![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
juushikaTitle: Midnight Never Come
Author: Marie Brennan (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
swan_tower)
Published: New York: Orbit, 2008
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 379
Total Page Count: 54,627
Text Number: 159
Read For: interest after reading the author's blog, checked out from the library
Short review: In 1588, England flourishes under the rein of Queen Elizabeth, but deep in the hidden catacombs beneath London, a second queen reins: Invidiana, the cruel, cold-hearted ruler of faerie England. Above ground, Deven enters Elizabeth's court while below ground, Lune is cast from Invidiana's court, and when the two are drawn together they must discover the secret bond that joins the two monarchs—and break it. Midnight Never Come is a historical fantasy which takes full advantage of both parts, spinning out a vivid story of faerie magic which is intimately bound by English politics. Intelligent, skillfully written, but a bit tied up in research, this is a solidly good book that never quite manages to be exceptional. I recommend it.
Brennan has done a remarkable job researching and conceptualizing her England, where human and faerie courts mirror each other—but thorough research is at once a strength and a weakness as Midnight Never Come becomes somewhat tied up by history. Infrequent flashbacks, many of which recount real events, seem like welcome historical background—but most of them are unnecessary deviations that carry the reader away from the book's plot and towards a greater historical arc. The omniscient narrative voice is already rather distant and cold; compounded by these deviations, Midnight Never Come drifts further and further away from the emotional heart of the book: that is, the characters. As a result, the historical setting is authentic and the faerie court is realistically conceived within it, and so setting and plot are strong. But these large aspects eclipse local aspects, and so the characters remain underdeveloped.
Limited emotional impact aside, Midnight Never Come is an intelligent, enjoyable, and constantly strong book. Brennan's voice is somewhat distant, but it also eloquent, spelling out noble, fluent sentences which work alongside history to build the book's setting and tone. Her faeries are grounded in mythology, and have both realistic faults and otherworldy appeal. Midnight Never Come's plot ranges from historical to fantastical, a balance of courtly intrigue and faerie magic, dotted by a few character cameos from historical England. Events are pleasantly overshadowed but the plot stays a few steps ahead of the reader so that there are always twists and turns to keep it interesting. Best of all, the historical and magical elements flow smoothly into one another such that—even with an underground faerie court, even with a somewhat unwelcome deus ex machina—the book is a plausible, convincing whole.
I read Brennan's journal (swan_tower), but this was my first chance to read one of her books—and I'm glad I did. If the concept of faeries within Elizabethan England intrigues you as it did me, then I certainly recommend Midnight Never Come. With a lovely writing style, realistic characters, and a brilliantly imagined plot which meshes faerie and historical England with nary a seam, Brennan delivers on the potential that her book promises. It never quite manages to become exceptional and the characters are distanced, but all told Midnight Never Come is a solid and enjoyable read. I recommend it, and look forward to Brennan's other novels—especially those which combine the faerie world with human history.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Marie Brennan (
swan_tower)Published: New York: Orbit, 2008
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 379
Total Page Count: 54,627
Text Number: 159
Read For: interest after reading the author's blog, checked out from the library
Short review: In 1588, England flourishes under the rein of Queen Elizabeth, but deep in the hidden catacombs beneath London, a second queen reins: Invidiana, the cruel, cold-hearted ruler of faerie England. Above ground, Deven enters Elizabeth's court while below ground, Lune is cast from Invidiana's court, and when the two are drawn together they must discover the secret bond that joins the two monarchs—and break it. Midnight Never Come is a historical fantasy which takes full advantage of both parts, spinning out a vivid story of faerie magic which is intimately bound by English politics. Intelligent, skillfully written, but a bit tied up in research, this is a solidly good book that never quite manages to be exceptional. I recommend it.
Brennan has done a remarkable job researching and conceptualizing her England, where human and faerie courts mirror each other—but thorough research is at once a strength and a weakness as Midnight Never Come becomes somewhat tied up by history. Infrequent flashbacks, many of which recount real events, seem like welcome historical background—but most of them are unnecessary deviations that carry the reader away from the book's plot and towards a greater historical arc. The omniscient narrative voice is already rather distant and cold; compounded by these deviations, Midnight Never Come drifts further and further away from the emotional heart of the book: that is, the characters. As a result, the historical setting is authentic and the faerie court is realistically conceived within it, and so setting and plot are strong. But these large aspects eclipse local aspects, and so the characters remain underdeveloped.
Limited emotional impact aside, Midnight Never Come is an intelligent, enjoyable, and constantly strong book. Brennan's voice is somewhat distant, but it also eloquent, spelling out noble, fluent sentences which work alongside history to build the book's setting and tone. Her faeries are grounded in mythology, and have both realistic faults and otherworldy appeal. Midnight Never Come's plot ranges from historical to fantastical, a balance of courtly intrigue and faerie magic, dotted by a few character cameos from historical England. Events are pleasantly overshadowed but the plot stays a few steps ahead of the reader so that there are always twists and turns to keep it interesting. Best of all, the historical and magical elements flow smoothly into one another such that—even with an underground faerie court, even with a somewhat unwelcome deus ex machina—the book is a plausible, convincing whole.
I read Brennan's journal (
swan_tower), but this was my first chance to read one of her books—and I'm glad I did. If the concept of faeries within Elizabethan England intrigues you as it did me, then I certainly recommend Midnight Never Come. With a lovely writing style, realistic characters, and a brilliantly imagined plot which meshes faerie and historical England with nary a seam, Brennan delivers on the potential that her book promises. It never quite manages to become exceptional and the characters are distanced, but all told Midnight Never Come is a solid and enjoyable read. I recommend it, and look forward to Brennan's other novels—especially those which combine the faerie world with human history.Review posted here on Amazon.com.
