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A review by megsbookishtwins
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
5.0
disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Nirrim lives in the Ward, a walled off city within a city where oppression and inequality thrive . She is Half Kith – they are forbidden from wearing colour, tasting food with flavour, or doing anything above their class. If rules are broken, a tithe must be paid, whether it is hair, blood, or even body parts. It’s grim and it’s punishing, but they accept it. When Nirrim meets Sid, a traveller from across the sea, she tempts Nirrim to question everything she has ever known and to uncover the secrets of the Ward.
The Midnight Lie is a brilliantly written fantasy novel full of magic, secrets, and hidden histories. The Midnight Lie is a very character-driven story and is far from action-heavy, but there is a compelling mystery which is expertly weaved throughout the story that has a delightful and shocking reveal towards the end – I can’t wait for the next 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.’
The Midnight Lie has one of the best slow-burn romances I’ve ever read. It is a f/f romance between Nirrim, our protagonist, and Sid, a traveller. The two have an intense relationship full of longing, stolen glances, witty conversations, playful banter, and lots of sexual tension.There is a class imbalance between the two. Nirrim is used to simplicity because it is all she has ever known, she doesn’t question the rules because no one else does. Yet when Sid comes along, her whole worldview changes. Sid, who is laid back, feigns indifference, takes certain luxuries for granted, and trades in secrets, encourages Nirrim to question everything around her.
The Midnight Lie also delves deep into class divisions and inequality, which is usually a hit with me. It shows the higher classes, mainly High Kith, indulging in extravagant luxuries that are made by or from the lowest class, the Half-Kith. A phrase that is used often is ‘it is as it is‘ – this is the reason no one questions the divisions. Towards the end it is revealed how this class sytem came into being and it was riveting, I really enjoyed the reveal.
The secrets that Nirrim and Sid are attempting to uncover is that of magic – is it actually magic, where does it come from, who controls it? I really adored this aspect and how it related to Nirrim and how it impacted upon her character arc. I enjoyed the mythology and the pantheon of gods. Excellent and innovative worldbuilding.
The Midnight Lie is a book I would highly recommend to those looking for a sapphic romance in a high fantasy setting but also for those who crave a good fantasy novel about secrets, deception, and magic.
Nirrim lives in the Ward, a walled off city within a city where oppression and inequality thrive . She is Half Kith – they are forbidden from wearing colour, tasting food with flavour, or doing anything above their class. If rules are broken, a tithe must be paid, whether it is hair, blood, or even body parts. It’s grim and it’s punishing, but they accept it. When Nirrim meets Sid, a traveller from across the sea, she tempts Nirrim to question everything she has ever known and to uncover the secrets of the Ward.
The Midnight Lie is a brilliantly written fantasy novel full of magic, secrets, and hidden histories. The Midnight Lie is a very character-driven story and is far from action-heavy, but there is a compelling mystery which is expertly weaved throughout the story that has a delightful and shocking reveal towards the end – I can’t wait for the next 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.’
The Midnight Lie has one of the best slow-burn romances I’ve ever read. It is a f/f romance between Nirrim, our protagonist, and Sid, a traveller. The two have an intense relationship full of longing, stolen glances, witty conversations, playful banter, and lots of sexual tension.There is a class imbalance between the two. Nirrim is used to simplicity because it is all she has ever known, she doesn’t question the rules because no one else does. Yet when Sid comes along, her whole worldview changes. Sid, who is laid back, feigns indifference, takes certain luxuries for granted, and trades in secrets, encourages Nirrim to question everything around her.
The Midnight Lie also delves deep into class divisions and inequality, which is usually a hit with me. It shows the higher classes, mainly High Kith, indulging in extravagant luxuries that are made by or from the lowest class, the Half-Kith. A phrase that is used often is ‘it is as it is‘ – this is the reason no one questions the divisions. Towards the end it is revealed how this class sytem came into being and it was riveting, I really enjoyed the reveal.
The secrets that Nirrim and Sid are attempting to uncover is that of magic – is it actually magic, where does it come from, who controls it? I really adored this aspect and how it related to Nirrim and how it impacted upon her character arc. I enjoyed the mythology and the pantheon of gods. Excellent and innovative worldbuilding.
The Midnight Lie is a book I would highly recommend to those looking for a sapphic romance in a high fantasy setting but also for those who crave a good fantasy novel about secrets, deception, and magic.