Midnight Never Come

By Marie Brennan

“England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.” – back cover blurb

Ok, I’ll be honest. When I started this book, my hopes were not too high. The first few chapters, all we really learn about the two main characters (the fae Lune and the human Michael Devon) is that they are ambitious. And for me, that’s not the most engaging characteristic. Luckily, things took a turn for the better. There’s intrigue, magic, a dire mystery, thwarted love, and a few surprising reveals. It hits upon a few well-known historical events to give it weight and realism. The characters ended up likable and somewhat relatable, if not the most fully developed. And it has this going for it: I did not guess some of the major plot elements ahead of time (which is generally a problem when I read fantasy, as it tends to follow a pattern). Now whether that means the author was being particularly subtle, or the plot took some unconnected twists, I’m not decided on yet. Regardless, it ended up a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

I give it 3.5/5 stars.