The Midnight Court (The House of Arkhangel'sk, #2)

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The Midnight Court (The House of Arkhangel'sk #2)

by Jane Kindred (Goodreads Author)

4.3 of 5 stars 4.30 · rating details · 20 ratings · 11 reviews

Against the pristine ice of Heaven, spilled blood and a demon’s fire will spark celestial war.

The exiled heir to the throne of Heaven, Grand Duchess Anazakia, and her demon companions, Belphagor and Vasily, have made a comfortable home in the Russian city of Arkhangel’sk, but their domestic bliss is short lived. When their daughter, Ola, is taken as a pawn in Heaven’s demo...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published August 14th 2012 by Entangled Select (first published 2012)

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Aug 28, 2012 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published at Reading Reality

Jane Kindred's House of Arkhangel'sk trilogy reminds me of Russian tea, initially bitter, often and unexpectedly sweet, and filled with immensely complicated rituals. And incredibly satisfying for those who savor a heady brew.

The Midnight Court comprises the second book in this tale, following The Fallen Queen. The title is apt; in The Midnight Court Anazakia's court is definitely in eclipse. All is as dark as midnight in a Siberian winter.

And the situation...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, paranormal

It amazes me, a few days later, to find this book is still rattling around in my head. I'm not one for demons, angels, or other biblical referencing stories, but Jane Kindred has created this fabulous world that captures your attention, with complex characters and a story that will stay with you for a long time.

The Midnight Court picks up one year after the end of The Fallen Queen (and yes, you must read that book to continue on with this one). Belphagor, Vasily, Anazakia and Love are living in...more It amazes me, a few days later, to find this book is still rattling around in my head. I'm not one for demons, angels, or other biblical referencing stories, but Jane Kindred has created this fabulous world that captures your attention, with complex characters and a story that will stay with you for a long time.

The Midnight Court picks up one year after the end of The Fallen Queen (and yes, you must read that book to continue on with this one). Belphagor, Vasily, Anazakia and Love are living in their little dacha in Russia raising Anazakia and Vasily's daughter, Ola. You'd think, since a year has gone by, things might be back to 'normal' for Belphagor, Vasily and Anazakia. However, we find everything has changed for our trio.

Belphagor and Vasily find themselves not able to get their relationship back on track, while Anazakia and Vasily's relationship has gone by the wayside now that Belphagor is back. What do they all share is the love of Ola. When she's kidnapped, the depth of despair between the three threatens to tear all of them apart...for very different reasons.

The Midnight Court spends a great deal of time setting up the factions that wish to dethrone Queen Aeval and what they'd do to achieve their end goal. War is hell and for those that are stuck in the middle of the fight between good and evil, it truly is. Ola is kidnapped, Belphagor is ravaged with guilt because she was taken while with him, Vasily and Anazakia float between being grief-stricken to overflowing with anger, while Love and the monk Kirill suffered unimaginably It's not an easy read, but in my opinion, the message is clear. Through adversity one finds great strength. Each and every one of those characters goes through this journey and comes out the other side stronger. None more so than Anazakia.

Anazakia finally matures by the end of The Midnight Court. She's been put through the proverbial ringer and finds herself in love with the father of her child, who in turn loves another man. So at eighteen, we should and do see Anazakia breakdown and/or shut down. But somewhere deep down inside of her, she finds the strength to be the royal leader she was meant to be. One who will lead the people of Elysium to rise up again Aeval and reclaim her daughter. (less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jane Kindred once again takes fantasy to a whole new level. The Midnight Court is focuses more on the political factions warring in heaven than book one of The House of Arkhangel'sk, but the action is still non-stop. The prominent role the political factions play may make readers' head spin, but overall, the plot is still easy to follow.

It's amazing to see Anazakia finally become the queen she is meant to be. She always seemed to be in the background worrying about how naive or ignorant she was...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

THE MIDNIGHT COURT (House of Arkhangel’sk #2) by Jane Kindred

THE MIDNIGHT COURT is the second storyline (August 2012 release) in Jane Kindred’s House of Arkhangel’sk. The storyline, once again, facilitates between first person POV through a series of memoirs and third person accounting of what happens when Anazakia is not involved. The novel begins several months after the exiled Grand Duchess Anazakia and her demon companions are rescued from the self-proclaimed Queen of Heaven Aeval’s dungeons...more THE MIDNIGHT COURT (House of Arkhangel’sk #2) by Jane Kindred

THE MIDNIGHT COURT is the second storyline (August 2012 release) in Jane Kindred’s House of Arkhangel’sk. The storyline, once again, facilitates between first person POV through a series of memoirs and third person accounting of what happens when Anazakia is not involved. The novel begins several months after the exiled Grand Duchess Anazakia and her demon companions are rescued from the self-proclaimed Queen of Heaven Aeval’s dungeons. We continue to travel between Heaven and Earth, and the many different realms in between. The world of the Unseen will play a major role in Anazakia’s hunt for her daughter, but the fae are not considered a friend by everyone who is witness to their aid. But it is Queen Aeval’s hunger for a pure Heaven that will place everyone in the world of Man under her control.

As the only surviving member of the House of Arkhangel’sk, Anazakia is now considered an enemy of the state, as the new Queen has declared her a murderer and charged her with treason. But word spreads of another royal heir, Anazakia and Vasily’s daughter, and Ola is now the target of the mad Queen’s rage. While their small family is slowly beginning to rebuild, they will soon be embroiled in a hunt to chase down the people responsible for the abduction of their 14 month old daughter- but-there is more than one faction of in the Houses of Heaven looking for the rightful heir to the throne- and each one wants the child for a different reason.

The storyline reads like a political history lesson from revolutionary Russia in the times before it became the USSR. Insane monks, long cold winters, even longer train rides and horse drawn carriages: Social Liberation Party vs the Ruling House of Arkhangels’ka are blended with a futuristic storyline in the Urban Fantasy vein. Intrigue, self-proclaimed rulers, missing and imprisoned citizens, and slavery with the addition of elementals, magic, fae, mage, angels, demons and power all add to the mix when Anazakia and her friends willingly risk their lives to recover the missing child.

As the months pass, the animosity between the remaining family members begins to affect the mental health of everyone concerned. Blame is placed for the loss of a child, the loss of companionship, the loss of a relationship and the loss of love. The trio, as committed as they are to finding young Ola, is enmeshed in a triangle where everyone is suffering because of sins of the past. Belphagor and Vasily’s relationship appears to be beyond repair, yet their love for Ola is the one constant in their lives. Jealousy between lovers will be blamed when Ola is abducted. And Anazakia will endeavor, by herself, to find her only daughter when sorrow and pain threaten to tear the family further apart. But Anazakia, Vasily and Belphagor will be reunited again and again, as their paths cross looking for the child who unites them together.

We are witness to prejudice and confinement, abuse and rape, graphic violence and death, in a regime ruled by tyranny, threats and control all wrapped up in a cold Siberian winter. Citizens are labeled, imprisoned and anyone supporting the Grand Duchess Anazakia will be sentenced to die.

A few surprises will reveal when Vasily discovers his true heritage and Anazakia’s refusal to let go of the past will put everyone in harm’s way.

This is a story about a political nightmare and the murderous dealings to ascend to the throne in the Royal House of Arkhangel’sk. Anazakia must fight for what is rightfully hers but when her child becomes a pawn in a political war, her only concern is for the welfare of said child.

THE MIDNIGHT COURT is an amazingly detailed novel. The love between Vasily, Belphagor and Anazakia is so pure and yet so different. By the end of the book I was tired. There is so much energy required to read the fascinating and varied portions of the storyline. I found myself pulled into the battles, the tears and the betrayal. At any one time you never knew who would betray whom in the fight for the throne. And in the end, the rightful Queen of Heaven knows whom she needs at her side to help her find the daughter she loves and claim the House of Arkhangel’sk once again.

And please-get a new cover. The Fallen Queen had an amazing cover, but The Midnight Court doesn’t pay homage to the men in the storyline. Sam Bond’s fake dreads detract the reader. It is not a good representation.

Copy supplied by the publisher.

see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com(less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Vernieda marked it as dnf

I've gotten to the point where if I see a female character raped for no other discernible reason than The bad guys are bad, I will put the book down. Enough! If you're going to include it in a novel, it needs to pull its own weight and not use it for the sole purpose of showing how strong and enduring a woman is in her suffering or how she can put herself back together again stronger than ever.

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Aug 23, 2012 Helena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is no sequel in the Hollywood movie sense. In book two the story builds a tower over the foundation of the first. The well distilled characters exist in a perfectly described world made almost real by those skeptics who are thrown in. It's the detail created by a passionate author which keeps us caught up the humanity of a story in which few humans are included.

It's hard to put down this book. The sexiness continues like a new relationship. I can't wait for the third book to come out.

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Oct 28, 2012 Grace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copies, fantasy

For full review, see:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.wordpr...

Jane Kindred’s writing reminds me a lot of Jacqueline Carey. It’s epic fantasy, but there are elements of romance and sexuality throughout the book that one wouldn’t typically expect to find. There’s also a lot of sexual violence, so if that bothers you, then you might want to steer clear. However, if the idea of a parallel supernatural world that incorporates Russian history and culture sounds appealing, then this one’s definitely for...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Eilis Flynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fabulous!

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Apr 05, 2013 Ashlie Nelson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaways-won, own, first-reads, reviewed

This is another book I won through Goodreads. It took me a bit to get pulled into this story, but once I was in I couldn't put it down. I fell in love with the character and there is so much detail that I could really see this in my head play out as I was reading it. The Midnight Court is very different from anything I have read before and I really enjoyed the story and characters. Can't wait to read more from this author!

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Mar 03, 2013 Vicky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-reads-first-reads

I recieved this book through good reads first reads

Unexpected yet interesting this book held my attention well, and I enjoyed reading it.

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Mar 26, 2013 Kathy Dickinson rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, even though it was different from other books I've read. Some parts were disturbing, but over all was a good read.

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May 23, 2013 Arden marked it as entangled

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Shelves: unfinished-series

Apr 23, 2013 Bkepub added it

Shelves: fiction, historical, general, fantasy, thrillers, epic, russia, angels, glbt, heaven, demons, fantasty, lgbt, the, midnight, court, jane, kindred, romance, fallen, queen, house, of, arkhangelsk

Apr 12, 2013 Charlie marked it as save-for-later

Shelves: fantasy, beyond-the-same-old-fantasy

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Shelves: giveaways-no

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About Jane Kindred

Jane Kindred is the author of The House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy and The Devil’s Garden. Born in Billings, Montana, she spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.

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Books by Jane Kindred

The Fallen Queen (The House of Arkhangel'sk, #1)

The Armies of Heaven (The House of Arkhangel'sk, #3)

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The Midnight Court (The House of Arkhangel'sk #2)

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