Fans of Winners Curse will be happy to see characters from that trilogy, however brief. This book’s formula follows in the same vein of romance and is a masterfully done slow burn. In particular, the author does a wonderful job of Nirrim realizing her own sexuality. Excellent LGBTQ romance and the cliffhanger will leave readers dying for the next installment.

I have not read a more perfect fantasy novel in a long time! Marie Rutoski definitely delivers in this LGBTQIA+ romantic fantasy! The character development is extraordinary and it is impossible not to get behind Nirrim and Sid. Plus the world building . . . the world building!! . . . is fascinating and it's hard not to want to spend more time understanding how this world works. The only cruel thing about this book is the cliff-hanger ending! Which isn't necessarily a bad thing as readers will eagerly be rushing for the next book in the series!

Definitely a must have for YA collections and one that will fly off the shelves!

As a big fan of Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy, I was excited when I saw this book being to readers on NetGalley. Additionally, I was intrigued that it had an LGBTQIA+ slant. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to expectations. I found both the plot and the relationship to be uneventful.

As an educator, I am always looking for more queer YA books to offer my students. Regardless of how I feel about the plot, I will still recommend this to students who should see more of their lives in literature. My main issue with why I didn't enjoy this novel and will not reread is that the actual plot/goal was unclear to me. More than that, while I did enjoy the relationship and romance formed between the two main characters (woo-hoo!), I didn't connect with them.

I was a huge fan of Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy, so I was elated when I saw this book being offered up to readers on NetGalley. Unfortunately, as with many books I hype in my mind, it did not quite live up to expectations. I found both the setting and the romance to be boring. I’ve seen this plot concept played out in other books, and I did not find this particular rendition to be anything special. For folks who are interested, there is an LGBT+ angle, but there really isn’t anything else that sets it apart in my mind from other fantasy that I have read. Although I would like to learn more about Nirrim’s magical gifts, I don’t think I am interested enough to continue forward with this series.

I confess this was the first book I read by Rutkoski....but now I will go grab the rest. YA books had seemed to all fit a shell lately and this series gives me hope for a better YA future. Excellent world building, a romance that is not swooning and annoying, and my favorite combo of magic/mystery/mayhem made this a favorite. The ending has me wishing for book 2 NOW!

Nirrim is a half-Kith orphan with a photographic memory and an ability to copy anything, including passports that will allow people from her poor community to emigrate across the wall to the better part of town. Sid is a self-described liar, a traveler, a seducer of women, and on a search for the source of magic in the city. When their paths cross in jail, sparks fly and lives change.

Nirrim convinces Sid to hire her as a maid and live in the High Quarter for a month. She promises to help her with her search but in reality, she cannot leave her side. As they dig deeper into their mystery, the gods are woken and not happy to find their peace disrupted.

This LGBT romance is occasionally homerotic with plenty of sexual tension. It is the first of a series. Fans of her Winner’s Curse series are not the target audience of this series.

The Midnight Lie was a fantastic foray into a familiar, yet different world. Rutkoski manages to write character-driven novels that also have me on the edge of my seat, wondering and waiting to see what will happen next. I am curious about how she will deal with the implied homophobia from beloved characters, but I have faith she will do them all justice. I would recommend this to anyone who is used to reading YA, but might want to venture into more adult, literary styles.

I was excited for this very hotly anticipated novel - and was so grateful for the opportunity to receive an eARC. Firstly, I liked the writing style of this novel - but that wasn't a surprise, as I knew this novel was an extension of a world I had already been introduced to by Marie Rutkoski. Unfortunately, I struggled through this spin-off development of characters I already knew (from the Winner's Trilogy) in a way that felt inconsistent with who I felt they were. That inconsistency also applied to the world - it felt different, and the world building almost felt like an afterthought. There were a few tropes present that I just don't like, so I can't deny that affected my opinion.

I read The Winner’s Curse and was so impressed by the premise as well as the depth of her insight into the dynamics of human behavior. Her characters are a compelling mix of brave, brilliant and relatable in their fallibility. This book is just as impressive as her previous trilogy.

This was a beautifully written book about an orphan named Nirrim living in a home of women headed by a woman called Raven. They live in the poor side of town. Through the course of events Nirrim ends up in jail and meets Sid. Who has a profound impact of her life in multiple ways that I wasn’t expecting as a reader. This book is set in the same world as the Winner’s Trilogy, but the characters are vastly different. I had trouble relating to these characters in this story, but thought the building of these characters was exceptional! If you like a good LGBTQ romance! This books is for you!

I am normally more interested in realistic fiction, but this book captured my attention with original characters and wonderful plotting. I enjoyed the relationships between the main characters, as well as their adventures. Fans of the Winner's Curse series will not be disappointed, either. Many of the same themes and ideas are present in this bok.

Nirrim is half-caste, doomed to drudgery in the inner depths of the city that supports the full-caste High Kith. She's different though—because of her innate knack for forgery, she's tied to the city's underbelly and comparatively lightly abused by her foster mother. When a desperate attempt to avoid the militia results in imprisonment, Nirrim meets Sid, an unusual foreign visitor who easily gets her out and turns her world upside down.

Marie Rutkoski is, hands-down, the best YA author at describing yearning desire. That's what this book is about a young woman, raised to think she deserves nothing, learning to want. She yearns for not only the touch of the one she desires but answers to her many questions about the mysteries of her world.

It's beautifully told. The descriptions of the setting are gorgeous. The relationships between characters are hauntingly real and messy. Beautiful portrayal of two women falling in love. Highly recommended.

I wasn't sure I would like this book when I began it because fantasy isn't my usual genre. However, it was recommended so heartily by so many people I gave it a try and I am so glad I did.

It kept me guessing right until the end. Every character is a complicated twist of a person and they kept me off-balance in the most delicious way for the entire book.

I loved Sid and Nerrim and highly recommend this book, especially to people who love fantasy but even to folks like me who don't read much of it. THe prose and storytelling is flawless.

I don't know what to say about this book. It wasn't bad but it's not my kind of reading.
The midnight lie is set in Herrath an island with three different social classes, our main character Nirrim is an orphan, and she belongs to the half kith or lowest class in Herrath. One day she meets Sid and her life changes completely. If you liked fantasy you probably like this world that Marie Rutkoski created. In my opinion I couldn't connect with the characters, the magic system, or the things that were happening in the story. Honestly, I had a lot of trouble imagining the world that the author created when writing this, maybe I'm not good with this kind of fantasy books
3 stars for me
Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Children's publishing group for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a little bit of a slow start for a couple of chapters and I got worried, but the pace really picked up and the world came together. Perfect for fans of other fantasy series, and I would highly recommend for classrooms/schools.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this title!

I didn't know much about this title going into it, though I had read some of the Winner's Trilogy in the past. This is set in the same universe as the Winner's Trilogy, but stands on its own and the reader doesn't have to have read that to enjoy this book. This is a great story, with excellent fantasy world-building that really keeps the reader interested and guessing what is going to happen next.

I thought Nirrim started out as a fairly unlikable protagonist, but as the story goes on, the reader learns things about the world alongside Nirrim and she starts to come out of her shell. Learning why she is the way she is and the way things have been kept from her make her a much more interesting protagonist. No spoilers, but she learns some pretty shocking things about herself and the way her world works as it was thrilling to be along for the ride.

I love the way Nirrim and Sid's relationship grew slowly over time. I would classify this as a slow burn, and it was worth every second. Their affection is hauntingly beautiful and they play off each other so well with their banter (I adore banter!).

Overall this is a very intriguing, well-written story and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

More than what I expected!
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski tells the story of Nirrim, an orphan that lives with other women that don’t have anywhere else to go. They all live under the care of Raven, who treats them like money-making slaves. Nirrim found and captured a priceless bird and was put in jail where she meets Sid. They talk back and forth but they’re in separate cells and low light, so they can’t see each other clearly. Somehow Sid gets them both released and Nirrim is surprised to find out that Sid is actually a woman when she thought Sid was a man during her stay in jail. Sid is a traveler, which is rare in Nirrim’s kingdom. The two befriend each other with a wary trust. The two travel together until a visitor brings Sid worrisome news and she has to return to her home. Then all Nirrim wants is the truth behind the history of her kingdom. What she discovers is much more than she bargained for. The ending left me speechless and was so much bigger than I expected it to be! Different types of abuse and manipulation are touched on as parts of Nirrim’s life. I appreciate the author addressing these issues and helping readers understand the perspective of the abused and used. A complex world with complicated characters, 5 stars!

I really enjoyed the Winners series, so I was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately I had a hard time getting into this book and I didn't really connect with the characters. The plot was slow and didn't pick up until the final chapters, also magic is introduced wich didnt originally exsist in the previous books so it kinda throws it off a bit.
I think this would have been better as a stand alone novel instead of a spinoff.

The Midnight Lie by Marie Mutkoski is a unique, well-written story about a young girl who works at an inn in the lower class part of the city. Nirrim has a gift for making beautiful designs on the bread her guardian, Raven, sells to the High Kith - the upper echelon in this world. Raven uses her art to forge documents to allow the Half-Kith to escape their lot in life and travel to the forbidden Middle-Kith section. Nirrim, and her two co-workers are Half-Kith. The lowest class. There are restrictions on what Half-Kith can wear, eat, say and do. When Nirrim is thrown in prison for catching a rare Elysium bird and turning it in to the guards as she should, she must tithe a vial of her blood each day. Typically, the prison guards want more from a young, attractive woman, but a prisoner in the adjoining cell interrupts and is somehow able to talk the guards out of it. Over the course of her imprisonment, Nirrim gets to know the shadowy Sid whose conversation is beguiling, bordering on seductive. Once Sid realizes that Nirrim is giving up quite a bit of her life force, their release is arranged and Nirrim returns to her home with the memory of a mysterious, fascinating Sid. Nirrim dares the forbidden, crossing through the Middle Kith area in order to find Sid. When she does, Nirrim not only finds love and rousing adventure, but begins to question her very existence and the way of her world.

Rutkoski has built an amazing, very detailed and exciting world. We see it through Nirrim's eyes and experience the poverty of the Half-Kith as well as the opulence of the upper class. As Nirrim's world expands, so does her world view and she is not the same person by the end of the tale.

Young adults will love this! There is some sex but its more romantic and exciting than graphic so OK for mature middle-school students as well. I plan to get a copy for our library.. Thank you for the chance to read the ARC!