed, which doesn't mean the book is bad! It's just different, but in a really good way. Actually, to be quite honest, I prefer when authors don't repeat the same formula, instead they build something new in the same universe. In case, you haven't read the previous trilogy, read it now! However, if you don't want to, it's also possible to read this one.

In this book, we follow Nirrim, an orphan the lives in a walled city inside an island, where they are divided in: half kith, high kith and the meddling. The protagonist feels she is different somehow and when she meets Sid, she has an opportunity to step out of her comfort zone.

Comparing to the other trilogy, I have to say that the political intrigue - which is one of my favorite things about the other books - are not so present here, but it's ok, because the author's writing is still amazing. It has a touch of poetry, because it's really sensitive and beautiful. If you enjoy Lani Taylor, Erin Morgenstern or Maggie Stiefvater's writing, you'll love the writing here as well.

The main character Nirrim is amazing. Yes, she's not super clever or brave like Kestrel, but she's amazing in her own way and her development is incredible. Also Sid! What an amazing character. One of my favorite from the last years. The romance is really cute and shipped them the whole time.

Now the worldbuilding: It's kind of slow and it took a little while for me to fully understand it, but I got there. It's not super complicated, the author just prefers to focus on the characters and the fantastic elements are there, they are just subtle and it's slowly built.

I feel this one was mostly to build the world and to make us care about Nirrim and Sid and in the next one, the author will truly expand some really interesting plots here. I look forward to it :)

Plot: In 'The Midnight Lie tells the story of Nirrim, an orphan that lives in the mysterious island of Herrath, where the rules are clear, there are three types of people: The wealthy High Kith, the Middlings and the lowest of them all. The Half-Kith. Nirrim is the latter and, as her colleagues she lives in the Ward, a walled, camped part of the city. In Herranth the things as there have always been. However, Nirrim knows she is different and she hides a secret. But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. That is when the adventure starts.

Analysis:

I have been a fan of Marie Rutkoski´s prose since I read 'The curse trilogy' and knowing that she will set her net novel in the same world send my expectations to the stars. However, the first thing I should state here is that "The midnight lie" is said approximately 20 years later than the original trilogy in an isolated island we have not seen before, therefore, this book reads more as a spin-off than a continuation (events and characters from the previous books are mentioned but they are not central to the story and they do not appear in the story).

Having said that I have found myself in a whole different story. A story of oppression and questioning. A story about identity. A darker story than the previously book I have read by the author...and that was surprising.
The plot is driven by the main character, Nirrim, a trait very distinctive of Rutkoski´s storytelling style. We explore the island, its traditions and dangers with her. Because of this we have a very clear idea of how Nirrim is: obedient, clear and practical. However, within that image, Nirrim is a very conflicted character full of insecurities and fear, that is constantly debating with herself about how she should do things. In contrast, we have Sid, a very confident, adventurous girl that always questions society.
One of the best aspects of the book is, specifically, how these two characters interact. They learn and test each-other constantly, which is an interesting way of showing their personalities.
In addition, I would like to highlight a secondary character called Raven and how she deals with social interaction and getting what she wants. It is a very powerful character that was very interesting to see develop.

Other aspect I loved, and right now I believe its the strogest aspect, about this book is the world-bulding. In my opinion, is one of the best aspects of the novel because Marie Rutkoski is able to create a world from the scratch and it does not feel strange at all. However, keep in mind that this new world It is darker than the previous ones created by the author, similar to 'The hunger games' in some eccentric, aspects but full of the mystery of having a whole island that seems to be stuck in time. It has created a world full of raw contrasts that strike harder the moment Nirrim, and the reader, became more critical and aware of their surroundings. In addition, for those who read her previous work there are several easter-eggs (apart from mentioning the official main characters of the original trilogy) that makes you feel like home.

However, my main issue with this book is the pace.
For the first half of the book I was not quite sure what was the main objetive of Nirrim other than interact with Sid (interaction that, although it felt good and real, some times I had the feeling that it was too dragged... that it was too slow in the development). The problem with having a originally defuse main objetive in the plot was that, sometimes, I was not sure towards what goal was Nirrim navigating through...and that meant that it was very easy to loose interest, to stop reading. In those times, what kept me reading was Marie Rutkoski´s writing style which is, still, epic.
Luckily, that confusion ended and the pace and action became faster and faster to the point where I could not put it down. The ending was quite good and it left me wanting for it sequel.

In terms of the references to the previous books, as I said before, they are very brief and unexpected but they were needed to understand the world and its characters: events, deities and characters. The latter type of references were the most important to me However, I had the feeling, sometimes, that when they were mentioned they were completely different people...as if I did not know them at all, as if the new versions of those characters were too different, and both versions (the one I knew and the new) clashed, creating a complicated feeling: the need to go back to the previous version, or, if that is not posible, for these characters to explain to me why they changed so much, going against the ideas and values they held before, that I knew so well from 'The Winner's Curse. This unsettling feeling was a bit of a let down in my reading experience, even if the mention of these characters were brief' (although I guess that happens sometimes as we grow up, perspective changes). After reading the book, although I knew they were not the main characters, nor even secondary, I was let hoping for an explanation of these personality changes in the the following books.

Despite all of this, it was great to see Marie Rutkoski lyrical prose. She still is able to conjure very sensorial scenes and she is able to develop emotional situations very well. In fact, there is an LGBTQ+ representation here and I believe the relationship it is quite well developed, in my opinion, with sweet moments, tension and angst that makes you interfere in the story and help the characters out.

To put it in a nutshell: this book was unexpected and took the plot to a different direction I was hoping (and change my perspective about some characters) but it was entertaining and it was darker. I will probably continue with the series.

The Midnight Lie itself is: “… a midnight lie… A kind of lie to for someone else’s sake, a lie that sits between goodness and wrong, just as midnight is the moment between night and morning…”

I was not familiar with this author but love YA fantasy which was why I requested this for review.

The plot centres around Nirrim. An orphan who is Half Kith and lives in a grim area called the Ward with her adoptive “aunt” Raven, and other orphans adopted by Raven. Nirrim is an excellent forger and forges documents to help other people escape. She justifies her life by the term: “it is what it is”. The Half Kith make luxury items for the High Kith, but also run risk of imprisonment for petty crimes, and a “tithe” being paid. Either blood, hair, organs or skin.

Nirrim meets and falls in love with Sid and the two of them go off on an adventure away from the abusive Raven who really made my skin crawl. (In fact, one of the weaknesses of the novel is that Raven did not get her comeuppance). She is naïve and easy to manipulate which is another weakness of the novel. Another being that there is no real plot about from Sid and Nirrim in High Kith and dealing with the excesses there, compared to the starkness of the Ward.

This is a very slow paced, detailed novel, and I think I may have missed some of it as I have not read any of the other books in the series. However, it is a lovely novel and one for fans of YA fantasy.