#BookReview: THE MIDNIGHT LIE by Marie Rutkoski @marierutkoski @HodderBooks @hodderscape

Publication: 3rd March 2020 – Hodder & Stoughton

Set in the world of the NYT-bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, The Midnight Lie is an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us – and the lies we tell ourselves.

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 colours. 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 id, a rakish traveller from far away, who whispers rumours that the High Kith possess 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.

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I spent my last Christmas holidays completely immersed in the world of the Winner’s trilogy, reading all three books one after the other and I loved it, so I was really happy to go back in this fantastic world with Marie Rutkoski’s latest novel, The Midnight Lie.

The story is set in Herrah, an island with a strict class system. At the bottom, there are the Half Kith who live and die in the Ward while outside the High Kith live a life of richness, pleasure, and freedom. The protagonist of the story is Nirrim and she is a Half Kith. Orphaned and with a complex and emotionally abusive relationship with the woman who raised her, Nirrim is put in prison for a crime she didn’t commit and here she meets Sid, a traveler who questions Herrah’s society system and Nirrim’s beliefs. Why is Herrah’s like this? And why nobody seems to question it?

Nirrim is strong and well-developed. She just wants to be loved, so she puts all her trust in the woman who raised her and took care of her, no matter how twisted and complex their relationship is. Even though she started question Herrar’s society from the beginning, it’s her meeting with Sid that really changes her life and make her wonder about everything she believes in. I loved the character of Sid. Arrogant, loyal, charming, and a rulebreaker, Sid is definitely my favourite character in the story.

My favourite part of the story is the romance. The witty banter between Nirrim and Sid was engaging, sexy, funny and made for a captivating read. I liked how their relationship developed and how it takes most of the story. Of course, there is also a fantastic world-building, an intriguing and beautifully-written plot, plenty of surprises and magic that really kept me glued to the pages.

I LOVED the ending. Completely unexpected and so well-done that I can’t wait to see what happens next. Whether or not you have read the Winner’s trilogy, The Midnight Lie is a fantastic must-read!

A huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the novel.