Magical, Enthralling, Heartbreaking and Perfect Thorough Happiness!

Well, that was fan-freaking-tastic! To say I loved this is an understatement. It was so magical but felt so vividly real. C L Polk has created a wonderful, magical world where sorcerers live amongst normal people and I was so enthralled, I couldn't put it down.

Polk's world of sorcerers amongst us was breathtaking. I loved that the power was in men but also really flowed through women. The characters were spectacular. Beatrice's strong will, Ysbeta who isn't what you initially think she is but actually is so incredibly selfless, Nadi who reminds us of the child we used to be, and Ianthe - an absolute gem of a sorcerer who was passionate and so incredibly open-minded. I loved this group of problem solvers. Each had their reasons but found harmony with each other.

If you love a bit of magical fantasy feminism, look no further. The women in this story are fierce and loyal to their causes and loyal to each other. And Ianthe is such a perfect ally.

I LOVED this. I want to read it again and again.

Well, hello feminist historical fantasy novel. I absolutely loved this book!

First, I think the cover is stunning. It immediately drew me in. I love a good cover. Second, I adore Polk’s style of writing. The story is very dialogue driven, which is my favorite way to read! The pacing was on the slower side, but not enough to make me lose interest.

I really liked the characters as well. One thing I liked was that the author didn’t make them all super likeable. They all had little frustrating things about them, which made them seem more real. I also loved the chemistry between the characters. I think the romance aspect of this book played off really well. Also, the world building in this book was very interesting! It’s created in a way that is very similar to issues women face in our non-magical world. I loved it!

My only complaint is that the ending was tied up in a neat little bow. Happy endings are nice! But, considering how some people reacted (no spoilers!), I think the bow was way too nice. Too many sparkles. Not enough jagged edges. I did LOVE the epilogue though.

Overall, such a great book with witty dialogue, an intriguing world, and dynamic characters!

The Midnight Bargain is like if Pride and Prejudice met The Bartimaeus trilogy. In Chasland, a fantasy country reminiscent of regency England. Beatrice has to choose between becoming a mage or marriage. The choice becomes a lot more difficult when she develops feelings for eligible bachelor Ianthe Lavan. Ianthe is considerate, attentive, and charming. There are unlikely friendships, social maneuvering. fist fights, pining, and mischievous spirits. Nadi the lesser spirit of Fortune and Ysbeta Lavan are side characters who I grew to love. Spirits crave the experience of being coroporal, so to call on their services, mages offer them certain experiences inhabiting their bodies, which easily segued into meet-cutes with Nadi acting as an impulsive influence on Beatrice. The Lavans are from Llanandari, where people are dark-skinned and coily-haired, and women have more leeway in their roles. Ysbeta is Ianthe's assertive younger sister, and she's dealing with a betrothal of her own. This was a fun read that uses a fantastical setting to explore familiar themes of misogyny.

The Midnight Bargain is the story of the young Beatrice who's family has risked what little remains of the their fortune to make her an eligible candidate for the "Bargain season" (matchmaking season) in the hopes of her being able to obtain a wealthy husband and save the family from poverty. This world has magic, but if women use magic they risk a spirit possessing their child during pregnancy. To prevent this possession it is unseemly for young women to take an interest in magic and once married they are placed in a collar that ceases their magical abilities.

Beatrice does not wish to marry because she wants to be a sorceress and due to the baby possession issue it is impossible to do both. Thus we have our conflict.

Beatrice's family, and most of all her sister, are completely reliant on Beatrice's success during Bargaining season. If Beatrice fails, her younger sister Harriet will never be able to have her own bargaining season and all chance at Harriets happiness will be lost. While there is a lot of effort by way of multiple info dumps into trying to convince the audience why marriage is such an unappealing option, I failed to ever grasp how becoming a sorceress was anything other than a selfish alternatively that would have dire affects for her sister. Her sister, who is by far the wiser, more knowledgable and mature one in the family. Beatrice seeing magic as a reasonable alternative came across as the wistful fantasy of a child: "If I have magic, I can quietly exit society life without damaging my families reputation, dad will suddenly respect my opinion and I will help the family to become wealthy" when undoubtably her exit from society would negatively affect her sisters reputation.

The story moved very slowly throughout the 6 weeks of bargaining season, and at no time was I ever rooting for Beatrice. Overall I found her to be an unlikable character, the fantasy story I was expecting was largely overshadowed by society interactions and match making, and this worlds magical system just did not work for me.

I really enjoyed The Midnight Bargain! I loved the magic and the use of spirits. The book mainly focuses on women's rights and how women have to give up their magic in order to get married and have children.

Beatrice was a strong character as she was tough, loyal and stood up for what she believed in, even though she was being forced to find a husband and give up the one thing she loved. I wish there had been more interaction between her and Ianthe, I loved them together, as he was super sweet and supported Beatrice, but it was just a bit of a whirlwind romance.

I loved the relationship between Beatrice and Nadi! Nadi was by far my favourite character even if it was a spirit, as it just basically wanted to enjoy life through Beatrice and hex everyone, it brought a lot more comedy to the book.

I would definitely recommend this book, it did take me a few chapters to really get into it but I'm glad I pushed through and got to see how it ended, as I thought the ending was really sweet and just proves that women aren't inferior to men.

Beatrice Clayborn holds the potential to wield magic, but as society bans women from learning the more intricate practices of spirit summoning, she is expected to relieve her family from financial strain by striking a prosperous match during bargaining season. As an ingenue debuting in fine society, she must navigate costly balls, tearoom chats, and pompous parties frequented by affluent bachelors, who seek a Skyborn-blessed bride in order to pass magical talent on to heirs - when all Beatrice wants is to bind herself to a powerful spirit who can fill her father's coffers. In order to avoid a future match, she bargains with a lesser spirit of fortune to share her body in exchange for some luck as well as a grimoire that might teach her how to escape her approaching nuptials... if she can get it back from another sorceress as desperate for freedom as she.

Beatrice needs all the luck she can get to tiptoe around every possible faux pas that might bring disgrace to her family name during bargaining season, aware that her family is on the brink of bankruptcy. Polk composes a delicate code of conduct for high society that is not only entertaining to read, but also illuminates that the gender inequality of fictional Chasland might be even closer to current social injustices than those of 18th century England, which her setting seems to be based on. Bargaining with aetherial spirits is only allowed for women either widowed or past their childbearing age, as a strong enough spirit might not only inhabit a sorceress, but seek to possess an unborn child. The only known method to prevent this is a warding collar permanently put on a newly-married woman's neck, barring her from using sorcery. And a spinster, choosing to pursue scholarship and summonings instead of procreation, is thought of as unnatural.

This novel really made me think. I definitely did not expect this fantasy of manners to delve into contemporary problems like the pressure on women to either pursue a career and be called egoistical and frigid OR get pregnant and be laughed at for choosing a traditionally female role. One can only lose in this game of misogyny, and The Midnight Bargain came along just as I realized that. But as bleak as this message sounds, and despite a touch of darker themes here and there, this story is not too heavy in its premise, and I relished the writing from start to finish. It's really sweet, I swear! Not to mention the effortless aromantic representation, healthy yet complicated female-female friendship, the wholesome romance, and the inclusion of black people in positions of wealth and power, and not as "exotic" foreign side characters.

Above all, I loved loved loved the magic system for bringing something fresh to the table. Nadi, the lesser spirit Beatrice first encounters, lacks a material form, and without it the ability to touch, see, smell, taste, and hear. As any aetherial creature, it hungers for the corporeal, and bonding with a human is the only way to experience the simple joys of humanity, like eating cake or watching fireworks. Like any of the lesser spirits, Nadi has a personality close to that of a young child, often sulky when denied a treat, sometimes overeager to move the host's body towards a goal, and all in all simply hard to control. But also, yes, cute!

If you appreciate Georgette Heyer as much as a solid fantasy standalone, choose The Midnight Bargain to ease you into this year's (mildly) spooky fall reading season!

I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley but all opinions are my own.

This book was a quick read. It captured my attention right away. I always enjoy fantasy fiction and this one had a unique story line however I think the world that was created needed some more fleshing out or to be a series so it could have gone a little more in-depth to Beatrice’s plight. Some aspects of the grimoires and the collar were confusing til much later in the book. The romance was cute and heartbreaking at times. The men in power aspect was a good representation of the power struggle in our world and the “ not so well intentioned “ parents and men in charge made me feel her frustration. Feeling for a character and the injustices they face is a good sign of a book that connects you to the character. I’d read more of what CL Polk writes in the future .

Beatrice is eighteen and a sorceress. In her country, after a woman marries, a collar to strip her of her magical power is put on her neck with an excuse that it's to keep the future children safe while she carries them. And okay, sure, in a way it is, but with no way to tell if a child is coming or not the woman is locked up for a long time until her birthing years are behind her and only then may she pursue magic again. If she chooses to do so, she's very limited in what she can do.

Secret grimoires exist to allow women to learn the magic that no one wants to teach them and that's how Beatrice knows a decent amount of it.

While hunting for more grimoires, she encounters a girl on the same task, Ysbeta and her brother Ianthe. Ianthe falls for her and she falls for him but all that is put on hold when Ysbeta steals the grimoire from under Beatrice's nose.

Eventually the girls befriend each other and decide to work together to be free, as neither of them is content with giving up their magic for a man.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I hated all the characters apart from Beatrice and Nadi at one point or another.

The book is longer than average but it didn't feel that way. There were no "slow" parts for me, just endless frustration at everyone who refused to let Beatrice be a mage and stay unmarried.

The world building is excellent and I like the spirit bonding. Enter Nadi - the best character hands down. If this had been a book about it and Beatrice running amok, tasting all the food, dancing all the dances, experiencing all four seasons, I wouldn't mind one bit. They're perfect together.

I think that perhaps, the other suitors who swarmed Beatrice at the birthday party (I believe it was the birthday party) should've appeared more than once.

There's no specific villain in the book, every character has a chance to be one though. I don't mind it.

Harriet is one of the "good" characters that I instantly disliked and kept disliking until the very end. I don't want to call her a brat but...she's a brat. And if I was Beatrice I would've spent months if not years being mad at her for what she did.

Ianthe is...a little daft. But he makes up for it in charm. I'm not exactly sure I like the pairing even though he was her best option.

Beatrice had so many opportunities to run away but didn't take them and I'm still mad at her for that. JUST GO. BE FREE. And I feel like her mother also could've helped more, or at least earlier, then there wouldn't have been such a mess.

Despite all of that I like the epilogue.

Nadi gets 5 stars.

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This book was pretty good, especially for a standalone fantasy. I thought the worldbuilding and magic system were well planned out, but where the book fell flat for me was in the characters and the establishment of the friendship and romantic relationship. I was not a fan of the love interest in this book and I would have liked this book more if there was a different love interest, especially since I felt no chemistry between Beatrice and Ianthe. I enjoyed the writing and worldbuilding in this book, yet the characters in this book are not going to stick with me over time

3.25/5

I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher of this book for sending me the eARC to read in exchange of honest review. Oh my oh my, where do I start? This is Victorian - esque meet The Bachelor full of twists and turns of drama. From a wicked mother in law that reminds me of Cinderella's wicked step mother to a young brave woman who fought for equality that is so timely and relevant as we speak. The tone of this novel is neither formal nor informal. It has the level of enjoyment on every page, character, scenes and dialogues that brings you to a new different world. I must say, I even dreamt of being part of the novel and would like to partake the adventure with all these characters. I hope that this won't be a standalone novel as I want more of the story to reveal and expand other ideas whether it's social justice, inequality, or political reason. I am so thirsty for more story from each and every characters, nonetheless, it was a great ride knowing and reading the book and the characters in it. Thank you again NetGalley and the publisher and great job C.L.Polk.

I was so excited to read this book. I am a big fan of Witchmark and of CL Polk in general. The premise is that Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress practicing magic in secret while reluctant participating in her first Bargaining Season (the time when marriages are negotiated). Magic for eligible ladies is discouraged because a woman is expected to be collared during her child bearing years. Upon their wedding day they will don a warded, silver collar that will suppress their powers. But Beatrice knows she has value beyond breeding children and one day she, by chance, meets Ysbeta in a bookstore. Ysbeta is the most popular of the ingenues for Bargaining Season, but also knows she is destined for more.

A lot of things really worked for me in this book. While this book is a fantasy, CL Polk draws on a lot of historical expectations placed on women and mirrors the struggles that are still being fought today in the interactions Ysbeta and Beatrice have with the women and men in their lives. The romance between Beatrice and Ysbeta’s brother Ianthe fell a little flat for me. There was an effervescence to their first scene that held so much promise, but I found their relationship to be a foregone conclusion as the book progressed, rather than providing any tension. Whereas the relationship between Ysbeta and Beatrice felt alive and vibrant with a mostly constant push-pull.

I think I would still recommend this book to readers who don’t often read fantasy. I think it’s a book that could easily bridge the gap between fantasy readers and literary fiction readers.

This is my first C.L. Polk book and it will not be my last. I was intrigued by the world of politeness and politics from the moment Beatrice met the Lavan siblings. The imbalance of power and inherently sexist society hooked me as soon as readers learned that women must give up their magic for the use of the Magas husbands. The romance was swoony. Beatrice and Ianthe's chemistry leaped off the page from the first opening ball of the bargaining season.

The magic of the world and relationships with the minor and major spirits felt very unique to me. Polk's worldbuilding, pacing, and plot are just excellent. I couldn't put this book down.

Thank you so much to Erewhon and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book (apart from the moments where I was so irrevocably angry on Beatrice's behalf that I didn't).

The premise of this book is that sorceresses have their magic suppressed when they get married, to prevent the risk of their future unborn children being possessed by spirits during pregnancy and turned into dangerous monsters. Which sounds horribly dystopia-esque, but this book actually reads more like a secondary world regency fantasy, where the focus is on a few individual women trying to find a way out of such a fate in order to pursue their interests as Mages (a mission complicated by society's obsession with marriage as a way to bolster a family's fortunes, just like in the actual regency era). It's not the tone I was expecting, but it really worked for this book by showing how the subjugation of women becomes so ingrained in a society in part by robbing individual women of their agency before they can even form a coalition to fight back.

Other highlights: I found the magic system fascinating - a sorcerer must bind themselves to a spirit who helps them wield magic, but they must offer something as part of a bargain in return. Nadi, Beatrice's chosen spirit, is a fun addition to the cast with her witty commentary on everyone they meet. I also found the friendship between Beatrice and Ysbeta refreshing. The synopsis paints them as rivals, but they quickly realise that they have a mutual interest best achieved through cooperation and collaboration, which is a much more interesting story imo.

There is an insta-love romance which took a long time to click for me (though in this case the insta-love is at least relevant for the plot to unfold) and a few small side plots where I wish we'd gotten more closure. Overall, however, I thought this was a great addition to the feminist fantasy genre.

This one was difficult to rate cause while I liked it some of the time, others it just fell flat. The romance angle I think shouldn’t be advertised as much just cause it seems underdeveloped and Insta-love ish.


The magic system was a little confusing at first but ended up working itself out more as time went on. I enjoyed that part and women fighting for their Independence hit home hard for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this world with the way it does magic mostly with spirits. Beatrice is an ingenue doing her first season. However she would rather be a sorceress instead of a wife. That is until she meets Ianthe while looking for a special grimoire in a bookshop. Beatrice is torn between the two paths and moust make a hard choice since she can only chose one. Chasland has this barbaric method of collaring sorceress woman when they get married because there is a danger of spirits possessing their unborn children if they practice magic while pregnant.

This book takes a very strong stance on giving women the power to control their own lives. I did get a little tired of that coming up all the time (Beatrice was irritating in the regard) but it is a good story and I really like the relationship of Beatrice and Nadi (Nadi was my favorite by far). Ianthe was a little too perfect but I liked him too. Ysbeta was good too. And I liked how it ended. That was satisfying.

I enjoyed most of this book and would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.

I very much enjoyed reading this YA fantasy book! It reminds me a bit of the Selection series, mixed with magic and spirits!

We meet Beatrice Clayborn, and she has to find a husband through Bargaining Season. She doesn't want to marry, but she needs to, to save her family from bankruptcy. But maybe, there's another way... Beatrice has magic and if she is able to bind a Greater spirit to her, she could become a Mage and help her father rebuild his business. The only problem is that women are not actually allowed to do this in her country. She is supposed to marry and wear a collar that will take her magic away. Beatrice would do anything to keep her magic and her path is clear, until she falls in love...

Would it have been nice to read some more background story? Yes. Could the characters have been more rounded out? Also yes. But all of this did not stand in the way of me enjoying this book immensely! I loved how the focus of this story was on women creating their own paths and following their hearts. I also loved the interaction with the spirits!

If you're looking for a nice easy read that lets you escape into a different world for a while, this is it!

I wasn't too invested in this story. I often found myself bored and easily distracted while I was reading. The pacing was kind of all over the place as well which wasn't helping. I think I went into it with very high expectations which weren't met. Overall, not for me.

Overall this was a good read for me! As a huge fan of fantasy, historical fiction, AND romance it seemed like it would be the perfect storm for me. However, it fell a ~little~ flat for me.

It took me a little bit to get into it but once I did I really liked the setting and magic system. It’s hard to find a magic system that’s interesting when it seems like they’re all covered from previous fantasy books so seeing something unique like the imbalance between men and women was awesome!

I didn’t ~love~ the main character and not in a “they’re supposed to be unlikeable” kind of way and more in a “they are a little annoying for me” kind of way. I’m not a huge fan of “instalove” and I felt like this book had a big focus on that.

Overall I did enjoy it and give it 3/5 stars.

I had a really hard time with this book. Just couldn’t get into it. Maybe the characters need to be drawn out more. Or the beginning explained better- it seems like it jumps into everything too fast and with my quarantine brain it was difficult. Beatrice’s story deserves a more gripping beginning.

WOW. That's what comes to mind when thinking about this book. What an incredible journey I just took with some amazingly written characters. There was so much detail in this book and it was absolutely necessary to understand the workings of magic that were within the world we were reading about. I loved the protagonist and how she fought for her right in love and magic. I enjoyed her love interest and the support that was given. This is how a historical/fantasy/romance should be written. I was sucked in from the beginning!
I think that the writing of Nadi should be italicized or something instead of using the colons but it was incredibly written.