Midnight Never Come [Paperback]

Marie Brennan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2008

England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: 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 court: 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved, this rich historical fantasy portrays the Elizabethan court 30 years into the reign of the Virgin Queen, often called Gloriana. Far below ground, her dark counterpart, heartless Invidiana, rules England's fae. Brennan (Warrior and Witch) pairs handsome young courtier Michael Deven, an aspiring agent under spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, with bewitching fae Lune, who attempts to avoid Invidiana's wrath by infiltrating Walsingham's network in mortal guise. History and fantasy blend seamlessly as Deven and Lune tread their precarious tightropes between loyalty and betrayal. Brennan's myriad fantastical creations ring as true as her ear for Elizabethan and faerie dialogue. With intriguing flashbacks to historical events and a cast of deftly drawn characters both real and imagined, Brennan fleshes out the primal conflict of love and honor pitted against raging ambition and lust for power in a glittering age when mortals could well be such fools as to sell their souls forever. (June)
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Review

Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved, this rich historical fantasy portrays the Elizabethan court 30 years into the reign of the Virgin Queen. With intriguing flashbacks to historical events, Brennan fleshes out the primal conflict of love and honour PUBLISHERS WEEKLY --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Orbit (June 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031602029X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316020299
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marie Brennan is an anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for material. She most recently misapplied her professors' hard work to the Onyx Court historical fantasy series (Midnight Never Come, In Ashes Lie, A Star Shall Fall, and With Fate Conspire). She is also the author of the doppelanger duology of Warrior and Witch, the urban fantasy Lies and Prophecy, the upcoming adventure A Natural History of Dragons, and more than forty short stories.

When she's not obsessing over historical details too minute for anybody but her to care about, she practices shorin-ryu karate and pretends to be other people in role-playing games (which sometimes find their way into her writing).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing concept is a bit tied up by history, but on the whole this is a brilliant, solidly strong book. Recommended July 6, 2008

By Juushika

Format:Paperback

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 monarchs--and 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 other--but 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 background--but 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 that--even with an underground faerie court, even with a somewhat unwelcome deus ex machina--the book is a plausible, convincing whole.

I read Brennan's journal, but this was my first chance to read one of her books--and 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 novels--especially those which combine the faerie world with human history.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars All the majesty of Queen Elizabeth's England and Fairy England December 17, 2008

By RaV

Format:Paperback

London 1554 - Elizabeth is in the tower awaiting Mary's decision regarding her protestant beliefs, when she gets a visit from Invidiana, a Fairy!

Midnight Never Come is a "what if" kind of book. What if Elizabeth's decisions and entire political career were influenced by a Fairy Queen? A fairy queen who rules Fae London in the Onyx Hall, which exists just below the streets of London itself.

Invidiana is the Fae Queen in question who strikes a deal with Elizabeth that is supposed to aid both of them in their quest for the throne and their reigns as Queen. But something goes wrong, and the pact they make isn't all it is cracked up to be. Lune, a courtier of Invidiana, is assigned the task of living as a human amongst the mortals to gain knowledge of the goings on in Elizabeth's court. During her stay she meets and falls in love with Michael Devin, a human. Together with the help of some very interesting fae creatures and very unique mortals, they discover the origins of Invidiana & Elizabeth's pact and the trouble it is about to bring to both of their worlds. Their mission is to set things right.

What I liked: The characters were very well developed and the descriptiveness of old world England and Fairy England was wonderful. I felt like I was right there in the book while I was reading. I have a special appreciation for Queen Elizabeth and Elizabethan England, so I enjoyed reading a supernatural spin on the story. Amongst the history and politics resides a love story.

What I didn't like: The beginning of the book was a little slow, but once things picked up, I couldn't put the book down.

Last word: If you like reading historical fiction as I do from time to time, this book is for you. It blends all the majesty of Queen Elizabeth's England with the fantastical, beautiful and sometimes mischievous fae.

Reviewed by Christel

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, Exquisite, Polished June 16, 2008

By Michael R. Underwood

Format:Paperback

Midnight Never Comes combines romance, intrigue and fantasy into an enchanting spell that grabs your attention and refuses to let go.

Marie Brennan's third novel shows her taking a different turn in her writing, and it's one that suits her. This novel is thoroughly researched, multi-faceted, expertly plotted, and very effective.

I'm not a big historical fantasy reader, and was afraid my lower familiarity with the period would detract -- instead, the novel was inviting and explained enough of the context to allow me to follow the plot through to its rewarding completion.