Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: Paperback, 291pp
ISBN-13: 978-0425245033
ISBN: 0425245039
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Anya Bast on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter
Books in the series: Wicked Enchantment (2010), Cruel Enchantment (2010), Dark Enchantment (2011), Midnight Enchantment (2012)
CoverArt: Click on the picture for a larger, clearer image of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from Midnight Enchantment
Synopsis:
A QUEST FOR FREEDOM MAY BE DERAILED BY THEIR INTENSE ATTRACTION...
Niall Quinn, mage and the finest thief in the Black Tower, is the fae's best hope for freedom. Only he stands a chance of tracking down and retrieving the missing bosca fadbh pieces from the Summer Queen. But he meets his match in Elizabeth Cely Saintjohn, who has taken control of the pieces on the Summer Queen's behalf - and has refused to give them up.
Elizabeth is an asrai, a rare water fae and she may be the only one in Piefferburg stealthier than Niall. She has her own reasons for guarding the two pieces and wanting the walls of Piefferburg to remain intact - even if it means denying her fae sisters and brothers their freedom. Her mother's life depends on it.
Torn between his duty to obtain the pieces of any cost and the shocking lust Elizabeth has stirred in him, Niall must convince Elizabeth to surrender the pieces - or else he may have no choice but to destroy her and all her holds dear...
Thoughts:
The fourth book in the Dark Magick series by Anya Bast is arguably the best in the series, according to long time fans. Midnight Enchantment showcases Bast's unrivaled world-building skills and her intense writing style. Bast holds her own in the character development area as well, with this book, giving readers a multi-faceted cast of characters and a unique heroine. This is a series paranormal romance fans will adore as well as more mainstream fantasy readers.
Midnight Enchantment is the first book by Anya Bast that I have had the pleasure to read. There were many things about this book that really endeared it to me, but I would caution readers that this is a series that is best read in order. Bast has phenomenal world-building skills and I can only imagine how much more I would have enjoyed this book had I taken the time to read the books in order and see the progression that Bast employs. The mythology alone is enough to make this an exception read especially for readers like myself, who have a interest in all things fae.
Being of Scottish ancestry, the fae was a common theme in stories passed down through my family. It was extremely interesting to me to see how Bast used the legends and folklore surrounding the fae to enhance and drive her own ideas and mythologies. I liked the symbolism she uses between the Summer Queen and the Shadow Queen. One dark and one light, not necessarily one good and one evil. I loved the gray areas that gave the reader a reason to think a little more deeply about their own motivations for doing things.
The characters were well drawn and layered. Elizabeth Saintjohn isn't exactly what readers might expect from a heroine. She isn't one of the good guys or the bad guys for that matter. She has motivations all her own, which border in some cases between selfishness and unconditional love. Elizabeth could potentially allow the fae to once again be free, but at what cost? The life of her mother. How sure are you, that you could make the hard decisions? That's what I loved about the character, she was gritty and angsty and very unsettled in her decisions, but in the end she did what she to do and I think readers will appreciate her struggle.
Niall Quinn is a very sexy leading man, but he's more of an anti-hero than the a full-fledged world saver. He is very centered. He has one objective. Get the information he needs at whatever cost. In this case, that cost is Elizabeth. He resorts to some nasty business to get the job done and is faced with doing what he is called to do or risking everything for a woman who may or may not support him. I thought Niall was extremely conflicted most of the time and that's the kind of hero that appeals to me. The ones who don't have it all figured out. Yeap... I like the dark brooding kinds of heroes. Niall doesn't really fall completely in that category but he's definitely leaning.
As far as I can tell this book wraps up the series in a neat package. It answers a lot of questions and doesn't leave the reader hanging. I am looking forward to back tracking a bit and catching up on this one. Should Bast continue the series, this is one that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up. Very good writing, exceptional world-building, intense characterizations and fae mythology.. how could a reader who loves this kind of book go wrong with this one?
Midnight Enchantment is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! (Would've been a 5 had it been more of a stand alone)
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