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purplehulk713's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.75
As lovely and twisted as it were inked with the blood of the fairies themselves. Zeba Shahnaz is a magician! Her prose was both tantalizing and uproarious, and her world-building and character development were exquisite. I mean, you got to hear things like
She curses under her breath at the break in her alliteration.
and
“I did not think I had to tell you to keep your whores out of my chambers. Perhaps I overestimated your ability to read between the lines.”
I did not see the villain coming, or the provenance of the curse, but they were both great! The two things that slightly disappointed me were that the magic systems were left somewhat ambiguous (or at least the earth magic practiced by the magicians of Ivarea) that I felt a little more clarity (especially during battle scenes) of the specifics of the theory would have been helpful (rather than simply the thought of directing intention—which is believable for a hearth magic, as Anaïs describes her blessing). The denouement just felt a little bit anticlimactic, but the more I consider it, it feels entirely on theme with the rest of the story. I just probably wouldn’t have worded the last few sentences the same way. But the characters were the best. I so grew to love Jacinthe Vieillard the more we get to know her over the course of this same night, and Leo as well. Shahnaz is so good at portraying the multi-faceted character of a personality as well as a set of issues, like a racial, gender, or socioeconomic hierarchy. Seeing Anaïs develop (and take on grayer tones), likewise, was captivating. She was the perfect driver of a story to discuss themes of taking chances, using your time wisely, wasting it, trying to undo it, running away from the inevitable (the chimes of midnight) and just trying to escape the fact that at this point in your life, you might not know what you want though you are expected to. All time is short, and Anaïs Aubanel has never before been one to seize the day (for herself, at least). But now she has too much time on her hands. At least until clock strikes twelve in a burst of blood and magic…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Murder, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
raptorq's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lacrimaeignis's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
As soon as I heard about the premise of this book, I knew I would be interested in this story. And then when I heard Owlcrate was including it as one of their selections, I was ecstatic (and I absolutely adored the bonus content not to mention just how beautiful that edition is in real life). However, I was not prepared for the ride I would be taken on nor for how much I would end up loving this unique story. I laughed and cried and raged (and all of those in the first 30 pages maybe even less) throughout the entire story and just generally had a grand time with this novel.
I was absolutely hooked from the very first chapter. And immediately fell in love with the cast of characters and the intricacies of this world. The first day I picked up this novel, I only read the first two or three chapters and the very next day, I was already passionately discussing the story with one of my best friends and desperately needing to know what was going to happen next. I must admit, I did not expect the first chapter to be so graphic and emotional but I am so glad the author did not skim over the horrors and the trauma of what happens.
The author wasted no time in throwing us into the political strife of this world inspired by Spanish and French courts with magic and faeries. The folklore, the politics, and the motives were all very believable and the characters all felt very real to me. And the foreshadows were all very well placed. This entire story was so well thought out!
I was nervous in the beginning that the story would come across as being repetitive due to the whole time loop concept but while parts of it were, for obvious reasons, each night Anais repeats is vastly different and adds another layer of intrigue to the story. It was so interesting to see how the characters developed and acted in each time loop and how their behavior would surprise Anais, especially Leo and Jacinthe. It was also interesting to see how one choice, or a multitude of choices could vary the outcome of events.
I know this is a stand-alone and while I don't think a direct sequel would work well, I would love to read another stand-alone set in this same world. It would be so interesting to read more about the magic systems and folklore and to see how the events and outcome of this novel affect the future of this world. With this novel, Zeba Shanaz has become an insta-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!
I was absolutely hooked from the very first chapter. And immediately fell in love with the cast of characters and the intricacies of this world. The first day I picked up this novel, I only read the first two or three chapters and the very next day, I was already passionately discussing the story with one of my best friends and desperately needing to know what was going to happen next. I must admit, I did not expect the first chapter to be so graphic and emotional but I am so glad the author did not skim over the horrors and the trauma of what happens.
The author wasted no time in throwing us into the political strife of this world inspired by Spanish and French courts with magic and faeries. The folklore, the politics, and the motives were all very believable and the characters all felt very real to me. And the foreshadows were all very well placed. This entire story was so well thought out!
I was nervous in the beginning that the story would come across as being repetitive due to the whole time loop concept but while parts of it were, for obvious reasons, each night Anais repeats is vastly different and adds another layer of intrigue to the story. It was so interesting to see how the characters developed and acted in each time loop and how their behavior would surprise Anais, especially Leo and Jacinthe. It was also interesting to see how one choice, or a multitude of choices could vary the outcome of events.
I know this is a stand-alone and while I don't think a direct sequel would work well, I would love to read another stand-alone set in this same world. It would be so interesting to read more about the magic systems and folklore and to see how the events and outcome of this novel affect the future of this world. With this novel, Zeba Shanaz has become an insta-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Cursing, Alcohol, Child death, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
girlwiththeoceaneyes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-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
3.25
Loved the storyline, the world, the characters and I'm obsessed with time loops, love the idea of them.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
lisashelves's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Racial slurs, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
4.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Midnight Strikes is a book that balances action - hello time loops - and character development. On the one hand, I immediately loved the time loop aspect. Waking up every day and wondering what you can do differently? Trying to figure out the 'key' the 'mystery' to why you're stuck? And for each story, it's a bit different. In Midnight Strikes, the mystery and action go hand in hand. As we see Anaïs struggling to make sense of the loop, she discovers more about not only the people around her, but also her own family.
On the action front, I loved how much information was portrayed. The ways Shahnaz explores and goes down the paths of these side characters, nooks and crannies, and secretive glances. But on the other hand, I deeply appreciated the ways in which Midnight Strikes observes Anaïs and her relationship to the court. All the slights, the ridicule, and the condescending glances against her. How a large question of Midnight Strikes is why Anaïs is even bothering to save this kingdom which is so determined not only to look down on her, but on others like her.
Midnight Strikes is a book that balances action - hello time loops - and character development. On the one hand, I immediately loved the time loop aspect. Waking up every day and wondering what you can do differently? Trying to figure out the 'key' the 'mystery' to why you're stuck? And for each story, it's a bit different. In Midnight Strikes, the mystery and action go hand in hand. As we see Anaïs struggling to make sense of the loop, she discovers more about not only the people around her, but also her own family.
On the action front, I loved how much information was portrayed. The ways Shahnaz explores and goes down the paths of these side characters, nooks and crannies, and secretive glances. But on the other hand, I deeply appreciated the ways in which Midnight Strikes observes Anaïs and her relationship to the court. All the slights, the ridicule, and the condescending glances against her. How a large question of Midnight Strikes is why Anaïs is even bothering to save this kingdom which is so determined not only to look down on her, but on others like her.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
bookwormbullet's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Suicide, Murder, Gore, Torture, and Blood
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