the midnight lie by marie rutkoski is a recent read of mine from the illumicrate february book box subscription. it’s a ya fantasy fiction book and i rate it 4/5 stars.
the blurb: “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. 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 rumours that the high caste posesses 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.”
the illumicrate edition had an exclusive cover, sprayed edges and is signed by the author. the book cover really is beautiful and i loved the pink sprayed edges. i joined in with the readalong too which is basically an online book club. we read the book in sections and then discuss each part in a private group.
the midnight lie really surprised me. it was a good read and i enjoyed it. it was really interesting reading nirrim go from “it is the way it is” to wanting justice and equality for her people. the way she went around it, however, to me was completely unexpected. there were a few twists in this book which i just didn’t expect at all. i loved the romance in this too.
there were themes of manipulation, gaslighting and bribery within the book which really helped me build empathy for nirrim during the story. nirrim’s secret could seriously get her into trouble and she lives in a world where she has to pay a tithe when caught by the guards. sometimes it’s as simple as hair or a bit of blood, other times it’s much more sinister and might be eyes or limbs. other times children go missing from the ward never to be seen again. you really do want the best for nirrim throughout the story and it was really interesting reading so many first time experiences through her eyes.
the reason for 4 stars was because the book is beautifully written, easy to follow and has an unexpected and enjoyable plot. i took away a star because some of the plot points were really easy to guess and the end felt very abrupt and was over far too quickly. i would recommend this as a great travel book or for a little bit of light hearted escapism.
One of my goals for 2020 is to read 52 books or around one a week. Some might be new, some are ones I’ve had for a while or been meaning to read, some I haven’t quite finished yet and some will be recommendations from others. You can see all the books I’ve read so far on my Good Reads 2020 Reading Challenge.
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