Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan--review

Midnight Never Come, by Marie Brennan (reviewed by Peta Jinnath Andersen) page 2/2

The brainchild of a folklorist, Midnight Never Come is ripe with fairy tale elements, though their use is not as even-handed as this reader would like. Most irritating is the use of “fae” and “faery” are wearying at first, they are downright annoying later, giving the whole story an unwarranted Stephanie Meyer (Twilight) feel.

But Brennan’s portrait of Invidiana, the faery queen, is fascinating. “I…think Invidiana’s the conceptual daughter of Maleficient in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, though I’d written the whole novel before I noticed that.”

It’s in this more unconscious use of fairy tales that Brennan really hits the mark—where Lune is over-written and seemingly deliberately a princess character, Invidiana is fluidly and gracefully sketched.

Though filled with interesting, seemingly relevant details, Midnight Never Come soon begins to grate upon the nerves. In many places, the story feels forced, as if Brennan has set out to incorporate young adult/popular elements. In other places, the description is overdone, and the choice of words cliched:

“From the far end of the hall, a voice boomed out like the crash of waves on rocky shores. “She comes! From the white cliffs of Dover to the stones of the ancient wall, she rules all the fae of England. Make way for the Queen of the Onyx Court!”
The sea of bodies rippled in a sudden ebb tide, every fae present sinking to the floor. The more modest—the more fearful—prostrated themselves on the black-and-white marble, faces averted, eyes tightly shut. Lune listened as heavy steps thudded past, measured and sure, and then behind them the ghostly whisper of skirts. A chill breeze wafted through the room, more imagined than felt. " [p. 16]

A hundred and forty-four pages later, Brennan’s over-description continues:

“Beale came farther into the room, sought out a chair, and sank into it…” [p.160]

For all its faults, Midnight Never Come is an interesting book. It’s filled with historical detail and asides. It’s reflective, yet filled with intrigue. And it offers a perspective on Elizabeth rarely seen, as Brennan paints the queen as hard but doubtful, forced to play someone she’s not, led down paths she’d rather not take. The shifts between characters and courts, too, are not perfect, but they are deftly handled. A worthwhile read for historical fiction enthusiasts, and those interested in a mystery with a twist.

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Like Midnight Never Come? Here are some more books you might like

Wicked Lovely, Melissa Marr —Aislinn always follows the rules. Always. She doesn't speak to fairies, notice fairies, or talk about fairies. But when The Summer King begins to think Aislinn might be his Summer Queen, everything goes awry. A solid work by a new author. Like Melissa Marr? Keep an eye out for her new book, Ink Exchange.

City of Bones, Cassandra Clare—When Clary Fray witnesses a murder, she's shocked. But she's even more shocked when the victim simply disappears. And then she meets the Shadowhunters, is floored by the disappearance of her mother, and more. A flowery urban version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. First book in Clare's Mortal Instruments series.Want more? Look for Clare's City of Ashes and then City of Glass (September 2008).

The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, Catherynne M. Valente —Abandoned because of the mysterious tattoos around her eyelids, a girl waits in a palace garden. Soon, a boy finds her--when he asks for the secret of her tattoos, the reader is dropped into an awe-inspiring array of tales where sea monsters, dead fathers, princes, princesses, kindness, betrayal, cruelty, and love abound. Interested in more of The Orphan's Tales series? Check out In the Cities of Coin and Spice, also by Valente.

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