Elegant, stylish and sparkling, with a fantastic and fascinating magic system, great characters, and a really nuanced look at how different people choose to maneuver (and what's worth sacrificing - or not) in a glittering but unjust society.

Categorically speaking, were I to compare this book to others I've read, I'd say it's the romance equivalent of The Selection meets the power, sorcery, and ambitious yearning of The Folk of the Air series.

The result was an intriguing mash-up of genre, of theme. It was one where fantasy waltzes with feminism, with magical agency, then tangos with the restrictions of a regency-era patriarchy.

The book was enjoyable overall. Just not hit-it-out-of-the-park outstanding.

I found the world-building to be immersive yet also lacking in detail. I would've liked to have a better understanding of the world the characters were inhabiting - the kingdoms/countries, the languages, the chapterhouses etc- because you're thrown into the middle of it all without a tether. Without any kind of explanation as to where these places are or how they've come to exist. It would've been nice to be able to picture some of the locations better. Imagine the varying cultures and customs.

Ianthe and Beatrice were a tad too instalove-y for my taste as well. They converse for two seconds in a bookshop and PLING! Cupid's arrow strikes! That said, I did appreciate the way he listened to her charges about the injustices women face with regards to magic later on, taking the time to evaluate her arguments, giving them serious thought and consideration. I like a man who fights for his lady to be free and happy, to have agency. That's the way it should be!

Nadi was my favorite character by far, though. She was such an infectious little spirit--so vivacious and gleeful, so "carpe diem" in attitude. I particularly loved that she was always hex-ready to defend her friend from meanies. In fact, I think Casper may have a new rival for the Cutest Spirit Award!

Though I wished the magical system had been explored more and that the romance had been more dynamic, I still found a lot to enchant here. It's definitely worth a bargain. So read it, why don't you?

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the ARC!

Thank for to the publishers who gave me a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The premise sounded very interesting and the cover is absolutely stunning. However, I didn't connect with the story as much as I hoped. The opening image of the book was quite fun, I was thrown right into the main character's world and got a glimpse into her motivations. However, as the book went on, I realized I didn't connect with the main character nor any of the secondary characters. Her relationship with Ianthe felt quite rushed. It was very early on in the book when she remarked he was the nicest guy she'd ever met and she wasn't sure if she could give up all she wanted for him. This happened before they really developed any meaningful connection, which made their relationship come across a little forced for me.

As someone who really likes rooting for the characters in the books, it made me less invested in finding out what happened as I didn't care what happened to the characters in this story. The book was well written though and I can see many other enjoying this work.

Wow, this is an amazing story! I really loved this first in the series. It reminded me of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I was excited to read something different and this book did not disappoint me.

The premise of this book really intrigued me. I sat down ready to read an amazing story but I couldn’t get past the first few chapters. The writing was just too YA for me. I think a younger teenager would enjoy this book very much. I found it hard to connect with the main character right off the bat as well. She seemed to “bounce” around with her words and thoughts.

I admit that while I am all for books on magic and witchcraft, this book did have some surprises and some parts that did fall a bit flat.

The book was mainly enjoyable, there were some parts that were a bit flat, like the romance. One of my favorite parts had to be the strong female friendships in this book. In a book that has a lot of feminism weaved into the book, it was interesting to see that clash with the main character who literally fell in love at first sight.... It's a bit contradictory, but I still enjoyed reading it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an arc of The Midnight Bargain! Set in Regency England, The Midnight Bargain features two extremely strong willed sorceresses, determined to fight against a very patriarchal society and claim their right to practice magic freely. This book has all the elements which make it a fantastic read — strong female characters, an endearing hero, magic, high stakes and a convincing premise.

My favourite thing about The Midnight Bargain was the bond between Beatrice and Ysbeta. I absolutely loved the way they stood by each other through thick and thin. Beatrice was a very clever and ambitious heroine. I could relate with Ysbeta's thirst to explore knowledge and hidden cities and her want to undertake her own voyage. The book just wouldn't be the same without this powerful duo.

The romance felt kind of rushed but this book is set in Regency England so I'll let it slide. I was captivated by the dance sequences and the descriptions. I really enjoyed the second half of the book (it had quite some surprises). I think this book would translate really well on screen! I would recommend this book to any fan of badass female characters, historical fiction, female friendships and fantasy!

Unfortunately, this book wasn't my cup of tea. The premises were interesting but I didn't like the characters and the writing style. Plus, it focused too much on the romance than the magic system. Maybe someone with less expectations could enjoy it more.

Okay so I LOVED this book. The mix of magic and romance was exquisite.

Beatrice is a sorceress who wants to become a Magus. However the Bargaining Season has begun and her family is pinning their hopes on her success in finding a husband to save them from falling into poverty. Women aren't supposed to become Magi and when they get married they receive a marital collar that cuts off their marriage to prevent spirit born children. Beatrice has decided she would rather choose magic over marriage, but her decision isn't so easy when her father refuses to see her magical talents and she can't help falling in love with dashing Ianthe whose wealth could save her family. Beatrice finds understanding in Ianthe's sister Ysbeta who is also being used as a pawn to gain her family power, but Ysbeta is determined to never marry and the clock is ticking down for both of them.

This felt like a regency romance mixed with fantasy. So if the kind of historical romances about finding a husband/wife before the season is over don't interest you, then this might not be your cup of tea. I liked how this felt like a fresh take on that concept, but the marital collar ramped up the stakes and the magic added excitement and tension. The friendship between Ysbeta and Beatrice was excellent and highlighted how women struggle to fight back in a society that sees their sole role as mothers and marriage bargaining chips. I can see this appealing to fans of The Glamourist Histories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"You will have a kiss by midnight, and then our bargain is done."

I rarely enjoyed regency romance and historial fantasy, so this book was a pleasant surprise for me. The Midnight Bargain told the story of Beatrice Clayburn, and how she fought against the misogynistic magical community where she lived in order to keep her own powers to herself. Along the way, she also gained the aid of the spirit of luck, Nadi, and the wealthy Lavan siblings, Ianthe and Ysbeta.

The Midnight Bargain tackled many issues such as sexism and women's rights, and I think it was well-addressed. Beatrice was a highly driven main character, and I loved her friendship with Ysbeta. It was very refreshing to see how their friendship progressed throughout the book. Nadi, the lesser spirit of luck that Beatrice summoned, was also such a delightful character and I loved whenever she appeared. However, Beatrice and Ianthe's romance felt quite underdeveloped for me, even though I adored them both (and to be honest I felt Beatrice and Ysbeta had more chemistry). I'm glad their relationship didn't overshadow the more important themes that this book tried to convey, though. But still, I wished the climax and the ending wasn't really rushed. Overall, the writing was excellent and it made me want to read C.L. Polk's other books.

P.S. READ IT AND STAN NADI!!

The Midnight Bargain

Beatrice Clayborn is trapped. Trapped in a society where magic is real, yes—but it’s only allowed for men to practice. And Beatrice yearns for the chance to study magic herself, to become a sorceress and experience every beautiful thing that magic makes possible.

She is in her Bargaining year, the time where young women are primped and paraded for potential grooms. In this grand society, women who come from magical families—the more powerful, the better—are the most sought after. Beatrice dreads the Bargaining season with her entire being, for being chosen as a bride also condemns her to a life as solely a wife, mother, and glorified housekeeper.

Women that have magical potential are collared upon wedding—their powers are silenced, muted, taken away—so that they may focus on tending their homes and children. That is the place for women.

It’s pretty rough, really, to be immersed in this culture of enslaved women; as the story progressed and I became more and more aware of just what Beatrice was facing should she marry, I found myself thoroughly relieved that this is only a fictional realm. To have the splendor of magic ripped away from you, solely because you’re only good for producing magically-strong children? Despicable.

As a whole, I enjoyed this story! It was nicely fast-paced, with an enjoyable protagonist that I loved and was rooting for. Beatrice’s dilemma was heart-wrenching to imagine, and her love interest was sweet and held his own.

I did at times feel like the premise of “enslaved women controlled by men” was a bit too pushy. Toward the end especially, when her father becomes the villain and tries to force her into an unwanted marriage—ignoring her tears and pleas, coldly putting his own desires above his own daughter’s—I had to tamp down some frustration. In my opinion, he should not have been so easily forgiven in the end; that type of behavior is very un-fatherlike and he needs to be out of her life, and his quick change of heart in the end was not very believable.

But, apart from some of the conflicts being too easily fixed or glossed over, I enjoyed this read very much. A very unique, real-feeling premise and fun, easy to love characters!

A big thank you to Netgalley and Erewhon Books for giving me this ARC! I wish all the best to author CL Polk and look forward to reading more of her books.

The Midnight Bargain is the latest novel from C.L. Polk, author of the Kingston Cycle of books which began with Witchmark a few years ago. Those novels were queer romantic fantasies, with strong queer romance secondary plots to go along with solid fantasy main plots dealing with issues of oppression, privilege, and more. By contrast, The Midnight Bargain is a fantasy romance* set in a regency-esque world (except magic is a very real part of this world), and as such, the romantic elements are the main attraction.

*I define Romantic SF/F is SF/F with romance as an important part of the plot, but not the main focus of the plot. SF/F Romances may have other subplots besides the romance, but the romance is the central point of the work, to the point where the story can end satisfactorily with the other plots hanging as long as the romance plot IS resolved or furthered.

And I enjoyed The Midnight Bargain a good bit. The story reminded me quite a bit of Stephanie Burgis' "The Harwood Spellbook" (which I also really enjoyed) in that it features a world in which women are essentially forced to choose between love/marriage and magic, with the implication for ladies of status that they must choose marriage in the end. But the story takes things in different directions than Burgis' series, as it features two women desperate to become masters at magic despite two very different opinions about the idea of love and romance, as well as a male love interest who tries to be understanding but is hindered at such by his upbringing. It takes some surprising turns through it all, and perhaps ties things up a bit too neatly, but I enjoyed this novel quite a bit and would recommend.
----------------------------------------------------Plot Summary-----------------------------------------------------
Beatrice Clayborn dreams of being a full fledged Magus - a mage who has summoned and communed with a Greater Spirit. But while women becoming sorceresses in their widowhood is an acceptable part of society and young women dabbling with magic before marriage is something tolerated, the same is not true of a married woman anywhere around the world. In fact, upon marriage, women are given marital collars which cut off their magic - as a still powered sorceress giving birth results in children damaged by the spirits, causing havoc before they are killed. There is nothing Beatrice fears more than being collared, and yet her family is in severe debt and is relying upon her to marry into wealth to save them all.

Beatrice has an alternate plan to marriage - if she can become a full fledged Magus and summon a greater spirit, she can use its magic to help her family prosper, and her traditional stubborn father will be forced to acknowledge her as a full partner in his business - and will let her live the life she wants. But when she finds a grimoire that contains part of the spell she needs, it is taken away from her by a pair of wealthy noble siblings: Ianthe Lavan and his sister Ysbeta. And all seems lost....until she encounters Ianthe once more at the start of the courting season and a spirit of fortune forces her to kiss him.

Soon Beatrice begins to spend more time with the Lavan siblings, and begins to find even more difficult questions for her future: for in Ysbeta, Beatrice has found a kindred spirit, a young sorceress desperate only to learn magic and to never marry. And in Ianthe, she has found the one man not offput by her true intelligent self and who she might truly desire....even if to have him would result in her magical dreams being forfeit......

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The Midnight Bargain features a regency setting which will be somewhat familiar to most readers: it's a mainly patriarchal setting, although some women do stand out and there are some differences in different cultures as to the extent, where magic as a full time profession is limited to men, and admittance into the Chapterhouse is barred for women, as thus are the major secrets of magic. The setting provides for some logical reasons why such a restriction did come about - the inability of a sorceress to have a successful child is real - but like in the real world, such a truth is seized upon to ensure that women have to make all the sacrifices to enter into a relationship, whereas men might not. And most of men and women in this setting, at least seem to accept that this is the way it must be and will accept no change, with women of decent stock (ladies) presenting themselves as part of the Ingenue for a marriage proposal and expected to live out happy lives in marriage as such.

This acceptance is not something for either our main character, Beatrice, or a major secondary character, in Ysbeta. Beatrice is a woman of conflicting wants: she desperately wants to help her family, and she would love to find a man and a happy relationship - if such a thing was possible given how much her knowledge of world affairs and magic is considered unladylike behavior - but her primary wish is to become a full fledged magus, with the magic in her never taken from her veins. As such, the Lavan siblings throw those contrasting wishes into full relief. Ianthe for example quickly proves himself to be the type of man she never thought could exist: loving her curiosity, intellect, and magical desires and wanting Beatrice to be happy, to say nothing of being very wealthy and thus someone who could save her family from debt. And she finds him more than attractive, so if there's anyone she would desire to marry, it would have to be him. But to marry would require her to give up her magic and.....

Then there's Ysbeta, who throws this all out the window, and is the real difference from the typical regency-esque romance novel. Ysbeta shares Beatrice's love of magic and desire to truly explore its potential - in fact she even has dreams that go beyond Beatrice's of what good she could do with magic she could learn from all around the world. But Ysbeta has no interest in romance or marriage or anyone else at all in that way (the book never comes around and says it, but I read her as being asexual & aromantic). And so while Beatrice's issues are that she does desire Ianthe and would want him but to have him would cost her her other dreams, for Ysbeta it's even MORE stark: to marry wouldn't just cost her her desires, but it would do so for a purpose that would only ever make her unhappy, no matter how nice or goodnatured the partner is. It makes her the most sympathetic figure in the entire novel, and god did I feel for her.

And so we have a plot where Beatrice has to try and negotiate her own desires, while also feeling desperate to help Ysbeta find someway out of her predicament if at all possible. We have classical regency villains - a father who doesn't recognize his daughter's worth, a nosy younger sister who feels her own dreams are resting upon her sister's success, a potential mother in law determined to keep her away, a suitor with ulterior motives and a willingness to take drastic actions....but honestly, the biggest villain in it all is the status quo's unwillingness to bend, and this book's best moments are where Beatrice tries desperately to show that to Ianthe, who may very well be as sympathetic as possible, but just can't see that anything can be changed and has to be forced to possibly consider how it can. And this works really well and effectively and makes this novel very enjoyable. It has some issues: the ending features a rush of people coming to decisions that counteract everything we know of them from the rest of the book, which seems almost too tidy really. But it's still a very enjoyable and satisfying fantasy romance, and I would definitely recommend it.

I enjoyed the mashup of paranormal and Regency and the writing is accomplished but unfortunately the main character did not grab me so DNF

I wasn't sure about this one, after reading the first couple of chapters, but then it really drew me in and I couldn't wait to see how it all played out.
Beatrice lives in a time where women are married off, really just to have babies (hopefully sons), and to build strong business alliances. Their own wants and desires are not considered. She strongly believes in a woman's right to use magic, something that is not allowed to be pursued, especially after wedlock.
Ysbeta and Ianthe were my favourite characters, along with Beatrice (and Nadi), and I loved that they had each other in this crazy, bizarre world they live in.
I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

I was pretty excited about The Midnight Bargain from the second I read the synopsis. The novel is a magical feminist satire with commentary on the inequality of women and men's role in that. In The Midnight Bargain, women with magic are forced to wear collars that dull their world, prevent them from using magic, and protect their babies from spirit possession in the womb. Main character Beatrice is forced into the dilemma of what she loves more: her magic or her suitor. 

"For women, magic was the solitary pursuit of widows and crones, not for the woman whose most noble usefulness was still intact. The inner doors of the chapterhouse were barred to her, while a man with the right connections could elevate himself through admittance and education among his fellow magicians. Anyone with the talent could see the aura of sorcery shining from Beatrice's head, all the better to produce more magicians for the next generation."

Beatrice is a highly intelligent and talented sorceress. If she were a man, she would have already risen up in the ranks of magic. But as a woman, she's only prized for her magical power in regards to producing equally talented children. Oof. With her family destitute and a younger sister, who will also need to come out into society after her it's imperative that Beatrice makes a good match in marriage. Despite loving her family, Beatrice can't help but struggle against the chains of society, secretly practicing magic and summoning spirits before the inevitable day she will have to wear the collar of marriage. 

"Spiritborn children were the reason for warding collars. Unprotected, a sorceress with child was too great a temptation for a spirit, whose eternity as a disembodied, yet thinking being was dull and lifeless compared to the tether of a mortal body in the material world. And the child's body growing in the womb, with all its fingers, its toes, but no soul yet in residence was the perfect home for such a spirit. They would slip inside that growing body, ready to be born and have the whole world in their hands."

The only thing that could prevent this collaring is her ability to summon a higher spirit. So Beatrice desperately seeks out this knowledge in coded grimoires (books that appear normal to men, but teach women magic), and stumbles across a kindred spirit in a new and very wealthy friend Ysbeta. The two race against the clock to learn how to summon the greater spirit that will save them from arranged marriages, all while attending Jane Austen-like parties with ballroom dancing and calling cards. What an interesting world!

"But she didn't want a duke or a Minister's son. She didn't want to marry a man from another land. She wanted to be a magician, and marriage stood squarely in its way."

I loved the relationship between Ysbeta and Beatrice. It is the true standout relationship of The Midnight Bargain. They challenge and support one another, all while confronting societal norms and practicing magic. The two are so much more than friends, they are rivals, co-conspirators, and confidants. If they are found out, they could lose everything they hold dear. Their friendship and support of one another is truly what feminism is about.

I was less thrilled with Beatrice's blossoming romance with Ysbeta's brother, Ianthe, who was too perfect, and understanding, which made him rather drab. Plus, as a die-hard fan of the slow burn, I was vastly disappointed that Beatrice and Ianthe kissed upon their very first meeting. It would've been so much better if Beatrice had to wonder if Ianthe returned her feelings instead of knowing with certainty that he did. I guess the author figured that the drama or Ianthe being the most eligible bachelor in society was enough, but I never felt any tension about whether the two would end up together, as Ianthe was pretty liberal and clearly the only match for Beatrice--as literally no other man would be at all sympathetic to her views.

Instead of a whole-will-they-won't-they it felt like just a matter of time. After all, the two had already kissed, despite having virtually no conversations. I don't buy for a second that intellectual, spirited Beatrice fell for a man with whom she barely spoke. The entire romance was definitely at odds with the feminist story the author was trying to tell. I was disappointed that The Midnight Bargain dealt with the more typical drama of jealousy, parental disapproval, and what the marriage collar would mean for their relationship, rather than Beatrice shirking the marriage duty all together. 

"Imagine that you were considered too weak-minded and incapable of learning the higher magics, but even that didn't matter, because your worth as a sorceress lies in your womb."

It's really a shame, because all of the potential for a powerful relationship was there, but it wasn't executed well. It was boring and frustrating, since the entire relationship seemed antithetical to what Beatrice actually wanted in life. There was no pivotal moment of Ianthe overcoming societal prejudice and finally accepting Beatrice as a sorceress and helping her or any other kind of tension. He just wanted to help her all along. 

In fact, I much preferred Beatrice's relationship with Ysbeta. And I lamented Beatrice's marriage to Ianthe, because I felt that Beatrice and Ysbeta should have instead traveled the world together, unlocking the mysteries of magic together or helping other society ladies escape the fate of the marriage collar. What a missed opportunity! I was so disappointed that Ysbeta went off on her own to discover lost magics and to record them, while Beatrice just got married and became pregnant after Ysbeta discovered a way to prevent spirit possession in the womb without a collar. I couldn't believe that independent, ambitious Beatrice just settled down, got married, and popped out babies while letting her friend do all of the cool magical stuff. It felt like defeat.

Though The Midnight Bargain presented such interesting moral quandaries, Beatrice never really had to choose between Ianthe and her magic or her magic and saving her family or her magic and having children--three very important dilemmas--she just gets everything she ever wanted with very little issue. It's one thing if a character struggles over the course of a novel or a series and experiences major setbacks, especially with such high stakes, and then obtains their happy ending--then it is earned. To have it all handed to the main character just feels unrewarding, especially when it seems in complete opposition to the themes of the novel. And in this case, it feels cheap, because of the high potential for fallout from both Beatrice's family, society, and from playing with powerful magics. 

"The current system lays all of the restriction, all the responsibility, and all of the burden on sorceresses. Men aren't inconvenienced in any way. They may do whatever they like. For them, the system isn't broken, so why look for a solution?"

Plus, Beatrice's happy ending just didn't feel all that happy to me. After the novel presented men as being such a huge problem, for Beatrice to just end up married with a child and another one on the way felt tone deaf. How is this the happily ever after of a girl who wanted magic and power more than anything? She should have walked away from this relationship with Ianthe. I would have rather had the novel ended with Ysbeta and Beatrice adventuring together, either romantically or platonically, and Ianthe could have visited them or pushed for more rights for women on the side. This would have felt less like a capitulation and betrayal of the ideals of the novel and for what it's women were fighting.

"I have never met a woman who had the luxury of ignoring her husband."

All in all, The Midnight Bargain had some really interesting ideas, but it made poor narrative choices that detracted from the strong feminist ideals of the novel. While an entertaining read filled with magic and an interesting world, I couldn't help but feel that The Midnight Bargain lost sight of what it set out to do, and ultimately fell short of its goals entirely.

C.L. Polk has created a world where magic is relegated to men and a woman's highest ambition is to learn simple charms to help her win a suitable match to enhance her family's financial and social standing. But when Beatrice discovers the key to decipher hidden spells by powerful and secret sorceresses, she longs for a life as a Mage, not a wife. With her family's reputation and ruin on the line, will Beatrice make the best decision for her family or for her heart? Will she dare to insult the son of the most powerful trading family who wants to marry her or will they work together to find a solution before Beatrice is forced to marry another and be forced to don the locking metal collar which will end her spell casting until she is an old woman?
A world where money is no object for some but social standing is everything, luscious descriptions of the dress of the day, the city and the homes of the ultra rich create a richly detailed world which pulls the reader into Polk's creation and keeps you turning pages. Hopefully, there will be more about Beatrice and the decision she finally makes in a sequel.

This was a really good read that drew me in from the start and was hard to put down! I enjoyed it a lot, and hope to read more from the author soon.

This book bugs me so much but in a GOOD way. If you aren't bothered by Chasland putting collars on women and taking away their natural magic when they marry, giving the key to their husbands and not letting them out until they are beyond childbearing years, then well this book is not for you. Women who practice magic need to do so in secrecy, and they are not allowed to advance to the degree men are able with the same skills.

This book screams women's rights, feminism, and body autonomy, which was right up my alley. This regency inspired fantasy world is cleverly thought out and well built. It takes a while to understand how it works, the different roles men and women are meant to have, but then you're drawn in and along for the ride. This world is intriguing with a mix of magic and romance within a society that the main character Beatrice doesn't agree with (rightfully so, in my opinion).

Beatrice wants more out of life than being a wife and having children. She wants to practice her magic and become more than her society allows. I enjoyed the many different aspects of this book and how the characters evolved throughout the novel. The growth and character development are lovely, and all of the characters experience it. I did enjoy the romance in this book, though it wasn't the central aspect, and I liked that. It felt very well matched with Beatrice's development and her choices about her future and life.

I would recommend this book for fans of historical fiction/fantasy lovers and anyone wanting a book about strong women and women's rights.

Thank you Erewhon Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.
Wow! I’ve never read any of this author’s work but I’m considering it now. I devoured this novel. I read it in a single sitting over the course of a few hours.
So a fantasy book about how people have magic and consort with spirits and how, if women with magic get pregnant, their children are filled by malevolent spirits and are unsafe. So women and only women are never fully trained with magic and are cut off from their magic completely with an anti-magic metal collar from the moment of their marriage to a year after they go through menopause.
Our protagonist is a young woman named Beatrice who is about to go through the marriage bargaining season. She desperately wants to become a great mage, which women are not allowed to do, but she is also desperate to not let down her family and ruin their lives (which will surely happen without a wedding dowry)
But she finds a spell book that may be the key to unlocking the most advanced magic to make her a great mage and potentially change her future, but it’s snatched out of her hands by Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan, wealthy heirs to a vast company. To retrieve it, Beatrice makes a deal with a spirit of fortune, Nadi, and so ties the fates of all the characters together. She becomes friends with Nadi the spirit, she strikes a deal to teach Ysbeta magic, and she starts courting Ianthe.
Beatrice is intelligent, she’s capable, she’s driven, she’s likable. I loved all of the characters I was supposed to like: Beatrice, Ysbeta, Ianthe, Nadi, Claire, etc. I really have no complaints about characterization at all! I especially loved Ysbeta and Nadi!
The book had quite a feminist message behind it. Why women are required to give up their magic just for childbearing and how they are seen as only good for it. Beatrice and Ysbeta both long to break out of the societal expectations. Ianthe is a surprisingly forward-thinking, accommodating, and sincere man (as well as ridiculously rich and handsome and popular).
One big thing about the book that I personally didn’t understand or relate to was the inherent desire to have children so badly. I know it’s so different for others, but I have zero interest in such things so those parts of the book didn’t resonate with me.
The Midnight Bargain had me gasping and roaring and laughing and all in all it was a great, quick read. I would highly recommend this to someone looking for a fairly happy and quick fantasy read.