Book Review:
Title: The Midnight Lie
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“It’s a midnight lie... 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.”
Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.
Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.
But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.
I honestly just want to grab Nirrim and Sid, wrap them up tight in a blanket and protect them from the word forever. They deserve happiness, okay?!
I went into this book expecting something totally different from what I got, but I’m not mad. I’m actually really happy, because this book satisfied my slow-burn loving soul.
That’s right, although it’s a fantasy book with an intriguing plot, the romance is definitely at the forefront of this novel and it is oh so wonderful.
Sid is a flirt. Nirrim is shy. Mix ‘em together and you got yourself one magical couple.
The build-up. The anticipation. The will they, won’t they. Sid being unapologetically flirty in every situation. And Nirrim constantly blushing and falling even deeper for Sid. *Chef’s kiss*
“Nirrim, I can't be good to you."That quote gave me life.
"Then be bad.”
Other than the MCs and their romance, I really enjoyed the pacing and storytelling. Marie Rutkoski managed to interweave so many different elements and themes into this book, and she didn’t just scratch the surface with them, there was a lot of layers and depth.
Nirrim is half-kith, which according to their class system, is pretty low. It’s something that Nirrim and her people have accepted without ever really questioning why or how their hierarchal system came to be. But in this novel, we get to see that questioning gradually come into play and through the answers Nirrim finds, we see her mature so much and break free from her shell of naivety.
I think this was a great way for the reader to learn more about the world, because we learned slowly with the MC and it wasn’t one big info dump (which we can all agree is the worst!)
Another theme explored is manipulation and abuse. Nirrim was bought up by the ward she lives in and her guardian, and as such, feels a sense of indebtment, which is quite a normal feeling. However because of her level of innocence and naivety, she is always trying to seek approval and blames herself in every negative situation, which is taken advantage of by some of the people closest to her.
At times it was hard to read about, but similar to my last point, it led to a lot of character growth and it was quite thought-provoking.
There are so many other themes in this book (magic, mystery, homophobia, bravery etc.) but if I explained why I loved them all so much, this review would be way too long – you’re just going to have to trust me when I say that Marie handled them all well and they added to the scale of the story.
The ending of The Midnight Lie was one of the biggest wow points for me. No spoilers, but the journey this book takes is incredible, and I honestly think it’s so cruel we have to wait an entire year for the sequel.
One thing I will say is, don’t go into this book expecting action scene after action scene, or a plot that moves super fast. Go into this book expecting gorgeous writing, thought-provoking themes, a fascinating plot that slowly unfolds over the course of the entire book, and the most loveable main characters with the purest romantic relationship.
If you enjoy:
- Slow-burn romance
- Flirty one/Shy one romantic dynamics
- Lyrical writing
- Self discovery/Strong character growth
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