When I saw The Midnight Lie was coming out I was super excited. I was blown away by The Winner's Curse Trilogy and to have a new book set in that world... well, left my heart racing. 

While set in the same world, The Midnight Lie focuses on a different part of that world, a secret hidden part. One that the rest of the world has all but forgotten, except in rumours... 

While I had every intention of rereading The Winner's Curse before this I didn't. But it didn't matter, because while there was some allusions to the previous series it didn't effect the storytelling. Although it probably have been helpful as I couldn't remember the past events. 

We follow Nirrim, a half-Kith, living in the Ward, the poorest part of the city, impoverished, and with low expectancy of what life holds, until she meets Sid. A traveller, Sid opens Nirrim's eyes and together they begin to explore the city and discover the secrets long forgotten.

Wonderfully woven, this is an incredible story that will suck you in. I had no idea of what to expect when I started. But even with my high hopes for this book I was not disappointed. This was a book that I struggled to put down from the very moment that I picked it up. 

Luckily this is a trilogy and I cannot wait for the next book. Sadly we have to wait for it to come out. But if you have a hole in your life and need a new fantasy YA book then look no further!

I loved loved loved this book!
I don't know where to start with this.

I love Nirrin as the main character. I love her guilt. I love that she does not give up. I loved the way the author depicted her relationships with Raven and Aden. With Raven, you understand that Nirrin loves her, but from the very start, you see that there is something incredibly wrong with their relationship. I mean the chair incident. For the longest time, while reading the book, I assumed that Raven did this to train her in some way; to genuinely be prepared to stay quiet under pain. Of course, by the end of it, you see what an abusive relationship that was.

Aden is so ughhhhhhhhh
He tries to blackmail her into marrying him and keeps trying to pretend that he loves her. I also understand Nirrins reaction; she has to work with him regularly, people say he's great, she doesn't see the point in saying no to him. I'm not articulating this properly, but what I mean to say is that I could relate, and I think a lot of us could.

Sid.
Sid. Sid. Sid. Sid. Sid.
I loved their relationship from start to end. Yes, I was as surpirsed as Mirrin to find out Sid wasn't a dude. It didn't matter in the slightest. LOVED THEM SO MUCH. I was so sad at the end even though I understood Mirrins point of view.

This was amazing. I was left speechless and this review is going to be just me fangirling. The writing is fantastic, the plot so intriguing and I loved all the characters, even those ones with twisted personalities. I never read the Winner’s Trilogy so I was concerned it would not make a lot of sense but I understood the world building and the magic system with no problem. Of course, The Winner’s Trilogy is now on my top priority book series to read.
I mean, I don't have much to say, sorry, except that I loved it so much and I can’t wait for book two. I loved everything about this book, I loved the romance, the banter and half-lies between Nirrim and Sid. I love how every single detail comes together in the end…. And that ending line!! That was a killer.

This was every bit as enthralling as Winner's Curse and was definitely worth the wait! Marie's prose is beautiful as always

I'm not entirely sure how to rate this book, i liked it well enough but i didn't love it.
The pacing is pretty slow and it did feel like a bit of a chore to read in some parts but the ending mostly made up for it.
I liked a few of the characters and thought it was really fun to be back in this world.
Another positive is that this book encouraged me to read more F/F romances, something i've not really done before.

eARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

Up until the 80% mark this was going to be a 3 star read/rating. It was good but there nothing was really connecting with me. It was certainly well written with an intriguing slow burn plot, but it completely lacked any action to excite me. I also had issues with the main character throughout. She was just so frustratingly weak minded, naive and easily manipulated. I couldn’t get behind her or root for her. Then there was the romance, again maybe because this too was a somewhat slow burn or maybe I really just didn’t like Nirrim enough to see the appeal, but I couldn’t get behind this either.

Now the last 20% or so felt like a completely different story. It picked up pace immensely and the character development was pleasing but that ending was a complete curve ball. I did not see anything like that coming. So whilst for the most part it was just a nice read, a little repetitive in places, that ending certainly intrigued enough to raise the rating and the anticipation for the next installment.

Having enjoyed THE WINNER'S CURSE but hating THE WINNER'S KISS, I hoped that returning to this world, albeit a different place that claimed to have magic, I'd find some spark of the fun of THE WINNER'S CURSE.

That didn't happen.

My major problem was the plot, or lack thereof. There was no sense of a goal or forward momentum to the book. Nirrim slinks around, reacting to things that don't feel like they have any bearing on her or the world. Maybe they would if I read further, but I don't have the willpower to waste my time reading pages of nothing in the hopes that something happens to tie it together.

What does Nirrim want? Well, she anytime even the idea of fleeing comes to mind she dismisses it. And it's not like she has a antagonist to go against. I think the city and the state is supposed to be the antagonist, but it doesn't seem to pose a threat. She gets chucked into prison but she never felt in danger because she doesn't have a goal for them to oppose.

Nirrim spends a lot of time thinking about the past, which doesn't help the slow pace as all it does is spread out the few moemnths of something. A lot of these memories are from her as a baby of small toddler. I'm not that old, and yet I barely have any clear memories of being less than ten.

The book is about Nirrim. She is Half Kith and an orphan. She now works at an inn and bakery (& as a forger) for bed and board without pay. The phrase "It is as it is" is one used by people like Nirrim quite often. There are no questions like "Why". The city is dark in places and the law such as it is has a disregard for those of lower status such as Nirrim. On the other hand High Kith can do what they like really. However Sid arrives. There have no travellers on this island and yet that is exactly what Sid is. When Nirrim meets Sid things begin to change.

There is so much I'd love to share about this book but that would simply dilute the journey for other readers and that would be sad. The gradual reveals about Sid and Nirrim, and her world, made for gently compulsive reading. I kept think - "just a little more and then I'll put it down". For the last quarter or so I stopped pretending and just kept reading!

The Midnight Lie itself (though bear in mind this is from a proof copy) from early in the book.
"It is a midnight lie, she said. A kind of lie told for someone else's sake, a lie that sits between goodness and wrong, just as midnight is the moment between night and morning. Or a lie that is not technically false, like a misleading truth".
As you read this there is an underlying tension - do we know all the "Midnight lies" that have been told - I doubt it...

Is this perfect - maybe not but so so readable and, for me, enchanting. Initially this feels like rather a soft fantasy book. There are no ghastly monsters, no spells being cast, no quest etc. However as the book progresses you realise that you just haven't noticed the darkness and depth! The book allows you to watch the fading of innocence - quite uncomfortable. The story offers darkness, tension, lies and distrust. However it also offers light, love, revelation and beauty. It is certainly one of the best books I've read this year. I found it fresh which I liked and so engaging - my real sadness was that it ended - this part at least.

I really don't want to wait a year for the next part of this though I guess I will have to! However it has introduced me to a new fantasy writer which leaves me some other book from this author to explore while I'm waiting. Maybe this depends on what you want in your fantasy reading; for me this is somewhere between modern and classic fantasy. This may not suit everyone but I loved it.