Hardcover

Published April 9, 2020 by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.

ISBN:
978-0-374-30638-0
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4 stars (6 reviews)

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 …

7 editions

Enthralling, mysterious, and delightfully sapphic, THE MIDNIGHT LIE is a captivating story of division, magic, and secrets untold.

4 stars

The world in THE MIDNIGHT LIE revolves around a caste and class system that divides its people: At the top is the High Kith, for whom life revolves around decadent pleasure, luxuries and flamboyance. They know no hardships and are content in basking in the scent of perfumes and the taste of drugs that induce visions and experiences akin to magic. On the second tier are the Middlings, those who cater to the High Kith but aren’t without their own comforts. The Middlings have a geographical section of society dedicated to their own property and lifestyles, able to amass their wealth in the hopes of getting in with the High Kith crowd. And then there’s the Half Kith, of whom our protagonist, Nirrim, is one. The Half Kith form the lowest tier of these three classes, only above those called the Un-Kith – those without a home or any kind …

Review of 'Midnight Lie' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

I loved this while I was reading it, and now that I've put it down I'm torn between wanting the sequel, and not trusting that the sequel will be satisfying given how this book ended and some other issues which I'll discuss. Firstly, what this book is: THE MIDNIGHT LIE is a sapphic story of moments of happiness amid oppression and abuse in a fantasy setting. It's about loving small joys and good things for their transience, not in spite of it. It's a heartbreakingly relatable portrayal of trauma bonding, abuse, and betrayal, piling small cruelties atop systemic injustices in a setting where escape isn't enough. 

One thing this does very well is show what gaslighting can look like in a way that gently and persistently provides a series of outside voices to counter the narrative being fed to the main character by her abuser. Her protests of this person's …

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