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laurabelugacat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
naphoeleon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
thesimplebooklover's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
This book was sooo good!
It starts off a little slow but once Sid came into the story I was a lot more invested in it and couldn't stop turning the pages. The Midnight Lie is set in the same world as the Winner's Trilogy but has a very different main character from Kestrel. At first I didn't think much about Nirrim but as the story progressed I really grew to appreciate her as the MC.
There are little hints of mystery and adventure that kept me interested in reading, plus the romance that totally had me swooning, but it's in the last few chapters that things got super intense and left me with my jaw hanging down!
I'll admit too when I first started reading I kept comparing this to the Winner's Trilogy but I realized that wasn't fair since I had three books with Kestrel and Arin and was just beginning with Nirrim and Sid. Once I stopped comparing I enjoyed the story a lot more!
Also Rutkoski's writing is still just as beautiful as in the trilogy and she still is so good at writing a slow burn forbidden romance that left my heart aching!
This book was sooo good!
It starts off a little slow but once Sid came into the story I was a lot more invested in it and couldn't stop turning the pages. The Midnight Lie is set in the same world as the Winner's Trilogy but has a very different main character from Kestrel. At first I didn't think much about Nirrim but as the story progressed I really grew to appreciate her as the MC.
There are little hints of mystery and adventure that kept me interested in reading, plus the romance that totally had me swooning, but it's in the last few chapters that things got super intense and left me with my jaw hanging down!
I'll admit too when I first started reading I kept comparing this to the Winner's Trilogy but I realized that wasn't fair since I had three books with Kestrel and Arin and was just beginning with Nirrim and Sid. Once I stopped comparing I enjoyed the story a lot more!
Also Rutkoski's writing is still just as beautiful as in the trilogy and she still is so good at writing a slow burn forbidden romance that left my heart aching!
olivia55's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
chroniclesofabookmum's review against another edition
4.0
Firstly, I want to say a big thank you to Hodder for sending me a copy of this beautiful book. I am so grateful for this opportunity.
Can we please just take a minute to appreciate how beautiful the cover is. Honestly as soon as I saw it I was instantly drawn in. The synopsis just sealed the fact that I needed to read this book as soon as possible.
When I first picked up this book, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect but it was everything that I wanted and more. I absolutely love the world that this book is created in, it is so mesmerising and complex. The magic element within The Midnight Lie is just a wonderful added extra that left me wanting more and more. Marie has a really unique way of world-building, whilst a complex world is evidently built, the writing style adapted makes it really easy for the reader to adapt to and understand. At no point during this book did I find myself confused, or backtracking in order to understand what was happening. Whilst this was a new world for me, I quickly sailed through and devoured it in less than 24 hours (it would have been far quicker had work and adulting not got in the way).
I loved the characters in this book. Nirrim whilst a really naive character really pulled at my heartstrings. She had such a poor start to life and was completely oblivious to the world around her. Nirrim had so much trust and love to give, even if they ended up being to the wrong person. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I won't name names. I also loved Sid. I would be lying if I said I loved her from the start, at first I was very wary of her however as the story continued I just wanted more and more form her. Marie Rutkoski really knows how to produce a wonderfully complex character who has the ability to shock you at the turn of a page.
Now, let me address what worried me. I was really concerned about the romance in this book. I knew it was coming and I knew it was an LGBT romance, that's fine, in fact that is perfect. However, in my experience with sapphic romances is they take over the plot. The author tends to be so entranced in this element that the plot and the general world building is forgotten about. I was worried that this would be the case with The Midnight Lie. However, I can assure you that it was not. The Midnight Lie was just the right amount of romance without it being overwhelming to the reader. This fact made me love the book even more.
I am struggling to see where this book is going to go next, however I am really looking forward to seeing the execution of a sequel. I have complete faith in Marie and I am sure I am going to enjoy it as much as I have this one. I absolutely loved this book, I would recommend it to everyone who will listen to me. The Midnight Lie is a definite must read for 2020.
Can we please just take a minute to appreciate how beautiful the cover is. Honestly as soon as I saw it I was instantly drawn in. The synopsis just sealed the fact that I needed to read this book as soon as possible.
When I first picked up this book, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect but it was everything that I wanted and more. I absolutely love the world that this book is created in, it is so mesmerising and complex. The magic element within The Midnight Lie is just a wonderful added extra that left me wanting more and more. Marie has a really unique way of world-building, whilst a complex world is evidently built, the writing style adapted makes it really easy for the reader to adapt to and understand. At no point during this book did I find myself confused, or backtracking in order to understand what was happening. Whilst this was a new world for me, I quickly sailed through and devoured it in less than 24 hours (it would have been far quicker had work and adulting not got in the way).
I loved the characters in this book. Nirrim whilst a really naive character really pulled at my heartstrings. She had such a poor start to life and was completely oblivious to the world around her. Nirrim had so much trust and love to give, even if they ended up being to the wrong person. I don't want to give away any spoilers so I won't name names. I also loved Sid. I would be lying if I said I loved her from the start, at first I was very wary of her however as the story continued I just wanted more and more form her. Marie Rutkoski really knows how to produce a wonderfully complex character who has the ability to shock you at the turn of a page.
Now, let me address what worried me. I was really concerned about the romance in this book. I knew it was coming and I knew it was an LGBT romance, that's fine, in fact that is perfect. However, in my experience with sapphic romances is they take over the plot. The author tends to be so entranced in this element that the plot and the general world building is forgotten about. I was worried that this would be the case with The Midnight Lie. However, I can assure you that it was not. The Midnight Lie was just the right amount of romance without it being overwhelming to the reader. This fact made me love the book even more.
I am struggling to see where this book is going to go next, however I am really looking forward to seeing the execution of a sequel. I have complete faith in Marie and I am sure I am going to enjoy it as much as I have this one. I absolutely loved this book, I would recommend it to everyone who will listen to me. The Midnight Lie is a definite must read for 2020.
kitkatsbookden's review against another edition
4.0
Three cheers for my 100th book this year (and hitting my reading goal)!!!
I listened to The Midnight Lie on audio and I found out it was a series about halfway through and I was disappointed. I always feel like I need to finish every series I start and I wasn’t loving this at first. In fact, the first 75% was rather boring.
But the last quarter of the book? Yeah, that redeemed it for me. It ends on a cliffhanger so be warned but the ending, especially the last chapter and epilogue made me eager to read the next in the series.
Love a good sapphic fantasy novel where there’s a romance but also a larger plot going on. Spicy scenes are fade to black which was fine for me but I know some don’t like that.
Overall, it was good! 4/5 stars.
I listened to The Midnight Lie on audio and I found out it was a series about halfway through and I was disappointed. I always feel like I need to finish every series I start and I wasn’t loving this at first. In fact, the first 75% was rather boring.
But the last quarter of the book? Yeah, that redeemed it for me. It ends on a cliffhanger so be warned but the ending, especially the last chapter and epilogue made me eager to read the next in the series.
Love a good sapphic fantasy novel where there’s a romance but also a larger plot going on. Spicy scenes are fade to black which was fine for me but I know some don’t like that.
Overall, it was good! 4/5 stars.
mychemicalseal's review against another edition
3.5
it took me a while to get into the premise and it was only towards the end they really utilised the hierarchy system in a way that made something of it. I wasn't massively wild on this one.
chelseaj_'s review against another edition
4.0
I received this arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
This book is set in the same world as Marie Rukoski's other book: The Winner's Curse, which I haven't read yet, but do want to pick up after having read this book. The events of the story occur on an island that is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. The main character Nirrim is 'Half-Kith', the lowest class in their society, and lives in the Ward, which she is not allowed to leave. She was orphaned as a baby, grew up in an orphanage, and was adopted by Raven who seems to be like a mother to Nirrim. Throughout the story, the reader finds out along with Nirrim about the reasons for this divide in society, and about her own personal past. For lovers of romance: there is also an f/f relationship in this book.
Not yet having encountered this world, I was quite confused in the beginning about the different social classes, and I was afraid I could not keep up. Luckily, the world building is done in a way that makes the world understandable, even though little of it is revealed in the beginning. When slowly, the secrets of the island start to reveal itself, and the history behinds the island becomes known, I was very intrigued by it. Especially the element of the traveler reacting to this world is something I liked a lot.
The main character Nirrim is nineteen years old, but at the beginning of the book she seems very childish. This is part of the way she has been brought up: shielded from reality and truth. Her inability to tell truth from her 'visions' do not help with this, she does not rely on her senses and this gives people close to her the ability to manipulate her. The child-like qualities that are given to Nirrim's personality did serve a purpose, because as the reader we can clearly see her grow in confidence and intellect. Throughout most of the novel, however, she does not lose the ability to see the good in people. I thought Nirrim was a very loveable character, although sometimes I did want to speak to her sternly and tell her to know her own worth and to fight for herself and what she wants. The growth Nirrim goes through was very exciting to see, and in the end maybe also slightly terrifying....
On the other hand, a character that I hated a lot from the beginning was Raven, but she for sure was not meant to be liked. She would anger quickly, and after hurting Nirrim she would be full of repentance. Raven is definitely an abusive guardian, both mentally and physically. To be honest, she reminded me a lot of Mother Gothel in the disney movie Tangled. Nirrim, just like Rapunzel in Tangled, is quick to forgive her dear 'mother' every time, and blames it on her own shortcomings rather than Raven’s. These were the moments in which I would root for Nirrim to know her own worth. Without spoiling anything, I want to say that I still hate Raven, but that I liked how Nirrim eventually dealt with her.
Then we have Aden. Nirrim starts out as his (pretend?) lover at the beginning of the novel. She acknowledges that she had always thought that his infatuation with her was pretend to disguise the illegal activities they were doing, but turns out it is totally real. Aden was another very unlikeable character. The power dynamics between Nirrim and Aden are truly not in the favor of Nirrim. Aden holds most of the power, and Nirrim goes along with things he wants to do, because she feels like it is expected of her, and also because it is what he wants. This applies to their sexual relationship, as well as to other aspects of their 'relationship'. Truly, Aden was just very egocentric, even though he accuses Nirrim of this exact same thing.
There are also some relationships that I loved in this book. One of them is the sisterly relationship between Nirrim and Morah. Morah is slightly older than Nirrim, both in actual age as in behavior. Morah knows Nirrim well, and even though Nirrim does not want to hear it, warns her of Raven's two-faced personally. I think that Morah was quite a big factor in Nirrim's realization of what it is to be truly loved, and that it certainly is not the kind of manipulative love that Raven gives her.
The last character is Sid, and I think I'm safe to say that this is one of my favorite characters. Sid is a traveler and quite mysterious in the beginning, but also very humorous and witty. Through the eyes of Sid, Nirrim is being questioned about her own world view: the usual answer 'it is as it is' is not enough anymore. Due to spoilers, I don't want to say too much about this character, but I will say that I loved Nirrim's and Sid's relationship a lot. It is another character that helps Nirrim to grow immensely!
I loved the way the writing showed the growth Nirrim went through. Especially the Epilogue gave a very different tone to Nirrim's voice, that showed the change that she had undergone. The writing also made it easy to distinguish past narratives from the 'current' one, which was really helpful for someone like me who normally gets very easily confused. The description of situations were vivid where needed, but it didn't use any arbitrary descriptions if it wasn't needed, which I enjoyed a lot, as someone who can get distracted by descriptions of great length. I have been reading a lot of different types of YA lately, and lowkey getting bored by the writing style, but this writing style intrigued me from the beginning.
The reason I gave it four stars, rather than five, is due to several factors. Although I liked Nirrim a lot, and I know why she believed certain things and did certain things the way she did, she sometimes frustrated me and I lacked identification with her. Normally, I love it when I can identify with a character and that sadly was not there for me. Furthermore, up until almost the ending, I felt like I didn’t know enough of the world yet and I was even afraid not everything was going to be revealed, which felt as a slight disappointment.
Lastly, the ENDING. I'm not going to lie, I know I just read the ARC and that this book is not even out yet: but I need the sequel. The ending revealed a lot of stuff, some of it is already hinted on earlier in the story and I had kind of expected it, but the major reveal and especially the events following it left me shocked and wanting more. As I said, the epilogue had a very different tone from the rest of the book, as Nirrim goes through a major change that had me fascinated. I look forward to see what the next book will bring, as (looking at the epilogue) it will go into a very different direction.
Overall, the writing style and the plot had me intrigued, and the characters had me feeling a lot of things, ranging from hatred, to love, to giddiness and a lot of other emotions. I know it is a big deal to say the L word, but I’m gonna do it: I loved this book.
It is a midnight lie, she said.
A kind of lie for someone else's sake, a lie that sits between goodness and wrong, just as midnight is the moment between night and morning.
This book is set in the same world as Marie Rukoski's other book: The Winner's Curse, which I haven't read yet, but do want to pick up after having read this book. The events of the story occur on an island that is almost completely isolated from the rest of the world. The main character Nirrim is 'Half-Kith', the lowest class in their society, and lives in the Ward, which she is not allowed to leave. She was orphaned as a baby, grew up in an orphanage, and was adopted by Raven who seems to be like a mother to Nirrim. Throughout the story, the reader finds out along with Nirrim about the reasons for this divide in society, and about her own personal past. For lovers of romance: there is also an f/f relationship in this book.
Not yet having encountered this world, I was quite confused in the beginning about the different social classes, and I was afraid I could not keep up. Luckily, the world building is done in a way that makes the world understandable, even though little of it is revealed in the beginning. When slowly, the secrets of the island start to reveal itself, and the history behinds the island becomes known, I was very intrigued by it. Especially the element of the traveler reacting to this world is something I liked a lot.
The main character Nirrim is nineteen years old, but at the beginning of the book she seems very childish. This is part of the way she has been brought up: shielded from reality and truth. Her inability to tell truth from her 'visions' do not help with this, she does not rely on her senses and this gives people close to her the ability to manipulate her. The child-like qualities that are given to Nirrim's personality did serve a purpose, because as the reader we can clearly see her grow in confidence and intellect. Throughout most of the novel, however, she does not lose the ability to see the good in people. I thought Nirrim was a very loveable character, although sometimes I did want to speak to her sternly and tell her to know her own worth and to fight for herself and what she wants. The growth Nirrim goes through was very exciting to see, and in the end maybe also slightly terrifying....
On the other hand, a character that I hated a lot from the beginning was Raven, but she for sure was not meant to be liked. She would anger quickly, and after hurting Nirrim she would be full of repentance. Raven is definitely an abusive guardian, both mentally and physically. To be honest, she reminded me a lot of Mother Gothel in the disney movie Tangled. Nirrim, just like Rapunzel in Tangled, is quick to forgive her dear 'mother' every time, and blames it on her own shortcomings rather than Raven’s. These were the moments in which I would root for Nirrim to know her own worth. Without spoiling anything, I want to say that I still hate Raven, but that I liked how Nirrim eventually dealt with her.
Then we have Aden. Nirrim starts out as his (pretend?) lover at the beginning of the novel. She acknowledges that she had always thought that his infatuation with her was pretend to disguise the illegal activities they were doing, but turns out it is totally real. Aden was another very unlikeable character. The power dynamics between Nirrim and Aden are truly not in the favor of Nirrim. Aden holds most of the power, and Nirrim goes along with things he wants to do, because she feels like it is expected of her, and also because it is what he wants. This applies to their sexual relationship, as well as to other aspects of their 'relationship'. Truly, Aden was just very egocentric, even though he accuses Nirrim of this exact same thing.
There are also some relationships that I loved in this book. One of them is the sisterly relationship between Nirrim and Morah. Morah is slightly older than Nirrim, both in actual age as in behavior. Morah knows Nirrim well, and even though Nirrim does not want to hear it, warns her of Raven's two-faced personally. I think that Morah was quite a big factor in Nirrim's realization of what it is to be truly loved, and that it certainly is not the kind of manipulative love that Raven gives her.
The last character is Sid, and I think I'm safe to say that this is one of my favorite characters. Sid is a traveler and quite mysterious in the beginning, but also very humorous and witty. Through the eyes of Sid, Nirrim is being questioned about her own world view: the usual answer 'it is as it is' is not enough anymore. Due to spoilers, I don't want to say too much about this character, but I will say that I loved Nirrim's and Sid's relationship a lot. It is another character that helps Nirrim to grow immensely!
I loved the way the writing showed the growth Nirrim went through. Especially the Epilogue gave a very different tone to Nirrim's voice, that showed the change that she had undergone. The writing also made it easy to distinguish past narratives from the 'current' one, which was really helpful for someone like me who normally gets very easily confused. The description of situations were vivid where needed, but it didn't use any arbitrary descriptions if it wasn't needed, which I enjoyed a lot, as someone who can get distracted by descriptions of great length. I have been reading a lot of different types of YA lately, and lowkey getting bored by the writing style, but this writing style intrigued me from the beginning.
The reason I gave it four stars, rather than five, is due to several factors. Although I liked Nirrim a lot, and I know why she believed certain things and did certain things the way she did, she sometimes frustrated me and I lacked identification with her. Normally, I love it when I can identify with a character and that sadly was not there for me. Furthermore, up until almost the ending, I felt like I didn’t know enough of the world yet and I was even afraid not everything was going to be revealed, which felt as a slight disappointment.
Lastly, the ENDING. I'm not going to lie, I know I just read the ARC and that this book is not even out yet: but I need the sequel. The ending revealed a lot of stuff, some of it is already hinted on earlier in the story and I had kind of expected it, but the major reveal and especially the events following it left me shocked and wanting more. As I said, the epilogue had a very different tone from the rest of the book, as Nirrim goes through a major change that had me fascinated. I look forward to see what the next book will bring, as (looking at the epilogue) it will go into a very different direction.
Overall, the writing style and the plot had me intrigued, and the characters had me feeling a lot of things, ranging from hatred, to love, to giddiness and a lot of other emotions. I know it is a big deal to say the L word, but I’m gonna do it: I loved this book.