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Once Upon a Curse #3
Chasing Midnight
This faerie godmother has an agenda of her own…
“I could redeem myself if I wanted to. I could help them. But I won’t. I’m the villain of their story, because it’s the only way to be the hero of mine.”
Hundreds of years ago, humans learned the secret to sealing magic beneath their skin and stole it from the world. Faeries reverted back to flowers. Shifters remained trapped in their animal forms. Mermaids turned to foam. And the magical creatures who survived vowed revenge.
Nymia is one of those survivors, a faerie brought back to life by the return of her magic. When she finds a human girl named Ella with her sister’s power trapped beneath her skin, she’ll do anything to get her back, including kill.
There’s only one problem.
This isn’t the world she remembers. Humans here have a power all their own—technology. And when a human prince sees her using magic, he’ll use every invention at his disposal to track her down. The countdown is on, and time is running out. Nymia needs to find Ella, take back her sister’s magic, and escape the determined prince before the clock strikes twelve, or she might not make it out of his city alive…
“I could redeem myself if I wanted to. I could help them. But I won’t. I’m the villain of their story, because it’s the only way to be the hero of mine.”
Hundreds of years ago, humans learned the secret to sealing magic beneath their skin and stole it from the world. Faeries reverted back to flowers. Shifters remained trapped in their animal forms. Mermaids turned to foam. And the magical creatures who survived vowed revenge.
Nymia is one of those survivors, a faerie brought back to life by the return of her magic. When she finds a human girl named Ella with her sister’s power trapped beneath her skin, she’ll do anything to get her back, including kill.
There’s only one problem.
This isn’t the world she remembers. Humans here have a power all their own—technology. And when a human prince sees her using magic, he’ll use every invention at his disposal to track her down. The countdown is on, and time is running out. Nymia needs to find Ella, take back her sister’s magic, and escape the determined prince before the clock strikes twelve, or she might not make it out of his city alive…
355 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2019
65 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
About the author
Kaitlyn Davis
51 books1,714 followersBestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publishers Weekly has said, "Davis writes with confidence and poise," while USA Today has recommended her work as "must-read romance."
To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter
Like her on Facebook here: Facebook.com/KaitlynDavisBooks
Follow her on Instagram here: Instagram.com/kaitlyndavisbooks/
To learn more about her contemporary romance novels, visit her Goodreads author page for Kay Marie here: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases and more! http://bit.ly/AuthorNewsletter
Like her on Facebook here: Facebook.com/KaitlynDavisBooks
Follow her on Instagram here: Instagram.com/kaitlyndavisbooks/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 29, 2019
7/29/19 Update!
In case you missed it, I announced a pre-order giveaway campaign on my blog! Anyone who lives in the US who pre-orders a copy is eligible to receive these three exclusive Once Upon a Curse bookmarks! Check out the official announcement for all the details: https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/2019/07/chasing-midnight-pre-order-giveaway.html
Here's a preview of the bookmarks!
I also posted a few more teasers! The first chapter reveal will be coming up next Tuesday, so stay tuned :)
~~~
6/4/19 Update!
The cover reveal was today! I hope you love it :) Chasing Midnight is also now available to pre-order!! It's all happening! Here are some links:
Amazon | iBooks | Google Play | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords
~~~
To everyone who has been waiting so long for this book, THANK YOU!!! The time for an update reel is finally here :) Woohoo! Chasing Midnight will be going on sale in August 2019, and I will have pre-order links available in the next few weeks.
The cover reveal will be in early June, so for now, here's a quick teaser to hopefully get you all excited!!
I can't wait to share more!! Stay tuned :)
In case you missed it, I announced a pre-order giveaway campaign on my blog! Anyone who lives in the US who pre-orders a copy is eligible to receive these three exclusive Once Upon a Curse bookmarks! Check out the official announcement for all the details: https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/2019/07/chasing-midnight-pre-order-giveaway.html
Here's a preview of the bookmarks!
I also posted a few more teasers! The first chapter reveal will be coming up next Tuesday, so stay tuned :)
~~~
6/4/19 Update!
The cover reveal was today! I hope you love it :) Chasing Midnight is also now available to pre-order!! It's all happening! Here are some links:
Amazon | iBooks | Google Play | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords
~~~
To everyone who has been waiting so long for this book, THANK YOU!!! The time for an update reel is finally here :) Woohoo! Chasing Midnight will be going on sale in August 2019, and I will have pre-order links available in the next few weeks.
The cover reveal will be in early June, so for now, here's a quick teaser to hopefully get you all excited!!
I can't wait to share more!! Stay tuned :)
September 10, 2019
I was kind of hoping this would be out by now but obviously, that hasn't happened.
I'm going to go cry in my corner, brb.
Update 5/12/19: Hi I just checked my email and omg is that a cover reveal host sign up for Chasing Midnight???
AYE, SIGN ME UP PLS.
THE REVIEW
The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.
Going into Chasing Midnight and into the fantasy world Davis created in Gathering Frost and Withering Rose two years later felt as awkward as me in any social situation, only with a smol memory. So I kind of spent some time wondering when the Cinderella vibes would come in when in reality I forgot about the synopsis. 😂
The third book in the Once Upon a Curse series has got to be my favorite book. It almost made me cry at the end.
If I had the ability to cry from reading.
Chasing Midnight connects both of the previous books together, with appearances or mentions of the past mains. It's exciting to see all of the stories come together (especially since we're nearing the end of the series).
But what makes this book top the previous books isn't just how neatly all three books connect. The story follows a faerie named Nymia, and she's like all of my favorite villain stories. She's full of evil and stabby vibes, but secretly soft and precious because she's been through a lot. We learn her magic is stolen and returns centuries later. She wants revenge for her fellow magical creatures and she spills blood mercilessly. She wakes up again to an entirely different world years later. Oh, and she'll do whatever it takes to get her sister back when she finds out her sister's magic is trapped under a girl named Ella.
Ella and Frederick are a delight.
Other than Nymia, who is soft and precious and must be Protected™, her companions who join her for most of the journey were a delight. Much of Chasing Midnight focuses on Nymia's struggle and building more backstory to the series. While it's interesting to read, having Ella and Frederick were fun to have in the story and made the retelling more enjoyable. They also play a huge role in Nymia's character development.
Chasing Midnight is Nymia's constant battle as she is forced to return Ella back to her sister.
As Nymia gets to know Ella and learns to navigate the world she finds herself in, she's deciding if she should mercilessly continue her revenge, or if there's another way around it. This book is about two people who lose their sisters in different ways but the universe decides to force their stories together. It's also how different communities can come together. I just love seeing this happen throughout Chasing Midnight through character interactions and their various stories that bring them together.
And it's so seamlessly put together maybe I'll actually cry because it's beautiful. I'm excited for the release of Parting Worlds and seeing the final piece of the story come together. 😍
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
I'm going to go cry in my corner, brb.
Update 5/12/19: Hi I just checked my email and omg is that a cover reveal host sign up for Chasing Midnight???
AYE, SIGN ME UP PLS.
THE REVIEW
The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.
Going into Chasing Midnight and into the fantasy world Davis created in Gathering Frost and Withering Rose two years later felt as awkward as me in any social situation, only with a smol memory. So I kind of spent some time wondering when the Cinderella vibes would come in when in reality I forgot about the synopsis. 😂
The third book in the Once Upon a Curse series has got to be my favorite book. It almost made me cry at the end.
Chasing Midnight connects both of the previous books together, with appearances or mentions of the past mains. It's exciting to see all of the stories come together (especially since we're nearing the end of the series).
But what makes this book top the previous books isn't just how neatly all three books connect. The story follows a faerie named Nymia, and she's like all of my favorite villain stories. She's full of evil and stabby vibes, but secretly soft and precious because she's been through a lot. We learn her magic is stolen and returns centuries later. She wants revenge for her fellow magical creatures and she spills blood mercilessly. She wakes up again to an entirely different world years later. Oh, and she'll do whatever it takes to get her sister back when she finds out her sister's magic is trapped under a girl named Ella.
Ella and Frederick are a delight.
Other than Nymia, who is soft and precious and must be Protected™, her companions who join her for most of the journey were a delight. Much of Chasing Midnight focuses on Nymia's struggle and building more backstory to the series. While it's interesting to read, having Ella and Frederick were fun to have in the story and made the retelling more enjoyable. They also play a huge role in Nymia's character development.
Chasing Midnight is Nymia's constant battle as she is forced to return Ella back to her sister.
As Nymia gets to know Ella and learns to navigate the world she finds herself in, she's deciding if she should mercilessly continue her revenge, or if there's another way around it. This book is about two people who lose their sisters in different ways but the universe decides to force their stories together. It's also how different communities can come together. I just love seeing this happen throughout Chasing Midnight through character interactions and their various stories that bring them together.
And it's so seamlessly put together maybe I'll actually cry because it's beautiful. I'm excited for the release of Parting Worlds and seeing the final piece of the story come together. 😍
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
August 26, 2019
I have to admit at first I was very excited to read this book as I had read the previous two in the series a while back and loved them. Gathering Frost in February 2015 and Withering Rose in May 2016. I'm not sure if it's the fact that it has been at least 3.5 years since I read the last book and my reading tastes have changed but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I had hoped I would as the last couple of years I have focused my reading on more contemporary NA romances rather than fantasy novels . Chasing Midnight is a Cinderella rendition as well which is why I thought I would love it but to me it was a borderline three-star read. In this book we meet Nymia who is a faerie with magical powers when the big earthquake happened and the world of magic got sucked to the human world and entered their spirits, her sister's faerie magic ended up in Omorose whom we know from the previous two books. In Chasing Midnight, Nymia has rescued her sister's power or so she thinks, but when things go awry she must now navigate herself in the human world along with Prince Cole to find Omorose's sister who now holds the power of the faeries. Can they do that or at least find a spell to turn back the clock before it's too late and Nymia would have failed for good? One of the things I have loved about this series is that each book has the most amazing cover and if you do love YA fairytale renditions and fantasy then you will enjoy the Once Upon A Curse series by Kaitlyn Davis.
June 19, 2020
So, if you've been actually reading my reviews, you've learned a few things about me over time. One: I love fairytales and fairytale retellings. Two: Cinderella is one of my favorite fairytales of all time. Three: Kaitlyn Davis' writing was love at first sight. So, now we've finally reached the book that brings all three of these elements together. I was bracing for disappointment, afraid that maybe my expectations were too hight, but luckily the book proved me wrong.
I have to admit that it took me some time to accept that we were not gonna be in Ella's head for this story. This is, in a way, not even Ella's story. This is Nymia's story and Nymia is more like the fairy godmother figure. However, no matter how much Nymia tried to build walls around herself, no matter how hard she pushed or tried to be unlikable, I warmed up to her quite soon and enjoyed all the inner conflict, her doubts, her fear and most of all the character growth I saw happening within her.
Once more the story is not so much about the plot. I basically come to think that none of these fairytale retellings are. The plot is nothing but a hold for the characters. They need a motivation, they need a goal. And all elements of the famous Cinderella tale are there. We have a prince, we have a ball, we have an orphaned girl, bullied and alone, we even have shoes used for tracking. But this is not about the retelling, this is not about a famous story told once more. This is a totally new story about girl who learns to love those who seem different and yet aren't really that different at all. It's driven by emotions and that's why it made me cry.
And I think I also met my favorite prince of the series. Look, we all know that there is another book to read, so I will not make promises, but I'd be really surprised if he'd be as great as Frederick. Frederick is like everything I want my princes to be. He's charming, he's curious, he's intelligent, he's adventurous, he's gallant, he's forgiving, he's a dreamer, he's a slight little bit arrogant and he's most of all determined. If I ever fall in love, if I ever marry, it will be with someone like him.
One more book to go! I can't wait to read it!
I have to admit that it took me some time to accept that we were not gonna be in Ella's head for this story. This is, in a way, not even Ella's story. This is Nymia's story and Nymia is more like the fairy godmother figure. However, no matter how much Nymia tried to build walls around herself, no matter how hard she pushed or tried to be unlikable, I warmed up to her quite soon and enjoyed all the inner conflict, her doubts, her fear and most of all the character growth I saw happening within her.
Once more the story is not so much about the plot. I basically come to think that none of these fairytale retellings are. The plot is nothing but a hold for the characters. They need a motivation, they need a goal. And all elements of the famous Cinderella tale are there. We have a prince, we have a ball, we have an orphaned girl, bullied and alone, we even have shoes used for tracking. But this is not about the retelling, this is not about a famous story told once more. This is a totally new story about girl who learns to love those who seem different and yet aren't really that different at all. It's driven by emotions and that's why it made me cry.
And I think I also met my favorite prince of the series. Look, we all know that there is another book to read, so I will not make promises, but I'd be really surprised if he'd be as great as Frederick. Frederick is like everything I want my princes to be. He's charming, he's curious, he's intelligent, he's adventurous, he's gallant, he's forgiving, he's a dreamer, he's a slight little bit arrogant and he's most of all determined. If I ever fall in love, if I ever marry, it will be with someone like him.
One more book to go! I can't wait to read it!
July 29, 2019
A great addition to the series! I loved hearing about the fairies and what happened with the worlds. I enjoyed the characters and the twisted fairy tale retelling through curses, magic and love.
July 26, 2020
Thoughts with side commentary:
👠 First off, no book sound have this amount of sass and snark. It's illegal
👠 One thing that drove me nuts with the audiobook is that even though Omorose and Ella are sisters, the narrator gave Ella a British accent and Omorose an American one🤦♀️
👠 This book also through me off with the synopsis because the synopsis made it sound like the Prince was trying to kill Nymia and hunt her down before she escaped the country which was the complete opposite of what happened
👠 A lot of talk about asses😂
👠 The ending seemed also seemed a bit rushed
👠 Other than that, it was a really enjoyable and funny read😂😍
👠 First off, no book sound have this amount of sass and snark. It's illegal
👠 One thing that drove me nuts with the audiobook is that even though Omorose and Ella are sisters, the narrator gave Ella a British accent and Omorose an American one🤦♀️
👠 This book also through me off with the synopsis because the synopsis made it sound like the Prince was trying to kill Nymia and hunt her down before she escaped the country which was the complete opposite of what happened
👠 A lot of talk about asses😂
👠 The ending seemed also seemed a bit rushed
👠 Other than that, it was a really enjoyable and funny read😂😍
February 4, 2025
"I'm the villain of their story. Because it's the only way to be the hero of mine."
CHASING MIDNIGHT was a solid addition to the Once Upon a Curse series with it loosely based on Cinderella. I really enjoyed learning about the fairies and what happened after their magic was stolen. And I also grew to admire Nymia and genuinely like her for her struggles with what she wanted (to bring her sister back) and trying not to care for the humans she has to betray. The romance was more a secondary story, and I was honestly fine with that. I liked the prince and how their relationship developed but I was more invested in Nymia and her journey. It's taken me a bit to get to this book but I'm glad I decided to get back to this series.
CHASING MIDNIGHT was a solid addition to the Once Upon a Curse series with it loosely based on Cinderella. I really enjoyed learning about the fairies and what happened after their magic was stolen. And I also grew to admire Nymia and genuinely like her for her struggles with what she wanted (to bring her sister back) and trying not to care for the humans she has to betray. The romance was more a secondary story, and I was honestly fine with that. I liked the prince and how their relationship developed but I was more invested in Nymia and her journey. It's taken me a bit to get to this book but I'm glad I decided to get back to this series.
September 24, 2019
So Cinderella but told with a twist! Absolutely loved this, its well written with a totally different slant on the fairytale we all know and love and well I just couldn’t put it down! Fab characters, a little action , magic, faeries, all told in a modern world, a great retelling!
January 8, 2020
Actual Rating: 3.5
I was not impressed with the first hour of the audiobook. It was a bit confusing and a recap of the last book. It felt too repetitive to enjoy. Plus, those were the parts where Nymia was still supposed to be unlikable.
That said, once the story got going, it was good! Although the romance between Freddy and Nymia was a bit unbelievable at first, I warmed up to it. The story was nice and I can’t wait for the next book. The ending of this one promised a wild ride in the series finale!!!
I was not impressed with the first hour of the audiobook. It was a bit confusing and a recap of the last book. It felt too repetitive to enjoy. Plus, those were the parts where Nymia was still supposed to be unlikable.
That said, once the story got going, it was good! Although the romance between Freddy and Nymia was a bit unbelievable at first, I warmed up to it. The story was nice and I can’t wait for the next book. The ending of this one promised a wild ride in the series finale!!!
September 2, 2019
If you think this is a new Cinderella.. think twice. In a twisted way, for sure, you can see the fairytale retelling in the book.
But this is not the story of the poor orphaned girl (or not the main one, at least).
This is the story of the fairy godmother.
With villainous intentions. On a killing spree.
Nymia lost everything she believed in, everyone she loved, and saw the disaster of humans stealing magic with her immortal eyes. That was enough to send her on a quest to free the magic. Only now, awoken by Omorose, she is bound by blood oath to bring her sister Ella back safely. The one who inherited the magic running in Omorose's family line. The magic of Nymia's sister Aerewyn.
Now, faced with the reality, accompanied by cheerful teenager and a charming prince, would Nymia be able to go through her original plans until the end?
I very much enjoyed this twisted retelling, seeing Nymia the same way prince Frederick described her almost at the end. Yet the conflict in her is noticeable, and I quite enjoyed what the modern world and two stubborn humans could do to the delicate faerie. The ending hints that the faerie part of these fairy tale retellings is not over, and I am very much curious what the story of the long lost faerie will be in the next book.
But this is not the story of the poor orphaned girl (or not the main one, at least).
This is the story of the fairy godmother.
With villainous intentions. On a killing spree.
Nymia lost everything she believed in, everyone she loved, and saw the disaster of humans stealing magic with her immortal eyes. That was enough to send her on a quest to free the magic. Only now, awoken by Omorose, she is bound by blood oath to bring her sister Ella back safely. The one who inherited the magic running in Omorose's family line. The magic of Nymia's sister Aerewyn.
Now, faced with the reality, accompanied by cheerful teenager and a charming prince, would Nymia be able to go through her original plans until the end?
I very much enjoyed this twisted retelling, seeing Nymia the same way prince Frederick described her almost at the end. Yet the conflict in her is noticeable, and I quite enjoyed what the modern world and two stubborn humans could do to the delicate faerie. The ending hints that the faerie part of these fairy tale retellings is not over, and I am very much curious what the story of the long lost faerie will be in the next book.
August 4, 2019
A review will be on my blog August 26th as part of a blog tour.
October 22, 2023
This was a fun book to read, but did not have my favorite couple over all.
Read
September 7, 2019“I'm the villain of their story.
Because it's the only way to be the hero of mine.”
CHASING MIDNIGHT
Happy Release Week to CHASING MIDNIGHT by Kaitlyn Davis! I feel like I've been waiting forever to read this book, and now it's finally in my hands. Do you ever get that bittersweet feeling where you finally have something and you're so excited, but then you realize it means you're one step closer to the end? Yeah, it's like that. The next book, PARTING WORLDS, comes out this November, and it's the end of the world I've come to know and love over the last couple of years.
If you have yet to read the series, I will tell you upfront that CHASING MIDNIGHT doesn't read as well as a stand-alone as the other two books in the series. You CAN read it on its own, but you'll likely be confused at times. If you haven't already, check out my reviews for the first book in the series, GATHERING FROST, and its sequel, WITHERING ROSE! (I'll try to do this with as few world spoilers as possible, which means I can't talk quite as much about this book because it is so enmeshed in the world-building of the other two, if that makes sense!) The first book opens on a scene where our reality collides with a fairy tale -esque reality, causing an earthquake that merged the two worlds together. Our world is terrified of magic and the iron hand of many rulers from that world. In the second book, we learn more about how the rulers and heirs came into their powers, how their ancestors had stolen it from magical beings such as fairies, mermaids, naiads, etc. The third book, CHASING MIDNIGHT, is centered around a fairy bent on revenge. The magical humans of her world are nothing but murdering thieves. They've taken everything from her kind, every little bit of magic.
As one of the last remaining beings born with magic, Nymia has sworn to avenge her kind by bringing destruction and death to all royalty so that their magic will return to its proper host and bring her friends and family back to life. Things get complicated when she awakens from an enchanted sleep to find that her world has collided with another. She must work together with those she has spent a lifetime hating in order to achieve the ultimate prize and reclaim the life of her loved ones still trapped without magic. She doesn't want to care about these people she must betray, but everything she knows and believes is about to be put to the test...
CHASING MIDNIGHT is more original story than it is fairy tale (which is needed to tell this tale!), though it has refrains of Cinderella coursing through its veins. Only this time around, it is the fairy godmother at the center of the tale, though there is also a young displaced princess now living in an orphanage who is very much in rags, and there is still a very handsome prince who is extremely curious about magic...
I really like how this book dives into the past and gives us more information about the magical world. I like how all three books have such a completely different viewpoint: One from a human of our world caught up in a curse, one from a princess with magic who doesn't know the truth behind her deadly magic, and one from a magical being whose life had been forever altered by the greed of humans. Each book offers a new perspective and adds to the reader's knowledge of this world. While I'm beyond sad that the series is about to come to a close because the world is so interesting, especially the way curses and magic play out in our reality, it also feels like it is coming full circle and will be the natural finish to bring everything together.
If you're already a fan of the series like myself -- or about to be! -- make sure you also check out the interview I did with Kaitlyn Davis earlier this week, because we chat a bit about CHASING MIDNIGHT and you can even get a sneak peek at the final book in the series, PARTING WORLDS, which is centered around the tale of The Little Mermaid!
Because it's the only way to be the hero of mine.”
CHASING MIDNIGHT
Happy Release Week to CHASING MIDNIGHT by Kaitlyn Davis! I feel like I've been waiting forever to read this book, and now it's finally in my hands. Do you ever get that bittersweet feeling where you finally have something and you're so excited, but then you realize it means you're one step closer to the end? Yeah, it's like that. The next book, PARTING WORLDS, comes out this November, and it's the end of the world I've come to know and love over the last couple of years.
If you have yet to read the series, I will tell you upfront that CHASING MIDNIGHT doesn't read as well as a stand-alone as the other two books in the series. You CAN read it on its own, but you'll likely be confused at times. If you haven't already, check out my reviews for the first book in the series, GATHERING FROST, and its sequel, WITHERING ROSE! (I'll try to do this with as few world spoilers as possible, which means I can't talk quite as much about this book because it is so enmeshed in the world-building of the other two, if that makes sense!) The first book opens on a scene where our reality collides with a fairy tale -esque reality, causing an earthquake that merged the two worlds together. Our world is terrified of magic and the iron hand of many rulers from that world. In the second book, we learn more about how the rulers and heirs came into their powers, how their ancestors had stolen it from magical beings such as fairies, mermaids, naiads, etc. The third book, CHASING MIDNIGHT, is centered around a fairy bent on revenge. The magical humans of her world are nothing but murdering thieves. They've taken everything from her kind, every little bit of magic.
As one of the last remaining beings born with magic, Nymia has sworn to avenge her kind by bringing destruction and death to all royalty so that their magic will return to its proper host and bring her friends and family back to life. Things get complicated when she awakens from an enchanted sleep to find that her world has collided with another. She must work together with those she has spent a lifetime hating in order to achieve the ultimate prize and reclaim the life of her loved ones still trapped without magic. She doesn't want to care about these people she must betray, but everything she knows and believes is about to be put to the test...
CHASING MIDNIGHT is more original story than it is fairy tale (which is needed to tell this tale!), though it has refrains of Cinderella coursing through its veins. Only this time around, it is the fairy godmother at the center of the tale, though there is also a young displaced princess now living in an orphanage who is very much in rags, and there is still a very handsome prince who is extremely curious about magic...
I really like how this book dives into the past and gives us more information about the magical world. I like how all three books have such a completely different viewpoint: One from a human of our world caught up in a curse, one from a princess with magic who doesn't know the truth behind her deadly magic, and one from a magical being whose life had been forever altered by the greed of humans. Each book offers a new perspective and adds to the reader's knowledge of this world. While I'm beyond sad that the series is about to come to a close because the world is so interesting, especially the way curses and magic play out in our reality, it also feels like it is coming full circle and will be the natural finish to bring everything together.
If you're already a fan of the series like myself -- or about to be! -- make sure you also check out the interview I did with Kaitlyn Davis earlier this week, because we chat a bit about CHASING MIDNIGHT and you can even get a sneak peek at the final book in the series, PARTING WORLDS, which is centered around the tale of The Little Mermaid!
August 29, 2019
"I could redeem myself if I wanted to. I could help them. But I won't. I'm the villain of their story, because it's the only way to be the hero of mine."
Hundreds of years ago, humans learned the secret to sealing magic beneath their skin and stole it from the world. Faeries reverted back to flowers. Shifters remained trapped in their animal forms. Mermaids turned to foam. And the magical creatures who survived vowed revenge.
Nymia is one of those survivors, a faerie brought back to life by the return of her magic. When she finds a human girl named Ella with her sister's power trapped beneath her skin, she'll do anything to get her back, including kill.
There's only one problem.
This isn't the world she remembers. Humans here have a power all their own--technology. And when a human prince sees her using magic, he'll use every invention at his disposal to track her down. The countdown is on, and time is running out. Nymia needs to find Ella, take back her sister's magic, and escape the determined prince before the clock strikes twelve, or she might not make it out of his city alive...
This is such a magnificent retelling of this fairy tale. This one just completely blew me away.
Wonderful story line and plot that has a mystery in this one.
Love the characters that have been created and loved reading about them.
This author really knows how to take fairy tales to another level with her writing.
Really enjoyed reading and recommend this one and the whole series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hundreds of years ago, humans learned the secret to sealing magic beneath their skin and stole it from the world. Faeries reverted back to flowers. Shifters remained trapped in their animal forms. Mermaids turned to foam. And the magical creatures who survived vowed revenge.
Nymia is one of those survivors, a faerie brought back to life by the return of her magic. When she finds a human girl named Ella with her sister's power trapped beneath her skin, she'll do anything to get her back, including kill.
There's only one problem.
This isn't the world she remembers. Humans here have a power all their own--technology. And when a human prince sees her using magic, he'll use every invention at his disposal to track her down. The countdown is on, and time is running out. Nymia needs to find Ella, take back her sister's magic, and escape the determined prince before the clock strikes twelve, or she might not make it out of his city alive...
This is such a magnificent retelling of this fairy tale. This one just completely blew me away.
Wonderful story line and plot that has a mystery in this one.
Love the characters that have been created and loved reading about them.
This author really knows how to take fairy tales to another level with her writing.
Really enjoyed reading and recommend this one and the whole series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
November 15, 2019
This book was completely unexpected. This really blew my mind! We see all the worlds from the previous books coming together under the same story. Nymia is a faery, 100% born and raised in the magic world, before everything collapsed. She has spent her entire life revenging her sister’s naivety in falling for a human king that stole her magic. Now that she found it, she has no intention of letting it go, especially since killing Ella, Omrose’s sister, can bring back her own.
Yes, we have a faery whose soul is now blackened, filled by revenge. Can love and innocence bring back the light? Somehow, Nymia reminds me of Jade, from Gathering Frost, but also Omrose, in her love for her sister. Indeed, this story somehow connects, Snow White, Prince Charming, Beauty and the Beast with Cinderella. The link is actually the Fairy Godmother.
Another beautiful and smart story, Chasing Midnight has two powerful messages that cannot be ignored. The first one is how we must reinforce our connection with Nature, because all that we have comes from this Planet. We need to cherish and protect it, to remember that our roots lie deep in its core. The second message is that we fight too much, we argue too much, instead of working together and finding the balance.
After three books, I do have many more things to say. To be completely honest, looking back, I did find things that may have been left unexplored, but I honestly do not care. Because this series is so close to my heart and I do not wish it to be over. Please read it, please read any book by Kaitlyn Davis and come back with your thoughts. I do have some spoilers I’d like to discuss about! Happy reading!
Yes, we have a faery whose soul is now blackened, filled by revenge. Can love and innocence bring back the light? Somehow, Nymia reminds me of Jade, from Gathering Frost, but also Omrose, in her love for her sister. Indeed, this story somehow connects, Snow White, Prince Charming, Beauty and the Beast with Cinderella. The link is actually the Fairy Godmother.
Another beautiful and smart story, Chasing Midnight has two powerful messages that cannot be ignored. The first one is how we must reinforce our connection with Nature, because all that we have comes from this Planet. We need to cherish and protect it, to remember that our roots lie deep in its core. The second message is that we fight too much, we argue too much, instead of working together and finding the balance.
After three books, I do have many more things to say. To be completely honest, looking back, I did find things that may have been left unexplored, but I honestly do not care. Because this series is so close to my heart and I do not wish it to be over. Please read it, please read any book by Kaitlyn Davis and come back with your thoughts. I do have some spoilers I’d like to discuss about! Happy reading!
August 12, 2023
3.5 stars
I'm tearing through this series pretty quickly and it's really satisfying how quickly I can listen to these audiobooks, and how easy they are to read. The fairy tale retelling aspect is soft, with only some moments connecting this story with the original tale, but it's not a deal breaker (though if you were looking for a really close retelling you might be disappointed). I liked that Nymia (a faerie) was the protagonist for this book, but the first 20% essentially laid Nymia's backstory plus revisited book 2 from her perspective, which might be frustrating if you wanted to get moving more quickly into the plot. I liked that Frederick was intrigued by magic rather than afraid of it, and being in Nymia's head.
It's a series I'm binging, but it's also not a series I'm telling my friends they have to read (but I also wouldn't encourage someone away from it).
I'm tearing through this series pretty quickly and it's really satisfying how quickly I can listen to these audiobooks, and how easy they are to read. The fairy tale retelling aspect is soft, with only some moments connecting this story with the original tale, but it's not a deal breaker (though if you were looking for a really close retelling you might be disappointed). I liked that Nymia (a faerie) was the protagonist for this book, but the first 20% essentially laid Nymia's backstory plus revisited book 2 from her perspective, which might be frustrating if you wanted to get moving more quickly into the plot. I liked that Frederick was intrigued by magic rather than afraid of it, and being in Nymia's head.
It's a series I'm binging, but it's also not a series I'm telling my friends they have to read (but I also wouldn't encourage someone away from it).
November 14, 2023
A dystopian variation of Cinderella.
Nymia’s story starts with her POV of the events of the previous book, explaining why she did what she did. Only in this story she is the she is the faerie godmother and sort-of the bad guy. She’s had her stolen magic returned and now wants revenge for what the humans have done to her kind. But she owes her life and magic to the young prince Cole from whom she stole everything. In exchange he makes her swear to find Amarose’s young sister: Ella who has inherited Nymia’s sister’s magic.
I love Ella. She’s so cute, brave and British. I also like how the it’s the Faerie Godmother who gets the happy ending.
Footnote: 1) Nymia’s ‘what if’ thoughts sound like a ‘stayed turned to next week’ type of situation.
Fave scenes: Ella defying Nymia when they first meet, the ‘pretty’ prince, the herd of deer and Nymia’s decision to help.
Nymia’s story starts with her POV of the events of the previous book, explaining why she did what she did. Only in this story she is the she is the faerie godmother and sort-of the bad guy. She’s had her stolen magic returned and now wants revenge for what the humans have done to her kind. But she owes her life and magic to the young prince Cole from whom she stole everything. In exchange he makes her swear to find Amarose’s young sister: Ella who has inherited Nymia’s sister’s magic.
I love Ella. She’s so cute, brave and British. I also like how the it’s the Faerie Godmother who gets the happy ending.
Footnote: 1) Nymia’s ‘what if’ thoughts sound like a ‘stayed turned to next week’ type of situation.
Fave scenes: Ella defying Nymia when they first meet, the ‘pretty’ prince, the herd of deer and Nymia’s decision to help.
September 10, 2019
Chasing Midnight, book three in the Once Upon a Curse series is a re-imagined version of the classic Cinderella.
This is the story of the fairy godmother more then the story of Cinderella. Nymia was a faerie, brought back to life by magic when the earthquake hit, who now seeks revenge for the people who have stolen magic from her world, including her sister Aerewyn’s magic. Ella is a human girl, and Omorose’s sister from book two, with Nymia’s sister’s magic trapped beneath her skin, and Nymia will do anything to get it back. When Omorose tasks Nymia with returning her sister safely back, will Nymia be able to put aside her plans for revenge long enough to help Omorose? Now Nymia finds herself accompanied by Ella and Prince Frederick, but will she revert back to her original plan?
This is the story of the fairy godmother more then the story of Cinderella. Nymia was a faerie, brought back to life by magic when the earthquake hit, who now seeks revenge for the people who have stolen magic from her world, including her sister Aerewyn’s magic. Ella is a human girl, and Omorose’s sister from book two, with Nymia’s sister’s magic trapped beneath her skin, and Nymia will do anything to get it back. When Omorose tasks Nymia with returning her sister safely back, will Nymia be able to put aside her plans for revenge long enough to help Omorose? Now Nymia finds herself accompanied by Ella and Prince Frederick, but will she revert back to her original plan?
April 13, 2020
Unique
This was one of the more unique Cinderella retellings I have read. The characters were engaging and the story had a great flow. The love story felt forced into what was otherwise an excellent read! I will keep reading because the author creates unique and exciting twists to the classics.
This was one of the more unique Cinderella retellings I have read. The characters were engaging and the story had a great flow. The love story felt forced into what was otherwise an excellent read! I will keep reading because the author creates unique and exciting twists to the classics.
October 31, 2020
In this reimagining of Cinderella, the fairy godmother is the protagonist. I love a good Cinderella story, which is a big reason why I read this series. As a result, I was sad that all the real Cinderella elements were missing. It was a good tale, however, one that kept me guessing. I did not understand the romance. It did not make it feel it.
February 23, 2021
For some reason this book didn't capture me as much as the first 2 did. Probably because I did not start out liking the main character. She frustrated me at the beginning, so apparently I need to like my heroine. The book ended how I anticipated but getting there was a process. I will still move onto the next book because I'm in this world till the end.
August 28, 2019
This is a fantastic read. Of a fairytale. Shes in a fight to get her sister back and runs into other obstacles as well. This is a fast paced action packed read that will have you on the edge of your seat, with this page turner. I definitely recommend this read.
Shauna Joesten
Shauna Joesten
September 18, 2019
I freely admit I'm a sucker for retellings. This doesn't mean I like every retelling I read, but I've loved reading this series! The world is so interesting, and you can't help but fall in love with the characters. Can't wait to read the next one!
February 4, 2020
Eh, this book was okay. Much better than the 4th book (accidentally read before this one). Overall, this series is not my favorite. Characters are pretty shallow, change their views/beliefs relatively easy. An easy read but not much substance.
May 3, 2020
I really liked this retelling of Cinderella, though some parts I didn't like too much. Why didn't I like them? Some parts seemed boring or just unnecessary. No hate! I still love this series and the author!
September 23, 2020
I read the two books before this one a while ago and had a hard time syncing what I read before and the story now.
It had a good message about your idea of someone can improve by getting to know them.
It had a good message about your idea of someone can improve by getting to know them.
January 27, 2021
I am still loving this fairytale series. This was an awesome Cinderella retelling. Nymia has such great character growth. Her relationship with Ella was so sweet. Prince Frederick is a loyal fun character. The story was unique and I loved it. I will definitely be continuing with the series.
September 28, 2019
A retelling of Cinderella that skews things quite a bit. The story isn't really about Cinderella as much as it is about what she symbolizes to the main character.
February 23, 2020
Great read! I love the world this author has created. On to the next installment.
August 2, 2020
It's been years since I read the last book, but I finally was able to get my hands on this one and the next one. Pretty happy to say, I enjoyed reading it and am glad I didn't pass up the chance.
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