Monday, July 17, 2017

Monday #Review - Midnight Jewel by Richelle Mead #YALit #Fantasy

Series: The Glittering Court # 2
Format: Hardcover, 416 pages
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

The Selection meets Reign in this dazzling trilogy of interwoven novels about three girls on a quest for freedom and true love from #1 internationally bestselling author Richelle Mead.Mira is not like the other Glittering Court girls. She is a war refugee, cast out of her home country and thrust into another, where she has learned to fight against the many injustices around her. For some, the Glittering Court offers a chance at a life they’ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. But for Mira, it’s simply a means to an end. In the new world, she plans to earn off her marriage contract price, and finally be free.  Mira pitches herself as an asset to one of the passengers on board the ship: the sardonic and aloof Grant Elliot, whom she’s discovered is a spy for the prestigious McGraw Agency—and her ticket to buying her freedom. His cover blown, Grant has little choice but to take her on. Mira applies herself by day, learning the etiquette and customs that will help to earn her anonymity. By night, she dons a mask and slips into the city, fighting injustice and corruption on her own terms—and impressing Grant with her extraordinary abilities and insights into a brewing rebellion. But the rebellion isn’t all they’re fighting… Neither of them can ignore the attraction burning between them—an attraction so powerful, it threatens to unravel everything Mira’s worked so hard for. With freedom finally within her grasp, can Mira risk it all for love?


Midnight Jewel is the second installment in author Richelle Mead's The Glittering Court trilogy. When this series started, we were introduced to three entirely different young women. Adelaide, who kept her real identity a secret until much later in the story, Tamsin, the former laundress who is one of the more driven characters in this series, and Mira, the Sirminican refugee who I loved in the first installment because of her secret behind the scenes escapades. 

The Glittering Court introduced readers to a world where young women are given an extraordinary opportunities to be trained from impoverished girls to upper class ladies. Upon graduation, the women will be destined for the new world where they hope to find husbands. Now, we move onto The Midnight Jewel which takes place concurrently with Adelaide's. For those in the know, each book covers the same story and timelines but from three separate characters. In fact, about 20 percent of the story we've already read before. 

This time it is Mira's turn to shine, and shine she does. While we don't rehash everything the roommates and friends go through from the start, we do see important parts of Mira's experiences. Mira is someone who knows what she needs to do; buy out her contract, rescue her brother, and if there's time left after, find a suitable husband. We get to understand who Mira really is, and boy do I really loved her. I loved her tenacity. I loved when she became Lady Aviel, while also meeting the notorious female pirate Joanna Steel. 

While she may be a bit reckless at times, she has a good head on her shoulders that focuses on the mission at hand, and not the underlying fact that she is far from perfect and makes mistakes. Mira finds herself working with Grant Elliott, who works for the McGraw Agency hunting down traitors to the crown. Grant is a character who is totally the opposite of Adelaide's Cedric. He sits on the side of justice, and doesn't hesitate to go after those who are attempting to bring the young colony to it's knees. Grant and Mira are polar opposites who actually work well together.

It's interesting to read a particular scene from another characters perspective. We know what happened in the previous novel, but now we know how Mira felt at the time Adelaide was having her own issues, and Tamsin's choice which we miss a whole lot of time wondering if she's alive or not. As I am sure you know, Tamsin will be the center piece in the final installment in the trilogy. A book that doesn't currently have a name or release date. 





No comments:

Post a Comment