The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski is a new young adult fantasy novel.
Nirrim has always kept her head down and followed the rules. She is Half Kith and can be tithed for even the smallest infraction. The society she lives in is split into factions, where the High revel in life’s pleasures and the low barely scrap by–it is as it is.
When Nirrim meets Sid, a traveler from far away, she is no longer satisfied with blind obedience. And when Sid shares his suspicions that that High Kith possess magic, Nirrim is even more determined to uncover the secrets her island holds.
As Nirrim surrenders herself to Sid’s world, secrets will be uncovered and life as she knows it will never be the same.
Ooh this was a good one. I am not actually familiar with this author and haven’t read her Winner’s trilogy, but this world is set in the same one as the trilogy, so I may have to check it out.
I loved Sid’s character, so spunky and complex and yet you could tell there was a lot of depth beneath the charisma and “lies.” Nirrim, only the other hand, grew on me. I found her too timid and, almost settled in her role, at the beginning–then again, I think that was meant to be part of her transformation.
The caste system here worked to the books advantage and you could really see the division between the groups, almost to the extreme. I loved how toward the end, you even hear a High Kith say, “it is as it is.” It shows how brainwashed the whole island is, not just the lower class. The High’s aren’t hiding anything, they too have succumbed to their roles.
Oh and that ending! Uggg what a powerful end and such a catch for making the reader crave the next one.
I really enjoyed The Midnight Lie and may just have to check out some of the author’s other works. This one gets 4.5-5 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-