Author: Melissa Grey
Genre: fantasy, supernatural
Series: The Girl at Midnight #1
Pages: 361
Published: April 2015
Source: purchased
Rating: 4/5
Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.
Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.
Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.
But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.
I loved this. Melissa Grey has a knack for characters, ships, and voice. Her debut novel is a mix of fantasy and reality, with a dash of dragons added for fun.
Here are some accurate gif representations of my emotions upon finishing TGAM
my general feelings for the book:
I love it!
It makes a few simple missteps, yes, but the bones of the story are good and the execution is skilled and direct. Grey's style suits her story and the narration is believable and real. The Girl at Midnight is a great start for a series. It sets the pieces in place, gets the plot in motion, and introduces into a creative and new world.
regarding my two ships:
FOR MY SANITY, PLEASE!
I just have a lot of feelings about these characters. They get under the skin; they make you care; they make you curious, even worse. The chemistry between ships is both terrible and wonderful because this is not a book with kissing. Or much kissing. Read and find out.
regarding Echo herself?
Is she Muldoon or is she the raptor?
Echo is by far my favorite part of the book. She carries it, completely. The rest of the novel is set up and executed well, but without Echo? It all falls apart. Her voice is unique and just right kind of snarky and witty.
regarding the creativity/diversity shown in TGAM?
All the yes to this
It is beyond refreshing to see representation in fantasy novels, let alone YA fantasy novels. Grey does it naturally and without making it the sole focus of those characters' characterization or lives. Well done.
regarding when Grey chose to cut off the book:
I'm okay I'm okay I can wait for a sequel I can wait for a sequel
Yes it's mean. No there's not the kind of resolution I like to have before a wait for the sequel. That said? I cannot wait to see what direction Grey takes the next book. All I know is I am not prepared and I need more kissing.
regarding the haters?
Byeeeee Felicia
Is it a perfect novel? No. Are there some overdone tropes to be found? For sure. But this is a) a debut and b) the closest readalike to Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone that I have found in five years. I don't meant that Grey copied, though the plots are similar (in a way that almost all supernatural tales are). The feel of the novels, the strong, independent voice of the main character, and the lush writing make Melissa Grey a natural companion for Taylor.
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