I enjoyed this story. It has an interesting magical construct and good world development. I'm personally a little burned out by the patriarchy right now, so it was tough to read yet another story where women were purposefully kept from information and learning. I guess that was the point though, so I shant hold it against the author.

The Midnight Bargain follows Beatrice, a young girl who's entering her first bargaining season, during which she is supposed to court a gentleman and eventually marry. The only problem is that she doesn't want to forfeit her freedom and most importantly her magic. But the decision to stay away from the matrimonial life and to pursue magic instead is put to question when she meets Ianthe Lavan, with whom she falls hopelessly in love with.

I've never read anything by C.L. Polk, but her previous works are quite well regarded among the readers and were nominated/won some awards. Unfortunately, I had more issues with the novel than I would like to. The premise was interesting enough for me to pick it up, but the execution was disappointing, to say the least. And it took me months to finish it, which is never a good sign, is it?

First of all, I found the magic system to be confusing and poorly explained. Until the grand finale, I didn't really know how the summoning or becoming a Mage works. Second, the characters were underdeveloped and simply flat, with one big desire to drive them forward (maybe except for Beatrice who represents the main conflict of the story). Also, the setting was rather bland and the few locations seemed disconnected. Third, I struggled with the pacing of the story. I barely could get through the first half of the novel, where nothing much happened apart from long conversations and going back and forth between places. The repetitiveness of the conversations between the characters, especially the main trio also didn't help.

Only later, towards the end, the story becomes more and more interesting and engaging. Moreover, it ends right when it's gaining speed. I wanted to read about Beatrice and the Lavan siblings' adventures, but instead, the epilogue cuts to when they already have the solution to all their problems. Sigh.

The ending itself was far from what I'd imagined, with little to no drama and everyone happy, and when everything falls into place so seamlessly and everyone ends up more or less content it doesn't seem realistic for me, sorry.

Overall, I didn't enjoy it as much as I would like to, but I appreciate the feminist' ideas expressed by the main character, even though the utopia she found for herself seemed too optimistic.

Jane Austen meets Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, And readers of Zen Cho's Sorcerer to the Queen and Jonathan Stroud's Bartimeus trilogy will also love this story of Regency manners and English magic. Beatrice Clayborn, who lives not far from the Bennett sister's home village of Meryton, is a powerful magician, who if she marries as she must to save her family from poverty, will have her magic locked up to protect any future children being possessed by the elementals that all magicians must bond to. She's also not allowed to be trained officially - that's kept only for men, Beatrice is torn between her feelings for her handsome suitor Ianthe Lavan and fear of what accepting love and marriage and financial security will mean for the loss of her desire to be a great magician. What would Elizabeth Bennett have done? Beatrice is not a ,million miles away from Elizabeth in character (and maybe a bit of Becky Sharp's opportunism in her too) and her adventure towards a finding a new and radical to the problem, both for women in her society and for how English magic is practised in the future is interesting and exciting. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it!

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

In a world of fancy clothes and firmly established rules for socializing, where women belong to their father or husband, and aristocracy can practice magic via binding a spirit to them, our main character seeks to escape the physical shackle of the marital collar.

‘The Midnight Bargain’ is a slow-paced tale of Beatrice’s pursuit of equal rights for women, so that they need not have their magic suppressed for their entire marriage, just to keep their unborn children safe from spirits stealing their souls. Beatrice first encounters Ysbeta Lavan and her brother, Ianthe, early in the story, in a bookstore where both ladies wish to purchase a grimoire which may hold the key to avoiding ending up in a marriage; how to make the Great Bargain and bind with a Greater Spirit.

We watch the girls work together to learn from one another, as the aristocratic men trained in official magic houses try to woo both the marriable young ladies and their fathers.

Like the other young men, Ianthe Lavan wants to end Bargaining Season with a wife, but to his credit he is always kind and fair. When he falls for Beatrice, he really does try to see things from her perspective and attempts to better understand his sister’s hesitation to become a wife. The vast differences between Ianthe’s education and freedoms, compared to what little Ysbeta is permitted to do, is the perfect illustration for the gap between men and women’s rights and how each are treated.

It may help the reader to stick with this book to know that the plot speeds up towards the end, and the Epilogue is rather satisfying,

The Midnight Bargain combines magic, fantasy and romance into a marvelous story. Beatrice Clayborn's journey pulls you in and weaves fully realized characters into a story that builds in suspense until a conclusion that leaves you wanting more. In the world of Chasland and Llanandras, magic and being a mage is a privilege for men. A woman with strong magical ability only has value as a potential wife and producer of children who inherit her power, while she is forbidden from using magic herself. The book flows with themes of consent, privilege, power and the right to choose one's own path in life. You will root for Beatrice in her fight to control her own destiny and marvel at the descriptions of Chasland, the mansions and all the parties. This book is so visually descriptive, especially for the astounding dresses that Beatrice and Ysbeta wear. The relationship between Beatrice and Nadi is delightful, as is Ianthe's relationship with Ysbeta. The story builds and builds in intensity to a truly satisfying conclusion. A fabulous read for anyone who loves magic, romance and a wonderfully written fantasy world.

The Midnight Bargain is about Beatrice, a young woman who is about to begin her first bargaining season. The problem with that is, she doesn't want to find a partner as it would mean giving up the one thing she loves most - magic. She must find a way to bargain with a strong enough spirit to protect her family from financial ruin or find a husband that will take care of their debts but be confined to a collar that prevents her from doing magic again. With time running out, Beatrice must find a solution that will save both her family and her magic.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I loved reading about Beatrice's spirit and the mischief that it gets her into. However, this book goes a lot into gender inequality as well. Beatrice is a character that was willing to fight against social norms and willing to sacrifice so much for her family. The epilogue wasn't my favorite, but I liked the rest of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

This is MARVELOUS and easily one of my favorite books of the year. It is a standalone with strong female characters a compelling plot, welcome diversity, and a neat magic system.

Beatrice has been primped and primed for her first bargaining season in which debutantes and eligible bachelors gather in the hopes of arranging marriage. Beatrice is a catch despite per family's lack of wealth: she's unusually strong in magic, a good sign her children will be as well. But Beatrice doesn't want to be married and trapped in a collar that will suppress her magic for the protection of any children she's carrying: she wants to prove that she has the power to be a formidable magician herself. When she meets another young woman with similar aims who absconds with the grimoire Beatrice needs, we're thrust into a whirlwind plot of glittering social events, hidden plotting, and dangerous magic.

I love not only the inclusion of people of color but how they are portrayed: fully fleshed characters with their own hopes, dreams, and faults from a complex and beautiful society. A model for other books to follow.

This is a beautiful, compelling book you can read on multiple levels. The hard choices Beatrice is faced with feel real with high stakes. Highly recommended.

The Midnight Bargain talks about a world where the women upon getting married are given a collar that forbids them from practising magic and makes their whole world seem dull. Beatrice has practised magic for years in secret, but now the time came for her to marry because of her family’s debt. The whole book is basically the question of whether Beatrice will choose magic or she will marry a man who stole her heart.

I really enjoyed the world-building and the magic system. It was interesting to see how magic is based basically on spirits. When it comes to spirits, I really enjoyed the appearance of Nadi. She was a fun addition to the book and made some scenes seem lighter than they really were. I also liked the language the author used because everything sounded a bit medieval, and it made it easier for me to get into the book.

When it comes to the characters, they seemed a little flat to me. We don’t really get to know them, their interests or emotions. We are only let into the dilemmas different characters face. I expected to find out more about Beatrice since she was the main character. I didn’t like Ysbeta at all – she was selfish, and she considered herself the most important person in the world (even though other girls faced the same problems), also she was rude to Beatrice for no reason. I quite liked Ianthe, though again his character was quite flat. The romance between Beatrice and Ianthe was instant, and I didn’t really get it their love because they spent so little time together, and they only ever discussed the magic and the role of women in the society.

I’m kind of mad at the ending for no reason – it was a perfectly reasonable ending, however, I like bittersweet endings instead of happy ones.

*received a free ecopy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Midnight Bargain combines magic with historical fiction as Polk weaves a regency England inspired world where married women must give up magic. Beatrice Clayborn is about to enter bargaining season, when all eligible young ladies are presented to society to secure husbands, but she dreads the idea of giving up magic. Luckily for her, she chances upon Ianthe and Ysbeta Lavan, two foreign nobles sympathetic to her plight, and with the help of a chaotic spirit named Nadi, she hunts for a solution to her dilemma.

The book is painfully slow at first, admittedly. It took me a long time to push past the initial first half, when lords and ladies are just sitting around talking posh. Thankfully, the latter half is perfectly paced, with plenty of high stakes and tumultuous moments for the trio. I will say that some of the interactions and plot beats felt redundant at times, as some conversations seemed to reiterate established points.

That being said, the characters are charming. Ysbeta is fun, Beatrice is unwavering, and Ianthe is a nice boy if a bit uninformed/privileged. Still, Nadi was the star of the show and I like her the most.

I enjoyed the social commentary of how men find all sorts of reasons to keep women from power, and seeing Beatrice and Ysbeta strive for the independence to seek greatness was cathartic. Ianthe seemed to exist as a way for Beatrice to discuss her political views, and as a result felt a little bland, so their romance was underdeveloped and rushed in my opinion. Still, it is nice to have characters like Ianthe sympathetic to their cause. I also appreciate the themes of teen rebellion, how children are meant to exist as individuals and not tools for their own parents to barter with.

Unfortunately, some characters didn’t feel very balanced. Henry Clayborn, Beatrice’s father, alternates between being a well-meaning if incompetent father and being genuinely awful, especially with regards to some decisions he makes later on. With the way he is, the ending of the story doesn’t make that much sense, and I actually got the sense that things would end differently. Harriet, Beatrice’s sister, seemed to flip between emotions too conveniently just for the sake of getting Beatrice to react a certain way. And Mrs. Tarden felt a bit inconsistent as well.

Overall I enjoyed this book, and would recommend to anyone who feels like having some magic with their Jane Austen.

"From the beloved World Fantasy Award-winning author of Witchmark comes a sweeping, romantic new fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency England, where women’s magic is taken from them when they marry. A sorceress must balance her desire to become the first great female magician against her duty to her family.

Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them, by securing an advantageous match before their creditors come calling.

In a stroke of luck, Beatrice finds a grimoire that contains the key to becoming a Magus, but before she can purchase it, a rival sorceress swindles the book right out of her hands. Beatrice summons a spirit to help her get it back, but her new ally exacts a price: Beatrice’s first kiss...with her adversary’s brother, the handsome, compassionate, and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

The more Beatrice is entangled with the Lavan siblings, the harder her decision becomes: If she casts the spell to become a Magus, she will devastate her family and lose the only man to ever see her for who she is; but if she marries - even for love - she will sacrifice her magic, her identity, and her dreams. But how can she choose just one, knowing she will forever regret the path not taken?"

Could it be? Dare I hope? A new Regency Magic book!?!

𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕀 𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕕
❶ I loved the main character! K so this is a fantasy, YA? I think? book. So you know you’re going to get a strong headed lead female that knows what she wants. Loved her.
➋ I really enjoyed the world that Polk weaves, the costumes, finger foods, activities, magic, it’s fun!
➌ I 100% wish was there for the epilogue. Love a good ending!
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𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝔹𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕕 𝕄𝕖 𝕆𝕦𝕥
❶ A little repetitive. But hear me out. In some cases I think this is good and this is one of those times. The story is about female repression and there is a lot a lot a lot of her dad and others saying you can’t do this, you can’t behave like that etcc. It’s exhausting for the reader but guess what? That makes you empathize more with the main character since it’s frustrating and exhausting for them so I get it. I think it works but just be warned!
➋ It would have been so fun to hear from a different characters point of view. Like the little sister maybe? Someone who you aren’t sure what side they are on.
➌ The whole love at first sight thing was a little much for me. But I get it, if it’s YA ya all are drooling over some unexplained romance.
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In summary: Super cute book with a strong message. It reminded me of The Night Circus or Caraval. If you’re into fantasy you’ll love it ♥️

This was an enjoyable read! Overall, I liked the setting and the characters, even though the relationships felt a little rushed at times or they didn't make sense. The epilogue wasn't my favourite but the end of the story was very satisfactory, As well, the magic system didn't make a lot of sense until the very end, and even then I was still confused about some of the rules. I would definitely recommend this to readers just starting in the fantasy/magical realism genre.

This book has an interesting viewpoint, exploring the rights of women through the veil of magic. It deals with the pressures of conforming to societal and family expectations, while still trying to achieve personal goals and dreams. The writing was engaging and the story definitely drew me in. Beatrice carries the hopes of her family that she will make an advantageous marriage. However, she desires to become skilled in magic, a path denied her once she marries. How will she meet all of these expectations?

In The Midnight Bargain, we meet Beatrice, a young person with mafical abilities. But she is about to enter what is known as the first bargaining season.
This is a bit like when girls used to enter into society and be "out" i.e. eligible to be wed. But Beatrice does not want to wed as it means her powers wil be leashed. She is willing to go against society to avoid any union her father choses. Its an interesting premise. And one I think I would have enjoyed abit more if the world building was done from the start.
The romance was nice, and thought it was believeable. Overall it was an ok read, I enjoyed it and would be happy to check out more of the authors work.

Polk takes the popular Regency-romance-with-magic trope to another world, in order to give a reason why women are kept from becoming mages, while preserving all the fun trappings of a Regency romance social life. That gives our heroine, who wants to flout the system and become a mage in spite of the laws and limitations on women--until she falls in love, and is torn between two desires.

Meanwhile she forms a friendship with her heartthrob's sister, who also is desperate to become a mage, while behind the scenes both sets of parents are anxious for their daughters to make excellent marriages by their own standards. And there is Beatrice's younger sister, who watches Beatrice like a hawk, knowing that whatever choices Beatrice makes are inevitably going to redound on her.

It's a lively setup, and the problem about women and magic grounds the story. I loved the magic system, and the spirits (especially Nadi). The pacing moves along between some action scenes and society setpieces, with fun explorations into magic by the heroines.

I really liked the hero, who is the opposite of Draco Malfoy alpha who is more beast than beauty. The attraction might have been instantaneous but it was a pleasure to watch the steady growth of friendship and trust between the two. This, in turn, added heft to the difficulty of Beatrice's choice: give up a great guy forever for a magic life forbidden to her, or give up her dreams for domestic comfort and love?

A quick, fun read that I zipped through in a day. A welcome escape from the stress of 2020, the Year of Awful.

I really liked the story and the concept, but it could have been a lot more better ! The pace was a little bumpy. At times, it was really hard for me to continue with the book. Another thing that really annoyed me was the chemistry between Beatrice and Ianthe. They met like two times and BOOM ! They’re falling for each other. I would have loved to see Beatrice and Ianthe’s feeling for each other build up with time, rather than appearing out of no where. The world building was lacking at first. It was hard to understand the concept of the book at first, but it did improve with time.
I enjoyed the story despite choppy pacing, some limited character development and areas of rushed storylines. The magic is what drew me the most and kept me reading throughout the story, as well as Beatrice’s and Ysbeta’s striving for independence and autonomy over their choices.
Overall, I really loved the idea of a young sorceress fighting with her family and society for her freedom. I loved how C.L. polk has beautifully entwined Sorcery and Feminism. Good recommendation to your readers of fantasy and romance, and absolutely to promote women’s right to make their own choices.

This was a book that going into it I thought would either be amazing or a bitter disappointment. In actuality, for me, it ended up somewhere in between. The beginning instantly intrigued me and I was so excited to see where things were going to go. A heroine who wants to defy the conventions of society and refuse to marry in order to pursue the magic forbidden to her is so right up my alley. Until she suddenly meets someone and is instantly attracted to him and lamenting all she must give up in pursuit of her dreams. It does not help that he does not have much of a personality. The romance doesn’t seem built on anything and I did not care about it at all. I wanted more magic and rebellion, less sadness about not ever having his babies. I still liked the magical system and world building and could have over looked a lackluster romantic plot if the pacing hadn’t felt like long stretches of the same thing repeating and then a rushed and convenient ending. So this ended up a book I liked well enough but not one that lived up to what I really hoped it would be.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Midnight Bargain is set in a world where women are denied the right to practice magic, being effectively muzzled after marriage so that they can bear children for their husbands without the danger brought by the spirits that sorcerers allow to inhibit their bodies to bring them power.

Beatrice Clayborn is one such woman, a sorceress with huge potential who practices in secret with dreams of summoning a spirit to bring her power and avoid marriage in favour of a life with magic.

In her quest to do so, she meets siblings Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan. Ysbeta shares the same goal as Beatrice but is handsome Ianthe enough to convince Beatrice to change her thoughts on marriage? Both Beatrice and Ysbeta are running out of time as Bargaining Season is upon them, a time where eligible young women attend social events, meet potential suitors and marriages are bartered and agreed.

The Midnight Bargain introduces a new magic system which I will confess to being slightly confused by at the beginning but soon started follow. The use of spirits to give sorcerers power facilitates the introduction of spirit of luck, Nadi, who is a great character in herself, trading experiences with a Beatrice in return for granting her luck in her endeavours to escape her fate.

The story has a great feminist storyline with Beatrice and Ysbeta having to fight and scheme to obtain rights and powers that would have been handed over to them had they been born male. I think of all of the characters, Beatrice was actually my least favourite. That’s not to say I didn’t like her but I just though Ysbeta was more interesting. It also took me a while to warm to the romantic subplot but that developed well as I progressed through the book.

I did find the pacing a little slow in the first third or so but was hooked for the end of the story and thought it was tied up really well at the end. I would definitely read more books set in this world if the author decided to expand it!

<i> Could she give him up, even for power?</i>

This book is the feminist magical Austen-esque book the literary world has been waiting for!

I love "Pride and Prejudice," strong-willed, kickass female protagonists, and magical fantasy, and this book ticks off ALL the boxes. The love story is heartwarming and swoon-y, the magic is fascinating and par-for-the-course in this world, and the feminist messaging is so strong and awesome. And an extra million points for a story with people of color that doesn't make a tragedy of the color of their skins and instead settles this into the story as a completely regular state of things! The love story of this book, alongside the messaging about how powerful magical women shouldn't be literally collared to dampen their magic simply to marry and have children, is the kind of thing that would make so many fantasy books better.

Beatrice and Ysbeta yearn to learn magic and become Mages, but in this world, women are the property of their husbands and their marriage is a trade deal for their fathers. The social doings are that of Victorian London, with debut seasons and society summers made for girls to make advantageous matches to find a husband. Beatrice's father has made faulty deals in the past, and his family's finances and social standing are at risk of ruin, unless Beatrice marries well. Her younger sister, Harriet, won't be able to enter society without her older sister's rescue. But Beatrice comes from a line of sorceress women, her mother included, and has been sneaking magic and seeks out the help of a lesser spirit, Nadi. Her mother wears the marriage collar, which dampens all ability to perform and feel magic, and its sole purpose is to keep a woman's unborn child from becoming a spirit-born, where a spirit overtakes the soul like something from "Rosemary's Baby." But a husband holds the only key to the collar, and only a man can become a Mage. Women are for babies and property, and little else. Beatrice meets Ianthe and his sister Ysbeta while seeking a grimoire to aid her magical studies - grimoires are magical texts disguised as dull books to secretly help women learn magic, and the men in society cannot sense them nor are they aware of them. Ysbeta and Ianthe are part of a wealthy, powerful family, but Ysbeta is still at the will of her parents and bargaining chattel for her father's business dealings. Can Beatrice and Ysbeta find magic and lead the lives they yearn for? Can they find love and help the society of all women while they seek their own lives?

This book is fantastic and I urge all lovers of Victorian historical society tales, romance, magic, and powerful women, to enjoy this book, as well.