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.

The Midnight Bargain brought fantasy realism and female empowerment together and I couldn't be happier or more excited about it. C.L.Polk brought back the days of yore (but with a fantasy twist) of women having to choose between families and their futures. A choice that should never have to be made. I also loved her take on magic and invoking spirits to form a relationship with. A beautiful idea of friendship and Nadi was a beautiful character!

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.

A young woman fights to escape the hierarchy of men in a magical world, where women must give up their magic to have children only to complicate her fight by falling in love.

Most novels that focus on magic and other worlds tend to ignore injustices to focus only on a romance so I was glad to see that it was not the case with 'The Midnight Bargain'. It is an easy to read, feminist take on a world of mages, family expectations and women's struggles.

I don't usually read fantasy (even though I enjoy them) so it took some getting used to. The first half of the book was kind of slow for me. However, the second half was more action packed and entertaining. The romance between the main characters happened too quickly and easily for my taste, but they were a really cute couple.
Overall an entertaining fantasy book. I give this book 3.5 (4) out of 5 stars.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author C.L. Polk for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

This was an absolute delight to read! Anything involving magic or witchcraft, I am so game for! I definitely found this thought provoking, and the writing was fantastic. The character development and world building were also great. I could have done without the romance; I would have rather just seen the continuation of feminist/go women power. Overall a good read, though.

This book was..... a wild ride. I enjoyed it, and the premise was promising, but a few parts definitely fell short. I was frustrated by the character wanting to be a strong woman who was badass and amazingly with magic, but I really didn’t feel like I got that. Not to mention that she literally INSTANTLY fell in love with the love interest. I really wished that the book had spent more time focusing on the EXCELLENT female friendships (Beatrice and Ysbeta are you KIDDING ME????? Love them) as opposed to focusing on the romance. I was super intrigued by the magic, though, and I really did want to see more of that, which is what kept me going. 3/5 stars- I didn’t hate it, and I’m fact I did quite enjoy the middle, but it wasn’t a fave.

The Midnight Bargain was an absolutely delightful book that I couldn’t put down. It was a Regency romance meets fantasy meets feminist novel (so essentially three things I adore all in one novel).

Beatrice was a fantastic heroine and her journey was so fun to watch. While her determination did make her single minded at times, she felt all the more realistic because of that. And while I enjoyed the romance with Ianthe, I kept reading because of Beatrice’s friendship with Ysbeta. Ysbeta was such a fierce character!

The plot was fast-paced and the comedic relief was timed perfectly. In fact, I challenge you not to chuckle at some of the antics. Plus the magic system felt so fresh! While the ending was a bit abrupt, the epilogue made it worth it. Also, I loved how Polk presented so many different valid ways to be a woman. Polk plays with the reader’s idea of a “strong female lead” and it worked so well. It’s okay if you don’t want children and want to go on swashbuckling adventures. It’s okay if you want children and want to start a revolution. It’s okay to be whoever you want to be because there are so many different types of strength.

I absolutely loved this standalone and, even though I don’t know how Polk could do it, I really hope we get another novel in this world one day. I highly recommend The Midnight Bargain if you’re looking for a fantasy novel that will sweep you off your feet.

*Disclaimer: I received a digital advance copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Anything to do with magic and I’m there. I love magical books, I love books about witchcraft; Anne Fine being a particular favourite of mine.

I was disappointed with this story. The magic wasn’t as magical as I’d hope. It reminded me of discovery of witches at the start with the grimoire and the challenges Beatrice faced but for me it didn’t fulfil the excitement Harkness did.

The love story element was cringe for me where she fell head over heels....it contradicted with her strength as a female character. It feels as though this has been slotted in to capture another audience but it didn’t work.

It did get better and I was behind Beatrice the whole way but the ending really bored me and I found myself hurrying the ending because I was frustrated. I think making the love story realistic would improve this.

regency era AAA i love it as someone who has watched the 2005 pride and prejudice hundreds of times and the worldbuilding in the standalone is amazing. i love how ianthe was open to learn the way the beatrice thinks with her progressive worldview and he was willing to change even though the romance was shortlived. this is one of those books next to acotar that i just could not put down until i got to the ending which was also very satisfying

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

Dear author and strangers bothering to read my review, 2020 has been a difficult year, and July a difficult month. So when I saw a fantasy book, with regency romance elements, a beautiful magic system and a feminist agenda, where the heroine has the same name I do, it felt like someone hand-made me a book from goddesses’ perfection realm. And said – Bia, you have to read this sh*t, it’s so f-ing good (goddesses swear a lot :D)! And it would still be underestimating The Midnight Bargain.

The metaphors are so perfect and powerful! And the world was so beautiful - makes you want to explore it forever (it reminded me a little of Christelle Dabos ‘La Passe-Miroir’ series, entrancing and magical, yet familiar)…

I highlighted so many passages that my kindle bugged a little. It’s just THAT GOOD.

Thank you for writing this, I’m forever happy for having read it, and stranger reading this analysis for some reason – you should read this too.

This quickly became one of the best books I’ve read this year!! It was so good and so thought provoking. The main character and the love interest really balanced each other out and had great conversations that I think would subtlety teach someone sexist into seeing the woman’s POV.
The writing was fantastic, the plot was great, and the characters were sublime. The story had great ties to the real world and past, as well as current issues women are facing.
One thing I think it could have done better was including other minorities. In this world, do the rules change when the woman is black instead of white? What about women in love with other women? Overall this book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. Definitely a worthwhile read!!

When this book was good, it was very good. And when this book was bad, it was very bad. That made reviewing it on a star level relatively difficult. I enjoyed the world and the mythology in it quite a lot. The rules around sorcery and how they controlled women's magic but still used them to create strong mages was really interesting. The characters had depth and interests beyond superficial ones- they wanted to be powerful mages all for their own reasons.

Because the characters were so good and the world concept so fun to read, this was a 3.5 out of 5 star read for me.

Full Review: 8/5/2020

Hmmm stuck in my inner evaluation purgatory: Another book gave me mixed feelings and I couldn’t decide if I hated it or loved it.

There are so many things I truly enjoyed: having equal rights between men and power to hold and use magic, to have rights to be Magus parts are thought provokingly well established.If you are a woman, you have to sacrifice your potential to have and hold the magic because when you get marry, you may put your unborn children’s lives into danger( they may be corrupted by vicious spirits)

Overall: The world building, bargaining system to choose yourself a wealthy, charming husband, rules of magic were the original, well developed and most interesting parts of the book.
But... yes... here comes the parts which bothered me a lot:

Firstly let’s talk about characters:
I found the characterization a little flat, superficial. MC Beatrice carries feminism vibes to fight for her rights to use her magic and become a Magus as like the other men do. But she was mostly too annoying, irritating, acting selfishly. Those facts made her unlikable. Her character suffers from lack of emotional depth. Poor, charming Ianthe shows his feelings from the beginning and I wanted to scream at her face and tell her “ get marry with this guy, what are you waiting for!”
Thankfully even though we suffer from heroine’s obnoxiousness, Nadi, lovely spirit she summoned to help her get back the grimoire, was my favorite character.

Romance parts are haphazard, instantaneous, too. I couldn’t get the part how they suddenly fell for each other. I really thought maybe I missed some pages and returned back to find them. Oh, no. I didn’t skip or miss any pages!

And the pace was a little bumpy. It gets slower and something happens to captivate your attention back. But a few chapters later the boredom comes back!

Fantasy parts and creative world building were truly amazing. I wish there would be less romance and more magic in this book with more tolerable characters. I’m so sure with this formulation: I would give it five stars.
So I stayed in Switzerland territory: it was not great but it was okay read so let’s meet in the middle by giving it three stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon books for providing me this unique ARC in exchange my honest opinions.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

3.75 stars

Beatrice is sorceress. Sorceresses in her time and country are locked into 'warding collars' once they are married, to avoid any unborn babies being possessed by spirits, and women remaining unmarried and pursuing sorcery is very unusual, and frowned upon. She, however, wants to pursue the magical path, and when she meets the Lavan siblings, one becoming her ally in trying to find a way to pursue magic as a woman, and the other becoming her suitor, she is torn between the two and the pain it will bring her family if she tries to go against the system.

Overall this was an entertaining, cute read, while a little cliché at times. I did enjoy the themes of female empowerment and trying to break the cycle of female opression.

The magical system was rather interesting as well, with the mages harnessing powers through summoning and binding spirits, and becoming full mages only once they have summoned a greater spirit and bound it to themselves. I loved Nida as well!

However, I did feel that the pacing was a little patchy, and especially the romance between Beatrice and Ianthe felt a little too insta-love for my taste, and could have been more developed!

This is a hard book to review because on one hand I liked what it was trying to say but it was so slow I couldn’t read but a chapter or two per day.

“The Midnight Bargain” exists in a world where women lose their right to magic once they marry out of fear that their unborn children will be at risk of having their souls corrupted and when Beatrice enters her Bargaining season to find a husband she meets a pair of siblings in need of her talents to read a grimoire and save each other from a life of misery.

So the best parts of this book is putting the fantasy element on top of the real world issue of the unborn having more rights than the women expected to carry them and how the choices surrounding their bodies are dictated by their male counterparts. By having the collar act as symbolism for that restraint on women was very clever especially at the end when the weight of responsibility is shifted and how the men react offers a lot to the conversation and it was nice to see two women who were set up to be rivals make a strong team.

The romance here was rather blah I didn’t feel it at all but I’m not sure if that is the point so we could spend more time focusing on the task at hand. I liked the idea of the bargains with the spirits and learning more about their magic as a whole but like I mentioned above I could not stay interested in this book at all. I looked up how many pages were here and seeing such a low number compared to what I’m used to was shocking I felt like it was at least 800 pages trying to drag myself through it.

I hope others are able to connect with it with more ease than I could but as of right now I think the message was lost for me as I spent too much time just trying to keep my eyes on the page.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**