The Midnight Bargain Book Review | Author C. L. Polk
Author- C. L. Polk
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Title- The Midnight Bargain
Author- C. L. Polk
Publisher- Erewhon Books
Genre- YA Fantasy / Regency Era Romance
Links- Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads
My Rating- ★★★★✰
Contents
Synopsis
My Review
About the Author
“Fast-paced fantasy with magic, spirit possession and grimoires, mixed in with Regency era romance and a strong sorceress fighting for woman’s rights. ”
Synopsis
Beatrice wants what she can’t have- to become a Magus and pair with a greater spirit. Not to marry some rich gentleman during the Bargaining Season.
But to please her family, and pull her father out of crippling debt, she doesn’t have a lot of choice but to find a husband and face the prospect of wearing a warding collar and losing her magic forever.
Beatrice needs to find a grimoire fast, it will give her the key to taking her magic to the next level. Something a woman is forbidden to do, and something that will stop her from having to marry.
The Midnight Bargain Book Review. Photo by Jenny Sandiford from Instagram @jennys.world.of.fiction
But when she encounters Ysbeta Lavan, the most eligible woman in the bargaining season, her plan starts to slip away. Ysebeta needs the book as much as Beatrice does, but both can’t have it. Beatrice finds herself spending time with the most powerful family in town to remain close to the book.
She gambles with magic, and summons help in the form of a mischievous luck spirit, Nadi. All Nadi demands in payment for her luck magic, is a kiss, some cake, and to feel the sand between her toes.
The one kiss leads Beatrice to Ysbeta’s handsome brother, Ianthe Lavan. Ianthe is not like the others. Beatrice finds herself torn between two worlds that are not compatible for a woman.
Either way, she must sacrifice something. Can she give up love for magic? Or will she choose the fairy-tale prince?
My Review
There was a lot about this book I liked. It is a fast-paced fantasy with magic, spirit possession and grimoires, mixed in with Regency era romance and a strong sorceress fighting for woman’s rights.
Setting
Firstly the Regency Era setting. It is set in a fantasy seaside town with a large trading port and plenty of cobbled streets, horse and carriages, dress shops and books shops. Many people rent houses along the seafront when they come to town with their eligible daughters. All with the expectation of taking part in the Bargaining Season, a series of events aimed at matching up couples in suitable marriages.
The general vibe of the book reminded me of a mix of Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix, and Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson for the setting and magic, with a touch of Pride and Prejudice in the scandals and society. There were plenty of high society parties, gossip, and match making going on.
Plot
The story moves from one exciting party to the next, and from disaster to disaster. There are a few lulls in pacing, but all up, it very quick to get through.
Beatrice is constantly trouble shooting and fighting to get the magic, and life she so desperately wants. At the same time, she must keep it hidden from her family. Only her sister knows the truth, and she is not impressed that Beatrice is ready to throw away their family’s respectability for the sake of magic.
The stakes were so high for Beatrice throughout this whole story. I spent the whole time wondering how she would ever get anything she wanted. To be honest, I thought her a little selfish at times, because the risks didn’t seem worth it.
There are so many great moments. At one point Beatrice punches one of the rich gentlemen in the face and challenges him to a duel. It is so good! It’s worth reading for amazing moments like that!
The ending kind of surprised me. I didn’t see it unfolding the way it did, but I did like how everything was resolved. I thought it was building up to an opening for a second book, but then it was all very well summarised in an epilogue. But if there was to be a second book on their adventures, I would definitely read it!
Characters
My favourite character was Ysbeta Lavan, Beatrice’s rival, turned friend. I feel like the stakes for Ysbeta were much higher than Beatrice. She was more desperate and I felt she deserved the grimoire more than Beatrice.
Beatrice is an outstanding example of a strong female character. She was so passionate about getting equal rights for woman in both magic, and marriage, and was proactive and motivated about forcing change in a seemingly impossible situation.
But saying that, I didn’t really like her personality. She was too selfish to be likable; she didn’t listen to people’s advice and took many irresponsible risks at the expense of potentially driving her family into ruin.
Her sister Harriet seemed to be the voice of reason. Harriet was well informed on everything and wanted what was best for her family, but was made out to be the bad guy.
One of the best characters was Nadi. The lesser spirit that Beatrice summons and befriends. Nadi adds a spark of joy and playfulness to every scene, and I couldn’t help but love her.
Ianthe Lavan, Beatrice’s suitor, fell a little flat. He was a very passive character and went along with the flow without really wanting to change, or help out. I’m not sure why he put up with Beatrice and her craziness in a society that frowned on pretty much everything she did.
The romance felt a lot like insta-love. There was no real build up and I wasn’t sure why they liked each other so much. But it was still entertaining and their courtship was unconventional for the Bargaining Season, and I quite liked that.
Magic
I never fully understood the magic, but I loved the concept of summoning spirits and having them inhabit you to bring specific types of power. The spirit Beatrice summons, Nadi, was a luck spirit. She brought luck magic to Beatrice when they were together, and could hex and curse people through Beatrice, which was quite cool.
I liked how complex the process was to learn magic and the fact that Beatrice had taught herself in secret. There were a lot of steps to actually performing the magic, and she also had to learn to decipher the grimoires as an added step.
But I was disappointed to never really find out what the magic was capable of. I feel like we barely brushed the surface of it, and would have liked to see more magic in action.
Summary
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to get through and I was entertained the whole time. I love the regency era setting with magic. This was the main thing that drew me to this story. It also left you with a good feeling at the end. It was satisfying, and it felt like I had been alongside Beatrice for the ups and downs of her adventure.
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The Author- C. L. Polk
C. L. Polk (she/her/they/them) is the author of the World Fantasy Award winning debut novel Witchmark, the first novel of the Kingston Cycle. Her newest novel, The Midnight Bargain, is upcoming in 2020 from Erehwon Books.
After leaving high school early, she has worked as a film extra, sold vegetables on the street, and identified exotic insect species for a vast collection of lepidoptera before settling down to write silver fork fantasy novels.
Ms. Polk lives near the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, in a tiny apartment with too many books and a yarn stash that could last a decade. She rides a green bicycle with a basket on the front.
She drinks good coffee because life is too short.
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About the reviewer- Jenny sandiford
Hi I’m Jenny. I am passionate about promoting new authors and sharing any amazing books I find with the world. I am a book blogger, bookstagrammer, YA fantasy writer and travel writer.
I’m also a lover of nature, hiking, Harry Potter, cats, fantasy lands and quiet places.
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