Midnight City (Conquered Earth, #1)

Aug 07, 2012 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley-arc, young-adult-fiction, sci-fi, dystopia-or-postapocalyptic, creeeeepy, 2012-reads, 2012-reviews, reviewed

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3.5 out of 5

I have many, many feelings about this book. A lot of them are good, like: "Ooooh, this is unexpectedly creeeepy!" or "This is an author who can write strong female protagonists!" but, sadly, some are along the lines of: "What the hell is going on?" and "Why aren't any of my questions -- most pertaining to key elements of the plot -- being answered?" There's obviously a lot of imagination and inventiveness going on throughout the nearly 4...more Read This Review & More Like it On My Blog!

3.5 out of 5

I have many, many feelings about this book. A lot of them are good, like: "Ooooh, this is unexpectedly creeeepy!" or "This is an author who can write strong female protagonists!" but, sadly, some are along the lines of: "What the hell is going on?" and "Why aren't any of my questions -- most pertaining to key elements of the plot -- being answered?" There's obviously a lot of imagination and inventiveness going on throughout the nearly 400-page ARC I read, and some elements just aren't satisfactorily touched on enough to merit more than a 3.5/5 star rating. That all aside, I inhaled this book in under five and a half hours. I was glued to the pages from the first actiontastic chapter up until riiiight about 30 or so pages from the end, when Midnight City tried to do too much in too short of a span of pages. Missteps and unanswered questions aside, I really liked what Mitchell had to offer in this strong debut novel, and I would read it again.

The blending of post-apocalyptic and science fiction genres is not one I encounter a lot in my reading areas. I like both, but rarely seek them out, and the stark picture Mitchell paints with his almost-dystopic future is wholly unique for me as a reader. The scenario and mix of genres allows Mitchell to create a very engrossing, new type of setting, with a creative plotline to go along with it. I admit that I went into this with low expectations because I don't read a lot of science fiction about aliens, especially hostile ones -- they've scared me deeply since I watched Aliens when I was, oh, five or so. (Blame my sister --I surely do.) -- but Midnight City has an undeniably great mix of futuristic tech, alien life forms, and creative mixes of all the above, which was more than enough to make me see past my alien-bias. While not everything about the story is explained as well or cohesively as I'd have liked or enough to inflate my rating (like the artifacts and the Strange Lands), the bare bones laid down here are surely to be explained in the forthcoming sequels. Or so I can fervently hope -- what I can forgive in an introductory novel is far more than in subsequent novels.

Third person limited can be tough to pull off, especially in YA and especially with more than one character used to narrate the story. Not so is the case here; though Mira and Holt are always at a bit of a distance from the reader, it's quite easy to invest in and care about these two characters struggling to survive and do the right thing in a world gone mad. And it's impossible not to love Max. I appreciated how deftly Mitchell portrayed his protagonists: both are sharp, cunning, and resourceful, though in vastly different ways. The author obviously takes time and care to illustrate their respective strengths and weaknesses, very rarely falling into the trap of "telling" instead of showing. Their relationship is complex and doesn't rush headlong into tropes or cliches; refreshing for a YA novel indeed. From a captor/captive situation to uneasy allies to friends with sparkly feelings, the evolution of Holt and Mira's connection felt both organic and natural for both. This is definitely more of aplot-driven novel, but all of the main characters from Holt to Mira to "the Max" to Zoey can more than hold their own.

Midnight City was easily coasting along at about a 3.75 or even a 4/5 rating for me, until the very end. What had been an adventure at an even pace for 350 pages turned into a madcap rush to the finish line. The ending thirty or so pages were a chaotic mess of unexplained happenings and no clear sense of what was going on. I was super confused, and then, pretty damn frustrated with a novel I had been thoroughly immersed in, just chapters before. Chaotic and much faster in pace than anything that had come before, I was let down by the final climax and that cliffhanger of a denouement. There are so many unanswered questions once the final page is turned and they felt like a glaring omission. For instance: (view spoiler) It's just too much left vague, hanging open to interpretation, and also feels like an easy way to ensure readers continue with book two.

Simply put, the first Conquered Earth novel wasn't a perfect novel, but I really liked it. J. Barton Mitchell is an even-handed storyteller: able to ramp up the tension with several hair-raising action scenes while still majorly bringing it with the cast of diverse, individual characters. I'll be more than interested to see what he dreams up for the group of hardy survivors, and hope that his talent as a writer continues to grow. Midnight City is entertaining, unique, and wholly readable. Engrossing even - fans of Ender's Game and other YA alien scifi favorites would do well to pick this one up.(less)

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Oct 25, 2012 Kara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-love, aliens, arc, did-not-finish, dropped-series-graveyard, dystopian, for-review, net-galley, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, young-adult, zzzzzzzzz

I just can't do it. I'm done. It's like a campy teen version of War of the Worlds, and the worst part is that even the action scenes made me want to fall asleep. All of the aliens were EXTREMELY reminiscent of WOTW, down to ships on tripods that walked everywhere blasting things with laser plasma guns. Yeah...

I don't care about the characters because they are flat. I read 168 pages of this and I still didn't care. The writing isn't bad, but it's not great either. It's all so very flat and boring...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Roberto Mattos rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a very well written book, with an intense story on loyalty, friendship, love and survival. The plot is quite simple and will keep you hooked from the first page to the end. Our hero is called Holt. He is a bounty hunter that has as his companion his dog named Max, and the currently highest prize is Mira Toombs, a treasurer seeker and freebooter. Earth was conquered eight years before by aliens and their domination is based on the transmission of a signal that they broadcast all over call...more This is a very well written book, with an intense story on loyalty, friendship, love and survival. The plot is quite simple and will keep you hooked from the first page to the end. Our hero is called Holt. He is a bounty hunter that has as his companion his dog named Max, and the currently highest prize is Mira Toombs, a treasurer seeker and freebooter. Earth was conquered eight years before by aliens and their domination is based on the transmission of a signal that they broadcast all over called Tone, and make all humans on early twenties and over to be submissive to their call to unconditional servitude. But there are a few that are immune to the Tone, like Holt. Mira is almost succumbing to the signal, having just some more months before turning herself to the aliens. Holt captures Mira, and a strong connection between them develops almost instantly, but he fights hard not to fall for her. After capturing her, an alien ship crashes near them and when investigating it, Holt finds its only survivor, an eight years old young lady that can only remember her name, Zoye. But soon they learn that the whole alien force is seeking Zoey and they figure out that she must be very special to draw all that attention. The story develops in a very intense thriller and the end is very unpredictable and leaves that feeling that we want more and very soon! This might turn out to be a very interesting Hollywood movie. It has all ingredients for an instant success blockbuster!

I recommend this book to the permanent library of all science-fiction lovers that wants to be entertained with a thriller story that will hook you from the beginning and you will read it on the edge of your chair. It took me around 13 hours to read the whole book. This book was written by J.Barton Mitchell and it was published by St. Martin's Griffin on October of 2012. Amazon.com was kind enough to provide this product for me through their Vine Program for reviewing and I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Nikki (Fiction Freak) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This. This. This.
That's all I can really say. I just absolutely ADORED Midnight City and it was a great first alien-invasion book! Because, honestly. Are alien invasions usually interesting? Not to me. They sound to cheesy and cliche. But when I heard about Midnight City? I hesitantly took a chance on it. And oh my goodness! It was just amazing and stunning and nothing like I expected! Just, in a good way of course!

The plot was so the best part of this novel. It was SO action-packed and I just...more This. This. This.
That's all I can really say. I just absolutely ADORED Midnight City and it was a great first alien-invasion book! Because, honestly. Are alien invasions usually interesting? Not to me. They sound to cheesy and cliche. But when I heard about Midnight City? I hesitantly took a chance on it. And oh my goodness! It was just amazing and stunning and nothing like I expected! Just, in a good way of course!

The plot was so the best part of this novel. It was SO action-packed and I just had no idea what Mitchell would throw at me next. And honestly? I wouldn't even try to figure out what was happening next! There's absolutely no way you could get anything right! It was just that filled with twists, and it was just...let's just say it's been a while since I've come across a plot where literally everything was unpredictable (except the romance. Psh.)
It was definitely fast paced and just...wow. By page 1, when the Menagerie finds Holt and they're attacked? WOW. And when he meets Mira? Talk about an impression! Just for the plot, read it. Still not convinced? Read on, thou which is hard to convince.

Romance? Definitely the opposite of insta-love, I squeal to say! It wasn't until about what? Three hundred pages when they finally kissed. Or later. But throughout the entire book, it went from hate, to respect, to allies, to friends, to like, to llooovvveee. And yes, I did just roll the word! It was just so squeal-worthy to see how reluctant they were to admit their feelings. And I just loved their pace! It was more realistic than most Young Adult books (taking up almost the entire book is pretty non instant isn't it?) and it was just...refreshing, for lack of better word!
And Hunter? SWOON is all I can say.

The characters I just absolutely positively loved. Or, more accurately, I absolutely positively loved Zoey and just loved Hunter and Mira! Zoey was all smart and zen and no, I didn't find it weird at all...after all, she is the Apex. Although, you don't know what that means, so it's totally not a spoiler. And she just had this...way about her. She was the mix of an innocent 8-year old girl, and this powerful, all-knowing seer or something. And it was just awesome seeing her go from one to another so seamlessly.
Mira was, and is, one of my favorite female leads. She wasn't just smart, she was resourceful. She wasn't special in a certain way--she was only different because of her resourcefulness! And like I've said continuously, it's been a while since I've read about a non-special/outstanding character with rare powers. Although...well, you'll just have to read and find out! Mira was a strong character that wasn't afraid to admit she was scared, but did something about that threat...basically kill or emancipate that threat. But, you know.
Hee. Hunter. I loved Hunter, though not as much as I loved Mira! He was definitely strong and protective? YES. And he and Mira fit together like puzzle pieces; where one was weak, the other was strong, as cheesy as it sounds!

An AMAZING debut that I absolutely loved and had NO qualms about whatsoever. Usually aliens aren't my thing. After all, it's just a bit...well, it's too nerdy-sounding for this nerd! But Midnight City definitely made me want to read more alien-orientated books! This is definitely a book for all sci-fi/apocalyptic fans or anyone who's looking for their first intro to the genre! It will not disappoint, I can almost guarantee!(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Sharon Essex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Normally I’m not a big fan of YA books, but I like this one. Instead of the usual romantic triangle, J. Barton Mitchell delivers a sci-fi adventure with dystopian overtones and a dash of magic.

This book uses a lot of familiar science fiction plot elements, but they are woven together into unique and enjoyable plotline. The world building is particularly strong. Readers follow a quartet of characters across empty landscapes, through devastated cities and into inventive communities created by chil...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Perla The IB Teen Book Blogger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This story is Epic.

Being comprised of an alchemical mix of sci-fi, action, dystopia, romance, and just enough fantasy that Midnight City really marries these genres into elegantly fashioned storytelling gold. Each facet of this story is minutely thought out, imagined, and painted on each page. You see each apocalyptic landscape, and you feel the mechanical horror of the invading alien forces. The action is almost constant, but it would be incongruous to the world they live in to have a quiet mom...more This story is Epic.

Being comprised of an alchemical mix of sci-fi, action, dystopia, romance, and just enough fantasy that Midnight City really marries these genres into elegantly fashioned storytelling gold. Each facet of this story is minutely thought out, imagined, and painted on each page. You see each apocalyptic landscape, and you feel the mechanical horror of the invading alien forces. The action is almost constant, but it would be incongruous to the world they live in to have a quiet moment last for any great length. This world is a savage danger-filled gauntlet that its inhabitants must traverse for daily survival.

Our conquered blue planet is nothing like you know it now. It is more reminiscent of some alien landscape than anything we would recognize today. This post-apocalyptic setting is filled with newly created monsters of all kinds. And most survivors are split into gangs who are at war with each other just as much as they war with the alien invaders.

Most interestingly, the invasion and conquering of Earth brought the creation of both The Strange Lands and the Midnight City metropolis. One is a place where the laws of science and logic have new meaning, a place that is still cloaked in mystery and is seemingly magical. The other being Midnight City, which feels like it is built on a game-like principle where points are attached to everything, and the hierarchy and value of each citizen is predicated on the point value earned by the individual or gang. You are constantly playing this often bloody and never-ending game for points and privilege.

On the road, the characters cover a lot of ground, letting the readers see the varied vistas Barton has created in cinematic proportions. And the characters mirror the setting they inhabit. Holt is from above ground and he reads like he really belongs in a movie, in a game, or in a place where awesome resides- a place like this book! His kick-ass-ness is such that when referencing him, you have to use all caps when spelling the word HERO. He is a character that does the impossible to survive. He has an enduring spirit, who has been molded and hardened by toll the invasion has cost him. He believes in his capabilities, and he is steadfast in his formula for survival: don't let anyone in, and always calculate the odds. Sure he bends his own rules, but his adaptability is a part of that crazy knack of his to survive.

Mira is like Midnight City; complex, mysterious, and having a Rubik's Cube-like mix of skills and agenda. She could be the most talented Freebooter, and is possibly the most elusive target for a bounty hunter like Holt to tract down, but she has this laser focus on the things she believes she HAS to do that trip her up. She plays big, and her success is as massive as her failures are catastrophic.

None of the characters (save for Max!) fully has all cards on the table. There are still some major twists that will be thrown into the tenuous mix of their success and survival. It makes speculation on what can happen in book two rather exciting to contemplate.

Midnight City is a tale of nearly inescapable danger, a multi-POV storytelling experience that allows readers to see a truer version of the characters and their world. Putting this book down for sleep was a strategic move on my part to make the experience last longer. J. Barton Mitchell is my newest hero, wherever his mind takes us, I will follow. This was a riveting nail-biter, and is the kind of story that will stay with me for a long time. The wait for book two will be endless.
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Nov 07, 2012 Genesis Blue rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, ya

This book started off weird. I felt like it just jumped into the middle of a story . . . I even flipped back to make sure I hadn't missed a page. The first three or four pages are very confusing, with Holt, a 20 year old guy, on a bridge, fighting a gang called the Menagerie. However, once I pushed past the beginning, it was a really interesting story and definitely captured my attention.

Like most sci-fi books, there is a vocabulary to learn, but some of it was quite familiar, like Spiders, whic...more This book started off weird. I felt like it just jumped into the middle of a story . . . I even flipped back to make sure I hadn't missed a page. The first three or four pages are very confusing, with Holt, a 20 year old guy, on a bridge, fighting a gang called the Menagerie. However, once I pushed past the beginning, it was a really interesting story and definitely captured my attention.

Like most sci-fi books, there is a vocabulary to learn, but some of it was quite familiar, like Spiders, which seem very similar to the aliens in the TV show, Falling Skies. Other people have mentioned that the aliens feel similar to the tripods in War of the Worlds, and some of them do, but overall, there's such a mix of different ones, that I don't think it's too similar.

Holt is a bounty hunter, after a girl named Mira who has a super high bounty on her head. We don't learn until later why that is. Mira is also good with artifacts, items found in the Strange Lands which have magical powers. By combining them, you can create all kinds of weapons and items that are actually really interesting. I could have read a lot more about this!

Rather predictably, Holt and Mira end up being closer than they'd like and not so much prisoner and bounty hunter anymore. To complicate things further, they find a little girl in the wreckage of an alien ship and she is definitely not normal . . . and all the aliens want her. It's a race to stay ahead of the bad guys and get to Midnight City, where they can collect the things they need, find out their purpose and then move on.

There's plenty of action in this book and a pretty decent storyline. It does fall short in description in a few areas or takes too long to explain what's happening (like in the floodplains when things go south . . . you don't learn just what is going on for a little too long, in my opinion.

Overall, really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes YA science fiction. I'm not happy about the fact that the next book doesn't come out until fall 2013, though!(less)

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Oct 25, 2012 Kendell Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in his Conquered Earth series, and I have to say I can’t wait for the next book. The way the author combined so many different fantasy and science fiction attributes was amazing. I would have to say this is an excellent combination of War of the Worlds meets Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter, a lone and a rare human on a future Earth that has been taken over by an alien invasion. 10 years ago, the Assembly invaded earth. Their ships drove into the...more This is the first book in his Conquered Earth series, and I have to say I can’t wait for the next book. The way the author combined so many different fantasy and science fiction attributes was amazing. I would have to say this is an excellent combination of War of the Worlds meets Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter, a lone and a rare human on a future Earth that has been taken over by an alien invasion. 10 years ago, the Assembly invaded earth. Their ships drove into the earth like giant spikes. After a short series of battles, Earth’s defenses were quickly conquered. Most of the adults of the world were subject to the Tone, a signal broadcast to the matured minds of the world that slowly caused their eyes to turn solid black and drove the infected to immediately drop whatever they were in the middle of, abandon their lives and walk to the closest Assembly ship never to be seen from again.

Holt is a Heedless; a human that is for some unknown reason, immune to the Tone. This also means he was forced to watch everyone he ever cared about abandon him and walk into the horizon. Since losing his sister, Holts only friend has been his constant companion, Max the dog.
Holt is sent out to capture Mira Toombs, a Freebooter from Midnight City. After catching up to Mira, they are caught in the middle of an Assembly civil battle between the common variety of Assembly and a new faction, never seen before.

During this battle, a new type of ship appears and is quickly destroyed. It crashes into Holt and Mira’s campsite and after a quick investigation Holt finds Zoey, a young girl, not more than eight or nine years old, inside the destroyed craft. Zoey seems to have a sixth sense and can tell where the Assembly units are and also what Mira and Holt are thinking, but she remembers nothing of who she is or where she came from.

After a long, grueling chase the three make their way back to Midnight City, each with a different reason for being there. Mira goes willingly to save an old friend. Holt goes to turn in Mira and claim his bounty to buy his own freedom. Zoey is drawn there but doesn’t know exactly why. Upon arrival at Midnight City nothing turns out as expected.

Within the city walls our three travelers find deceit, truths, lies and love. Will Mira save Ben, the man she has risked her life for? Will Holt get his reward and gain his freedom to live his life out in peace? What of Zoey; who is she; where did she come from; what is in her future?

This action packed book tells the tales of the beginning and if the author can keep the rest of the series as engrossing and nail biting as this first book is, then it will surely make literary history.
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Oct 13, 2012 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Oh…wow.

Midnight City is one of those books that yeah you can list under Dystopian with a bit of Alien Invasion but to me it really took the best of both of those genres. The dystopian aspect had that ‘I remember what life was like before...the bad thing happen’. You get that sense of desperation, how people change, and that destruction of what is taken for granted. The Alien Invasion had that really creepy feeling, similar to the ‘War of the Worlds’ with the walkers with claws that reach and sna...more Oh…wow.

Midnight City is one of those books that yeah you can list under Dystopian with a bit of Alien Invasion but to me it really took the best of both of those genres. The dystopian aspect had that ‘I remember what life was like before...the bad thing happen’. You get that sense of desperation, how people change, and that destruction of what is taken for granted. The Alien Invasion had that really creepy feeling, similar to the ‘War of the Worlds’ with the walkers with claws that reach and snatch people. The Tone, mind control of sorts from the invaders, took the adults and will eventually take the younger generation gave me that ‘mindless zombie’ vibe that really added to the creepiness of the book.

I loved the characters and how they evolved thru the book. Holt Hawkins, the boy who is immune to the Tone, is a bounty hunter with a price on his own head. He has a trusted companion in a dog named Max. They are survivors on their own who cross paths with Mira , the girl with a knack for using ‘artifacts’ to get out of her own predicaments. These artifacts are magical and I had to question the idea of having magic in alien invasion dystopian. Strange but still I felt it enhanced the story and not overpower it. Anyways, these three companions eventually discover the mysterious Zoey. The o-so-cute Zoey who has apparently all the aliens on the planet chasing after her.

I totally loved Holt and Max. I felt they had that ‘Han Solo and Chewbacca’-like feel to them. Holt is full on survivor mood with his guns and wit, but he has that soft side with a sad back story. Max had that understanding companionship and he really felt like a true character in the book. I kept wishing for him to survive thru all the action-pack, ‘Ugh! the aliens and zombies are after us’ scenes.

Personally I loved this book. It was not so harsh on the bleak end-of-the-world dystopian and it had that alien invasion bit that really made for an exciting read. The characters were likable, interesting, had that witty banter, and had you rooting for them to survive.

Big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this Advance copy. I’m definitely picking up a copy for my shelf when this book comes out late October. Be looking for this one!(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Kerry Nietz rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read quite a few dystopian novels lately (...check my reviews...) and I have to say I think "Midnight City" is one of the best. It is wildly imaginative. Yes, there is a touch of John Christopher's "Tripod" series here, along with a bit of H.G. Wells's "War of the Worlds," some "A Boy and His Dog", and even a little "Night of the Living Dead," but from those pieces J. Barton Mitchell has stitched together a truly unique story world.

The main characters of Holt, Mira, Zooey, and dog Max are g...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Trunatrschild rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine-program, fiction, post-apocalyptic, dystopian, science-fiction

I hate really good books, I go through them so fast...
The story takes place about 10 years after some Aliens called the Assembly have come, reduced the adult population to zombies and taken them off someplace and children are left to run the place, battling the aliens and the Tone, some kind of mind control wave that seems to get them when they turn adult.
Let's see, Holt, an immune (to the Tone) young 20 something is a bounty hunter, his target is Mira and he plans on getting her, turning her in...more I hate really good books, I go through them so fast...
The story takes place about 10 years after some Aliens called the Assembly have come, reduced the adult population to zombies and taken them off someplace and children are left to run the place, battling the aliens and the Tone, some kind of mind control wave that seems to get them when they turn adult.
Let's see, Holt, an immune (to the Tone) young 20 something is a bounty hunter, his target is Mira and he plans on getting her, turning her in for the bounty and then getting away from a group of nasty customers call the Menagerie. We know ahead of time that he falls for Mira, he tries not to, but he does, that's pretty much old hat, but still, the author almost made it new again. Holt is on his way to get his bounty when he runs into Zoey a very special little girl, they snap her up because it's obvious that she needs protection and that there IS something about her. The bulk of the story is their trip to Midnight City and a little bit about Midnight City itself.
The characters are fairly complex for a scifi dystopia, not all just the last perfect people in a group of human animals, they have their weaknesses too, even some of the bad human guys have some redeeming qualities, mostly greed and survival, but they seem to be able to function as humans.
You never learn anything about the aliens, they are a big mystery, not just to the reader, but to the characters too, they never reveal themselves and the only weakness they seem to have is to water and some kind of conflict within themselves that no one understands either.
I give it 5 stars not because it will be a classic, it's awfully close, just missing by maybe a little more character depth, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do well, it's a premium dystopic sci fi, lots of action, cliff hanging and interesting ideas, I could barely put it down and it's not a book to read before bed....unless you're in a slow spot. I could even see a decent movie out of it if made properly. I hope he writes a good follow up, it's definitely stand alone, another aspect that I like, I really hate the modern series making machines, but I'd like to see another even better written follow up, I'd definitely get it.(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Jenny Bookdoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review as well as others can be found at www.bookdoll.blogspot.com

In a world where all the adults have been taken by aliens called The Assembly, the remaining children struggle to survive in the desolated land. Adding to their troubles is The Tone. This disease was introduced after the invasion of The Assembly, taking over its victims slowly until the age of 18. The only signs of its presence are the gradual blackening of one's eyes and the tendency to hear alien sounding voices which gradu...more This review as well as others can be found at www.bookdoll.blogspot.com

In a world where all the adults have been taken by aliens called The Assembly, the remaining children struggle to survive in the desolated land. Adding to their troubles is The Tone. This disease was introduced after the invasion of The Assembly, taking over its victims slowly until the age of 18. The only signs of its presence are the gradual blackening of one's eyes and the tendency to hear alien sounding voices which gradually begin to make sense. At the age of 18, the victim with completely black colored eyes will finally become brainwashed by these voices and walk to the ships of The Assembly to be taken away. 20 year old Holt Hawkins is a Heedless, one of the few people who are immune to The Tone.

The story begins with Holt, a bounty hunter, attempting to capture a girl named Mira Toombs and take her to Midnight City. Along the way, they meet 8 year old Zoey, a young girl who has special abilities, abilities that can potentially take down The Assembly itself.

Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell is a combination of dystopian and science fiction , two of my favorite genres which made me really excited to read this. But there are also elements of romance and fantasy, adding diverse storylines and keeping the book from being your typical aliens or post-apocalyptic novel. The blossoming relationship between Holt and Mira was very well written, and could have easily turned cliched. Even though one was the captor and one the captive, they are equals throughout the novel, as they both save each other numerous times.

The main characters are very likeable and well developed, each with their own back stories. Holt Hawkins is your typical hardened do-whatever-it-takes-to-survive guy. Yet he becomes vulnerable as more of his sad history is revealed. This gave him dimension and made him more than just your typical tough guy. Zoey is the designated cute little girl of the trio but she may be the most powerful of them all, even though she can't control herself just yet. She reminds me of Angel, from the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. Her character isn't quite as developed as the others though and many things about her remain unknown. My favorite character by far is Mira. Like Holt, she's also hardened and gutsy, but she's more in tune with her feelings which makes her more relatable. She's also extremely clever, a talented Freebooter and an expert on artifacts.

One of the coolest aspects of the world in Midnight City is the idea of artifacts, items bound in unique combinations which would create a specific magical property. Mira is a Freebooter, one who goes to the Strange Lands in which these artifacts are found and can put them together to create magic. She explains the entire system. It's really quite fascinating and definitely one of the most original things I've come across in YA fiction so far.

There were so many different things going on in this novel, a little too much. Sometimes, the writing seemed a little messy and confusing, especially in the last quarter of the book. The later parts of the book seemed really rushed and there wasn't enough closure. Yes, I'm all for books in series having open endings with some unanswered questions. But in Midnight City, the majority of the major questions go unanswered and some were not even addressed. This was annoying for me.

But overall, Midnight City was a very entertaining action packed book and I already cannot wait for the next book in the series (even though this one hasn't even been published yet!).

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Aug 11, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

War of the Worlds meets the Gone series(Michael Grant), throw in some romance, add in kick-ass magic artifacts and an adorable dog = this AMAZING book!

The sum of the parts definitely add up to a greater whole in this debut novel! Fully fleshed-out characters and vivid world-building more than make up for the minor faults I found with this book.

The action starts right off on the first page and continues to build until the exciting cliff-hanger of an ending. The reader learns about the world a...more War of the Worlds meets the Gone series(Michael Grant), throw in some romance, add in kick-ass magic artifacts and an adorable dog = this AMAZING book!

The sum of the parts definitely add up to a greater whole in this debut novel! Fully fleshed-out characters and vivid world-building more than make up for the minor faults I found with this book.

The action starts right off on the first page and continues to build until the exciting cliff-hanger of an ending. The reader learns about the world and the characters through actions and dialogue rather than long, boring info-dumps that make you feel like you are sitting through a junior high history class. The author is descriptive enough that the action played in my head like an HD movie yet not so lengthy that my mind started to wander.

The main characters felt very real, and the romance that builds is actually believable, which is hard to find in YA lit these days. The villians are definitely scary, both alien and human, and the dangers in this post-apocalyptic world come from so many sources it was sometimes hard to keep straight.

The mystery and magic of the Strange Lands and the Strange Lands artifacts was one of the more unique and compelling elements I have seen done in sci/fi in quite a while. The mystery of the different alien groups and the source/extent of Zoey's powers are also nicely done but definitely leave the reader wanting more.

The only problems I had with this book were that I really would have liked a few more of the questions to be answered, and the too-fast pace at the end of the book. I realize that this will (hopefully!!!) have a sequel and not all the mysteries can be explained in the first book, but by the end there really had been almost no answers, only more questions. The pacing of the events after the MC's had reached their destination became so frantic I actually found myself missing things and having to go back to re-read for clarification. Could have benefitted with a few breaks in the action to absorb everything that was happening all at once.

All in all, this book exceeded my expectations and I will definitely be recommending this book to fans of sci/fi or adventure from teens to adults, and waiting impatiently for the sequel!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Laudys rated it 4 of 5 stars

The very best authors, with their words, can spin a web around the reader, transporting him into the world they create. But such web is fine and the most simple mistake can make the reader break away, take a step back and say "Wait, what?"

And just like that, puf, the magic is broken. Its a disconcerting situation for the reader and, if frequent, can distract from the story to the point we can no longer be immersed, no longer connect to the happenings. And if all you can do is complain about the...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Sean Wills rated it 3 of 5 stars

Full review over on the Intergalactic Academy.

Midnight City reminded me, in a strange way, of Ashen Winter. Both books involve small groups of post-disaster survivors trying to traverse a treacherous landscape in search of safety and a way to escape the people (or aliens) coming after them, and both are heavy on action. Where they differ is that Ashen Winter takes a fairly realistic approach to its action and characters, whereas Midnight City is heavy on Hollywood-style fight scenes and one-line...more Full review over on the Intergalactic Academy.

Midnight City reminded me, in a strange way, of Ashen Winter. Both books involve small groups of post-disaster survivors trying to traverse a treacherous landscape in search of safety and a way to escape the people (or aliens) coming after them, and both are heavy on action. Where they differ is that Ashen Winter takes a fairly realistic approach to its action and characters, whereas Midnight City is heavy on Hollywood-style fight scenes and one-liners. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing will likely depend on how you feel about Hollywood.

But Midnight City has more going for it than just its quick pacing. I’ll admit that I was a bit leery of it at first. The setup involves Holt, a young bounty hunter, trying to capture Mira, a ‘freebooter’ in search of a valuable item hidden in the wreckage of a world devastated by an alien invasion. Holt is one of the few people who are resistant to the alien’s Tone, a mind-controlling signal that begins to affect people in their adolescence and, by the time they reach the age of twenty or so, turns them into mindless zombies who walk obediently to the nearest alien stronghold. I assumed the plot would involve Holt capturing Mira, slowly realising his feelings for her and then deciding to protect her from the people who put a bounty on her head.

I was right, more or less, except that the book really starts to pile on the inventive touches from the halfway mark onwards. It really hits its stride when the characters arrive at the titular Midnight City itself, a bizarre outpost of human civilization that governs itself according to a complex ‘game’ in which clans of teenagers (as yet unaffected by the Tone) fight for the ‘points’ (think a bizarre version of a stock market) which indicate their relative stature within the city’s hierarchy. The whole thing is unabashedly comic book-ish in the best way possible, and I found myself more than willing to go along with the sometimes-tiresome action because of it.

The Strange Lands and their associated ‘artifacts’ are equally cool on paper, although in execution they end up feeling a bit cheap. Mira keeps a stockpile of so-called ‘major artifacts’ that seem to run on a special brand of entropy that simplifies plotlines. Particularly in the opening chapters of the book, Mira whips out an artifact as the plot demands. I suspect these scenes were supposed to make Mira seem resourceful, but all I could think of was Adam West and his shark repellant. The way Mira crafts artifacts feels jarringly like something out of a video game, with weirdly specific rules governing which artifact components can be combined in what ways.

Actually, the videogame comparisons don’t end there. The alien invaders, known as the Assembly, bear a striking resemblance to the Combine from the Half-Life series. I’m not saying this is a bad thing – the Combine are pretty neat, as alien invaders go. It’s just that the action-movie pacing and video game aesthetics can sometimes make the whole book feel a touch more shallow than it really is.

This might be why the world of Midnight City can feel so unreal at times. Or it could be the fact that Mitchell seems intent on depicting his post-invasion Earth as one completely disconnected from its past; just eight years after the invasion, most people have adopted completely new (and strange) names for many former towns and cities. If you dropped most readers into the middle of the book, they would probably assume that the story takes place in another universe entirely from our own. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem in itself, but there are a few flashbacks to Holt’s life before the invasion that end up being fairly incongruous because of it.

In the end, Midnight City’s more interesting aspects won out for me. I don’t particularly care if I ever get to read about Holt again, but you can bet I’m looking forward to finding out exactly what’s up with the Strange Lands and the Severed Tower.(less)

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Sep 06, 2012 Dani GR Motherfuqqer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley, favorites

Wow! Holy Shitballs Batman. So this book, was one of those that you have to read all the way through because you just have to know what the heck is going to happen next. It was like an awesome dystopian movie going on inside my noggin.
This book did remind me at first of that Tom Cruise movie about the end of the world with those weird robot things but as I read more, it left that movie behind in the dust. The only similarities it has to the movie is that there was an alien invasion and the ali...more Wow! Holy Shitballs Batman. So this book, was one of those that you have to read all the way through because you just have to know what the heck is going to happen next. It was like an awesome dystopian movie going on inside my noggin.
This book did remind me at first of that Tom Cruise movie about the end of the world with those weird robot things but as I read more, it left that movie behind in the dust. The only similarities it has to the movie is that there was an alien invasion and the aliens used robots. That's about it.
This book has 2 main characters in the book and by the end there's a 3rd who's getting her own screen time. Yes I say it like a movie because books are so much better than movies plus they don't change story lines or leave crap out. Anyway, it begins with Holt, one of the main characters, who's the hot/wounded warrior guy. He's a bounty hunter and is looking for this girl who has a high bounty on her head. He wants to quit bounty hunting and live comfortably and he knows that if he catches Mira Toombs then he can do just. Mira is on the run and he tracks her down and he soon finds out the hard way why the price on her head is so high, she's damn near impossible to catch, and if you catch you her, she's impossible to keep a hold of.
Holt has to get Mira back to Midnight City so he can collect his reward for getting a hold of her. He has to somehow get her there safely and without getting killed by the alien machines. The children left in the world have given these machines names like, the Spiders, Vultures or other names that fit the description of what these machines do. The world is much different than what they grew up in.
It's been 8 years since America was attacked by aliens. They blew up major cities and used something that the kids left in the world called the Tone. It's a sound that gets into the brains of adults and slowly changes them into something akin to slaves. Their eyes slowly begin to change until they are completely black and they all walk towards a ship in a major city. Nobody knows what happens to these people once they go. It begins at around the age of 18 usually, but there are some that are called Heedless, those who are immune to the Tone. They are the only ones that get to grow old in this new world. Most of the kids left have never seen an old person much less an adult.
As Holt is on his journey back to Midnight City to take his prisoner, Mira in, something strange happens. They see an Assembly ship being shot down by a similar but slightly different type of alien ship that's completely painted red. The ships that they're used to running from are blue and white. They don't know what to think about it two possible alien races feuding, but want no part in possibly getting caught or killed by either of them.
Holt wants to check out the ship that was shot down because he knows that if he can loot it for guns or supplies he can trade it in for something of high value. As he gets inside the ship he see's a young human girl strapped down into a chair and she pleads with him to help her get out because she knows "they" will come back for her. Her name is Zoey. He gets her out and gets camp packed up and gets Mira moving. As they're walking through the woods so they won't be near when the Assembly ships and vehicles come back to check the wreckage, Zoey stops in place and refuses to go any further. Zoey says that "they" are straight ahead in their path and if they keep walking they'll run right into them. Mira uses the distraction of Zoey arguing with Holt to escape from the rope tying her wrists. She makes a run for it and Holt runs after his prisoner. They almost run directly into a group of Assembly machines that are scanning the woods searching for the wreck. They just narrowly escape and head back for Zoey.
Holt realizes there's something strange about Zoey. She seems to just know things. He trusts her intuition to get them as far away from the aliens as possible and they head out. The Assembly aren't looking for the wreck, Holt soon discovers, they're looking for Zoey. They have many adventures somehow escaping the aliens using Zoey's intution and Holt's cunning and bravery. This is edge of your seat stuff you read. This book is awesome.
I might have just confused you more with this review than anything else. It's just that this book was so good my brain is going all over the place trying to put in details that would make you WANT to read it, but not too many that I give away what happens. Anyway, this book is fantastically written and its something that I think most people would love. The descriptions are wonderful I had the scenery in my head easily and the emotional bond you create with the characters is great too. There's no disconnect with this book. Go get this book as soon as it hits the shelves, which will be soon. It will definitely be worth it. Enjoy!

Also posted on my Kindle Book Love Blog.(less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Kristin (Blood,Sweat, and Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

What happens when the Aliens don't come in peace? 8 years ago the Assembly arrived leaving the children of the world to fend for themselves. Nobody knows where the adults went, only that the Tone was to blame and willingly or not the Adults followed it. 8 years later Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter trying to survive in the ruined American landscape. It is there that he meets the mysterious Zoey an 8 year old girl being hunted by the Assembly and his recently captured prisoner Mira. Will the trio...more What happens when the Aliens don't come in peace? 8 years ago the Assembly arrived leaving the children of the world to fend for themselves. Nobody knows where the adults went, only that the Tone was to blame and willingly or not the Adults followed it. 8 years later Holt Hawkins is a bounty hunter trying to survive in the ruined American landscape. It is there that he meets the mysterious Zoey an 8 year old girl being hunted by the Assembly and his recently captured prisoner Mira. Will the trio make it to Midnight City before the tone takes Mira? What did Zoey do to anger the Assembly? Well your just going to have to pick up a copy yourself to find out.

Midnight City is one of those books that is truly unputdownable. When I started reading Midnight City I had only intended to sit down and read a chapter or two before bed. An hour and a half later I was already halfway through the book. I had to force myself to put it down so I could sleep. Yeah, it was that good.

Midnight City is the perfect blend of Science Fiction and Dystopian with just a little bit of romance thrown in to shake things up. Love plays a big part in this book. The love between a boy and his dog, the love that builds while protecting a child from harm, the love amongst friends. It is Love that separates the Assembly from the children still left struggling to survive. I know it sounds mushy for lack of a better word but you will understand what I mean when you read it.

As for the characters Holt and Mira have a very slow going blossoming relationship, she is his prisoner after all. I think the reveal of feelings was nicely done without overpowering the other elements of the book. Then there is Zoey, she is an 8 year old girl with amnesia Holt finds inside a crashed Assembly ship. Zoey isn't your average 8 year old and is a bit unnerving with her strange way of speaking. The majority of the book I was on the fence whether she was friend or foe. Last but not least is Max Holts dog. I love watching the relationship between Holt and Max, you can tell that he respects and trusts his dog. In a world devoid of parents and with Holt being heedless (unaffected by the Tone) it is natural that he would seek companionship in someone who could grow old with him.

One of the only downsides in this book I would say was the actually visit to Midnight City. I understand why the characters had to go but felt it spent just a bit to long inside the city itself exploring Mira's past as a Grey Wolf and her unmentionable status. The Factions ruling Midnight City are fascinating and the bartering of points was a clever way to keep control but I just felt after such an intense buildup learning about all these things slowed the pacing down a bit and might have been better served in the next book rather than this one.

Overall Midnight City was a great book with strong character development, fantastic world building and intense action. I am highly recommending this book and will be looking forward to the next in this series. I will be giving Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell ★★★★.

*I downloaded this book to review through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for them.(less)

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Sep 12, 2012 Shaheen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, dac-2012

Midnight City is a strong, well paced and ultimately enjoyable debut novel that tells the story of a futuristic Earth after an alien invasion. The aliens have incapacitated the human population through a mysterious kind of mind control that only affects adults. Thus the only people outside alien control are children, who are slowly and inexorably succumbing to the mind control as they age.

Barton builds up his world cleverly, avoiding information dumps and choosing instead to explain aspects of h...more Midnight City is a strong, well paced and ultimately enjoyable debut novel that tells the story of a futuristic Earth after an alien invasion. The aliens have incapacitated the human population through a mysterious kind of mind control that only affects adults. Thus the only people outside alien control are children, who are slowly and inexorably succumbing to the mind control as they age.

Barton builds up his world cleverly, avoiding information dumps and choosing instead to explain aspects of his world as they naturally arise in the narrative. This does mean that sometimes I had questions about the world and had to wait for them to be answered, but for the most part I think the world building is solid and has been unobtrusively weaved into the story. I wish that more information had been provided about the aliens – they are still as heavily shrouded in mystery as they were when I began the novel. However, since the protagonists are no closer to unravelling the truth, it makes sense that the readers are also kept in the dark.

Holt and Mira are two amazing characters, with depths and intricacies rarely seen on YA literature. Both are strong and incredibly skilled, but the author doesn’t belabour the point, preferring to show, not tell, and let readers experience their talents themselves. I sometimes forgot that Holt and Mira are closer to twenty than sixteen: their maturity and forward thinking natures could have easily been explained by their harrowing experiences in continual fight for survival after their parents abandoned them, rather than their age. My favourite character is Zoey – the mysterious child the duo find aboard an alien ship, who remembers nothing from her past. She’s cute and funny, and her innocence is indicative of her age, but she has these amazing mind reading, emotion sensing powers. Awesome, right?

My main point of disappointment in this book comes from its climax. Midnight City is wonderfully paced and enjoyable until things start ramping up. Then it just feels like there’s too much going on all at once. I had to learn new rules about the Midnight City and keep track a bunch of new characters. All while I was really confused at who belongs to which faction, and which factions hate one another. I would have gladly read another fifty or so pages if it meant that things were clearer to me.

Mitchell should be commended on his stellar debut – I will be recommending this to all fans of YA, science fiction especially, because it has wonderful characters and a cool new world for us to explore. I am looking forward to reading where the author takes this narrative next, and to finding out more about the aliens! Read this book. Seriously.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is described as "Lord of the Flies meets War of the Worlds in J. Barton Mitchell's alien-invaded post-apocalyptic world where two teens and a young girl with amazing powers must stop the aliens’ mysterious plan" and I have to agree with that 100% It's a very fast paced novel with characters that are memorable and admirable.

The world building is amazingly detailed and unique. Both the outside world and within the Midnight City itself. The government and ruling powers are harsh and unfor...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Reading and Rising With the Sun rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first, Midnight City was a slow book for me. We were introduced to a lot at once, a whole new world and set of characters, along with some confusing topics at times. These things led to a slow build-up, but I'm so glad I stuck along for the ride!

We meet Holt, a bounty hunter who is hunting Mira, a strong willed treasure hunter who is excellent at not getting caught. As Holt finally captures her and begins to bring her in to Midnight City to get his reward money, they began to form a relations...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-arc, reviewed

Reviewed on
Her Fiction Fix :

4/5 Stars

Eight years ago, an alien race called the Assembly invaded Earth and emitted the Tone, a signal that caused the adults of the world to forget their lives, board the alien ships, and never be seen again. Holt Hawkins is a Heedless, a human that is immune to the Tone. In order to survive, he's taken to hunting bounties. After losing everyone close to him to the Tone, his only companion is a dog named Max. Together they cross paths with two others named Mira an...more Reviewed on
Her Fiction Fix :

4/5 Stars

Eight years ago, an alien race called the Assembly invaded Earth and emitted the Tone, a signal that caused the adults of the world to forget their lives, board the alien ships, and never be seen again. Holt Hawkins is a Heedless, a human that is immune to the Tone. In order to survive, he's taken to hunting bounties. After losing everyone close to him to the Tone, his only companion is a dog named Max. Together they cross paths with two others named Mira and Zoey. Mira has a high price on her head, and Zoey can sense things that the others can't. The four of them set out to survive and make their way to Midnight City, where more adventures await them.

I'm such an avid fan of authors creating unique and mystifying worlds. Mitchell does exactly that with this book as the descriptions were so detailed that I started picturing everything in my head. The image that formed in my mind freaked me out and really didn't look like a place that I wanted to live in, which I guess was the intention. As good as a world without parents may sound to some, it calls for a quick case of growing up. The main characters were around 18-20 years old; they were old enough to take care of themselves, but still young that they needed that guidance that only a proper adult can provide. Too bad they're all brainwashed and being held somewhere. The titular Midnight City has this kind of Lord of the Flies vibe to it, and the kids that reside there have developed a whole system for how things work. It's insane in the best way possible.

The characters were all strong and very interesting. From past experiences, there are authors that can write switching perspectives really well, and some that just don't. Mitchell accomplishes this feat well, I just wish there was more focus on Zoey, the 8-year-old who might just hold the key to saving everyone. The book switches perspectives between the characters, mostly Holt and Mira, with an occasional look into Zoey's mind.You'd think that being the key would be enough reason to include her more, but at the same time it makes me look forward to the rest of the series. Sometimes not revealing too much makes it even better in the long run. Holt and Mira have the typical relationship of initial-loathing-turned-into-love, but Mitchell gave it a new twist with the captor/captive aspect. It started with them on the same level in terms of survival skills. Because of this, they clashed and saw each other as enemies, but it evolved into mutual understanding and respect and grew into something more, especially on Holt's end. I hope we get to find out more about how Mira feels. Also, special shoutout to Holt and Max's relationship; very sweet companionship between them.

I think the only setback for me was the pacing of the story itself. Sometimes it all came on very strong; there were spots where the event felt like too much at once and the feelings between Holt and Mira were more intense. Just a small qualm, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

There's a kind of StarCraft meets War of the Worlds type feel to the book, so I'd imagine that a lot of sci-fi enthusiasts would be interested in checking this out. I was never much of a sci-fi book fan, but Midnight City certainly changed my opinion. I love that there were still some mysteries left unsolved by the end. My fingers were itching to grab the next book already. The books officially comes out tomorrow, October 30. Be sure to look for it!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC.(less)

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Jan 28, 2013 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-collection

Woah.

Summary:

Holt promised Emily that he would do whatever it took to survive. Or else, everything she did for him would have been in vain. So, he cuts himself off from all emotional attachments, except for his loyal dog, and does everything he can to keep his promise.

It isn't until he goes on one bounty hunting job and ends up with a nine year-old girl who only remembers her name, and his hunting prize- a girl who, once handed in, will give him the money he needs to head out and away from the t...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Amelia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-2013-reading, best-action, best-main-character, best-original-idea, best-plot, dystopian, recommended, reviewed, arc, sci-fi

Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.

I was hesitant to pick this one up since dystopians aren't usually my thing, but I was interested in the dynamic between a bounty hunter and his prey, and how the summary seemed to promise something different, something that would have me falling head over heels for the dystopian genre. Having read it, I'm so glad my spidey senses tingled. With its engaging writing style, depth-defying world and lovable characters, Midnight City is a disti...more Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.

I was hesitant to pick this one up since dystopians aren't usually my thing, but I was interested in the dynamic between a bounty hunter and his prey, and how the summary seemed to promise something different, something that would have me falling head over heels for the dystopian genre. Having read it, I'm so glad my spidey senses tingled. With its engaging writing style, depth-defying world and lovable characters, Midnight City is a distinctive addition to the young adult dystopian genre, and a new favorite of mine.

Midnight City was immediately engaging. Mitchell has a masterful command of plot structure, evidenced by the way he starts with external threats that bind the characters together, and then building to a threat that affects them all. And they were threats that mattered to the characters, that affected them directly. Every chapter had a conflict that made sense; nothing felt haphazardly thrown together. This kind of cohesion, in addition to breathtaking action scenes, kept me glued to the pages from start to finish.

The book came alive like a movie in my head. I could envision, with near perfect clarity, how these characters moved, thought, and interacted. What's more, every bond they formed made sense. The progression of their relationships weren't botched by a rush to get them to where the author wanted them. I could fully understand their goals, how they were shaped by their personalities, and how they would come to align. I cheered for them 100%.

My enjoyment of the story was only heightened by Mitchell's edgy writing style. Though a little rusty in some areas, it complimented the story perfectly. I liked how it sporadically alternated between points of view from chapter to chapter, giving the story a depth that otherwise would've been missed.

That was one of the best parts: the depth of the world. I liked how Mitchell built in the history naturally, without having to resort to dedicating a chapter to explaining how the world got to the way it was. I loved the detail that went into the Assembly, and into how the world had changed, without bogging down the story or making it too incomprehensible. It was easy to understand, and to admire.

Midnight City was an incredible dystopian, one that I would love to return to again. I'm so excited for the sequel!(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

For this review and more, check out my blog, Natalie Reads Books. =]

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I read the premise for this book, I was intrigued. Alien invasion, almost no adults, and a complicated captor/captive relationship? Yes, please. Add in all the other obstacles and the enigma that is Zoey, and you've got the makings of a good story. One that definitely lived up to my expectations.

It's hard for...more For this review and more, check out my blog, Natalie Reads Books. =]

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I read the premise for this book, I was intrigued. Alien invasion, almost no adults, and a complicated captor/captive relationship? Yes, please. Add in all the other obstacles and the enigma that is Zoey, and you've got the makings of a good story. One that definitely lived up to my expectations.

It's hard for me to know where to start this review, because there is just so much that happens. As you would expect in a world controlled by hostile invaders, there is danger at every turn, and Mitchell makes this clear by showing us all the obstacles Holt, Mira, and Zoey have to face along their journey. At times it felt like something horrible happened at the end of every chapter, but the situations felt honest, and the pace and intensity were consistent and strong throughout the story. I never felt like the balance between action and glimpses of who the characters are as people tipped too much in either direction, and in a story like this that's very important. Mitchell did a good job of moving the story along nicely while still allowing us to know the characters, and that balance made me want to keep reading, so I could see what would happen next.

The world in this story felt very unique, and there was a lot of information to absorb. In another author's hands that could get confusing, fast, but I think one of the things that Mitchell does best in this novel is revealing just enough about things to keep you going and interested, but never telling too much. I have all kinds of questions about the Assembly, and the different colored machines and what they all mean, but I feel like I know enough at this point in the story to begin to understand that there is more going on with the invaders than the survivors on Earth previously though. And when we finally get a chance to learn more about Zoey, we get information that answers some of the questions she poses but then also generates more. I've read some stories where I just felt confused all the time and others where I felt like I was being beat over the head with explanations, but Mitchell doesn't have either of those problems. He gives you just enough to keep wanting more.

One of the aspects I found most intriguing and horrifying in this novel was the idea of the Tone. It's so awful to imagine something like that, where you slowly succumb to something created by these conqueror's, all the while knowing what's happening and knowing that in the end there's nothing you can do to stop it. Mira's struggles with the Tone were heartbreaking, and Holt's past experiences equally so. It made you really feel the cost of what had happened to the world, and it made me want to know how in the heck these kids are going to find a way to save the day.

This novel did have some problems--as I mentioned before, at times I felt like there was something horrible happening in every chapter--but the good far outweighs the bad. If you like science fiction or even just good world building, then check this one out. I, for one, will be keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel.(less)

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Sep 30, 2012 Cassi aka Snow White Haggard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, galleys

2.5/5 stars

Midnight City is a book that frustrated me. It advertises itself as a dystopian, alien-invasion science fiction novel. And while it's most certainly a dystopian and there seem to be aliens, it's by no means a science fiction novel. Instead it's a melding of dystopian alien with fantasy, yet it refuses to acknowledge that.

Science is one thing. Magic is another entirely. I love them both but you have to know which one you are writing. Key to this novel are these things called"artifacts"...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, r2r-complete

(Source: I was able to view a digital galley of this book thanks to St. Martin's Griffin, and Netgalley.)
20-year-old Holt lives in a dystopian world, where aliens (known as The Assembly) have taken over, and most adults have succumbed to the ‘Tone’ – a telepathic mind control signal which causes adults eyes to turn black, and then they go walking into the ‘Presidium’ and never come back.

Holt however is heedless – the Tone has no effect on him, and he works as a bounty hunter, catching people wan...more (Source: I was able to view a digital galley of this book thanks to St. Martin's Griffin, and Netgalley.)
20-year-old Holt lives in a dystopian world, where aliens (known as The Assembly) have taken over, and most adults have succumbed to the ‘Tone’ – a telepathic mind control signal which causes adults eyes to turn black, and then they go walking into the ‘Presidium’ and never come back.

Holt however is heedless – the Tone has no effect on him, and he works as a bounty hunter, catching people wanted by the people of Midnight City, and taking the cash reward.

15-year-old Mira is a ‘Freebooter’ – she sneaks into ‘The Strange Lands’ and brings out ‘artefact’s’ which become charged with magical powers outside of ‘The Strange Lands’. Mira is wanted by the people of Midnight City, and has a bounty on her head.

Holt has tracked and captured Mira, and is making his way to Midnight City when one of the alien aircraft crashes, and Holt decides to look inside for things to scavenge. What he finds instead is an 8-year-old girl – Zoey, who the aliens seem to want back.

Holt, Mira, and Zoey begin to make their way toward Midnight City, but why do the aliens want Zoey? What lurks in the flooded plains that they must cross? And what adventures lie in store for them once they make it to Midnight City?

This was an okay little dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy, with plenty of weird stuff – aliens, zombies, magic etc. It wasn’t too scary, although there was no shortage of enemy encounters in one form or another, and the flashbacks to when the attack originally happened – showing Holt with his parents and younger sister, gave a nice background to the story.

I liked how Holt showed compassion, and real depth of character, and Mira was a sweet girl even if she was a freebooter. I wasn’t really sure what to make of Zoey, other than to be a little wary of her and why the Assembly wanted her so much.

Midnight city itself was not only physically complex (made out of caves with loads of secret passageways) but had a complex hierarchy consisting of opposing factions, and point scoring and wasn’t what I expected at all.
The story really kicked up a notch towards the end, with adventures and twits that I didn’t see coming, and the revelations were also interesting.
I did find this book didn’t grab my attention all that well, although I don’t really understand why. Maybe it is aimed at younger teens? I’m sure that other people will enjoy this though!

Overall; an interesting mix of genres and ideas
6.5 out of 10.
(less)

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Dec 05, 2012 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

I am not sure what to say on why I had requested this book, except well, the cover was stunning. I always seem to feed my cover lust and this one wasn't any exception. The synopsis had my antenna going up since it sounded very interesting, but at the same time didn't give much away. You just have to read the book to live through the journey with the protagonists to fully comprehend this new distorted world and this pretty much amazing book.

Midnight City is set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian wor...more I am not sure what to say on why I had requested this book, except well, the cover was stunning. I always seem to feed my cover lust and this one wasn't any exception. The synopsis had my antenna going up since it sounded very interesting, but at the same time didn't give much away. You just have to read the book to live through the journey with the protagonists to fully comprehend this new distorted world and this pretty much amazing book.

Midnight City is set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian world where aliens known as The Assembly have taken over the planet. There's also the 'Tone', which is a broadcasted telepathic signal to make all adults basically useless as individual beings, and they become enslaved. However, the 'Tone' only seems to control adults, but not teens or children, which leaves room for defiance on their end. Holt is a bounty hunter off to find Mira, who's bounty might help fix a lot of his problems, however, he soon discovers why her bounty is so high as she doesn't plan to come back easily. This soon becomes the least of their worries as strange things begin to happen and they encounter Zoey.

I am not going to fully give away the story, but I feel like the only way to get you guys to appreciate this book is by explaining at least the first chapter fully.

The first chapter was brilliant. I honestly cannot find any other way to say it but that. It started off with Holt in hiding then he was captured by those kids, who were younger than him, but even though they seemed frail, he found the fact that they held weaponry dangerous. Holt estimates their age according to how close they were to being controlled by the Tone. So you're initially just sucked into this world right off, knowing he's what they call Heedless but not what makes him so or what the complete extents of that is. You're inside his head as he tries to calculate how much of a danger he's in with those kids, and that apparently there's a bounty on his head. He's wanted. Why's he wanted? You don't know yet. There's also the part about his eyes, it seems from the sight of them you could tell if he was malleable to the Tone or not. Which makes this gang of teens realize he's Heedless and that maybe, just maybe he's the one a guy - or Alien - called Tiberius is after. You don't know anything about Tiberius, you don't know why he's after Holt, or whether or not it was Holt he was after, until they uncover his hand that the glove was hiding. There, underneath is this unfinished tattoo that makes them go bingo we found the kid. But then a vulture starts attacking those kids and throwing them into the deadly sky. Yes, I loved this particular description the most 'the deadly sky'. You don't usually expect the sky to be called that, but man, as the Vulture - a creature who's not explained further right then - starts plucking those kids, and Holt manages an incredibly narrow escape.

Tell me this doesn't intrigue you! I was just going to read a bit then go to sleep, but I couldn't stop. No matter how hard I tried, I really couldn't. I am usually not one for zombie books. Okay, I am never one for zombie books, but I gave in to this one. What I didn't like about it mostly was that, sometimes it would lag and drag on. Other times it would get confusing and you'd have to keep reading on to get the whole picture but for sometime you'd be puzzled until things work themselves out.

Other than that, the book is absolutely incredible, I enjoyed reading it immensely and cannot wait to read more in this series. The author has a magnificent way with words and description, I'll most definitely be looking out for more books by him.

Rating: 4/5!(less)

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Oct 21, 2012 Bookphile rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 2012, young-adult-post-apocalyptic

Honestly, I feel badly for giving this book the rating I'm giving it. I feel badly because it's ambitious, the concept is interesting, the world-building was well thought out, and the characters are fairly good. But there is just so much to bog the narrative down that it sometimes brings the action to a screeching halt. Some spoilers to follow.

First off, this is a personal beef. Can we please not have the male and female characters meet one another while the female character is taking a bath? Th...more Honestly, I feel badly for giving this book the rating I'm giving it. I feel badly because it's ambitious, the concept is interesting, the world-building was well thought out, and the characters are fairly good. But there is just so much to bog the narrative down that it sometimes brings the action to a screeching halt. Some spoilers to follow.

First off, this is a personal beef. Can we please not have the male and female characters meet one another while the female character is taking a bath? This just feels like such a cheap way to show that the female is sexy, and that the male might feel attracted to her, even though he's not supposed to. But, then again, it's the beginnings parts that are rough because I actually did like their relationship later in the story, despite the rocky start. They were obviously going to get together, and the love-hate dynamic and saucy banter between them just felt cliched. Things are much improved when the reader gets to the part where Holt and Mira actually get to know one another, which is when the two start to have some actual chemistry.

I feel I must address the banter here, too. I know it's done to illustrate something about the personalities of these characters, but it just came off feeling too much like cheesy one liners from bad action movies. It's really a stretch to believe that characters who are about to die would really be able to come up with snappy lines, and it's hard to do it well unless the narrative is either comedic or intentionally campy. Since this book was neither, I couldn't help rolling my eyes at some of the lines Holt and Mira had. It made him seem like a stock action hero, and her like a stock sassy love interest.

The world building in this book is excellent. In fact, it's so well drawn and so well thought out that the book falls into the trap of reading like an encyclopedia entry with a little action sprinkled in between. There were times when it was so obvious how something worked, yet the author broke through to explain, which served only to throw off the voice and make the intrusion feel jarring. I think a really good example of this comes about with the skeleton keys. There's no reason to tell the reader explicitly that the keys can only be used once, because it's obvious based on what happens when Mira uses one. There's also a lot of this going on whenever the book launches into an explanation of major artifacts, and how Mira makes combinations. These portions are too much like an instruction manual. They would have been more effective had Mira been teaching Zoey or Holt how to make them, for instance. There were times when I just wanted to skim past paragraphs or pages simply so I could get back to the action. This really dragged the pacing down, which made it difficult for me to be as immersed in the novel as I would have liked.

While I know this novel is part of a series, I felt like it was lacking in direction. There is so much happening here--the alien invasion itself, the seeming discord between different alien factions, the various groups of human survivors that have formed, Midnight City, the Strange Lands... It's frankly all a bit overwhelming. All of it sounded interesting, but I would have liked the book better had it focused more narrowly on one aspect of the world. Since it is a series, there's plenty of time to offer other aspects. I felt, at times, like I was on a whirlwind tour of the Conquered Earth world, and it was hard for me to really gain any real perspective or insight on any of it.

Another major flaw for me was the way the point of view flops around all over the place, but only when it's convenient. The novel is primarily told from Holt's perspective, but every so often there's a chapter or section told from Zoey's or Mira's, or even a broad third-person perspective, as with the battle of Midnight City. I really didn't like this. The reader doesn't need to see every last thing that happens. It's okay for some of the action to take place off camera. In fact, it's sometimes better, because then it increases the sense of confusion and urgency that's felt by the characters, who don't have all the information.

Unfortunately, because of all of this, by the time I reached the ending, I just didn't feel connected enough to the characters to care as much as I might have otherwise. The ending is very strong, and I found myself thinking, "Here it is! This is what I've been looking for!" It's a shame that it took more than 350 pages to get to that point, though. I won't be continuing on with this series.(less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Regan ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, so-much-badassness

As soon as I saw the words "post-apocalyptic" and "aliens" together, I was in! Midnight City is a refreshing young adult novel. It was nothing like I had ever read before. And it was awesome. The world that the author has created is seriously frightening. The gang (Mira, Holt and Zoey) are faced with new danger everywhere they go. The world is just chaos! It only took me a short time to really get into the story and I was sucked into this horrific world completely. It was thrilling, action-packe...more As soon as I saw the words "post-apocalyptic" and "aliens" together, I was in! Midnight City is a refreshing young adult novel. It was nothing like I had ever read before. And it was awesome. The world that the author has created is seriously frightening. The gang (Mira, Holt and Zoey) are faced with new danger everywhere they go. The world is just chaos! It only took me a short time to really get into the story and I was sucked into this horrific world completely. It was thrilling, action-packed and full of surprises!

As I said before, I really liked the world the author had set up. It was pretty complex, with all the different factions people were in, and all the different aliens and the artifacts but I eventually got my head around it all. The prose, pacing and plot were all really great. The writing flowed really well, the plot was fast-paced and barely ever slowed down and the plot was just really exciting.

Although it was very much a plot driven novel, the characters were a delight to read about. All were seriously bad ass in their own way. I really liked Holt, Mira and Zoey. Holt and Mira were both strong characters, yet very broken. There was a lot of fantastic character development with these characters and I loved how their relationships slowly grew as well. Zoey was completely adorable and the way she called Holt's Dog Max "the Max" -- so cute! I'm totally excited to see more about her powers in the next book. Still kind of confused about what she can and can't do though. The characters we met along the way were really interesting to read about, as well! I'm really excited to see if some of the supporting characters come back in the next book.

My only gripes would be that sometimes it felt like too much was going on and at first I had trouble picturing everything (maybe that's just my lack of imagination, though..).

In short: Midnight City is an action packed adventure that sucks you right in. With fantastic characterization, a fast-paced plot and great world building, this book is a real page turner. Awesome on so many levels. Sci-fi fan or not, this book has a little something for everyone!(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ya-read-in-2012, ebooks-read-in-2012

I received this book from NetGalley for an Honest review. An alien race has took over the planet infecting Adults with something called the Tone. It makes adults become mindless and they do whatever the aliens wish which seems to be taking them all away. this leaves the kids behind alone to survive by themselves. Holt is a boy who is immune to the Tone and is a bounty hunter. He tracks down kids and brings them in to the new rulers of the cities. He manages to catch Mira someone nobody else has...more I received this book from NetGalley for an Honest review. An alien race has took over the planet infecting Adults with something called the Tone. It makes adults become mindless and they do whatever the aliens wish which seems to be taking them all away. this leaves the kids behind alone to survive by themselves. Holt is a boy who is immune to the Tone and is a bounty hunter. He tracks down kids and brings them in to the new rulers of the cities. He manages to catch Mira someone nobody else has been able to catch. on the way to taking her in while hiding from the aliens they come across Zoey. She is a little girl and it seems the aliens are sending everyone after her. She is very special even if she doesn't know why. Traveling together they all learn to help each other all the while hiding from aliens, mutant people, crazy people everywhere and for Holt and Mira they must fight their feelings for each other.

Holt is a fantastic character that you really get to understand and see what makes him tick. The author doesn't just come out and say this is how he is. You find out more and more as you read this book about his character till you really see him. Mira is awesome in that she is so tough and never gives up. Where many books now a days the girl stands around waiting for some guy to save them this is refreshing. She is takes everything that is thrown at her and still stands tall. Zoey is so adorable I want to take her somewhere safe. She just gets into your heart and still is mysterious you keep wondering what exactly happened to her, how did she get a way and what is her secrets. I love the scenes with her and The Max.

This is a futuristic book with a sci fi twist. I really enjoyed this book as the plot is different and you keep on your toes as these kids fight their way away from everything from mutants, aliens, crazy point driven kids and even each other. The pages turn very easily reading this book as each one brings you something new to digest. The author does an amazing job building the story up and keeping it going.It also amazes me how the kids who are ruling place act some of them are just as horrifying as he aliens. the one reason it gets 4 instead of 5 is because you are left wanting to know so much more that is left unanswered. Like why do the aliens take the adults, why are they here, what makes the artifacts really work and so many more questions. I know that this is just the first book but I want to know so much more. Be sure to pick this up if you like futuristic books that you don't want to put down. I will be looking for the next book in this series to see what happens next.(less)

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Midnight City (Conquered Earth #1)

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