Melody of Midnight

Tower Knights #4

by Angela J. Ford

Hades and Persephone meets Snow White in this gothic-inspired dark fantasy romance.
When the evil queen kills her father and takes over the kingdom, Princess Celeste flees for her life.
There's only one place to hide, the forbidden forest where those who walk its hidden paths are stolen. . .
Celeste loses her way in the wood, but does not expect the half-man, half-monster who offers her shelter in exchange for a vow. She must help him with his quest and he will protect her from the evil queen.
Unaware he's a treacherous immortal known as the King of Hearts, Celeste agrees to the deal, binding herself to the king and his curse. As Celeste fulfills her vow she's exposed to a dangerous world of magic, mystery, and music, including a castle full of gnomes, an underground mine, and portals guarded by unsavory creatures.
Worst of all, a demon holds the fate of the king, forcing her to make a choice. Will she choose love or freedom?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Ebooks, Paranormal

ebook

Published March 31, 2023

About the author

Angela J. Ford is a bestselling fantasy romance author who writes mortal × immortal forbidden romance featuring Black heroines in worlds where gothic cinema meets fantasy.

Angela's standalone novels deliver steamy yearning, atmospheric world-building, and complete emotional satisfaction in one book. No cliffhangers. No waiting years for sequels. No series commitment required.

Perfect for readers who love the ache of mortal/immortal romance, want meaningful Black representation in fantasy, and prefer complete standalone stories over multi-book series commitments.

When she's not crafting fantasy romance worlds, Angela can be found with her nose in a book, curating romantasy book boxes for readers, or exploring new ways to bring her stories to life through signed editions and immersive book experiences.

Visit her website (angelajford.com) for signed hardcovers, exclusive book boxes and luxe bookish candles.

Reviews

[amarachireads]

This was a fast paced romantasy and it was cute though i didn't feel like i was as invested in it due to not feeling like the stakes were high. Overall it was good, I liked the plot beginning with the dislike to love between the main characters. The fmc has sort of a Cinderella vibe as she is running away from her jealous stepmom. The mmc is the 'wicked king" that strikes a bargain with the fmc for his own gains and to save her from her place and the magic. This is an interracial romance with a Black fmc and i loved the representation in it. I liked the world and the slow build to the romance and i also was invested in the plot and worldbuilding though i feel like it wasn't built well enough. I liked the writing and will be reading more by this author.

[Tay]

Beautiful Cover, Boring Story…

The story felt like things were happening incredibly fast and incredibly slow AT THE SAME TIME. That made for a most frustrating read.

Gorgeous cover, intriguing synopsis, 200+ pages. What could go wrong? Several things actually. Firstly, and this was a glaring problem for me. I did not and could not connect with any of the leads. Zekiel felt as flat and undeveloped as the pages he’s written on. There was hardly any chapter from his POV, I didn’t get what his backstory was (I know he was cursed and his kingdom was in danger of - heaven knows!) And the most carnal sin of them all. I didn’t know what he looked like. If it weren’t for the cover, I would not be able to put an image of this supposed king in my mind. He was not well described to paint the image of his looks to the reader and this might have been because the author was relying on readers to use the cover for it. Either way, it was not great to not have a proper description of your MMC. He also never felt like a king. I was not impressed by his ‘kingdom’ or felt he commanded respect or fear when he entered a room. He was just THERE. As though he were an afterthought in his own story. Not good.

Then we have Celeste- gorgeous, from the looks of the cover. Supposedly possessing MORE, as author kept insinuating but the reveal was so cut and dry. Like the way the story, the plot, the ending were handled in the book. Just dry. I also didn’t understand what her powers were. Or was it whatever the plot wanted it to be? Everything felt so anticlimactic. The reveals, that thing in the basement, the boss battle. Blink and you miss it and I was READING.

The spicy scenes - I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again- dry and anticlimactic. There was zero chemistry between the leads. At no point in time did I buy that they were in love and couldn’t live without each other. They felt forced together because the plot demanded, but they could not convince Stevie Wonder they were in love with each other.

Obviously, I am most upset because ties book had so much potential and I had to force myself to finish it. Whilst reading, I had to concentrate on the words because my mind kept wandering. Which is never a good thing. It absolutely did not help that the sentences felt jilted, as though some paragraphs were written by chapGPT or some other AI or robotic programming.

Will I read another book from the author? Yes, I’ve seen the cover of her other books and- I’m so weak for beautiful covers! I also don’t want to judge her writing on one book. So I’ll check out her other books and fingers crossed, they’ll live up to the beautiful covers.

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm]

Genre: fantasy romance
Age: new adult/adult
Series/Standalone: Series but can be read as a standalone
Tropes: insta-love (or in this case, insta-lust)
Content: premartial s*x

I was really disappointed that the romance was as physical as it was. I couldn't care less about them as a couple.

Rating: 2/5 Stars

[Kayla Reagan]

Melody of Midnight was an enjoyable read.

I will say though, it's not my favorite one (because Lured By the Dusk, I would say, is pretty hard to beat) but I do like the whole Snow White with a mix of Hades and Persephone type story.

The beginning of this book had me squealing though... I was definitely not expecting to see Oren again. So I was pretty happy to see my hubby once more ♡

I will say though, I really enjoyed the references to the other Tower Knights books throughout the story. Made this book connect with all the others. But on the other hand....the ending I felt like was a little abrupt and I kinda wished it was a little longer.

I'm so glad I pre-ordered this from Angela's website. I love the goodies from the book box and now I will be waiting until some more info is spilled on the next book, Elegy of Twilight 👀

[g]

i’ll be honest this could have been a 3/5 but the characters were never fully fleshed out, the action was fast and glossed over, the sex was semi-closed door (not that i need open door but a lack of combat usually means a plethora of sex), and more than anything there were several instances where the characters repeat things they’ve said just pages earlier as if they’ve never said it before. the book is in critical need of an editor and had it been fleshed out better it would have been fine.

[Lauren Elizabeth]

MUST READ

I want more!!!!

This was incredible! As a black woman of color, who is a total nerd, this spoke to my soul. Representation is SO huge. To have the main protagonist be described with skin and hair like mine is something that cannot be put into words. I am seen. Thank you Miss Angela Ford. You have gained a fan for life.

[Ve (ve_xo)]

Actual 4.5 stars -

I have a romantasy rec for you all today! MELODY OF MIDNIGHT by Angela Ford was such a great read! This is one of the multiple titles I have ready Angela Ford. I am hooked with her stories! This is new adult romantasy is perfect for lovers of Hades and Persephone, fairytales, and swoony romance. Obsessed with Angela's work mainly for her diverse representation! And can we talk about how beautiful her books are? All of Angela’s books has the most beautiful artwork that matches to the story she’s telling. It definitely helps build that scenery in our minds!

MELODY OF MIDNIGHT is the story of Celeste (love the name!), she is on the run from a life threatening situation. Throughout the course of events she encounters the handsome Zekiel, we see the spark between them from the moment they met! It was pretty interesting to see a character from another book make an appearance! I loved the dynamic between Zekiel and Celeste, the development of their relationship was on the quicker side but it didn't stop me from loving them together. The spice was on the lighter side, perfect for those that like more of a cleaner romance. Although it was a bit light on the spice, there were scenes I absolutely loved! I do wish there would've been a bit more of inner monologue from Zekiel's point of view, I would have loved to learn more from him. The plot kept me on my toes, pacing did vary depending on the scene but it was super easy to follow overall.

Things you will find in Melody of Midnight:

- bit of insta love
-diversity representation
-different POVs
-tension and spice

I am looking forward to continue reading more by Angela! Huge thanks to ingram books for sending me a copy of Melody of Midnight. All opinions are my own.

[Cori]

Melody of Midnight by Angela J. Ford is a short and enchanting fantasy romance that reads like a bedtime story for adults. With the feel of a classic fairytale—but with a modern, spicy twist—the book follows a princess fleeing an evil queen who is rescued by Zekiel, a mysterious and powerful king.

The writing has a whimsical, almost dreamlike quality that makes it a quick and fun read. It captures the magic and drama of fairytales while adding a more mature edge. Though part of a larger series, each book is written as a standalone. I actually read it first without realizing it was book four, and it still made sense—I’m now planning to go back and read books 1–3.

One of the things I wished for was more detail about Zekiel’s kingdom, which felt underdeveloped. I also would have liked more chapters from his point of view to better understand his character. And, true to fairytale form, the romance is a case of love at first sight, which made it feel more like lust than a deeply developed relationship.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a light, magical read with a hint of heat and a strong fairytale vibe, Melody of Midnight delivers. It’s perfect for fans of quick fantasy romances who enjoy royal intrigue, magical rescues, and happily-ever-afters.

[A.J. Torres]

Melody of Midnight is an Adult Fantasy Romance novel, a standalone but part of a series.

Sadly, this was a DNF at 33%. One of the problems I had with it was the same I had with The Shadow Queen, and that was this story was very rushed, we were moving from point to point without allowing the scenes and the characters to simmer in the moment. My second issue was this was a very big case of instalust, the romance was just all physical and sexual tensions that I was feeling absolutely nothing for the characters and their individual journeys. There's definitely that Hades and Persephone aspect of the story and the Snow White Retelling, but with all the they're hot, lower area tingling/burning, and twitching c*cks, I just couldn't get into it. I prefer my romances to have some emotional weight and connections before the sexy stuff, but if what I mentioned is to your liking, give this story a try, it wasn't bad, just nothing hooked me to stay unfortunately.

p.s. Still not in the mood for in depth reviews for trad pub books, but I think I can work with this.

[Madison]

This book was okay... Some things I didn’t like about the book is how long it took for the Main Character: Celeste to figure out who she was to Zekiel and why she was needed. I honestly didn’t like some of the side characters such as the fairy but 🤷🏽‍♀️. I also didn’t like how it seemed the author kept repeating certain phrases here and there. The book was kind of a drag and I wish it could’ve been quicker. At one point too I thought they would forget about finding the relics because of how slow it is. The chemistry the two had for each other was good too but the 🌶️ scenes weren’t all that. It gave you enough but I wish there was more description and not only 2 pages long. Other than that it was a good book!

[Krissey P]

This book was so good, definitely one you can read in one sitting!
The only thing I wish it had was more pov of Zekiel!
The love story is super cute! I love all of the characters from other Tower Knights books! (Also, I'm pretty sure the two main friends helping out where from "Realm of Beast" ) and I really loved them so I will definitely be checking out those books soon!
The spice was nice 👌 not too much to over saturate the main story but just enough to drool over Zekiel everytime he was alone with Celeste 🤤 LOL
Highly recommend

[Chaska King]

i'm gonna be honest this book was really hard to read. There was so many parts that I got confused about. It felt like the story was moving so slow and stagnant at the same time. There wasn't anything in the book that had me on the edge of my seat. It felt bland. the characters didn't really have anything special to remember about them. They felt lukewarm and as if they had no personality. I don't doubt that others might like the book but it wasn't for me personally.

[Chaos]

I didnt like this one as much as the others. One of my favorite aspects of the other books were the characters and the romances between them. While the story and fantasy aspects were strong, the characters were boring. I found the romance between Celeste and Zekiel so lackluster. I could not believe they loved each other. Lust? Yeah. But not romance not love. I didnt believe it so made it hard for me to get into the story

[Tempest]

3.5/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶

Overall, it was nice to see some mentioning of the previous 3 books. The author says each book is stand along, but I appreciated the context of the others in this series.

It was a quick read, but seemed a bit rushed the last 20% of the book. I would have liked more of a build up to the final conflict.



CW: torture, domestic violence (not between FMC & MMC)

[Eli B]

This book was excellent! It took me a minute to get into it and I wasn't sure I'd fall in love with Celeste and Zekiel, but once they started on their quests, their love for each other bloomed and I couldn't put the book down. Such rich world building and the stakes were so high. I loved the action, the magic and of course the romance! It was beautifully written!

[Isabelle]

Actual rating 2.5

I’m tired of the trope of a girl accepting a bargain to get something but has to do a thing/be in debt and then is upset she has to uphold her end of the deal.

There was also so much sex that didn’t feel like it was earned. I get instant attraction, but considering how mad she was at him (unnecessarily I think), it didn’t feel right that she was so into him

[Queen Neely 🎀]

such a cozy romantasy with this Snow White and the seven dwarves feel to it! Celeste found a home where she belonged in, saved her man, and got a whole underground treasure cove of jewels. I know that’s right!!

[✨athie’s wife✨]

Zekiel and Celeste were cute as can be. I did want more of his POV though. I just can’t get enough of this series. The nod back to our previous knights was fun.

[AJ]

🌶️🌶️🌶️

Waited for this one and was not disappointed. I love a good mix in storytelling. Especially retellings they fuel my life

[Chioma]

DNF at 178 pages (80%) I really had to stop and ask myself why I am forcing myself to finish a book I am 0% invested in.

[Tecla]

Swoon

[acarmel]

dnf

[Lisa Rector]

DNF. I couldn’t get into the first chapter. A bunch of talking I didn’t follow.

[Faith]

I felt this one fell short. I wasn’t that interested in reading it like I was the other books in this series. I really just couldn’t connect. I will definitely be reading the next book though!

[Maaren]

When a book is simultaneously too fast and too slow, that creates a tough reading experience. I feel like the premise was there but the execution lacked something.

[Laura_c_loves2read]

Love it

I love Angela's books! This is my 4th in as many days, and each as good as the last. I love Celeste and Zekiel. I lovedgetting a brief glimpse of the piper in the begining!

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves)]

"You will be my undoing."

A Hades/Persephone x Snow White combination retelling.

I kind of like how we're doubling up on the retellings in this series. Like, the FMC is from one tale and the MMC is from something else and then we're just... mashing it together. It makes it a little more interesting than your usual retelling.

[Lana]

Celeste is a princess who is forced to escape to save her life, after her father's death and at the hand of her stepmother who is evil. She is aided to escape the palace, but the only place she can go to is the dark woods. There she is accosted by wild animals, however she is saved by a half monster and taken through a portal underground. Celeste is made to sign a contract to aid the king of a dying kingdom by acquiring for him four relics, whilst he provides her safety from the evil queen. She finds out he is not human, lives in a magical realm, where fairies, gnomes and other creatures dwell, and that he has a demon living in his dungeons. She wants to flee in panic, however she finds herself falling for this man and loves his beautiful kingdom full of multicoloured gemstones. This is an enemies to lovers romance full of magic especially the magic of music, a desperate King who needs to save his kingdom and his people, and a naive young woman who desperately needs to be needed and loved, both terrorised by the evil sorceress. Will love overpower her need for safety? Will she choose to stay and save the king and his kingdome?