The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Where Nirrim lives, crime abounds, a harsh tribunal rules, and society’s pleasures are reserved for the High Kith. Life in the Ward is grim and punishing. People of her low status are forbidden from sampling sweets or wearing colors. You either follow the rules, or pay a tithe and suffer the consequences.
Nirrim keeps her head down and a dangerous secret close to her chest.
But then she encounters Sid, a rakish traveler from far away who whispers rumors that the High Caste possesses magic. Sid tempts Nirrim to seek that magic for herself. But to do that, Nirrim must surrender her old life. She must place her trust in this sly stranger who asks, above all, not to be trusted.
Set in the world of the New York Times–bestselling Winner’s Trilogy, beloved author Marie Rutkoski returns with an epic LGBTQ romantic fantasy about learning to free ourselves from the lies others tell us—and the lies we tell ourselves.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
The beginning was interesting enough (especially the whole God-sent bird) but then whatever bigger plot I had envisioned disappeared in favor of the love story.
I really couldn't feel invested in it, partially because I prefer books balanced books and I don't like "romance" as a genre that much and partially because I couldn't connect to any of the characters.
I didn't exactly dislike the MCs, sort of liked them but couldn't bring myself to actually be that invested in them and so---so the romantic element that takes most of the book really fell short for me.
I liked the ending but the middle part of the book was really hard for me to get through--it felt like wading through to a swamp at a really, really slow pace. Only Marie Rutkoski writing style made the torture a bit more bearable, enough for me to finish the book.
All in all this was quite disappointing, I was hoping for something better, much better.
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