erinarkin20's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed The Midnight Witch by Paula Brackston as it was an engaging story and Brackston created some interesting characters. I will admit that although this was a good story, I enjoyed some of Brackston’s other books more.
Lilith is a witch and next in line to lead the Lazarus Coven. She is also the daughter of the Duke of Radnor so she leads a pretty visible life that is dictated by the rules of society. She has grown up trying to mix the two worlds and when her father passes away, feels she is absolutely prepared for the next step. Lucky for her, her fiancé is also a member of the coven and one of society’s most eligible bachelors so she is able to balance the two parts of her life with the assistance of a select group of people around her.
At the same time that Lilith is transitioning into her new role within the coven, the Sentinels – a group of sorcerers who are dedicated to getting back the elixir the coven took from them long ago, decide to make their move to not only get the elixir but also begin eliminating the threat of the coven. While Lilith is a strong necromancer, she definitely faces some challenges and has to figure out what she needs to do to protect the members of the coven and their secrets.
While all of this is happening, Lilith also comes to the conclusion that while she loves her fiancé, Louis, she does so more out of her friendship and the fact that she grew up with him, not because she is desperately in love with him. I personally liked Louis and it was clear he truly cared for Lilith. He was a bit removed from what really was going on with the coven and only entered into the story here and there, but what I read of him was great and made me want more. He definitely got the shafted when storylines were handed out but he took things well which only made him a better character in my mind.
Bram Cardale is an artist who comes to London to work with his mentor, Richard Mangan, a well-known sculptor. When Lilith’s best friend, Charlotte, decides to have Mangan create a piece for her parents, Lilith is introduced to Bram and they ultimately find themselves drawn to one another. As their feelings develop, so do the dangers that not only Lilith faces, but also, now Bram as Lilith discloses who she really is and what that means for them.
I really did enjoy this story but there were some things that threw me off a bit. It was odd that there were such large time jumps throughout the book and where they happened was a bit confusing. And not just a minimal amount of time…typically years would pass. Also, about half the book covered the time span immediately following the death of Lilith’s father and then the remainder jump years ahead which I’m not sure were necessary.
Overall I enjoyed the characters that Brackston developed. They were interesting and kept me engaged in the story. Lilith was strong and determined but still felt the constrictions of society. I also thought Charlotte was a great character as she provided the support Lilith needed in the non-witch world and could help her figure out what to do about the things she wasn’t so sure about….like the men in her life.
Another solid book by Brackston and if you have enjoyed her other books, you might also enjoy this one. While The Witch’s Daughter still holds top place in my list of favorites by Brackston, this story is solid and brings the reader into a dangerous world and interesting time in history. If you enjoy historical fiction with a bit of witchcraft woven into the story, definitely check this one out.
Lilith is a witch and next in line to lead the Lazarus Coven. She is also the daughter of the Duke of Radnor so she leads a pretty visible life that is dictated by the rules of society. She has grown up trying to mix the two worlds and when her father passes away, feels she is absolutely prepared for the next step. Lucky for her, her fiancé is also a member of the coven and one of society’s most eligible bachelors so she is able to balance the two parts of her life with the assistance of a select group of people around her.
At the same time that Lilith is transitioning into her new role within the coven, the Sentinels – a group of sorcerers who are dedicated to getting back the elixir the coven took from them long ago, decide to make their move to not only get the elixir but also begin eliminating the threat of the coven. While Lilith is a strong necromancer, she definitely faces some challenges and has to figure out what she needs to do to protect the members of the coven and their secrets.
While all of this is happening, Lilith also comes to the conclusion that while she loves her fiancé, Louis, she does so more out of her friendship and the fact that she grew up with him, not because she is desperately in love with him. I personally liked Louis and it was clear he truly cared for Lilith. He was a bit removed from what really was going on with the coven and only entered into the story here and there, but what I read of him was great and made me want more. He definitely got the shafted when storylines were handed out but he took things well which only made him a better character in my mind.
Bram Cardale is an artist who comes to London to work with his mentor, Richard Mangan, a well-known sculptor. When Lilith’s best friend, Charlotte, decides to have Mangan create a piece for her parents, Lilith is introduced to Bram and they ultimately find themselves drawn to one another. As their feelings develop, so do the dangers that not only Lilith faces, but also, now Bram as Lilith discloses who she really is and what that means for them.
I really did enjoy this story but there were some things that threw me off a bit. It was odd that there were such large time jumps throughout the book and where they happened was a bit confusing. And not just a minimal amount of time…typically years would pass. Also, about half the book covered the time span immediately following the death of Lilith’s father and then the remainder jump years ahead which I’m not sure were necessary.
Overall I enjoyed the characters that Brackston developed. They were interesting and kept me engaged in the story. Lilith was strong and determined but still felt the constrictions of society. I also thought Charlotte was a great character as she provided the support Lilith needed in the non-witch world and could help her figure out what to do about the things she wasn’t so sure about….like the men in her life.
Another solid book by Brackston and if you have enjoyed her other books, you might also enjoy this one. While The Witch’s Daughter still holds top place in my list of favorites by Brackston, this story is solid and brings the reader into a dangerous world and interesting time in history. If you enjoy historical fiction with a bit of witchcraft woven into the story, definitely check this one out.
abberdene's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
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? N/A
5.0
karissakate's review against another edition
2.0
Accurate Rating: 2.5 Stars
I've decided that Paula Brackston is great at creating characters and setting up a story, but from that point on kind of peters off a bit. I was engrossed in this book at the beginning and even had a few instances of "what a great sentence!" But after awhile, the dialogue especially started to drag it down and the ending just felt like she wrapped it up as quickly as she could. I really liked the concept of this story and the characters, but it just didn't stick for me.
I've decided that Paula Brackston is great at creating characters and setting up a story, but from that point on kind of peters off a bit. I was engrossed in this book at the beginning and even had a few instances of "what a great sentence!" But after awhile, the dialogue especially started to drag it down and the ending just felt like she wrapped it up as quickly as she could. I really liked the concept of this story and the characters, but it just didn't stick for me.
roamingbarefoot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
maddiriley's review against another edition
5.0
As always Paula Brackston keeps me reading, her stories are so deeply human. For all that she writes about magic, she touches on the deepest part of human nature; love, integrity, and perseverance. This story is a little big slow, but I loved it all the way to the end, and reading a book that spans wartime London is always fascinating.
emsee33's review against another edition
4.0
Downton Abbey by way of Anne Rice, THE MIDNIGHT WITCH is a touching period romance, set against a backdrop of a dying class system and a secret magical war over the ability to raise the dead. Though the exact purpose of the Lazarus Coven and their sorcerer rivals, the Sentinels, is vague, Brackston does an excellent job of painting Lilith Montgomery’s classic struggle between her duty to her craft and her heart.
Read the rest of this review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Read the rest of this review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
mushroom55's review against another edition
3.0
I like Paula Brackston's writing style but I wasn't blown away by this book. The Witch's Daughter was much better, in my opinion.
raelin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Ugh. I *loved* The Winter Witch, and was so excited for this. But it had none of the elements that made me love Winter Witch.
I didn’t buy into the love story, it felt rushed and unbelievable to me, and that was the basis for carrying a lot of the plot.
I didn’t like any of the characters. Not one. They didn’t feel real or fully developed in some way that I can’t pinpoint. Maybe just not deep enough? We got their backstory but I just didn’t understand their motivations or something.
The jump in time was the best part. For a little bit Bram and Lilith felt more real and grown up, only to revert back at the first opportunity given.
How was Louis the hero of this story? Trying to help Lilith every time she messed up big, even though he didn’t agree with her, but just trying to clean up the messes she kept repeatedly making.
I hope The Silver Witch is better. This was a major disappointment.
I didn’t buy into the love story, it felt rushed and unbelievable to me, and that was the basis for carrying a lot of the plot.
I didn’t like any of the characters. Not one. They didn’t feel real or fully developed in some way that I can’t pinpoint. Maybe just not deep enough? We got their backstory but I just didn’t understand their motivations or something.
Spoiler
Lilith is a spoiled, self centered, and short sighted little girl. She never deserved to be made Head Witch. And just proved time and again she thought that what and who she cared about were more important than anything else. Blah. Do not like. Bram was just a clingy man who was infatuated with someone he couldn’t have and didn’t fully understand. He saw her power somehow and was drawn to that as a moth to a flame. They both should have died and the end would have been betterThe jump in time was the best part. For a little bit Bram and Lilith felt more real and grown up, only to revert back at the first opportunity given.
How was Louis the hero of this story? Trying to help Lilith every time she messed up big, even though he didn’t agree with her, but just trying to clean up the messes she kept repeatedly making.
I hope The Silver Witch is better. This was a major disappointment.
findthosedreams's review against another edition
1.0
This book had a lot going for itself, but sadly the author had to ruin it all about halfway through with a stupid deus ex machina. Spoiler alert: when the protagonist is about to face off with a {completely predictable} traitor in what should have been an epic magic battle, a miraculously timed German air raid drops a literal bomb on her house, resulting in the death of her opponent and no one else of even remote importance. I'm pretty sure that is the entire reason the story is set in WWI to begin with. LAAAAAAME!
If that scene were removed, I'd probably go 3 stars. If they had bothered to write an epic battle scene, it might even get as much as 4 and a half stars.
If that scene were removed, I'd probably go 3 stars. If they had bothered to write an epic battle scene, it might even get as much as 4 and a half stars.
leonore_book's review against another edition
2.0
This story jumped around a bit more. Instead of flowing with the story line, it added more story lines that maybe should have been taken out or put into another book.