Please note: I received an advance digital copy of this book through NetGalley from Erewhon Books and C. L. Polk in exchange for a honest review. This does not influence my opinions in any way.

DNF’d at 57% due to indifference and boredom.

I tried. I really did.
I was drawn to the book by the beautiful cover and the premise, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
The young sorceress Beatrice dreads the day she marries for it’ll also be the day a warding collar would be placed around her neck, suppressing her magic while also protecting her future children from spirit possession. With the Bargaining Season underway, she’s expected to court and marry a gentleman to save her family from financial ruin. But Beatrice has other plans. She wants to become the first great female magician in a male dominated world and help her father recover their lost fortune. But falling in love with Ianthe wasn’t part of the plan. Could she forsake love to hold onto her magic?
With a premise like that, I thought I was in an intense fantasy romance. Instead, what I got was a plot that meandered, letting the friendship between Beatrice and Ianthe’s sister overshadow the romance. We’re constantly told about the stakes, to the point that they lost their impact. On that same note, there’s too much telling going on here and not enough showing. For example, a character would say a dialogue and we’d get in-depth details of what exactly their words mean, instead of letting context and visual clues to guide the readers.
It didn’t help that the characters themselves were very flat. I couldn’t get invested in any of them. Worst of all, I couldn’t relate to or connect with Beatrice, our point of view character. I didn’t understand what she saw in Ianthe either besides a handsome, charming man. His character was also bland and undeveloped. Their romance had no build up. It was a classic case of insta-love, a major pet-peeve of mine. Within two conversations, Beatrice was already considering giving up her pursuit of becoming an powerful mage to be with him.
The dialogues came off very stilted and unnatural. Characters would go on tangent, almost as if they’re preaching to us. Don’t get me wrong, I think the discussion surrounding the discrimination women face in a male dominated world is an important one to have. But it’s done so heavy-handed here. It lacks nuance. Not to mention, for a woman to blatantly and completely despise, disregard, and condemn the society’s beliefs seemed very anachronistic. Subtlety is key.. I’m all for women seeking equal rights, but the way Beatrice decided to go about it rubbed me the wrong way. It made her appear selfish and annoying and thus very unlikeable.
The magic system confused me, but I’ll admit that there was more effort put in there than in the romance. It had potential and I wished it was explored more. I felt like we just saw the tip of the iceberg. I would’ve preferred the romance done away with for the story to focus more on the fantastical elements. Nadi, the spirit Beatrice summoned, was my favourite character.
I don’t see a point in powering through the book. I have no desire to pick it up. I’m not invested in the story or the characters. I’m truly indifferent to what Beatrice ends up choosing.
Thank you Erewhon Books and C. L. Polk for giving me an opportunity to read this book. Hopefully others will enjoy this more than I did.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to read this book. The main character, Beatrice, has only one desire, to freely pursue magic and never have to marry and be striped of a magical future. This regency styled romance crossed with magical aspects presents dilemmas for many characters, the women in particular, that are engaging and leave the reader questioning what will happen and if anyone can find true happiness in this world of sacrifices. The writing drew me in immediately and the storytelling is so well crafted that it's easy to visualize every scene in the book. I'll be sure to keep my eye out for more of C. L. Polk's books. Her story was unique and mesmerizing.

Now this is the kind of romance book I can really get into. Unlike the other one I read lately, I didn't feel too immature to read this, even though I'm twenty three years old. There wasn't any awkward scenes that made me uncomfortable to read, laughing too hard at parts I really should have skimmed over, or anything like that. This book was pure and amazing, a story of fighting for women's rights, even though the world they were in was completely imaginary and full of magic. The romance was innocent and full, and it just really made me feel good to read. I couldn't get enough of this book, and if more fantasy romance novels are like this, than I really should check more out.

Following an eighteen year old woman named Beatrice, we first meet her as she's on her way to get ready for a season of awkward first dates, which are supposed to end with an arranged marriage. Women are used as bargaining chips, no matter how powerful their magic is, and it doesn't matter what they want, because they're only supposed to be used to make their family proud by doing two things: bringing money into their home from marrying a wealthy husband, and having as many children as she can. Not a very happy life for them, but what does it matter? That's what's not important. The fathers just think, I guess you should have been born a boy then, if you wanted a different life for yourself. That is, until Beatrice comes around with her insane amount of power, trying to find a way around the arranged marriage that haunts her. The only thing, is that the schools refuse to teach women, and even deny that women could have powers at all. They're forced to wear a metal collar from the time that they're married to the end of menopause, that takes their powers from them, making life dull and worthless, aside from getting pregnant and seeing their children grow. But that's not the kind of life that Beatrice wants for herself, or anyone else.

After collecting books with hidden messages for women trying to become mages before they're married off, the only way to get around the horrible life that they're forced into, she finds the one she needs, but another more powerful woman has her eye on it too. The two agree to pretend to be friends and teach each other what they know, and end up becoming actual friends along the way. And even though Beatrice has wanted nothing to do with marriage and love, only magic, she ends up falling in love too. But that's when things start to get complicated. Her horrible father wants money, and that's all he can think of. Her mother is a shell of who she used to be, having to wear the collar for so long. And her sister is obsessed with the arranged marriages, claiming that it's the best thing that could ever happen, and really just hating that her sister despises everything about them. But she really doesn't see the big picture.

I have to say, I'm not usually into these kinds of books, with their way of speaking, the topic of magic, but I've been getting more and more into them. The romance label made me worried I wouldn't completely love it, but I was worried for nothing. I was obsessed with this book from the moment I picked it up, and I really couldn't get enough. Something about Beatrice standing up for women's rights really made me feel good about not only myself, but her and the women around her. She just wants to change the world, and will stop at nothing until she gets that, and I really respect that about her. Though she is young, five years younger than me, she really is a much stronger person than I am, than I could ever be. And that's why I loved this book so much. In her short life, she's gone through a lot, and was still able to accomplish what she accomplished by the end of the book. What an amazing person. If more fantasy romance books are like this one, than I want to read them all. And that's really amazing.

If you love books about standing up for yourself, and others around you, and really just women's rights in general, than you're going to fall in love with this book as much as I did, even if you think you're not going to be into it, like I did. Please give this book a chance if you see it, I don't think anyone would regret it. I can't wait to get a paper copy for myself and let it class up my bookshelf.

(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

I received an e-arc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much Erewhon Books.

When I first read the synopsis I thought this is a book I'll absolutely adore. Being a Fantasy and Romance reader who enjoys books set in a regency setting, this seemed perfect for me. Sadly, it was really underwhelming.

The magic was intriguing, but we never really got into it and saw all it could offer. I was confused when Beatrice had Ysbeta perform something during their practice, though I understood how it goes when Beatrice herself used magic in the beginning of the book. I think their was a lot more for the magic system to offer but we never really got into it and only saw it in action a few times with most of the steps of the ritual being vague.
The magic system, plot, and the world have so much potential, and I really wanted more from them.

I'm also a character reader and my biggest disappointment is that all characters felt flat to me and I couldn't connect with any of them. They were fighting against the systemic sexism done to women in their world by putting collars on them and taking their magic away and it's amazing, but I didn't feel for them once. Sure, I wanted them to succeed, that collar is terrible, but I didn't really care much for Beatrice or Ysbeta and didn't cheer them on with my full heart as I expected I would. I felt the same thing towards all the other characters, except Nadi who was the most fun when he was around.

Beatrice's sister also really annoyed me, and I just grew to hate her father as the story went on. God, it was terrible reading that scene towards the end(sorry I'm a little vague, I don't want to spoil anyone but if you've read this you know which scene) , he was absolutely awful with Beatrice and he treated her like an object not a human, and didn't care that she's not safe with the person he's tying her to, that this person harmed her before. And it wasn't addressed afterwards which I hated.

I also expectd this story to be a combination of magic and swoons, and yes there was a romance but it was insta-love with absolutely no build up. It happened in a second and I'm a romantic at heart but didn't feel anything when these two were together, I couldn't ship them. I wish it was more of a slow burn romance.

The pacing of the book was also off, mostly on the slow side.
So in the end the book was s 2.5⭐ for me rounded up to three. I wish I could've enjoyed it more because the thing they were fighting for was great, the idea that there are women out there in their world defying this sexism and practicing magic is amazing and has so much potential. And the world and magic system truly do have a lot to offer, and I wanted more from them.

But I really did enjoy the epilogue, what Beatrice did was badass, empowering women with knowledge, and I wish we saw more of that spirit in the book. I liked how things turned out for everyone and was glad the author showed us a little bit of their future.

I was already pretty partial to books by C.L. Polk ever since I read the excellent Witchmark. So when I was approved for this new standalone novel I was very excited, and for good reason because it is excellent!

As a HUGE period drama/BBC/Masterpiece theater fan I love that this book is set in a Regency era type world. Carriages, and balls, and magic all in one fantasy story!? Yes, please. As a plus, it is feminist as hell! In this world, just when a young woman comes into her magical abilities she is married off and has a collar put on her neck that completely dampens her abilities. It’s horrible. But Beatrice is not one to go down gently into that good night. She will fight it.

Beatrice is an excellent character, spunky but in a realistic way. She makes friends with a spirit named Nadi (who I am inordinately fond of and steals every scene she is in), who can help her to retain her freedom but what will be the cost? Other characters like the Lavan siblings are interesting and easy to love. As always with novels by this author, the LGBTQ community is well represented. It’s a fun novel, with a lot to say but never feels preachy. It is completely fun and a really nice easy read for a weekend. The only bad thing I could say about it is that it isn’t part of a series! I would love more Nadi!! I hope you enjoy the book, it made me happy.

The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk is a feminist fantasy set in a time and place that is reminiscent of Regency England. Our protagonist Beatrice has a powerful natural streak of magic, but in the society she lives in , she will never really get to use it. Instead she will be married off to a rich or powerful man and then "collared" to cut off her link to her natural power. Society deems that this is the only way to protect her unborn children from the dangers of magic, most notably the spirits involved who would grasp at any opportunity to possess them before birth. Beatrice is dreading this future, she dreams of being able to develop her magical abilities just as the young men of the country do, but her family's debts mean that instead she must make an impression at "bargaining season" , where all the young magical ingenues are paraded and displayed before the eligible bachelors who are seeking a wife. The right match will not only settle the debts, it will improve her younger sister's prospects too. Her determination and ambition comes into question however when she finds herself drawn to the very eligible Ianthe Lavan, and becomes friends with his similarly minded sister Ysbeta and soon she will have to make a very tough choice, one that could have consequences for her whole family.
I love fantasy tales that have a grounding in the real world, so this was right up my alley. The pacing is definitely on the slower side, especially for the first half of the book, but I did not mind as I was enjoying the writing and the world building. While there is a romance at the heart of this book, it was the relationships between Beatrice and the women in her life that really held my interest. The most obvious of these is her relationship with Ysbeta , which starts on rather rocky ground but progresses into one of mutual support and true friendship. I also liked the realistic dynamics between Beatrice and her younger sister, and appreciated that despite her frustration , Beatrice still worried about how her actions would impact on her sister's future prospects. Though it was only a small moment in the book, when Beatrice's mother shows her what her future could be like and urges her to do what will make her happy, it was incredibly moving and hopeful.
One of the biggest strengths of the book was how well it held my interest and what a good job the author did of making both Beatrice's options so attractive that it was difficult to be certain which future she would choose.

I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/10/13/the-midnight-bargain-by-cl-polk/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

I have enjoyed this author in the past, so when I saw this gorgeous cover I didn't hesitate.  It didn't hurt the story was full of magic with a feel like Regency England.   The world setup is like many books I have read where women are oppressed, not allowed to use or train to use magic.

The world-building in <strong>The Midnight Bargain</strong> was comfortable as it fit a familiar style.  The characters were lovely, flawed, independent and resourceful; I couldn't help but love them.  Beatrice is a young women who wants to live her life, learn and practice magic. Her family though is in financial trouble so she needs to marry to bring them wealth.  She is clever and while her feelings are selfish, she works to do what her family needs.  Her younger sister, Harriet,<em> is</em> a selfish little brat, young and unsympathetic to Beatrice's needs.

Beatrice meets the Lavan siblings by chance and it changes the whole course of the season of ingenues where men select brides.  Ysbeta is a girl after her own heart but with many more resources.  Ianthe is quite the enlightened and perceptive man.  Of course, he does live with Ysbeta, but he learns from Beatrice too.

I sadly started reading at around 11pm and the next thing I knew it was 4:48am when I finished!  It captured me emotionally and I was worried, excited, and cheering on my favored characters.  They faced some formidable rules and society pressures, with their own families making demands on them.  I really loved this story.

Happy release day to The Midnight Bargain!! 🥳

I enjoyed this book. It took a little bit for me to become invested in the characters, but once I did, I was pulling for them with all my might!

In this magical world, women are sorceresses, but aren’t allowed to reach their full potential as such because they are expected to give it all up to marry and have children.

There were many themes in this book, but the largest one was equality for women. The characters were treated like commodities for their families to reap the benefits of. Think dowry times, but add magical elements.

I loved the strength and determination of both Beatrice and Ysbeta to not be controlled. And Ianthe 😍 who wouldn’t want him by their side through life? Such a great male character with the ability to look outside of himself.

I felt at times that the novel lost me, but I would be brought back into it soon after. Just don’t go in expecting to be wowed the entire time.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @erewhonbooks for this advanced copy for my honest review ❤️

Beatrice Clayborn is a female magician, or sorceress, who is trying to survive in a patriarchal society. She is the property of her father until the time that she marries when she becomes the property of her husband who then puts her in a warding collar... for her safety and the safety of any unborn children she may carry. All she wants is to find a way to escape this constricting and colorless future set before her but its Bargaining Season and she doesn’t have much time left. While holding the key to her freedom, a magical coded grimoire, Beatrice is brought face to face with the beautiful and rich Ysbeta Lavan and her ridiculously handsome brother Ianthe who take the grimoire (and her freedom) right from her fingertips.

It’s Bargaining Season.

All the men descend on a seaside city in Chasland to find their future bride. The ingenue’s, or sorceresses, are to be bartered and bought based on their magician abilities (used for breeding not their own power), what kind of connections they can bring the new family, and money. They are dressed up, made up, and told to be quite and not make a fuss. Naturally, Beatrice does not want this life, to be collared and her magic taken from her until she produces enough children and here monthly courses leave her, so on the night of the first Spring Assembly Hall Dance she summons a lesser spirit of luck to help her get her grimoire back. Nadi is a lesser spirit of luck and Beatrice has promised her wine, cake, dancing, and her first kiss in exchange for Nadi’s luck in getting the grimoire back. While at the dance, Beatrice is trying to avoid the rude attentions of a former potential suitor when she runs into none other than Ianthe Lavan and they share conversation and maybe he isn’t the man she initially thought him to be.

Over the course of the next couple weeks Beatrice becomes close with both the Lavan siblings and now she doesn’t know if she should chose her magic and freedom or the man her heart belongs to. How can she decide one when leaving the other will only leave her broken?

I really enjoyed this book. The beginning did take me a little while to actually get into but after the first few chapters I did become a little more attached to these characters. The relationships are built so beautifully in this book. The friendships between Beatrice and Ysbeta grows from something of need of something from on another to an actual and organically beautiful friendship. The romance between Ianthe, and can we just say he is so so perfect in every way, and Beatrice is so real and so passionate that you just cheer for them the whole time even though you also want Beatrice to find her freedom. And Nadi, oh sweet and courageous Nadi, she is my favorite character in this book. She is supposed to be evil, difficult, and always looking for more but she is so supportive of Beatrice, if not a little hexing, from the beginning and they grow to love one another so fully.

I would, and have, recommend this book other others. I am curious about C.L Polk’s other work now and will definitely be checking it out in the near future. I initially requested this book bc the cover is so beautiful and the synopsis sounding right up my book lovers alley and I was not disappointed.

Thank you to Netgally and Erewhon Books for the chance to read and review this book.

A feminist sorceress fantasy with romantic elements, C. L. Polk’s The Midnight Bargain offers a compelling, timely tale of women who are forced to choose between their ability & family/social obligations, & two young women who forge a friendship & resolve to beat the aforementioned system that seeks to imprison them.

In the world of TMB, sorceresses go through a Bargaining Season wherein they are courted. On their wedding day, these women are adorned with a warding collar that suppresses their magic until after they’re done bearing children.

If women aren’t given the collar, male mages argue, spirits will be able to take over any babies they carry in the womb & be born into the material world they crave so much.

Beatrice Clayborn, a merchant’s daughter, wants to keep her magic more than anything.

She learns that she isn’t alone with this hope when she meets Ysbeta, a wealthy woman visiting Chasland with her handsome brother, Ianthe Lavan, a nearly inconceivable catch.

Ianthe comes to want Beatrice for his wife & there’s part of her that wants him too. But both of them know that accepting him, accepting him as her husband, would mean losing her magic & having it under someone else’s control.

While the romance is a nice touch & is even inspiring in some big ways, it also feels superficial in others. It’s not really the highlight of this book for me.

Instead, it’s the world-building & the premise, which feels both creative & original *&* also based on some real-world gender dynamics. After all, the tension set up for women in this book—that of pursuing self or family—doesn’t feel entirely imaginary for most women IRL, & neither does the patriarchal notion that men are entitled to have control over women’s bodies. (Haven’t we seen & heard that before?? ).

Overall, while I didn’t get entirely lost in this story, I did love its trenchant critique of patriarchy & how Polk crafts two young women—& a young man—who are willing to do what it takes to bring it all down.

4 ⭐️. The Midnight Bargain is out today. Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

A gripping feminist fantasy

The Midnight Bargain is a romantic fantasy set in a magical version of Regency England. Everyone has the capability to do magic (which is here based on rituals and spirit possession), but only men are allowed to become fully-fledged magicians. Due to the risk spirits would pose to fetuses, women are only allowed a rudimentary magical education and upon marrying they are forced to wear collars that dampen their magical gift.

The protagonist, Beatrice Clayborn, has her heart set on becoming a magician, even if it means forgoing marriage and children. Unfortunately her family, thrown into financial difficulties by her father’s bad investment, banks everything on her marrying well. And Beatrice’s own resolve starts to falter when she meets Ianthe Lavan, a kind and intelligent heir to a powerful trading dynasty...

My first association upon reading the synopsis was The Harwood Spellbook series by Stephanie Burgis – a fantasy romance also set in a magical Regency England and dealing with women being prevented from pursuing magic. The similarities, however, are very superficial. The Harwood Spellbook, while not lacking in drama, is explicitly written to be fluffy and uplifting. You can see that even in the structure of society, which has strict gender divisions, but is actually matriarchal, with women dealing in politics. The Midnight Bargain deals with similar themes of women’s agency and right to pursue their calling, but in a more serious manner, with women being subjugated based on their reproductive capabilities. And C.L. Polk doesn’t pull punches; the very concept of a marriage collar is upsetting, but it gets even more visceral when at one point we get a description of exactly how it feels to wear one. It was hard reading for me as a person who isn't subject to reproductive oppression in real life. But there are other aspects to Beatrice’s situation, too: the way she has to grovel in front of potential suitors who are well aware of the power they hold and lord it over her; or the way her family completely dismisses not just her ambitions, but the notion that she could propose other solutions to their problems, not to mention the full-on emotional abuse from her father.

You might have noticed I described The Midnight Bargain as a “romantic fantasy” and The Harwood Spellbook as a “fantasy romance” – this is because I agree with the notion that a romance needs a happy ending (whether a happily-ever-after or a happily-for-now) and for a large stretch of TMB I wasn’t at all sure what Beatrice was going to choose and whether she would end up with Ianthe at all. (Spoiler for those who need to know: (view spoiler)). That doubt is, I think, a testament to how well-constructed the central dilemma is and how skillfully Polk manages all the developments and complications: Beatrice wants to become a magician in order to realise her ambitions, but also help her family at the expense of marrying. Her family, however, puts pressure on her by staking everything on a financially successful marriage. As Beatrice fights to achieve her own aims, her prospects dwindle, making the situation more and more desperate.

Ianthe’s represents a seductive possibility: he’s kind, intelligent, values Beatrice as a person, and he comes from unimaginable wealth. She could have a fulfilling marriage to him, solve her family’s financial problems, and even (since Ianthe comes from a culture more enlightened than the barbaric Chaslanders who control their wives’ magic permanently) perform magic in a limited capacity once she has children. That option starts to look more and more tempting as the complications start to pile up, but the big question that Beatrice has is: should she have to compromise at all? Is “slightly less oppresion” an acceptable – reasonable – alternative to “more oppression”? I’m writing this review in Poland, where the struggle for abortion rights had been stuck for decades in “reasonable compromise” mode (i.e. abortion is forbidden, except in some cases) before the conversation has been hijacked by right-wing extremists, so the question that Polk poses in the book feels as vital as the answer obvious.

I talked about the love interest, but I think it would be a big disservice to the book not to talk about the women surrounding Beatrice. At the very start of the book, she clashes with Ianthe’s sister, Ysbeta: they both crave a book that would help them expand their magical abilities. The struggle over a limited resource eventually gives way to an uneasy alliance, but that first scene is emblematic of other relationships, too, with Beatrice’s mother and sister, and other characters. The supporting cast offers a complex look at how women struggle to adapt and find a place for themselves in a precarious, oppressive system; how they might choose to risk their position to help others or hinder them in order to preserve their own sliver of security.

In the end, The Midnight Bargain offers a forceful answer to the problems it presents, even if there are certain aspects that feel glossed over and that I would like a little more engagement with (like the questions of consent and bodily autonomy surrounding spirit possession, or the resolution to Beatrice and her father’s relationship). At the same time as weighty matters relating to women's liberation, there is also a lot of suspense and humour (as in the scenes where Beatrice acts under the influence of Nadi, the spirit of chance) that makes it an energetic, breezy read. A most successful marriage of elements, I would say.

In a world similar to Regency England, women with magical power are sold into marriage as a business arrangement between families. Some of whom are looking for that magical boost to their gene pool, and others may receive financial gain. On the day of their marriage these young women are forced to wear a collar that inhibits their powers for fear that the children they bear may be possessed. Beatrice Clayburn is a young sorceress who does not want to get married. She dreams of the day when she can become a Mage and through being a Mage help her family’s finances, instead her father wants to marry her off. Beatrice practices her sorcery in private but at night she attends balls and is under the attention of all of the young men who are on the marriage mart. Determined not to ever marry, one day she meets Ianthe Lavan and is torn between what she needs and what she wants.

I thought it was interesting that this fantasy tale paralleled the paths of young women in Victorian England who may have fought for equal rights during the Suffrage movement. Also forced to marry for business or monetary reasons these women also dreamed of their voices being heard and not smothered by or becoming possessions of their husbands. The collar that Beatrice would have to wear also brings to mind the collared slaves who were at the whim of their masters in the United States. Reading this novel during the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote and while the Black Matters Movement is still being fought certainly made what Beatrice was and would go through very relevant. I can’t imagine the author didn’t intend for the reader’s mind to follow those parallel paths.

Surprisingly I didn’t get tired of Beatrice’s mixed feelings over falling in love with a young man while at the same time as wanting the freedom to pursue her own future. Most authors would have chosen the easier path, but C.L. Polk chose what spoke to her character and that decision read true to me. I will admit to shedding a tear or two for Beatrice and Ianthe in this novel while hoping their rocky path would smooth out.

I could imagine the hardships of not only Beatrice but all of the young women of her time. In a discussion with her mother about never wanting to wear the collar her mother told a story of how she chose to marry for love and how that love deadened over time. Beatrice’s decision for her future couldn’t just be about how much she loved Ianthe or how much she wanted to be a Mage. Her decision was about not letting anyone have control over her body and while I am not making a political statement I can certainly say that I identified with that feeling while reading this novel. So, did I like it? Yes. A lot actually. But was it easy reading? It really wasn’t. It made me think about what was going on in the world right now. Not a bad thing but maybe not exactly what I was looking for when I sat down to read either.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest.

‘The talent for sorcery in women is a curse when it ought to be a blessing.’

CL Polk’s The Midnight Bargain is set in a world where women with magic are only valued for their potential to bear magical offspring. The moment they are wedded, a binding collar is put on their necks to take away their magic until they go through menopause and Beatrice is determined to avoid this faith.

Unfortunately for her, her family is on the brink of financial ruin and their fortunes rest on her finding a good match. Even more (un)fortunately, she has caught the eye of our hero, the richest and most eligible bachelor on the marriage market and she struggles throughout the book on whether she wants to let herself be caught back.

The push and pull of Beatrice’s longing for high magic and independence against her desire to save her family and also growing love for Ianthe was such a ride! I genuinely was not able to see how she would be able to reconcile the two and was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The side quest to help Ianthe’s sister Ysebeta gain magic and independence increased the tension of the story and I really felt their fear and frustration.

The use of Nadi, a lesser spirit, who Beatrice makes bargains with to ease her way, was a welcome injection of humour. I just loved his protective and rambunctious nature as he impulsively hexed anyone who hurt Beatrice 😂

Overall, I really enjoyed the world building in this book and that epilogue is *chef’s kiss*!



#clpolk #themidnightbargain

I am a bit of a fan of C.L. Polk but unfortunately this feministic and witches historical story couldn't quite wrap me around its fingers. 

It certainly wasn't the writing that left me wanting. As is per usual with C.L. Polk the writing works well for historical fiction, and has a certain sway to it that reads well. 

However I never really got into the story. For under 400 pages it is frustratingly slow with little happenings. While I don't generally mind slowness I do need to be curious and interested. But here it was obvious where it all was going. 

The characters felt a bit flat in places. Beatrice never really got any of my sympathies. She was selfish in places and very focused on just one thing. She sometimes didn't seem to care much about others.  The love interest also didn't quite fly off the page unfortunately. That with the slowness and predictable line of the story it was hard to sink in the story. 

And yet there are some interesting bits about the story. There is feminism throughout the whole. Beatrice is set on changing the ways of magic use in the country, at least for herself at first. Women can't really be sorceress as they are often required to wear a collar that will cut them off from their magic to protect their unborn children when they marry. Isn't that how some still feel our society should function? Or how some men say they support feminism when in reality their rules just aren't as strict. Can't give up that control over women can you? 

I also think the magic system of the bargaining with demons, and the grimoires and how they are to be found in second-hand bookstores, were truly interesting. Nadi, the demon that Beatrice bargained with was the most dynamic part of the story. I wish we could have gotten more of this. More demons. More dynamic. 

In the end it was a decent story but I was expecting so much more from it.

Will they find a way out before it is too late ...

As a historical romance reader, I wanted to read this book because of the regency style area setting. I liked the premises, but I was often upset by the various characters, yet I forgave them, they are victims of being entangled in a web of deceit pushed by others’ inaptitude to accept differently.
The Clayborns sisters from time to time annoyed me, probably because they were young, too young. So immature and selfish like most younger people. Still this is also the story of how they come of age, having to overthrow forces they do not control.
After, the author has built an astonishing world, full of rules mixing the impediments set for the women by men from time immemorial with new ones because of this world’s specificities.
Those girls must navigate in a world made by men for men, they are enslaved upon their marriage and they nearly have no rights, their only use and value being their ability to reproduce.
Beatrice had a taste of magic since her childhood, since she can’t imagine to live without this feeling of being useful, fulfilled. Marriage would kill any chance for her to become than the young miss who dabs on magic, it would smash her very inner core to only leave a shell of herself.
Her younger sister Harriet appears as the bringer of lessons, always reminding her older sister that if things take a wrong turn, all her family will pay the price. I wanted to shake her, but like a historical romance, reputation is everything and one stain can shadow one’s future and tarnish her family’s name. Why Beatrice is torn between two edges, her duty to her family and her own dreams.
Ianthe her romantic interest, a young and caring man, is an anomaly, he sees women for their worth and understands her plights. But he is also young and subject to the same dictates than her. He has also a sister, why he is more in tune with both women’s interest.
Ysbeta, Ianthe’s sister is a stronger and more independent version of Beatrice, but she can be as while her family has expectations, it does not concern their whole future. And while she is manipulative, she aims for herself but also for other women, she wants knowledge and freedom to be whom one can be, not whom one is expected.
Nadi, the lesser spirit of luck, is like a child learning his first steps, it is greedy and ravenous but it also learns. Nadi is often at the helm of the best scenes.

As time progresses and Beatrice and Ysbeta become entangled in a web of deceptions to find a way out of their predicament, the walls are slowly tightening around them, imprisoning them even more in the laws of their world, making them the next victims of those supposed protective laws, which in fact are only a controlling way for men to get what they want.

I do not know if I would have been so easily forgiving to the Lavans parents and Beatrice’s. They are better persons than me.

In all, it is a much enjoyable and entertaining read in an astonishing world with young people finding the courage to shred the weight of their society’s conventions.
4.5 stars

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Erewhon, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Part of the way through this book, I still wasn't sure how I felt about it. By the end, though, I loved it! Set in a fascinating Regency-ish world (which I really want to see more of), the novel follows Beatrice, a young woman entering her season. In possession of powerful magical potential, she can save her family from financial ruin by marrying and binding herself in a collar that cuts off her magic to ensure she can safely have children. Of course, she'd rather become a great sorceress. Her path entwines with the Lavan siblings and things get ever more complicated when she starts to fall for the ever-so-eligible Ianthe Lavan. It took me a while to figure out the magical and societal hierarchies, but once I did the book became a delight. The magic system was interesting, with background structures I still want to learn more about. I don't want to give away too much detail, but the supporting characters really shine and add depth to the world. This hit the sweet spot between light and serious perfectly for me, making it an utter delight.

A fantasy novel set in an alternate universe Regency period where magic is common, and usage is connected to one's gender. Women, despite being just as capable of magic as men, are considered vulnerable to possession by malevolent spirits looking for a foothold in the human world. Thus, they are expected never to dabble in magic and to be warded once they are married, unable to use their skills. Beatrice Clayborne chafes against these conventions. She is a powerful magician herself, and the only thing she longs for is to be able to use that magic to help her family, who expect her to marry and improve their fortunes. The book is focused primarily on Beatrice's "Bargaining Season," which is the period of time where she is expected to attract a wealthy and well-connected husband.

Thought this was a rather interesting set up, and I did enjoy reading how Polk reimagined the Ton with the addition of magic as another marker of elitism (as if wealth and nobility weren't enough). However, because this is primarily a romance with the veneer of magic to set up some conflicts, I didn't really feel like the stakes were ever really high enough for me. Beatrice's choice between freedom and love felt a little contrived considering the length of a season that she would have had to get to know Ianthe, so I didn't even really understand where the struggle came in.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk is a fantasy novel set in a world similar to Regency England.
A world in which women are pretty decorations and broodmares to be sold off to enhance families standing and or wealth. Beatrice Clayborn has come to the city of Bendleton during the Bargaining Season because her father wishes her to make a match that will repair the family coffers. Beatrice has different dreams. She hopes to become a Magus, a master sorcerer and to restore the family fortune not by marriage but through her own intelligence and powers. Women have been forbidden to become sorcerers, their magic being taken from them when they are locked into a warding collar upon marriage that blocks them from using magic. She meets a kindred spirit in Ysbeta Lavan, a wealthy young woman who’s mother has arranged a match for meant to increase her family holdings when Ysbeta wishes to be free to travel the world and study. The two young women race against time to learn what they need to know from secret grimoires. Ianthe Lavan, Ysbeta’s brother, is fascinated by Beatrice, and she is torn between love for him and her dreams, as he seems to be the one person who understands her, yet he too would have her wear the collar if they married.
I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it. Steam Level: Kissing Only Publishing Date: October 13, 2020. #TheMidnightBargain #CLPolk #ErewhonBooks #NetGalley #SciFiAndFantasy #RomanticFantasyNovel #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #HistoricalFantasyNovel

A book that is both wonderfully feminist and unfortunately meandering, but ultimately made for a lovely read on a rainy day.

I very much enjoyed the setting of the novel, a regency-era world where sorcery is common practice, but only for men, and the main character is a woman that learns forbidden magic from grimoires. I really appreciated this aspect of the novel and the commentary it offered, and adored the magic system of summoning spirits.

Unfortunately I am a character > plot reader, and the novel suffered from rather flat characters - the kind that are perfectly fine to read about, but forgettable once the novel is done. The main romance also borders on instalove, though I did enjoy Ianthe on his own as a character; he was probably my favorite out of the main characters. I do have to give a special shout out to Nadi, the spirit Beatrice summons, who is just an absolute joy to read.

The plot was interesting but suffered uneven pacing, meandering the most in the middle. Thankfully, C.L. Polk delights with wonderful descriptions and creative locations, as well as intriguing worldbuilding and magic, so I did not mind the slow plot - I enjoyed simply existing in the world.

Overall, 3/5 stars. A perfectly pleasant read that will appeal to fans of witchy books and historical fantasies.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A heavy dose of Austen, a dash of magical tomes and summoned spirits, wrapped up in a very feminist package. This book was so many things I never even knew I needed in my life.

It's bargaining season for Beatrice Clayborn, a whirlwind of luncheons, games, and balls in which the most eligible young men and women solidify their courtship whether for love, money, or power. For Beatrice, all her family's hopes hang on her neck as they sit on the cusp of financial ruin, yet a wealthy match could save them. Women of strong magical ability like Beatrice are desirable matches, to produce capable heirs, however the magical abilities that are obtained through summoned spirits carries a risk of said spirit overtaking the soul of any child they might bear, so these women are collared to cut off connection to spirits through their reproductive years. Beatrice is determined to escape social obligation and learn the secrets buried in grimoires that will allow her become a thornback - a solitary woman mage - keeping her magic. However, a run in with siblings Ianthe & Ysbeta Lavan in a bookshop, also in the bargaining season, make her realize that she may not be alone in her desire to avoid becoming a brood mare... but also that her steadfast desire may waver for romance.

I love how the cast of characters feel small and well developed, even while we have this grand event of Bargaining Season with lots of young men and women, and family politics behind them. The magic system and summoning behind it was brilliant, it reminded me a bit of Sorcery of Thorns or maybe Bartimaeus, in which the spirits (who miss being corporeal) and their summoner strike deals for use of physical function in trade for magical works - not only that, the spirit primarily dealt with by Beatrice is HILARIOUS and a real trickster. The world feels quite detailed as well, we learn a great deal about differences between the nations Beatrice and the Lavans come from, with one being less progressive or advanced, and also about the trade of different areas. I was also pleasantly surprised that there doesn't seem to be colourism/racism depicted in this world, a big change from other Austen stylings I've seen before. Most important rave for one of the major woman characters being unlabelled but quite clearly depicted in the text as aro/ace and childfree.

Beyond all this, the core of the book is a poignant and heart wrenching exploration of systemic sexism. Beatrice faces truly difficult decisions about her own desires (which are sometimes in conflict), family pressures, and social obligation. One conversation beautifully confronts how the magical system works as it does because it was set by men, who don't feel the biggest downsides, and so don't entertain even small changes because that is just the way things work. With her fiery determination to escape a system that would oppress her for her magical ability, Beatrice may instead be able to shape something new.