It seems like the author focused more on character development than on actual story telling which is disappointing. Lot of buzz building around this one. Though you did enjoy Moth and Spark, and this book reminds me of that one in some ways. Their goal was to establish a statewide coalition between the insurance industry, law enforcement officials and other criminal justice agencies to implement vehicle theft reduction strategies. You will need a specialist agency that will dispose of the car in an eco friendly way, first de-contaminating all the parts and then recycling them to gain scrap metal.
Like many companies which deal in nuts and bolts are very much dependent o these scrap cars as they prove out to be excellent source of spare parts. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Twitter account.
You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Create a free website or blog at WordPress. Ace September 2, Author Information: Slower…eh, I am not a fan Like Like Reply.
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Book Review: The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter
Mogsy is Currently Reading. Wendy is Currently Reading. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: The Midnight Queen is a long journey through mistaken identities, conspiracies, and finding the limitations of magic capabilities, and a journey that was highly satisfying in the end.
Sep 19, Samantha rated it it was ok. Before I start laying into this, I'll say that it wasn't at all a "bad" book. It's charming and enjoyable, but extremely simplistic and lacking in originality. From characters to plot, it has a trite, neat and tidy feel like that of a children's book, which I suppose would be fine if only it were a children's book.
So many conveniently fortuitous happenings! I can't quite say it read like fan fiction for the better books of th Before I start laying into this, I'll say that it wasn't at all a "bad" book. I can't quite say it read like fan fiction for the better books of this genre, as Hunter is a far better writer in terms of handling language than that, but the plot was about on that level. Not sorry I read it, but I won't likely seek out more from this author. Aug 23, Danya rated it really liked it Shelves: I would classify this as a fantasy of manners book, a fantasy novel that mimics the structure and tropes of a classic comedy of manners.
Gray is an unusual romantic hero: But thankfully he can discuss magick with her, and the two of them build their friendship and more on a foundation of…well, magickal geekiness. In my mind, any well thought out magical system or supernatural abilities should have at least one major drawback lest the characters become so powerful that it verges on the ridiculous. Yes, this novel is set in an alternate Regency England, a time when women — even those of high rank — had few options.
And yes, Sylvia Izzo Hunter does take pains to convey that Sophie and Joanna are forced to act contrary to their desires because of male oppression i. But Hunter also incorporates moments of defiance, autonomy, and sheer gutsiness from Sophie and Joanna that really impressed me. Rather than take this lying down, Sophie skulks around after hours to scour famous magickal treatises so that she may learn more.
When Gray arrives at the estate where Sophie and Joanna live with their father, it quickly becomes clear to him that something strange and sinister is afoot. Those seeking high-octane thrills should probably look elsewhere. In truth, it is more of a three-point-five star read; whilst I debated rounding up, in the end I decided to round down.
There were some four-star moments, but there were more three-star moments, hence why I rounded down. The Midnight Queen grabbed my attention by the intriguing concept: However, the book was not as mind blowing as I had hoped it would be. It was fun, yes, but I had expected something more from this one. The story was interesting from the start, but it took a long time before I was lost in the events. This was mainly due to the length of time it took before the events really started to move — there was a lot going on, but a lot of it was a means of giving us information. With there being so many different elements, it was great to see how they all came together.
The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (Noctis Magicae, Book 1)
We were introduced to so much throughout this one, and whilst there were times when I thought the story to be a bit slow, it was satisfying to see how things went together. Moreover, I feel as though there is quite a bit of potential for the future events in Lady of Magick and A Season of Spells. I may not be overly excited to pick up the next two books, but a part of me is intrigued by what could come next.
Apr 17, Anya rated it really liked it. I was in the perfect mood for the writing of The Midnight Queen but it definitely isn't fast-paced or action-packed. The writing is at times elegant and fun but other times clunky and difficult to follow. I don't read straight historical fiction but get the impression that the writing fits that genre better with fantasy elements thrown in. The characters were fine, the romance cute and blissfully drama free. Aug 06, Kristen rated it really liked it. I enjoyed Syvlia Izzo Hunter's debut immensely.
The characters aren't terribly complex and are clearly "good" or "evil" and sometimes the path it follows is a bit predictable, but I found it to be incredibly charming and engaging nonetheless. It has a likable cast, family secrets, hidden identities, a conspiracy, and a rather drama-free romance. Sep 28, Carrie Mansfield rated it it was ok. Fantasy Findings There are light reads, and then there are light-weight reads.
Light reads are your beach books. They are the kind of breezy books that, by their nature, aren't really meant to hold any deeper meaning.
The Midnight Queen (Noctis Magicae, #1) by Sylvia Izzo Hunter
They're just meant to be fun and entertain you. Then there are light-weight reads. Books that are meant to be more, but somehow don't quite get there. I feel like The Midnight Queen is one of those books. It is meant to be a blending of magic and spycraft. There is magic and there is some spycraft, but they just don't seem to amount to much, even though one gets the sense it was meant to add up to more. This book takes place in kind of an alternate-history England, where magic has flourished. Izzo Hunter didn't take much advantage of this though, and there's no sense that things have changed much beyond the monarchs in power.
It's the kind of reinventing that makes you wonder why the author bothered with the rebranding in the first place, though I suppose one could argue it's because the Old Gods are still in favor, but eh.
As for the magic, it's a fairly typical system based on Latin spells and chants out of a book. You've seen it before. Ultimately, some thought did go into this world and its magic, but it's still forgettable. What about the espionage then? This is a book about Gray stumbling upon a plot against the King. And the other evidence. And that's kind of it. There's some work done with translating codices, but it's the kind of plot that was entirely too dependent on luck and timing to fully believe.
The evidence they gather is also kind of skimpy at best. You have no doubt that our protagonists believe themselves, but it'd be hard to convict based on what they provided. Fortunately for Gray and Sophie, there are plot-convenient priests of Apollo whose abilities to pull truths form prisoners also happens to serve as a convenient plot device that explains the scheme in full.
Were it not for their existence, I feel like this novel might have ended very differently, with our heroes in jail for treason at best. There is a plot twist regarding Sophie, but it's kind of there. And convenient for our story. As for Gray and Sophie, they were both likable and they made a cute couple, but that's not really enough. Maybe if the romance aspect had been amped up then you could call this a romance and the other sins could be forgiven, but this isn't being marketed as a romance, and given the couple don't get together til the last quarter of the novel you can't sell it as such.
I didn't mind the time I spent reading this, but I have to say, the second you start thinking about it, the second it begins to leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed. It's a competent book and I think there are those who will definitely enjoy it, but as far as fantasy goes, there's just so much good stuff out there right now that it makes it difficult to recommend this. Jul 28, Bea Charmed rated it liked it Shelves: As I read the first few pages, I thought it had a Harry Potter feel to it - magic school, check; boy more or less ignored by living family, check; names that border on the absurd, check.
It's full of tropes and cliches. It has an Austen feel to it, which didn't really work for me nor did the fake-European setting. Use the real world and tweak it or create a brand new world but this was a mish-mash and the non-magical world building was often confusing. It's mish-mash of poorly done alternate his As I read the first few pages, I thought it had a Harry Potter feel to it - magic school, check; boy more or less ignored by living family, check; names that border on the absurd, check.
It's mish-mash of poorly done alternate history, fantasy, romance, political thriller, and young adult. It is an interesting world, despite it's flaws, and an interesting magic system that has potential but the writing style didn't really work for me. It was a pseudo-historical way of speaking and style of writing and I mainly found it irritating.
Our hero and heroine both belonged to standard tropes concerning family and abilities; they were also the best developed of the characters. The secondary characters were interesting but could have been fleshed out more. Parts of the story were predictable and it has loose ends which will be presumably be dealt with in the next book or following books. I'll keep my eyes out for the next book in the series, but I won't be rushing to get it.
Jul 24, Daisy Paquet rated it it was ok. Okay, here's the review, finally. I like, never give a book anything less than three stars. This book, however, was an adventure. And I don't mean in the good way. They were cool, and the world-building was superb.
The magic system seemed almost believable, actually. Then it got slow and boring. I didn't really care about the characters, I guess. They had q Okay, here's the review, finally. They had quit being likeable, and I was like 'why should i care about this quest you're on, man? Then they had to go and insert a random sex scene because "it's not a YA fantasy book if there isn't sex" apparently. I mean the scene was random and out of place, even. Then, of course, it had to go and be like a cheesy inspirational romance movie and our strong and sassy female mc and nerdy adorable male mc had to go and change personalities- Sophia was all sad and crying and Gray was all strong and stoic like WHaT oN EaRtH GoOd sIr?
So there went another star. So, I didn't finish it. Someone else might've liked it. Right now I'm just really disappointed. Dec 03, Kes rated it really liked it Shelves: This is a fun book that reads as a standalone - Gray is sent to live under his professor, Appius Callender, where he meets the professor's daughter. While there is romance - and I was cautious of this, going in - the romance is slowgoing, and the plot shines. The circumstances under which Gray is sent to Callender are mysterious, and I enjoyed Gray slowly discovering the heart of the plot.
The worldbuilding is also interesting: This is a mingled culture; one that we glimpse in part, and set in a Victorian-esque society with the attendant norms. This is the first book as part of a series; looking forward to the remainder. Jul 06, Jordan rated it really liked it. I've had my eye on this book for a while, so I was thrilled when I finally had the chance to read it.
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I particularly loved the fantasy historical fiction aspect, and I felt that Hunter established this setting extremely well. The prose is truly lovely, and though I can see how it could be considered a bit slow to some, I found it to be quite enjoyable to read. To me, this book seemed to have stronger characterization and a focus on the character relations than it did on the plot, and that didn't I've had my eye on this book for a while, so I was thrilled when I finally had the chance to read it. To me, this book seemed to have stronger characterization and a focus on the character relations than it did on the plot, and that didn't bother too much!
This is certainly a series that I can see myself continuing. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it was definitely an enjoyable read. Sep 22, lovemonicarose rated it liked it. It took me a while to finish this but it was really good. Fantasy is still my favorite genre after all. The ending was a bit too neatly tied up but I'm not complaining. Mar 25, Danya rated it liked it Shelves: This book was enjoyable enough, but not amazing.
I liked the Regency-plus-magic setting as I pretty much always do! The main characters of Gray and Sophie were cute together, but I didn't feel a whole lot of chemistry between them; their relationship was an it's-so-obvious-it's-staring-everyone-in-the-face-so-why-can't-you-see-it kind of romance. Basically, you could see it a mile away and know it was inevitably going to happen at some point. There was some intrigue, of course, but it wasn't really the sort the reader can try to figure out, because we weren't given enough information. Things do get more eventful right towards the end, but even then, I thought the climactic scenes were a little confusing and didn't provide the pay-off I wanted considering the less-than-eventful lead-up to them.
In terms of characterization, Gray and Sophie were both a little too good , in a way, for my taste. They are both intelligent, loyal, well-liked, and generally well-meaning individuals; perhaps it was just that they weren't given enough weaknesses to make them feel more authentic. The third-person tense may also have made it a little more difficult to really get inside their heads and understand them as people.
I also think the villains could have been more villainous they didn't seem that sinister, except perhaps by sheer number of them and their characters expanded upon. I had difficulty keeping them straight, there were so many! That said, it was a pleasant, comfortable, familiar kind of read. The language used evoked an older era, and yet was usually not particularly dense or archaic, making for fairly easy reading.
Jul 16, Jen Davis rated it liked it. I knew when I read the blurb for this book that it might be a little off the beaten path for me, but something about it piqued my interest and I decided to give it a go. It was actually a bit more off the beaten path than I expected. And while I do enjoy a good regency romance, this was more of a YA British-magic-adventure thing.
The story follows our ish hero Gray I knew when I read the blurb for this book that it might be a little off the beaten path for me, but something about it piqued my interest and I decided to give it a go. The story follows our ish hero Gray Marshall, a student of magic who was wrongly blamed for the death of one his peers. He becomes closest to Sophie, the middle child, who is about 17 and wishes to become a scholar of magic. Not only do she and Gray become friends, they find a kinship in their love of learning and magic. I found it terribly slow, especially in the beginning.
The emotions felt shallow and I struggled to care about the characters. It all felt kind of whitewashed. The villains were cookie-cutter and the big reveal of their schemes at the end felt laid out like the end of a Scooby Doo mystery. The romance was… not a romance. These two people go from friends to in love with the snap of the fingers, once the other character notice they might like each other.
Maybe I am the odd man out. Maybe this young magical alternative-history adventure is just better suited for someone else. Aug 07, Alysa H. I was very excited to read this novel. Magical alternate-history version of Oxford? Unfortunately, it turned out to be not quite right for me. The faux-Regency writing style has its moments, but I must admit it's mostly rather tedious to my taste. The entire plot, such as it is, is purely a vehicle for a contrived, somewhat traditional romance story. The POV shifts annoyed me, as did the fact that barely any of the story actually takes place at Oxford, really.
Gray "The Boy" is whis I was very excited to read this novel. Gray "The Boy" is whisked off to his professor's estate to meet Sophie "The Girl" before anything about college life is even remotely fleshed out. I mean, I understood from the official description of the book that Gray would be sent away from his college, but not that this exile would occur in the Prologue. For what's likely to be a slow-building romance, author Hunter sure couldn't wait to get it started. The twain can certainly meet, but in this book their meeting is decidedly not in the middle. I might give this another try someday.
Say, after filling some gaps in my reading of classics. Though I'd argue that a thorough reading of older, more famous books should not be a fundamental prerequisite for simple enjoyment of any newer ones -- especially fantasy ones set in ostensible alternate universes! Though I suspect I'd still have the rest of the problems I mentioned earlier. Sep 04, Jamie Dacyczyn rated it liked it Shelves: This is a tough book to rate.
Unfortunately, I read it during a busy time so I was unable to read more than a chapter or two per night. It felt more like a book that required longer sittings to really immerse yourself in the story. The concept wasn't ground breaking: The writing was sort of old fashioned feeling, which made for both a more whimsical feel as well as a slower plot I also couldn't shake the feeling that the whole book felt familiar for some reason.
The relationship between Gray and Sophie, the magical Victorianish setting It just felt familiar. I just felt like I'd bumped into these characters in a past book somewhere, but I can't think of what it is. I may reread it at a later date when I have more time, to see if I can sink into it better. Aug 14, Mimi Zane rated it it was ok Shelves: DNF at page The print was too small and I couldnt get used to the writing.
I won my first book from the raffle but this is my second win overall. I was really happy to win a copy of this but I could not finish it and it had nothing to do with the content of the book. I DNF at page My biggest complaint with this ARC was that the writing was extremely small and very hard to see. I needed the print to be bigger and I hope it is when it is released September 2nd. The writing is Medieval English which made it hard to grasp and understand what was going on. When this book is released I will give this another try.
I would love to listen to this as an audiobook.
From what I read, The main character Gray has been accepted into Merlin College due to his knowledge of magick. After a prank, he lands himself working his professor's garden for the summer.