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The Onyx Court #1
Midnight Never Come
England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs.
But a great light casts a great shadow.
In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.
Two courtiers, both struggling for royal favor, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind these two thrones. When the faerie lady Lune is sent to monitor and manipulate Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham, her path crosses that of Michael Deven, a mortal gentleman and agent of Walsingham’s. His discovery of the “hidden player” in English politics will test Lune’s loyalty and Deven’s courage alike. Will she betray her Queen for the sake of a world that is not hers? And can he survive in the alien and Machiavellian world of the fae? For only together will they be able to find the source of Invidiana’s power—find it, and break it...
A breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England; Midnight Never Come seamlessly weaves together history and the fantastic to dazzling effect.
But a great light casts a great shadow.
In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.
Two courtiers, both struggling for royal favor, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind these two thrones. When the faerie lady Lune is sent to monitor and manipulate Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham, her path crosses that of Michael Deven, a mortal gentleman and agent of Walsingham’s. His discovery of the “hidden player” in English politics will test Lune’s loyalty and Deven’s courage alike. Will she betray her Queen for the sake of a world that is not hers? And can he survive in the alien and Machiavellian world of the fae? For only together will they be able to find the source of Invidiana’s power—find it, and break it...
A breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England; Midnight Never Come seamlessly weaves together history and the fantastic to dazzling effect.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2008
130 people are currently reading
5385 people want to read
About the author
Marie Brennan
174 books3,255 followersMarie Brennan a.k.a. M.A. Carrick
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for material. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of M.A. Carrick, she is also the author of The Mask of Mirrors, first in the Rook and Rose trilogy. For more information, visit swantower.com, Twitter @swan_tower, or her Patreon.
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for material. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of M.A. Carrick, she is also the author of The Mask of Mirrors, first in the Rook and Rose trilogy. For more information, visit swantower.com, Twitter @swan_tower, or her Patreon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
September 9, 2020
So when I started reading this it seemed a little bland, though I was getting through it fast enough. It felt a little lacking in feeling. But then around the halfway mark something clicked and I ended up really enjoying it!
It begins with a conversation between two would-be queens. Thirty years later, Devan finds himself in the services of Queen Elizabeth (the first) and, more directly, her spymaster Walsingham. Beneath London, in the secret realm of the Onyx Court, Lune seeks to regain the favour of the dark Faerie Queen, Indiviana. Naturally, the path of the mortal man and disgraced fae lady are destined to cross.
At first, it all seemed to be meandering along without much of a point. There's a tingle of mystery with the mostly-nonsense-but-sometimes-lucid babbling of Tiresias, the fae court's local mortal-turned-nutjob-from-overexposure, but aside from that, the plot itself wasn't particularly evident.
However I do really enjoy reading about this era of history, so I very much enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and fantasy. The way they threaded together was absolutely a highlight of this novel. There's definitely more of a focus on the fictional queen, but the morsels of history made the whole thing feel more real, and lent that serious tone that this slightly dark fantasy needed.
For me, the characters seemed a little weak early on, but in hindsight I think it's just because they were functioning on their own, towards solitary goals. Around the halfway mark we finally start to see the pieces beginning to move together and from then on I really enjoyed it. I do think it would have benefitted from stronger characterisation of the two leads, Devan and Lune, but by the end of the novel I had come to be rather invested in their goals.
The fae world itself was fascinating and contained a large variety of creatures I have never heard of, as well of some I have but can't picture. There's not a huge amount of detail in the world-building, though, with most of the effort going towards the scope of the fae/mortal divide, and the differences between the two worlds. I never got a particularly clear picture of the Onyx Court which was a little frustrating, but I also appreciate that this book forwent some of the details in favour of moving the plot along.
In the end, the plot took me along paths I definitely didn't expect, which was a bit of a strange feeling but also kind of refreshing. There are some interesting ideas and I feel like a lot only came into it towards the end, yet it still seemed to make sense so no real complaints here. It was odd, but not unwelcome.
I'm intrigued enough to suss out the sequel, but this felt like a complete enough story that I'm satisfied with it for now. I like that in a fantasy series.
An interesting blend of fantasy and historical fiction, with intrigue that begins slowly but really amps up towards the end. If you can make it to the halfway point, the rest will be easy to devour.
It begins with a conversation between two would-be queens. Thirty years later, Devan finds himself in the services of Queen Elizabeth (the first) and, more directly, her spymaster Walsingham. Beneath London, in the secret realm of the Onyx Court, Lune seeks to regain the favour of the dark Faerie Queen, Indiviana. Naturally, the path of the mortal man and disgraced fae lady are destined to cross.
At first, it all seemed to be meandering along without much of a point. There's a tingle of mystery with the mostly-nonsense-but-sometimes-lucid babbling of Tiresias, the fae court's local mortal-turned-nutjob-from-overexposure, but aside from that, the plot itself wasn't particularly evident.
However I do really enjoy reading about this era of history, so I very much enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and fantasy. The way they threaded together was absolutely a highlight of this novel. There's definitely more of a focus on the fictional queen, but the morsels of history made the whole thing feel more real, and lent that serious tone that this slightly dark fantasy needed.
For me, the characters seemed a little weak early on, but in hindsight I think it's just because they were functioning on their own, towards solitary goals. Around the halfway mark we finally start to see the pieces beginning to move together and from then on I really enjoyed it. I do think it would have benefitted from stronger characterisation of the two leads, Devan and Lune, but by the end of the novel I had come to be rather invested in their goals.
The fae world itself was fascinating and contained a large variety of creatures I have never heard of, as well of some I have but can't picture. There's not a huge amount of detail in the world-building, though, with most of the effort going towards the scope of the fae/mortal divide, and the differences between the two worlds. I never got a particularly clear picture of the Onyx Court which was a little frustrating, but I also appreciate that this book forwent some of the details in favour of moving the plot along.
In the end, the plot took me along paths I definitely didn't expect, which was a bit of a strange feeling but also kind of refreshing. There are some interesting ideas and I feel like a lot only came into it towards the end, yet it still seemed to make sense so no real complaints here. It was odd, but not unwelcome.
I'm intrigued enough to suss out the sequel, but this felt like a complete enough story that I'm satisfied with it for now. I like that in a fantasy series.
An interesting blend of fantasy and historical fiction, with intrigue that begins slowly but really amps up towards the end. If you can make it to the halfway point, the rest will be easy to devour.
November 2, 2014
Finally, after spending time trying to conceptualize my review of Midnight Never Come, I have come up with the perfect metaphor for how I feel about this book. I feel like a Chopped judge (I’m sorry for anyone who hasn’t stumbled upon the food network and watched the show). Not just any Chopped judge, mind you, but one who has been presented with a plate of food described as one thing and after one bite the judge knows that that description is untrue. In plainer terms: they’ve been fed a big spiel of crap.
This book wasn’t crap, that’s not what I’m saying. I feel mislead, is the heart of the matter. This is why I have been scratching my head since reading the epilogue and trying to figure out what the heck happened with the final pages and my expectations.
Brennan’s book is not a seamless melding of historical fiction and fantasy. It is historical fiction masquerading as a fae story, and vice versa. I know that doesn’t make a lot of generic sense so I’ll put it this way: I wanted to read a story about the fae, I got a story about Elizabeth I; had I approached this story looking for a book about Elizabeth’s court, I would have been fooled into reading a book about the fae. Instead of taking me into the Onyx Court and drawing parallels with Elizabeth’s London home, because they are essentially light and dark mirror images of each other, Brennan does the opposite. I’ve studied the Elizabethan age so I know a lot about it, Brennan knows more. And I really enjoyed those parts, except when they started taking up the whole story. Really, I didn’t need to read about Elizabeth’s court so that I could draw my own dark conclusions about Invidiana’s, I should have been shown the Faerie Queen’s so that I could reconcile it with what I know about the real world. Phillipa Gregory has made the Tudor’s old hat, I didn’t need a history lesson, I needed a mythology one. You see?
I was willing to give the story, and the flaws that were ticking me off a little bit, the benefit of the doubt after the pace picked up, that is, after the entire tale was set up in 222 pages. It’s a 379 page book. Even math-challenged beings like myself can see the disparateness between those two numbers. Pretty much that left a little over 150 pages to get to the big conflict and resolution. Both were so abrupt I feel somewhat robbed. And the ending was not at all what I was expecting for this book or for the series.
Now I feel mislead in a big way. And, like many readers, I don’t really like that. I haven’t read the next book but my faith in the author is a little shaken so I’m not going to be going in with an open mind, to be perfectly frank. I’m going in because I feel that after 222 I’ve earned some more story since I do know that Deven is in the next book, the ebook, anyway. I’m just hoping that it doesn’t try to be more mysterious than it is. The Lune banishment explanation took WAY too long to be told, to the point that I didn’t even care, and I don’t see why it really really mattered. But that’s just me.
The last pages saved this read for me and I feel invested. It was a very slow start though.
This book wasn’t crap, that’s not what I’m saying. I feel mislead, is the heart of the matter. This is why I have been scratching my head since reading the epilogue and trying to figure out what the heck happened with the final pages and my expectations.
Brennan’s book is not a seamless melding of historical fiction and fantasy. It is historical fiction masquerading as a fae story, and vice versa. I know that doesn’t make a lot of generic sense so I’ll put it this way: I wanted to read a story about the fae, I got a story about Elizabeth I; had I approached this story looking for a book about Elizabeth’s court, I would have been fooled into reading a book about the fae. Instead of taking me into the Onyx Court and drawing parallels with Elizabeth’s London home, because they are essentially light and dark mirror images of each other, Brennan does the opposite. I’ve studied the Elizabethan age so I know a lot about it, Brennan knows more. And I really enjoyed those parts, except when they started taking up the whole story. Really, I didn’t need to read about Elizabeth’s court so that I could draw my own dark conclusions about Invidiana’s, I should have been shown the Faerie Queen’s so that I could reconcile it with what I know about the real world. Phillipa Gregory has made the Tudor’s old hat, I didn’t need a history lesson, I needed a mythology one. You see?
I was willing to give the story, and the flaws that were ticking me off a little bit, the benefit of the doubt after the pace picked up, that is, after the entire tale was set up in 222 pages. It’s a 379 page book. Even math-challenged beings like myself can see the disparateness between those two numbers. Pretty much that left a little over 150 pages to get to the big conflict and resolution. Both were so abrupt I feel somewhat robbed. And the ending was not at all what I was expecting for this book or for the series.
Now I feel mislead in a big way. And, like many readers, I don’t really like that. I haven’t read the next book but my faith in the author is a little shaken so I’m not going to be going in with an open mind, to be perfectly frank. I’m going in because I feel that after 222 I’ve earned some more story since I do know that Deven is in the next book, the ebook, anyway. I’m just hoping that it doesn’t try to be more mysterious than it is. The Lune banishment explanation took WAY too long to be told, to the point that I didn’t even care, and I don’t see why it really really mattered. But that’s just me.
The last pages saved this read for me and I feel invested. It was a very slow start though.
July 21, 2016
I actually picked this up before I ever got into the Lady Trent books, which I have loved so much, but I bought it again when Titan reissued it with a pretty new cover. Fired up with enthusiasm for Brennan’s work and knowing there’s a wait until the next Lady Trent book, I finally decided to read it. I was a bit daunted by the length, but in the end that felt perfect: just the right amount to dig into. The faerie court is interesting, and I enjoy the fact that Brennan kept it period and geography-appropriate in terms of which sorts of fae were present. Genre-wise, it feels more like historical fiction than fantasy, in the sense that I think the pacing and politicking belongs to a historical novel, and the fantasy is situated within that historical context (rather than the other way round).
To me, reading it that way, the pacing was mostly really good, though some of Michael Deven’s sections were frustratingly disconnected from the main plot — partly by their mundanity, and partly because Michael isn’t a major player or even properly clued in for a lot of the book. Lune’s sections work better because she is more aware of the situation on a macro-level, and though her goal is personal advancement, at least her eyes are open to the wider implications of what she’s involved in.
The only part that didn’t quite work for me was Michael and Lune’s relationship; I felt a little lukewarm about them individually, so it didn’t add up to much more with them together, and so parts of the plot which relied on their relationship fell a little bit flat for me. I was really more interested in some of the background, the history of Invidiana, the links between the courts, etc. But overall it still worked pretty well for me, and I’m excited to read more in this universe. I suspect it’ll get better as it goes along, too, knowing how much I enjoy Brennan’s most recent work.
Originally posted here.
To me, reading it that way, the pacing was mostly really good, though some of Michael Deven’s sections were frustratingly disconnected from the main plot — partly by their mundanity, and partly because Michael isn’t a major player or even properly clued in for a lot of the book. Lune’s sections work better because she is more aware of the situation on a macro-level, and though her goal is personal advancement, at least her eyes are open to the wider implications of what she’s involved in.
The only part that didn’t quite work for me was Michael and Lune’s relationship; I felt a little lukewarm about them individually, so it didn’t add up to much more with them together, and so parts of the plot which relied on their relationship fell a little bit flat for me. I was really more interested in some of the background, the history of Invidiana, the links between the courts, etc. But overall it still worked pretty well for me, and I’m excited to read more in this universe. I suspect it’ll get better as it goes along, too, knowing how much I enjoy Brennan’s most recent work.
Originally posted here.
June 14, 2018
3.5 stars.
I really wanted to adore this one, because it combines two of my all time favourite things - faeries and Tudors! And while I did like it, I didn't love it quite as much as I was hoping to, which is kind of disappointing, because there needs to be more fantasy-tudor books! Just...I need them. But this was quite different from what I had thought it might be like, and although I did think it had a stunning premise, I found it a little hard to connect with the story. I wanted to fall in love with characters and rave about this book, and I tried so hard to do that, but it just wasn't happening.
T H O U G H T S
- This is a very beautiful book. I say that meaning the literal aesthetic. The cover is super pretty, and the idea just appeals to me so much. Faeries and Tudors! This book sounds like it was made for me. And the faeries themselves were pretty cool - twisty and magical and dark and interesting. I loved reading about them! I wanted to know more about the hidden courts and the faeries that lived far from the mortal world. I wanted there to be some more rich world building and for this to be a big, beautiful, sprawling fantasy novel. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get there.
- I think that my main issue with this book it that it feels like a fairy tale. Now, I love fairy tales, don't get me wrong. They are beautiful stories and are amazing to retell! But they are always written slightly detached - you don't get right inside the characters, they aren't super well built and detailed. And that is really what this book was like. Everything was beautiful and lyrical and interesting and had so much potential, but I felt very distanced from the story. I could find much connection with the characters, because they were just instruments to tell the tale. They felt like the fairy tale characters that I described. I really wanted to relate to and love them, but there wasn't enough there for them to feel like real, likable people.
- There were a lot of opportunities for action and high stakes, but the author kept passing them over. I wish the story had been little more broad and less focused on just Lune and Deven (oh yeah, I didn't particularly like Deven). There was a lot of scheming going on but not much else, and sometimes I really questioned the characters motives. I would have loved for there to be a proper battle with the Wild Hunt, but I do understand that this is not that type of book.
There was a lot to love here, but this one fell a little flat for me. I adored the faeries and the way they interfered in England, but I found it hard to get into this book. I do think that if I could find it in a library somewhere, I might read the sequel, because I do want to find out what happens next. However, I think each book is set in a different time, and just marks what is going on in the Onyx Court during those centuries, so you could read this one as a standalone, if you wanted to. I would recommend this book, but only if you like that fairy tale-esque sort of narrative, and are interested in the premise, because that's the best bit.
I really wanted to adore this one, because it combines two of my all time favourite things - faeries and Tudors! And while I did like it, I didn't love it quite as much as I was hoping to, which is kind of disappointing, because there needs to be more fantasy-tudor books! Just...I need them. But this was quite different from what I had thought it might be like, and although I did think it had a stunning premise, I found it a little hard to connect with the story. I wanted to fall in love with characters and rave about this book, and I tried so hard to do that, but it just wasn't happening.
T H O U G H T S
- This is a very beautiful book. I say that meaning the literal aesthetic. The cover is super pretty, and the idea just appeals to me so much. Faeries and Tudors! This book sounds like it was made for me. And the faeries themselves were pretty cool - twisty and magical and dark and interesting. I loved reading about them! I wanted to know more about the hidden courts and the faeries that lived far from the mortal world. I wanted there to be some more rich world building and for this to be a big, beautiful, sprawling fantasy novel. Unfortunately, we didn't quite get there.
- I think that my main issue with this book it that it feels like a fairy tale. Now, I love fairy tales, don't get me wrong. They are beautiful stories and are amazing to retell! But they are always written slightly detached - you don't get right inside the characters, they aren't super well built and detailed. And that is really what this book was like. Everything was beautiful and lyrical and interesting and had so much potential, but I felt very distanced from the story. I could find much connection with the characters, because they were just instruments to tell the tale. They felt like the fairy tale characters that I described. I really wanted to relate to and love them, but there wasn't enough there for them to feel like real, likable people.
- There were a lot of opportunities for action and high stakes, but the author kept passing them over. I wish the story had been little more broad and less focused on just Lune and Deven (oh yeah, I didn't particularly like Deven). There was a lot of scheming going on but not much else, and sometimes I really questioned the characters motives. I would have loved for there to be a proper battle with the Wild Hunt, but I do understand that this is not that type of book.
There was a lot to love here, but this one fell a little flat for me. I adored the faeries and the way they interfered in England, but I found it hard to get into this book. I do think that if I could find it in a library somewhere, I might read the sequel, because I do want to find out what happens next. However, I think each book is set in a different time, and just marks what is going on in the Onyx Court during those centuries, so you could read this one as a standalone, if you wanted to. I would recommend this book, but only if you like that fairy tale-esque sort of narrative, and are interested in the premise, because that's the best bit.
July 7, 2017
Beneath Elizabethan London, there is a hidden city, where the faerie queen Invidiana holds court. The deal she made with Queen Elizabeth long ago draws mortal Michael Deven and fae Lady Lune, each seeking to gain knowledge and power, into a deadly web of political intrigue which tangles their fates and the fates of their courts together.
I liked Brennan's previous two books (_Doppelganger_ and _Warrior and Witch_, recently reissued as Warrior and Witch) a lot and have been looking forward to this one for a while -- it doesn't disappoint. Instead of using the Seelie vs. Unseelie Courts situation which is perhaps overly common in faerie-related fiction, Brennan has created a beautifully English-feeling fae court (with allusions to counterparts in other countries) which she weaves seamlessly into her excellent depiction of Elizabethan London. Similarly, she mixes her fictional characters nicely with historical people; I thought her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth especially convincing. In terms of complexity of setting and plot, particularly, I think this is a step up from _Warrior_ and _Witch_, and I really look forward to seeing Brennan's next book about the Onyx Court (which is apparently to be set around the time of the Great Fire).
I liked Brennan's previous two books (_Doppelganger_ and _Warrior and Witch_, recently reissued as Warrior and Witch) a lot and have been looking forward to this one for a while -- it doesn't disappoint. Instead of using the Seelie vs. Unseelie Courts situation which is perhaps overly common in faerie-related fiction, Brennan has created a beautifully English-feeling fae court (with allusions to counterparts in other countries) which she weaves seamlessly into her excellent depiction of Elizabethan London. Similarly, she mixes her fictional characters nicely with historical people; I thought her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth especially convincing. In terms of complexity of setting and plot, particularly, I think this is a step up from _Warrior_ and _Witch_, and I really look forward to seeing Brennan's next book about the Onyx Court (which is apparently to be set around the time of the Great Fire).
October 4, 2008
This is an elegantly written historical fantasy about two queens and two courts, the mortal one of Elizabeth I, and the fae, known as the Onyx Court, of Invidiana. The two courts are linked both by physical proximity---the Onyx Court is beneath the city of London---and by an arrangement between the two monarchs when Invidiana raises the young Elizabeth to the throne. There are fae spies at the mortal court, and mortal pets at the faerie court, but how the two courts are otherwise linked takes awhile to unfold. The novel concerns the adventures of Michael Deven, one of Elizabeth's pensioners, and the Lady Lune, one of Invidiana's spies.
The first part of the book is devoted to these characters' struggle for upward mobility----and Lune in particular to make up for a botched deal she made with the people of the sea. At the beginning, the book is merely interesting; full of court intrigue and rich with both Elizabethan politics and British faerie lore, but the characters a bit difficult to warm up to. I found this a bit of an issue with Brennan's previous books as well, because she is better at showing us what her characters think than what they feel. This is particularly problematic with Deven, who at one point is broken hearted over a love we had little chance to see him feel. Not that the protagonists aren't likable, but more the literary equivalent of reserved, taking awhile to move from objects of interest to objects of sympathy. They do so around the same time that the plot picks up, transforming the book from interesting to compelling to unputdownable. Your intellect and imagination may be engaged before your heartstrings are, but by the end of the novel, you should be satisfied all around.
The first part of the book is devoted to these characters' struggle for upward mobility----and Lune in particular to make up for a botched deal she made with the people of the sea. At the beginning, the book is merely interesting; full of court intrigue and rich with both Elizabethan politics and British faerie lore, but the characters a bit difficult to warm up to. I found this a bit of an issue with Brennan's previous books as well, because she is better at showing us what her characters think than what they feel. This is particularly problematic with Deven, who at one point is broken hearted over a love we had little chance to see him feel. Not that the protagonists aren't likable, but more the literary equivalent of reserved, taking awhile to move from objects of interest to objects of sympathy. They do so around the same time that the plot picks up, transforming the book from interesting to compelling to unputdownable. Your intellect and imagination may be engaged before your heartstrings are, but by the end of the novel, you should be satisfied all around.
January 3, 2022
This was a delightful novel of courtly intrigue.
I very much enjoyed the worldbuilding and especially
I very much enjoyed the worldbuilding and especially
June 6, 2018
Un peu long à se mettre en route mais quand comme moi, on aime les intrigues de cour, les complots politiques et religieux, on se régale !
Bien meilleur que Lady Trent dans le sens où le personnage principal n’apparaît pas comme un copié-collé de Peabody (avec des dragons ... mais sans Emerson).
Bien meilleur que Lady Trent dans le sens où le personnage principal n’apparaît pas comme un copié-collé de Peabody (avec des dragons ... mais sans Emerson).
September 12, 2008
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 monarchsand 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 otherbut 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 backgroundbut 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 thateven with an underground faerie court, even with a somewhat unwelcome deus ex machinathe book is a plausible, convincing whole.
I read Brennan's journal (), but this was my first chance to read one of her booksand 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 novelsespecially those which combine the faerie world with human history.
Brennan has done a remarkable job researching and conceptualizing her England, where human and faerie courts mirror each otherbut 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 backgroundbut 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 thateven with an underground faerie court, even with a somewhat unwelcome deus ex machinathe book is a plausible, convincing whole.
I read Brennan's journal (), but this was my first chance to read one of her booksand 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 novelsespecially those which combine the faerie world with human history.
January 14, 2024
I love the Tudor and I love fantasy books. So when you give me a story that combines them both I am a very happy reader! I really enjoyed the way the courts of the mortals and the faeries combined to have an effect on history. Loved the characters of Lady Lune and Michael Deven. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
August 27, 2008
Midnight Never Come is a tale of twos.
Two Courts – Mortal & Faerie.
Two Queens – Elizabeth I of England & Invidiana of the Onyx Court.
Two Bindings – A Curse & A Pact.
Two Identities – the faerie Lady Lune & her mortal glamour Anne Montrose; Invidiana & Suspiria.
The moral court is the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England. At the start of the story Elizabeth is her prime as monarch. Her kingdom is secure thanks to the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but she is plagued by the recent execution of her cousin Queen Mary of Scotland. She feels “managed” by another and dislikes it.
The faerie court is ruled by the tyrannical Queen Invidiana. Her court is attended by the Lady Lune, who is recently fallen out of Invidiana’s favor. Lune negotiated a pact with the sea folk to assist the mortal court in the defeat of the Spanish, but overstepped her boundaries when she promised peace. Lune is ostracized by Invidiana, but nobly wants to regain favor. In so doing, she takes a task to infiltrate the court of Queen Elizabeth by assuming the identity of Anne Montrose.
In Queen Elizabeth’s court the Lord Walsingham controls the security of the empire through secrecy and espionage. Master John Deven seeks to gain social status and courtly favor by working for Walsingham. Walingham suspects that the Elizabeth is being influenced by an outsider and he and Deven attempt to solve the puzzle.
Deven is courting Anne Montrose and he benignly feeds her information regarding the mortal court. Deven is in love with Anne and asks for her hand in marriage, but is refused with little explanation. Anne disappears and Deven searches for her by using Walsingham’s contacts.
Deven finds Anne (Lune) and learns of her dual identity and her mission – to spy on Elizabeth. Deven feels betrayed and is hurt Lune’s deception, but looks past it to help undo the pact that is hurting both courts. The pact between Elizabeth and Invidiana was made while Elizabeth sat in the Tower under the imprisonment of Queen Mary I. The pact binds Elizabeth to Invidiana in exchange for securing the English crown.
Deven and Lune learn of Invidiana’s true identity and the curse she tried to lift by creating the Onyx Court. But the creation of the Onyx court was also formed by the pact made with Elizabeth. Undoing one would undo the other.
With the help of mystical advisers, the spirit of the river Thames, angels, wise brownies, and other fae the Onyx Court is released from Invidiana and the pact with Elizabeth is broken. Lune with Deven by her side will rule the Onyx Court and coexist with the mortals of London.
Firstly, Midnight Never Come is my kind of story – Elizabethan historical fantasy. And Brennan really gets it right. The detail and accuracy of this story is phenomenal. I can’t imagine exactly how much research when into this, but I bet it took more time to research the story than to actually write it.
I loved the characterization of the faeries and mortal courtiers. You really feel like you get to know the characters well, but aren’t daunted by minutia. The settings are beautifully descriptive, but not overpowering. The plot is intricate, severe, and you can feel the risk. But the plot themes are loosely tied and I feel like it could have been backed up by more action and explanation. There were a couple instances where I needed to re-read something to make sure I caught all of the details. The language is a bit overwhelming and if all of the historical facts weren’t accurate I’d call it pretentious. If it ‘twere packed full of “tws,” ‘twould ‘ve been ‘twerrific (guess that movie). No really, I could stomach it, but ‘twas too much.
Anyway, Midnight Never Come isn’t a simple Sunday afternoon book, but it’s enjoyable if it’s your type of book. If not, stay away.
Two Courts – Mortal & Faerie.
Two Queens – Elizabeth I of England & Invidiana of the Onyx Court.
Two Bindings – A Curse & A Pact.
Two Identities – the faerie Lady Lune & her mortal glamour Anne Montrose; Invidiana & Suspiria.
The moral court is the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England. At the start of the story Elizabeth is her prime as monarch. Her kingdom is secure thanks to the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but she is plagued by the recent execution of her cousin Queen Mary of Scotland. She feels “managed” by another and dislikes it.
The faerie court is ruled by the tyrannical Queen Invidiana. Her court is attended by the Lady Lune, who is recently fallen out of Invidiana’s favor. Lune negotiated a pact with the sea folk to assist the mortal court in the defeat of the Spanish, but overstepped her boundaries when she promised peace. Lune is ostracized by Invidiana, but nobly wants to regain favor. In so doing, she takes a task to infiltrate the court of Queen Elizabeth by assuming the identity of Anne Montrose.
In Queen Elizabeth’s court the Lord Walsingham controls the security of the empire through secrecy and espionage. Master John Deven seeks to gain social status and courtly favor by working for Walsingham. Walingham suspects that the Elizabeth is being influenced by an outsider and he and Deven attempt to solve the puzzle.
Deven is courting Anne Montrose and he benignly feeds her information regarding the mortal court. Deven is in love with Anne and asks for her hand in marriage, but is refused with little explanation. Anne disappears and Deven searches for her by using Walsingham’s contacts.
Deven finds Anne (Lune) and learns of her dual identity and her mission – to spy on Elizabeth. Deven feels betrayed and is hurt Lune’s deception, but looks past it to help undo the pact that is hurting both courts. The pact between Elizabeth and Invidiana was made while Elizabeth sat in the Tower under the imprisonment of Queen Mary I. The pact binds Elizabeth to Invidiana in exchange for securing the English crown.
Deven and Lune learn of Invidiana’s true identity and the curse she tried to lift by creating the Onyx Court. But the creation of the Onyx court was also formed by the pact made with Elizabeth. Undoing one would undo the other.
With the help of mystical advisers, the spirit of the river Thames, angels, wise brownies, and other fae the Onyx Court is released from Invidiana and the pact with Elizabeth is broken. Lune with Deven by her side will rule the Onyx Court and coexist with the mortals of London.
Firstly, Midnight Never Come is my kind of story – Elizabethan historical fantasy. And Brennan really gets it right. The detail and accuracy of this story is phenomenal. I can’t imagine exactly how much research when into this, but I bet it took more time to research the story than to actually write it.
I loved the characterization of the faeries and mortal courtiers. You really feel like you get to know the characters well, but aren’t daunted by minutia. The settings are beautifully descriptive, but not overpowering. The plot is intricate, severe, and you can feel the risk. But the plot themes are loosely tied and I feel like it could have been backed up by more action and explanation. There were a couple instances where I needed to re-read something to make sure I caught all of the details. The language is a bit overwhelming and if all of the historical facts weren’t accurate I’d call it pretentious. If it ‘twere packed full of “tws,” ‘twould ‘ve been ‘twerrific (guess that movie). No really, I could stomach it, but ‘twas too much.
Anyway, Midnight Never Come isn’t a simple Sunday afternoon book, but it’s enjoyable if it’s your type of book. If not, stay away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2017
MIDNIGHT NEVER COME
Set during the reign of Elizabeth I, Midnight Never Come tells of two Englands: one a realm of mortals ruled by Elizabeth, and one a realm of fairies, ruled by the heartless and exceedingly ruthless Invidiana. The two realms and the two rulers are linked by a pact which brought both queens to their thrones. But while Elizabeth has no interest in interfering with Invidiana and her subjects, the fairy queen’s agenda leads her to both help and hinder Elizabeth. She has spies in the mortal court, and has manipulated events in such a way that Elizabeth has sometimes had no choice but to act as Invidiana chooses, not as she would choose herself.
Because much of the plot hinges on politics and espionage we see little of the pageantry and color of Elizabeth’s court, but we do get to see its darker corners, and meet some of history’s most fascinating characters, like Doctor John Dee.
The protagonists of the tale are Lune, who hopes to better her precarious position within the cut-throat politics of Invididana’s “Onyx Court” by accepting an assignment to disguise herself as a mortal and spy on the humans, and Michael Deven, a young Englishman whose family has recently been elevated to the gentry, and whose ambitions lead him to work for Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster. It is inevitable, of course, that these two should meet, and that their agendas should clash over developing events The difference is that Lune knows most of what is afoot, and for much of the book Michael is ignorant. However, once he is assigned to uncover a suspected secret influence on the queen, it is not in his nature to leave any possibilities unexplored.
The pacing of the first part of the story is slow, as Brennan sets up past and present events. Just as I was becoming interested in one group of characters, she would switch to another. But I have some familiarity with the period and with fairy lore and I was intrigued by the way she wove real events so cleverly with the folklore. Then, about halfway through the book, when the various strands of the plot began to come together, and when the personalities of the main characters were more established, the story itself became considerably more compelling.
As well as Invidiana’s role in manipulating English politics, there is the mystery of her own origins, the creation of the vast underground Onyx Court, and her ascension to the throne, which Lune and Michael join forces to discover. There is also a developing romance, where I would have liked to see more depth of emotion, but the tragedy inherent in a mortal and an immortal falling in love are sufficiently obvious, perhaps the author decided to leave that aspect to the readers’ imaginations.
Brennan is able to inject quite a bit of darkness and suspense, without resorting to much in the way of violence or gore. Vicious and ruthless as the fairy queen is, it is the subtlety of her methods and punishments that makes her the most dangerous. Overall, I found this a clever and entertaining book, and went straight to Amazon after finishing it, to order the sequel.
Set during the reign of Elizabeth I, Midnight Never Come tells of two Englands: one a realm of mortals ruled by Elizabeth, and one a realm of fairies, ruled by the heartless and exceedingly ruthless Invidiana. The two realms and the two rulers are linked by a pact which brought both queens to their thrones. But while Elizabeth has no interest in interfering with Invidiana and her subjects, the fairy queen’s agenda leads her to both help and hinder Elizabeth. She has spies in the mortal court, and has manipulated events in such a way that Elizabeth has sometimes had no choice but to act as Invidiana chooses, not as she would choose herself.
Because much of the plot hinges on politics and espionage we see little of the pageantry and color of Elizabeth’s court, but we do get to see its darker corners, and meet some of history’s most fascinating characters, like Doctor John Dee.
The protagonists of the tale are Lune, who hopes to better her precarious position within the cut-throat politics of Invididana’s “Onyx Court” by accepting an assignment to disguise herself as a mortal and spy on the humans, and Michael Deven, a young Englishman whose family has recently been elevated to the gentry, and whose ambitions lead him to work for Sir Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster. It is inevitable, of course, that these two should meet, and that their agendas should clash over developing events The difference is that Lune knows most of what is afoot, and for much of the book Michael is ignorant. However, once he is assigned to uncover a suspected secret influence on the queen, it is not in his nature to leave any possibilities unexplored.
The pacing of the first part of the story is slow, as Brennan sets up past and present events. Just as I was becoming interested in one group of characters, she would switch to another. But I have some familiarity with the period and with fairy lore and I was intrigued by the way she wove real events so cleverly with the folklore. Then, about halfway through the book, when the various strands of the plot began to come together, and when the personalities of the main characters were more established, the story itself became considerably more compelling.
As well as Invidiana’s role in manipulating English politics, there is the mystery of her own origins, the creation of the vast underground Onyx Court, and her ascension to the throne, which Lune and Michael join forces to discover. There is also a developing romance, where I would have liked to see more depth of emotion, but the tragedy inherent in a mortal and an immortal falling in love are sufficiently obvious, perhaps the author decided to leave that aspect to the readers’ imaginations.
Brennan is able to inject quite a bit of darkness and suspense, without resorting to much in the way of violence or gore. Vicious and ruthless as the fairy queen is, it is the subtlety of her methods and punishments that makes her the most dangerous. Overall, I found this a clever and entertaining book, and went straight to Amazon after finishing it, to order the sequel.
December 1, 2008
With her latest book, Brennan has moved from more traditional sword & sorcery to intricate historical fantasy. Anyone wanting or expecting more of the same might be disappointed. I was not.
Set in the late 16th century, Midnight Never Comes opens with a pact between two women who will soon become the most powerful rulers in England: Elizabeth the Virgin Queen, and Invidiana, faerie ruler of the Onyx Court below London. The Onyx Court is a dark shadow of the city above, a secret place of cruelty and deception. One member of Invidiana's court, a faerie named Lune, struggles to regain the favor of her queen by spying on events above. Lune's counterpart is the human courtier Michael Deven, who has been tasked by spymaster Francis Walsingham with finding the hidden player influencing Queen Elizabeth. As Lune and Deven discover the secrets behind Invidiana's power and the true nature of the faerie queen's pacts, they must choose whether to work together, risking everything to try to break Invidiana's rule.
Lune was a more appealing character to me, in part I think because her stakes were higher. Whereas Deven starts out trying to secure a position in Elizabeth's court, Lune serves a more temperamental and dangerous ruler in a court that makes human politics look as simplistic and straightforward as the squabbling of preschoolers. Watching Lune navigate that court, seeing her fall and struggle to rise again, leaves Deven feeling a little bland by comparison.
I confess to being a poor historian, but even to my eye it's clear Brennan has done a great deal of research for this book. Every detail is meticulous and precise, evoking not a generic English fantasy setting but a very real and concrete place and time. Brennan blends historical detail with the fantastic so smoothly I barely noticed the seams.
This is a book that invites you to slow down and savor. Broken into five acts, each act builds more tension, moving from a relatively leisurely introduction toward a much more focused struggle in the final act. By the end, I had a hard time closing the book, and lost quite a bit of sleep as things came to a climax.
If you're looking for nonstop action and excitement, this may not be the book for you. But if you want rich worldbuilding and a story you can truly immerse yourself in, I'd recommend picking this one up.
Set in the late 16th century, Midnight Never Comes opens with a pact between two women who will soon become the most powerful rulers in England: Elizabeth the Virgin Queen, and Invidiana, faerie ruler of the Onyx Court below London. The Onyx Court is a dark shadow of the city above, a secret place of cruelty and deception. One member of Invidiana's court, a faerie named Lune, struggles to regain the favor of her queen by spying on events above. Lune's counterpart is the human courtier Michael Deven, who has been tasked by spymaster Francis Walsingham with finding the hidden player influencing Queen Elizabeth. As Lune and Deven discover the secrets behind Invidiana's power and the true nature of the faerie queen's pacts, they must choose whether to work together, risking everything to try to break Invidiana's rule.
Lune was a more appealing character to me, in part I think because her stakes were higher. Whereas Deven starts out trying to secure a position in Elizabeth's court, Lune serves a more temperamental and dangerous ruler in a court that makes human politics look as simplistic and straightforward as the squabbling of preschoolers. Watching Lune navigate that court, seeing her fall and struggle to rise again, leaves Deven feeling a little bland by comparison.
I confess to being a poor historian, but even to my eye it's clear Brennan has done a great deal of research for this book. Every detail is meticulous and precise, evoking not a generic English fantasy setting but a very real and concrete place and time. Brennan blends historical detail with the fantastic so smoothly I barely noticed the seams.
This is a book that invites you to slow down and savor. Broken into five acts, each act builds more tension, moving from a relatively leisurely introduction toward a much more focused struggle in the final act. By the end, I had a hard time closing the book, and lost quite a bit of sleep as things came to a climax.
If you're looking for nonstop action and excitement, this may not be the book for you. But if you want rich worldbuilding and a story you can truly immerse yourself in, I'd recommend picking this one up.
August 4, 2009
When I first discovered this book, I honestly believed it may have been the most perfect fantasy book ever created. Firstly, it takes place during Elizabethan England, one of my favorite periods in English history. Secondly, it is about the Fey, and I feel that too few authors write truly great books about faeries.
When I got hold of it, I was immediately disappointed. The protagonists of Lune (female fey) and Michael Devan (male mortal) were not particularly interesting and the stories of both courts were kept entirely separate. I actually put the book down for several days and didn't keep reading.
However, the book is separated into 5 acts and, past the first act, the book immediately tightens up and becomes more interesting. It was at this point that I came to the blissful realization that this book was just as perfect as I hoped it would be. The characters are wonderful, the story well-paced, the romance touching without being cloying, and I beyond delighted to learn that there is a second book in the series. In the meantime, Marie Brennan's website has a novella, "Deeds of Men", available for download.
A brilliant book. A truly beautiful weaving of history and fantasy.
When I got hold of it, I was immediately disappointed. The protagonists of Lune (female fey) and Michael Devan (male mortal) were not particularly interesting and the stories of both courts were kept entirely separate. I actually put the book down for several days and didn't keep reading.
However, the book is separated into 5 acts and, past the first act, the book immediately tightens up and becomes more interesting. It was at this point that I came to the blissful realization that this book was just as perfect as I hoped it would be. The characters are wonderful, the story well-paced, the romance touching without being cloying, and I beyond delighted to learn that there is a second book in the series. In the meantime, Marie Brennan's website has a novella, "Deeds of Men", available for download.
A brilliant book. A truly beautiful weaving of history and fantasy.
April 23, 2018
First DNF of 2018.
This isn't a bad book - it's just not for me. When I read, I see things in full colour; but this book was black & white and just didn't spark my imagination at all.
Too many books to read to spend on something I'm not enjoying!
This isn't a bad book - it's just not for me. When I read, I see things in full colour; but this book was black & white and just didn't spark my imagination at all.
Too many books to read to spend on something I'm not enjoying!
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to-read-kindle
June 26, 2016Yes, but Kindle.
May 30, 2023
I dnf'd at about 200 pages. Slow paced, and though the writing is good, I just was bored. 2 ⭐.
January 7, 2022
Historical fantasy with Faerie lore
I have wanted to read this series for some time and was delighted to finally begin with ‘Midnight Never Come. I combined reading with its unabridged audiobook edition for an immersive experience.
I love historical fiction as well as stories featuring faerie lore, so this fantasy was a winner for me. I am familiar with Marie Brennan’s work so was confident that she would do justice to the Faerie with her Onyx Court.
I will be reading the rest in due course.
I have wanted to read this series for some time and was delighted to finally begin with ‘Midnight Never Come. I combined reading with its unabridged audiobook edition for an immersive experience.
I love historical fiction as well as stories featuring faerie lore, so this fantasy was a winner for me. I am familiar with Marie Brennan’s work so was confident that she would do justice to the Faerie with her Onyx Court.
I will be reading the rest in due course.
December 31, 2021
3.5. Happy to have finally read this. I first was aware of this as a teen, but never got around to getting a copy until my late twenties. Brennan’s so good at intertwining history with the fantastical. A bit predictable of a plot here, and I’m not sure I’m for the courtly intrigue stuff. But it was light fun.
February 7, 2016
2.5
This is the sort of book which should be right up my alley - a historical fantasy, with Elizabeth Tudor, no less, and fae.
The book has a slow build and stuff didn't really seem to be really interesting until the last, like, 25% of the book.
It's an historical fiction with only glimpses of history, and sometimes give in info-dumps. And a fae story with a different sort of faerie vibe - though that's sort of the point of the story, as it goes to some pains to point out that the Onyx Court is not typical for Faerie. (I also wished they had stuck with the bit of the lore where ) In general the story uses different bits of faerie lore, but in its own way.
It's also an intrigue book, but one where we, the reader, seemed to know everything that was going on, and it was just a matter of watching the characters figure things out. This would be ok if the characters themselves were interesting enough to make the story interesting, though I'm not sure they were really strong enough, for me, to carry the story.
But towards the end we find that things aren't quite as they seemed, and there are hidden depths going on. I also grew to appreciate the romance aspect of the story.
It was the ending, really, which decided me to give this 3 stars. It was pretty much a 2 star book before then - and, as always, I reserve the right to change my rating at a future date.
One thing I am glad of is that this story, despite being part of a series, does seem to stand well enough on its own. I would've been very annoyed had I come to the end only to find it be one of those stories where book 1 is really on setup for what's yet to come - especially since I'm not sure even my enjoyment of the ending was enough to make me want to continue the series.
ETA: There was one aspect of the writing style which was a bit odd. We would have 'memories' sections where we saw bits that had happened prior to the story, which set up the events we saw unfolding.
This would all be well and good, but the memory bits often came after Deven and Lune had themselves discovered those bits of the story. So it's like we get the story of what happened, and then we see it again from a different perspective.
For a book where I felt pacing was a problem, these bits didn't really seem to offer much. Or, rather, they would've been better had they happened as Deven and Lune were learning of them - like movies sort of handle flashbacks - and not as ancillary pieces.
This is the sort of book which should be right up my alley - a historical fantasy, with Elizabeth Tudor, no less, and fae.
The book has a slow build and stuff didn't really seem to be really interesting until the last, like, 25% of the book.
It's an historical fiction with only glimpses of history, and sometimes give in info-dumps. And a fae story with a different sort of faerie vibe - though that's sort of the point of the story, as it goes to some pains to point out that the Onyx Court is not typical for Faerie. (I also wished they had stuck with the bit of the lore where ) In general the story uses different bits of faerie lore, but in its own way.
It's also an intrigue book, but one where we, the reader, seemed to know everything that was going on, and it was just a matter of watching the characters figure things out. This would be ok if the characters themselves were interesting enough to make the story interesting, though I'm not sure they were really strong enough, for me, to carry the story.
But towards the end we find that things aren't quite as they seemed, and there are hidden depths going on. I also grew to appreciate the romance aspect of the story.
It was the ending, really, which decided me to give this 3 stars. It was pretty much a 2 star book before then - and, as always, I reserve the right to change my rating at a future date.
One thing I am glad of is that this story, despite being part of a series, does seem to stand well enough on its own. I would've been very annoyed had I come to the end only to find it be one of those stories where book 1 is really on setup for what's yet to come - especially since I'm not sure even my enjoyment of the ending was enough to make me want to continue the series.
ETA: There was one aspect of the writing style which was a bit odd. We would have 'memories' sections where we saw bits that had happened prior to the story, which set up the events we saw unfolding.
This would all be well and good, but the memory bits often came after Deven and Lune had themselves discovered those bits of the story. So it's like we get the story of what happened, and then we see it again from a different perspective.
For a book where I felt pacing was a problem, these bits didn't really seem to offer much. Or, rather, they would've been better had they happened as Deven and Lune were learning of them - like movies sort of handle flashbacks - and not as ancillary pieces.
June 24, 2022
Hmm. I wanted to like this more than I did. I love Marie Brennan's other work, but this felt a bit slow and I couldn't connect with the characters. In part I think it was the heavy reliance on historical figures. There are so many names associated with Elizabeth I's court, and Brennan invoked them in such profusion that I had difficulty keeping track of who was who, or how their various concerns and motivations connected to the main plot (because, of course, to the extent that their concerns and motivations were historically accurate, they weren't). Invidiana's court was easier to follow, because it was invented, and so the various people and their relationships and tensions could all be neatly constructed. I think that's one of the challenges of setting a book in a historical period and incorporating actual people and events: you have more work to do to make your plot and cast hang together. And this couldn't quite do that in a way that held my attention.
I might read more in the series, because my disappointment with this book is not enough to overcome my admiration for Marie Brennan, and I've seen with RJ Barker and Naomi Novik and Charles Stross how an author whose earlier books don't quite hit the mark can develop. Maybe her later books will be better. She's earned that chance from me.
I might read more in the series, because my disappointment with this book is not enough to overcome my admiration for Marie Brennan, and I've seen with RJ Barker and Naomi Novik and Charles Stross how an author whose earlier books don't quite hit the mark can develop. Maybe her later books will be better. She's earned that chance from me.
September 20, 2015
Read to explore historical fantasy.
This story is set in Elizabethan England, positing a fae court mirroring Elizabeth's. The English queen and the faerie queen are bound by a pact, which in the story's present - around 1590 - is having bad effects on both realms, prompting a mortal man who spies for Walsingham and a faerie lady who spies for her own people to join forces to break the pact.
This was a very easy read, and I could appreciate that a wealth of historical research had gone into the story - Brennan gives the appearance of knowing Elizabethan London like the back of her hand. All the same, it was hard to care about the characters or their stories; the book felt extremely superficial to me.
Overall I was surprised and pleased by the novel's respectful treatment of religion. I was also rather relieved that apart from some mild innuendo and one or two isolated uses of bad language, the book was overall very clean.
I'd call it inoffensive but bland.
This story is set in Elizabethan England, positing a fae court mirroring Elizabeth's. The English queen and the faerie queen are bound by a pact, which in the story's present - around 1590 - is having bad effects on both realms, prompting a mortal man who spies for Walsingham and a faerie lady who spies for her own people to join forces to break the pact.
This was a very easy read, and I could appreciate that a wealth of historical research had gone into the story - Brennan gives the appearance of knowing Elizabethan London like the back of her hand. All the same, it was hard to care about the characters or their stories; the book felt extremely superficial to me.
Overall I was surprised and pleased by the novel's respectful treatment of religion. I was also rather relieved that apart from some mild innuendo and one or two isolated uses of bad language, the book was overall very clean.
I'd call it inoffensive but bland.
September 17, 2010
This is a gorgeous historical fantasy. It's so beautifully written that a couple of the scenes gave me chills.
December 13, 2021
Actually quite good ?
A slow start in this one for sure but I liked the faerie lady Lune and Devon grew on me, though he remained a little bit characterless. I liked the research that clearly went into this. I went to a museum in Oxford this summer and actually saw a marble copy of John Dees chart for conversing with angels so that being a plot point was super cool. Also, it did faeries without being annoying about it- no growling at your love interest here folks lol- although could have done with a bit more detail.
The overall concept of court intrigue both fae and human happening simultaneously is good.
Added bonus- set in England but written by an American in a non annoying way (to me specifically) amazing.
A slow start in this one for sure but I liked the faerie lady Lune and Devon grew on me, though he remained a little bit characterless. I liked the research that clearly went into this. I went to a museum in Oxford this summer and actually saw a marble copy of John Dees chart for conversing with angels so that being a plot point was super cool. Also, it did faeries without being annoying about it- no growling at your love interest here folks lol- although could have done with a bit more detail.
The overall concept of court intrigue both fae and human happening simultaneously is good.
Added bonus- set in England but written by an American in a non annoying way (to me specifically) amazing.
February 7, 2025
I probably would have REALLY loved this if I was a history buff and more familiar with Elizabethan England specifically, but even without that this is a gorgeously written and meaty story with extremely smart writing. It took awhile to warm up to it because both MCs were initially solely motivated by court ambition which I didn't care about at all so I wasn't sure what I wanted to come of the story. But I was interested in the politics and intrigue and mystery and that carried me through until I started caring more about the characters. There's also a side character that ended up criminally neglected imo. Overall, would definitely recommend if you're interested in any combination of fairies, court intrigue, or Elizabethan history.
August 4, 2025
Marie Brennan stan!! I looove it when faeries are portrayed more like in folklore: scheming and cruel with the occasional yearning for humanity. This was a very slow book (I think it's partially the writing because I had the same feeling while reading a natural history of dragons), but i really liked the plot and the writing. Now for the impossible task of acquiring the second book...
April 26, 2017
I found the beginning of this book hard to get into and hard to understand what was going on. As this was a recommended book, I persevered and found the last half of it much better, as the pieces of the puzzle came together for me.
April 2, 2022
Sans être un chef d'œuvre, distrayant et de bonne facture.
April 23, 2023
I should have loved this - Elizabeth I, faeries, a little Christopher Marlowe - but instead I was just bored :(
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