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Midnight Never Come
 
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Midnight Never Come (Paperback)

by Marie Brennan (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
RRP: £6.99
Price: £5.49 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Orbit (1 May 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1841497177
  • ISBN-13: 978-1841497174
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 234,888 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

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


Product Description

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. And two courtiers, struggling for the favour of very different royal patrons, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind their thrones. What they find has the potential to fracture both worlds. This is a breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England.

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Seamless Historical Fantasy, 30 May 2008
One of my favourite periods of English history is that of the Elizabethan era (1558 - 1603). It was a time when boundaries were being pushed in theatre and poetry and literature, a time when England seemed to prosper with the Virgin Queen on the throne. Edmund Spenser named his eponymous faerie queen for her, as a tribute to her and England's glory: Gloriana...

But what if there were a real faerie queen, one that held court beneath London, a great shadow to the great light ...

Of course, in faerie fiction, having an icy queen ruling the faerie throne, while a human queen lives above, is not that unusual. A great light does cast a great shadow. Nor is having a faery story with intrigue and spying (Mark Chadbourn's Who Slays the Gyant, Wounds the Beast, for example) set in Elizabethan England really new. What sets Marie Brennan apart, then, is the quality of her writing, the complexities of her plot, the characterisations, the world-building... everything.

Midnight Never Come is woven absolutely seamlessly into the fabric of the time, not just by having characters such as John Dee, Walsingham, Lady Lune, Michael Deven and Elizabeth herself, but in the very small details that on their own are unimportant, but, through flash-backs and memories, together form an intricate and fascinating back-history. In my interview with Marie Brennan we spoke of this: "I wanted a particular flashback scene to take place in the early part of the sixteenth century, but the closest annular or total solar eclipse over London was in 1547, so into 1547 the scene goes. Leeway? Not hardly.

Is it ridiculous? Of course. On the other hand, it's part of the pleasure. Being able to weave my story into the known facts without jostling any of them out of place is bizarrely fun, despite the work."

There's a rich diversity among the fae, with brownies, giants, kelpies, the Wild Hunt, Hobs, et cetera, and Marie also includes a substantial amount of mythology and folk legend (all of which is relevant to the location), including the depiction of Gog and Magog as the (really not that great!) guardian giants of London. It's so well done that I'm half convinced a lot of these events did, in fact, happen!

At it's heart, Midnight Never Come is a love story, and my instinct reaction when I heard that fact was, "Oh no. Faery sex magic." But it's not at all like that at all! (Of course.) It's a story of a time when a mortal loved a fae and the ultimate price that was paid when that love was disdained, and the effects that it had on so many people.

If I had a criticism, it would be that it's quite a slow build-up, with a scenes being set and characters fleshed out for perhaps a bit too long before the main plot takes over, but other than that, I was really impressed by Midnight Never Come. Politics, romance, fantasy, and history. With faeries. An excellent combination, and Marie Brennan is an excellent writer.

And Ashes Lie is the next book in the Onyx Court series, "it's a sequel of sorts, with continuity among the faerie characters, but definitely something that a person could pick up without having read Midnight Never Come. It'll cover the period from 1640 to 1666 -- in other words, the English Civil War, the Interregnum (when they chopped the head off Charles I and drove Charles II into exile), the Restoration of the monarchy, and then the Great Plague and the Great Fire. It's an action-packed span of time; if Midnight Never Come is my Elizabethan faerie spy novel, And Ashes Lie is my Stuart faerie disaster novel."

This review was originally posted at thebookswede.blogspot.com. A fantasy and science-fiction site featuring reviews, interviews, essays and many contests.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely fast and exciting!, 27 Jul 2008
By FAMOUS NAME (UNITED KINGDOM) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
This review is from: Midnight Never Come (Paperback)

This is definitely one of the greatest and most exciting books I have ever read! Marie Brennan does a superb job at keeping the reader 'hooked' until the very end!

Some great dialogue in this that just makes the reader sit up and take notice! One soon finds that one is extremely interested in what the characters have to say. This novel has vast elements of both atmosphere and fantasy that one does not always understand or follow at times, but is so beautifully written and so interesting, one is enthralled by the imaginative fluency of the narrative.

At only one point in the book it got a little too political for me, but this soon gave way to the former style of writing - and to that style in which it continues thereafter. At about the 200 page mark, the story simply races along at an alarming pace that gives the reader a sudden adrenaline rush! It really kicks off when Michael Deven visits the 'Necromancer' and the dialogue becomes simply riveting!

This is truly a magical novel with some incredible atmosphere that is created in the underground palace of the Onyx Hall that lies beneath old Elizabethan London. One can feel the presence of the 'fae' and the damp air as the characters weave their way through the numerous halls and passageways amid the flickering glow of the burning torches - a great style of writing!

I found one of the most moving parts to be when Lune asks forgiveness and mercy from God's Angel and undergoes a dramatic personality change as a consequence.

This is a wonderful and exciting read that races along with no time to get bored!

Great stuff - and just the way I like it!!

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A good twist on Elizabethan Court intrigue..., 29 Aug 2008
By Read Me (West Midlands, UK) - See all my reviews
The young Michael Deven is our guide to the Court of Elizabeth I, after the defeat of the Spanish Armada Deven seeks a place among Elizabeth's supporters, particularly seeking out her spymaster Walsingham. Walsingham provides Deven with a mission - discover the secret player who manipulates the Queen. Not an easy task, as nothing is as it seems.
Parallel to the Elizabethan Court is the Onyx Court, the Court of faerie Queen Invidiana. A ruthless and evil Queen who is the missing link that Deven seeks. While Deven attempts to find the answers for his mission Lady Lune (a disgraced member of the Onyx Court) is trying to salvage her position while avoiding the wrath of her vicious Queen. As their paths cross they both find themselves tangled in the futures of Elizabeth and Invidiana.
Brennan writes a skillful depiction of Elizabethan London, with enough historical details to give the novel the right atmosphere. Intrigue, deception, politics and bargains are all at play within both Royal Courts. If you like the Elizabethan period or are interested in faerie and folklore then this book should be a happy balance for you as it provides both. The only reason I don't rate it higher is because it feels unfinished - the characters have more to do and hopefully a sequel would leave this feeling more complete.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing story of political intrigue
Under Walsingham's sponsorship, Michael Deven is admitted to the Gentlemen Pensioners (men who guard the Queen at court). Read more
Published 4 months ago by quippe

2.0 out of 5 stars Combines the plot surprises of historical fiction with the gritty realism of fairy stories
*Synopsis*
It's 1588, Elizabeth is on throne in London, and the ambitious young Michael Deven has just landed a plum job in her private guard. Read more
Published 12 months ago by OxfordSlacker

5.0 out of 5 stars wow
I've read Elizabethan novels before, but none were quite as imaginative as this one. the caption 'A Great Light Casts a Great Shadow' is really good for the story. Read more
Published 15 months ago by The Purple Hermit

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely fast and exciting!

This is definitely one of the greatest and most exciting books I have ever read! Marie Brennan does a superb job at keeping the reader 'hooked' until the very end... Read more
Published 16 months ago by FAMOUS NAME

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Elizabethan mystery
An Elizabethan spy mystery that interweaves the world of the fey with that of humankind. Wonderfully creative, excellently presented and a tale that will keep you wondering as to... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Gareth Wilson

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