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Midnight Never Come (Onyx Court #1)

by Marie Brennan (Goodreads Author)

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 905 ratings · 162 reviews

England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs.

But a great light casts a great shadow.

In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal poli...more

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Published June 9th 2008 by Orbit (first published May 1st 2008)

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Oct 04, 2008 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: lovers of faerie lore, fans of historical fantasy

Shelves: fantasy

This is an elegantly written historical fantasy about two queens and two courts, the mortal one of Elizabeth I, and the fae, known as the Onyx Court, of Invidiana. The two courts are linked both by physical proximity---the Onyx Court is beneath the city of London---and by an arrangement between the two monarchs when Invidiana raises the young Elizabeth to the throne. There are fae spies at the mortal court, and mortal pets at the faerie court, but how the two courts are otherwise linked takes aw...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction, historical-fantasy, authors-ab

Beneath Elizabethan London, there is a hidden city, where the faerie queen Invidiana holds court. The deal she made with Queen Elizabeth long ago draws mortal Michael Deven and fae Lady Lune, each seeking to gain knowledge and power, into a deadly web of political intrigue which tangles their fates and the fates of their courts together.

I liked Brennan's previous two books (_Doppelganger_ and _Warrior and Witch_, recently reissued as Warrior and Witch) a lot and have been looking forward to thi...more

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Dec 01, 2008 Jim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

With her latest book, Brennan has moved from more traditional sword & sorcery to intricate historical fantasy. Anyone wanting or expecting more of the same might be disappointed. I was not.

Set in the late 16th century, Midnight Never Comes opens with a pact between two women who will soon become the most powerful rulers in England: Elizabeth the Virgin Queen, and Invidiana, faerie ruler of the Onyx Court below London. The Onyx Court is a dark shadow of the city above, a secret place of crue...more With her latest book, Brennan has moved from more traditional sword & sorcery to intricate historical fantasy. Anyone wanting or expecting more of the same might be disappointed. I was not.

Set in the late 16th century, Midnight Never Comes opens with a pact between two women who will soon become the most powerful rulers in England: Elizabeth the Virgin Queen, and Invidiana, faerie ruler of the Onyx Court below London. The Onyx Court is a dark shadow of the city above, a secret place of cruelty and deception. One member of Invidiana's court, a faerie named Lune, struggles to regain the favor of her queen by spying on events above. Lune's counterpart is the human courtier Michael Deven, who has been tasked by spymaster Francis Walsingham with finding the hidden player influencing Queen Elizabeth. As Lune and Deven discover the secrets behind Invidiana's power and the true nature of the faerie queen's pacts, they must choose whether to work together, risking everything to try to break Invidiana's rule.

Lune was a more appealing character to me, in part I think because her stakes were higher. Whereas Deven starts out trying to secure a position in Elizabeth's court, Lune serves a more temperamental and dangerous ruler in a court that makes human politics look as simplistic and straightforward as the squabbling of preschoolers. Watching Lune navigate that court, seeing her fall and struggle to rise again, leaves Deven feeling a little bland by comparison.

I confess to being a poor historian, but even to my eye it's clear Brennan has done a great deal of research for this book. Every detail is meticulous and precise, evoking not a generic English fantasy setting but a very real and concrete place and time. Brennan blends historical detail with the fantastic so smoothly I barely noticed the seams.

This is a book that invites you to slow down and savor. Broken into five acts, each act builds more tension, moving from a relatively leisurely introduction toward a much more focused struggle in the final act. By the end, I had a hard time closing the book, and lost quite a bit of sleep as things came to a climax.

If you're looking for nonstop action and excitement, this may not be the book for you. But if you want rich worldbuilding and a story you can truly immerse yourself in, I'd recommend picking this one up.(less)

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Sep 11, 2008 Juushika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: status-borrowed

In 1588, England flourishes under the rein of Queen Elizabeth, but deep in the hidden catacombs beneath London, a second queen reins: Invidiana, the cruel, cold-hearted ruler of faerie England. Above ground, Deven enters Elizabeth's court while below ground, Lune is cast from Invidiana's court, and when the two are drawn together they must discover the secret bond that joins the two monarchsand break it. Midnight Never Come is a historical fantasy which takes full advantage of both parts, spinn...more In 1588, England flourishes under the rein of Queen Elizabeth, but deep in the hidden catacombs beneath London, a second queen reins: Invidiana, the cruel, cold-hearted ruler of faerie England. Above ground, Deven enters Elizabeth's court while below ground, Lune is cast from Invidiana's court, and when the two are drawn together they must discover the secret bond that joins the two monarchsand break it. Midnight Never Come is a historical fantasy which takes full advantage of both parts, spinning out a vivid story of faerie magic which is intimately bound by English politics. Intelligent, skillfully written, but a bit tied up in research, this is a solidly good book that never quite manages to be exceptional. I recommend it.

Brennan has done a remarkable job researching and conceptualizing her England, where human and faerie courts mirror each otherbut thorough research is at once a strength and a weakness as Midnight Never Come becomes somewhat tied up by history. Infrequent flashbacks, many of which recount real events, seem like welcome historical backgroundbut most of them are unnecessary deviations that carry the reader away from the book's plot and towards a greater historical arc. The omniscient narrative voice is already rather distant and cold; compounded by these deviations, Midnight Never Come drifts further and further away from the emotional heart of the book: that is, the characters. As a result, the historical setting is authentic and the faerie court is realistically conceived within it, and so setting and plot are strong. But these large aspects eclipse local aspects, and so the characters remain underdeveloped.

Limited emotional impact aside, Midnight Never Come is an intelligent, enjoyable, and constantly strong book. Brennan's voice is somewhat distant, but it also eloquent, spelling out noble, fluent sentences which work alongside history to build the book's setting and tone. Her faeries are grounded in mythology, and have both realistic faults and otherworldy appeal. Midnight Never Come's plot ranges from historical to fantastical, a balance of courtly intrigue and faerie magic, dotted by a few character cameos from historical England. Events are pleasantly overshadowed but the plot stays a few steps ahead of the reader so that there are always twists and turns to keep it interesting. Best of all, the historical and magical elements flow smoothly into one another such thateven with an underground faerie court, even with a somewhat unwelcome deus ex machinathe book is a plausible, convincing whole.

I read Brennan's journal (), but this was my first chance to read one of her booksand I'm glad I did. If the concept of faeries within Elizabethan England intrigues you as it did me, then I certainly recommend Midnight Never Come. With a lovely writing style, realistic characters, and a brilliantly imagined plot which meshes faerie and historical England with nary a seam, Brennan delivers on the potential that her book promises. It never quite manages to become exceptional and the characters are distanced, but all told Midnight Never Come is a solid and enjoyable read. I recommend it, and look forward to Brennan's other novelsespecially those which combine the faerie world with human history.(less)

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Aug 27, 2008 SheWunders rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Gemma Doyle & Wicked Lovely Lovers

Shelves: 2008-08, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Midnight Never Come is a tale of twos.

Two Courts – Mortal & Faerie.
Two Queens – Elizabeth I of England & Invidiana of the Onyx Court.
Two Bindings – A Curse & A Pact.
Two Identities – the faerie Lady Lune & her mortal glamour Anne Montrose; Invidiana & Suspiria.

The moral court is the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England. At the start of the story Elizabeth is her prime as monarch. Her kingdom is secure thanks to the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but she is plagued by the...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in October 2010.

The Elizabethan age was obsessed by Faery, something most famously seen in several Shakespeare plays (A Midsummer Night's Dream, the spirits in The Tempest, the Queen Mab speech from Romeo and Juliet, and the pretend fairies in The Merry Wives of Windsor being just some of the best known examples), but most developed in Spenser's enormous allegory The Faerie Queene, which parallels Elizabeth with the queen of the Fae herself.

Folklore graduate...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed Warrior, and decided to try Midnight Never Come, although I usually avoid books set in Elizabethan England, and tend to be wary of books about fairy courts. Midnight Never Come was a pretty good piece of fluff. I enjoyed it, although I felt that the ending was very contrived, and so couldn't give a better review. It seemed too much of a deus ex machina, as (view spoiler)

A...more

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Jul 12, 2011 grellian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Midnight Never Come", part one in "The Onyx Court" series is Marie Brennan's imaginary interpretation of the court politics in 15th century England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In this enthralling historical/urban fantasy novel, the mortal court is shadowed by its mysterious and slightly ominous counterpart led by the cruel faerie queen of Britain Invidiana.

The plot follows the struggles of Lady Lune, a courtier trying to regain the favour of Invidiana, lost after negotiating a treaty...more "Midnight Never Come", part one in "The Onyx Court" series is Marie Brennan's imaginary interpretation of the court politics in 15th century England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. In this enthralling historical/urban fantasy novel, the mortal court is shadowed by its mysterious and slightly ominous counterpart led by the cruel faerie queen of Britain Invidiana.

The plot follows the struggles of Lady Lune, a courtier trying to regain the favour of Invidiana, lost after negotiating a treaty during her diplomatic mission with the sea-folk (who in fact are the faeries' secret weapon in dealing with the Spanish Armada). Sent out to the mortal court, Lune crosses paths with Michael Deven, aspiring secret agent in debt of Sir Walsingham, and eventually, the spark between fae and mortal kindles in a powerful, fate-changing way.

The first (and trust me, definitely not the last) asset of the novel is its authenticity. Marie Brennan has researched her novel set in the Elizabethan age exhaustingly and suffused it with plausible details. There are occasional flashbacks, hinting at the sinister deal between Elizabeth and Invidiana, which enrich the story and provide it with more depth.

Moreover, the author's take on the Onyx Court is original in the complex way she opposes the conduct of the two monarchs. While Elizabeth bathes in the adulation of her subjects, Invidiana is feared and encourages backstabbing and power struggles. As a whole, as far as setting and plot are concerned, Marie Brennan has achieved the unbelievable: pages fly by as if she has set a faerie charm on her readers. And has she?!

With the development of the story, the author manages to flesh out her characters by delving in their thoughts and actions, but superficially, as if she was too focused on the Elizabethan setting and missed out a few key scenes. Anyway, even though she is definitely not thorough in depicting her seconaray characters, the two house sprites in the novel, for instance, are refreshingly amusing after the menacing atmosphere of the faerie court.

The author's voice is strong and eloquent, her sentences flowing in their complexity. What astounded me is Marie Brennan's ability to slightly change her style when describing the mortal and the Onyx Court from light and inspired to creepy and intense. The pace is crisp and there are quite a few unexpected twists and turns to whet your appetite for the final countdown.

In conclusion, "Midnight Never Come" is an imaginative rendering of Queen Elizabeth's reign that ranges from ordinary to fantastical in its perfect balance between fae politics and otherworldly allure. The novel is rich in detail and the plot is virtually boiling with intrigue, ancient curses and a splash of magic.(less)

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Sep 02, 2010 Ksenia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh, what a deliciously written book. I have never truly read a book about the fae, but with it’s taste of historical fiction, this definitely sounded intriguing. I had picked this up soon after it came out and it has just been sitting on my bookshelf. I am so glad I did, and I wish I had read it sooner. The author’s writing was lovely; I don’t know how else to describe it but it really was just so good and I felt like I was reading something that a true word-artist wrote. Does that make any sens...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Lisa Jensen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fantasy

Imagine a royal court in 16th-century England as grand and full of glamour, treachery, opulence and intrigue as the Tudor court of Elizabeth I. This is the realm of Invidiana, the imperious queen of the faeries, whose Onyx Court mirrors that of her mortal counterpart in both ruthlessness and splendor in Marie Brennan's vivid historical fantasy. Richly conceived and cleverly laid out, Brennan's "Novel of the Fae" makes judicious use of historical events laced with fantasy and magic.

The romance of...more

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Jul 13, 2009 July rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Elizabethan fans

Shelves: ebook

Elizabethan England and the fae? Count me in.

This book had a very interesting premise - that a fae court existed as a mirror to Elizabeth's court. Except in this case, the mirror is a dark one. The cruel fairy queen rules with an iron fist and becomes the villain of the tale (a very well-done villain, I might add). If you're looking for the focus to be on major players in Elizabeth's court, pass this book by. The plot focuses mainly on Lune, who is fey, and Michael, a human courtier, and how th...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Scott rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed

I borrowed this book from a friend who told me "You'll probably like it, and it was inspired by a Changeling game."

Now the first part of that recommendation nearly negated the dread I felt from the second part of the recommendation - fiction inspired by games actually played rarely comes off well.

Thankfully, Brennan, did a good job at separating the inspiring moment from the fiction. I enjoyed her writing, and while it never sung, it was a solid read that kept me entertained from beginning to en...more

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Mar 27, 2009 Stefan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, advance-reading-copy

"Midnight Never Come" is mostly set in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, while in a hidden hall under the city of London, the faerie queen Invidiana reigns over the faerie population. The story follows two main characters: Deven, a young Gentlemen Pensioner (sort of a noble bodyguard devoted to Elizabeth), and Lune, who is a faerie lady in Invidiana's court. Marie Brennan divides her novel into five acts, according to the conventions of Elizabethan drama, and actually structures the...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Bookmole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-2011

Marie Brennan knows her stuff, and it shows in this erudite depiction of Fairies in Elizabethan times.

The Queen of the Onyx Court holds sway under London, Queen Elizabeth, last of the Tudor monarchs, holds sway above. The Onyx Court is cruel and capricious, and the plot revolves around Lune, her struggles at court and her relationship with Michael Deven, a courtier bodyguard to Elizabeth and spy for Walsingham.

It was spoiled, a little, for me by having read the third Onyx Court book (I won a cop...more

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Sep 20, 2010 ambyr rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: genreㅡalternate-history, acquiredㅡbought-used, authorㅡfemale, genreㅡfantasyㅡpast, ownㅡcurrently, protagonistㅡmultiple-genders, literal-deus-ex-machina

Let me start by praising this book as a physical object. The composition, the subtle blue tones, the spot-gloss filigree, the typography: there is nothing about the cover I do not love. It caught my eye on the shelf time and time again. A good cover won't make me buy a book, but it'll certainly make me read the blurb, and that's always a good start.

The book itself doesn't--quite--live up to the gorgeous art that houses it. But it's a solid tale of adventure, solidly told. There's nothing in here...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Indiana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasty, 2011, tudor-england, fairy

Enjoyed! It's set during the duals reigns of Queen Elizabeth I of England and that of the faerie Queen Invidiana, whose kingdom lies directly below the City of London. Their powers rests on a compact made between the two when Elizabeth was a prisoner in the Tower of London. Over the course of 30 years, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, and sometimes not always for the best of either world.

The story focuses on two courtiers, one mortal and one fae, as they struggle to unc...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Hayley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first discovered this book, I honestly believed it may have been the most perfect fantasy book ever created. Firstly, it takes place during Elizabethan England, one of my favorite periods in English history. Secondly, it is about the Fey, and I feel that too few authors write truly great books about faeries.

When I got hold of it, I was immediately disappointed. The protagonists of Lune (female fey) and Michael Devan (male mortal) were not particularly interesting and the stories of both c...more

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Jul 15, 2009 Jonathan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, to be easy on this book, let me say that for a majority of the time, I enjoyed myself immensely. By majority I mean 280 or so of the 380 pages. You see, the first 50 pages are...kind of terrible. And the last 50 pages are also...kind of terrible. Let me explain: this is not all that well written of a book. It is sparse, FAR too sparse, on description--not once did I get a clear vision of an event, character, object, or environment. We do not get nearly enough detail, especially visual deta...more Okay, to be easy on this book, let me say that for a majority of the time, I enjoyed myself immensely. By majority I mean 280 or so of the 380 pages. You see, the first 50 pages are...kind of terrible. And the last 50 pages are also...kind of terrible. Let me explain: this is not all that well written of a book. It is sparse, FAR too sparse, on description--not once did I get a clear vision of an event, character, object, or environment. We do not get nearly enough detail, especially visual detail. We get some descriptions of clothes, and occasionally a character might be described as short or muscular or something...but it's rarely vivid. It just needs more dedication to imagery to bring the reader into its world. For a majority of the time writing style in general just felt a little too standard-issue, even perhaps a little too modern. No, characters don't use modern slang, and I do not expect Shakespeare here--but it does not feel convincingly Elizabethan. With "The Meaning of Night," Michael Cox wrote a book that FELT Victorian, even though it did not completely emulate the overwrought writing style of the Victorian Era. But Marie Brennan's "Midnight Never Come" does not have that Elizabethan feel. While Brennan speaks of literally filling bookshelves with research, and while I'm sure what is in the book is for the most part accurate, the writing itself does not capture the era's atmosphere. It feels like it is trying to imitate the look of films about the era (such as the Cate Blanchett "Elizabeth" films), rather than truly *inhabiting* the era in the way that a book like this MUST in order to be truly convincing.

Now let me discuss the beginning. We are introduced to our two main characters, Michael Deven and Lune, courtiers of the mortal and fae courts, respectively--but we are not given a reason to care about them. Deven is getting started as a courtier to Queen Elizabeth, and he's loyal to the crown and to Britain and to Protestantism. Oh, and he's good at solving puzzles. There's not much more to him than that, and at the beginning, before he gets caught up in all the fairy stuff, he's an incredibly boring character. Meanwhile, Lune is depressed because she has lost the crazy fairy queen's favor after botching a trade with the mermaids to destroy the Spanish Armada, so she's mopey and we're supposed to care. This was the point where I almost put the book down for good, because I couldn't stop thinking, "What a wasted opportunity!" SHOWING Lune's attempt to do this, and SHOWING how it went wrong, would have been a fantastic opening that got us to immediately care about Lune and her situation. It feels anticlimactic and a bit of a cop out to just talk about such an important (and potentially awesome) scene, rather than actually show it. (This is particularly irritating because in the interview at the end of the book the author talks about always wanting to make things "more awesome.") As it is, I'm not even sure I remember them discussing exactly WHAT went wrong or how it was supposed to be--was the Armada supposed to be completely obliterated, for example? The book does not say. The book did, however, slowly trickle in mysterious elements, to surprise you with later. It does not immediately say who Lune is when she spies in the mortal court--instead, it leaves it open, then surprises at the opportune moment. Instances such as these were quite pleasing to me.

I stuck with it past Act I, and when I began Act II things became a little more interesting. Poetically-written flashback chapters started to pop up more frequently, adding to the world and characters presented and making it feel much richer. By page 100, I was more or less hooked. The middle acts do a fantastic job of keeping your interest and keeping things moving. The pace becomes fast, the world more interesting, the steaks higher and the bland characters more bearable due to the situations they find themselves in. I started to love the book. Really, despite all the issues I had with it, it all faded away due to the fact that it was becoming an immensely enjoyable, considerably gripping story.

Then the ending came.

To summarize just what is wrong with the ending is difficult without getting into spoilers. Suffice to say...it doesn't. Make. Much. Sense. The author gets away with this because we apparently cannot understand the way the powers of Heaven and Hell work. (Yes, they come into play.) But it felt like a deus ex machina. There could have been better ways to end this book, I'm sure. I was left confused and irritated, with unanswered questions and a sense of being cheated out of a much more powerful climax.

Bottom line: I'm giving it 3 and a half stars. I do recommend it, because the middle chunk is so fun that it's worth it, but know that it takes a while to get going and that the ending isn't as good as it should be. If you're someone who, if you hate the ending, will hate the whole book, then steer clear. Marie Brennan is clearly a young writer; with more experience she will improve, for in this book you can see many seeds of potential. She just...isn't quite there yet.(less)

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Dec 05, 2009 Minli rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, own, sirens-2010, mythic

This book is FANTASTIC. It took me a while to really get into it, since I'm a faerie neophyte, I know practically nothing about the 'race' and what it does. My preferred fantasy setting is vaguely medieval European court setting, typically with a warriors. Well, I'm glad I decided to try something new.

Midnight Never Come was disorienting at the start for me, because I had all these burning questions in my mind. Such as: why is Invidiana so evil? How is it possible to have a faerie court undernea...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I discovered this novel by chance here on goodreads.com. I was already reading Brennan's other novel, Warrior, and have enjoyed it so far so I thought, Hey - what the heck? I'll try this one too. Wow, I'm glad I did!

Midnight Never Come is a novel of Fae and Human entanglements but the story was different than anything else I had read before. It takes place during Queen Elizabeth I reign in England so there is a historical aspect but the novel is more about the story than the history. The novel...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Yvonne Boag rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Midnight never come is set in London in the 1590's. There are two courts and two queens, one where Elizabeth rules and one where Invidiana is queen of the Fey. When Elizabeth is locked in the tower of London, Invidiana makes a deal with her promising Elizabeth her sister's throne. The story takes place thirty years later. Lune is sent by Invidiana to spy on Walsingham, Elizabeth's master of spies. There she meets Michael Deven who works for Walsingham and is struggling to navigate his own way th...more

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Mar 13, 2010 August rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So far, so good. The dialogue is sharp, exactly what I would expect from a good period piece and I like what I've seen so far. I am not certain I would have picked this book up on my own were it not a gift by a dear friend. Had I not, I would have been the poorer for it.

More as I consume it... Om nom nom.

And the noms are gone. Well, perhaps it would be more fair to say they are done. I am not sure the taste of Midnight Never Come will ever really be gone.

In short, it was an absolutely lovely bo...more So far, so good. The dialogue is sharp, exactly what I would expect from a good period piece and I like what I've seen so far. I am not certain I would have picked this book up on my own were it not a gift by a dear friend. Had I not, I would have been the poorer for it.

More as I consume it... Om nom nom.

And the noms are gone. Well, perhaps it would be more fair to say they are done. I am not sure the taste of Midnight Never Come will ever really be gone.

In short, it was an absolutely lovely book and many of its ideas have sparked enchanted thoughts of my own in turn. Not only will these take root in my own writing but those who have a place in my roleplaying games are sure to see shadows of this novel in their dealings with the fae.

When it comes to plots, I like mine internecine with a twist of lime. Midnight Never Come did not disappoint in that respect. Watching the aims and goals of the book's two courtier characters twine and weave through the happenings of both worlds, mortal and faerie alike, was a treat to be sure.

One story seed I enjoy watching grow in good novels is the 'mirror darkly' concept - the idea of two seemingly separate and independent things being portrayed as reflections of each other. This happens a great deal in Midnight Never Come, pairings confronted by their opposite and yet eerily similar selves. Elizabeth and Invidiana, Lady Lune and Michael Deven, even the mortal and fae takes on the world itself; all of these bore beautiful contrasts to one another.

I was especially fond of the fact that Midnight Never Come never really tried to stick itself into one 'type' of book but just dealt with its subjects (magic and politics and intrigue, oh my!) without worrying about how to classify itself.

Midnight Never Come is equal parts historical fantasy, romance novel, and suspense, rightfully unapologetic in how it blurs the lines. This one is, I think, a re-reader for me, something I rarely do. Perhaps that's the highest compliment I can bestow.(less)

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Jan 14, 2010 Gabby rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I felt the premise of this book was very interesting, which is why I had it on my to-read list for quite some time. It's set during Elizabethan England, with a story that involved her court and the fae court under London.

However, the story started out WAY slow. There was a lot of building to get somewhere, and then ... when it started to get there, I did feel like the ending was a little, simplistic and almost cliche (love conquers all).

However, once the last third of the novel started moving al...more

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Feb 02, 2009 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy

An interesting book that intertwines two royal courts with fairies and magic.

England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secr...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Caly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: otherworlds, sidhe, period, england

I liked this book, it had some very interesting elements, and while I didn't really click with the lead character much, I loved the world that Marie Brennan created. I know how difficult it is to find purely English fae-lore, and she rose to the challenge and interspersed the other cultures admirably.

I want more on Invidiana, and the ending felt a bit rushed, but it was still a good read. The Elizabethan court was brightly painted, and while John Dee could have been reflected better in my opini...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Janet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, feel-good-fantasy

This was an engrossing and original tale of the mortal and faerie courts of the Elizabethan era, rich in setting, historical and sartorial detail, mystery and intrigue. Happily, this is a complete story, not an exposition for the rest of the series. However I wasn't completely convinced to care about and root for the two main characters; I didn't invest. In general I prefer more action and less navel gazing, but this story neglected characters' internal lives to the point where I didn't really h...more

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Jan 23, 2010 Geoffrey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

There have been numerous novels set in Elizabethan England - Historical Fiction, Alternate Histories, Fantasies - the list goes on. This novel could be one more in a common genre; instead it stands out as one of the finest novels I've read set in this period.

The characters are three dimensional. The visual details are all filled in. The story line quickly becomes absorbing. In all, this is a well written novel. In it, the first 2/3 read like to different, slightly overlapping novels - one set am...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Sereen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading this book, I found myself so surprised to have ever found it in the bargain bin. Excellent storyline, good characterization, and very little plot points that caused confusion. I was very much attracted to, and at first wary of, a mix between history and fantasy. This doesn't always end up working out well in a novel. But I really felt that M. Brennan did a remarkable job in balancing the two genres, and interlocking the lives of the human court and the fay court, all the while spri...more

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Jan 17, 2009 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-from-december-08-on

Honestly, I did not read many other reviews for this book. Many said how it was poorly done, without enough detail and climax, tagged on with a "slow" setting. Some, were rather good reviews, and I agree.

One of the best fantasy books I have ever read. The plot was new, not mainstream, and exciting. There was buildup, and then climax, and then the settling down. It flowed perfectly. Not to mention the many latent sub-plots that tie into the bigger picture towards the end. The details were impecca...more Honestly, I did not read many other reviews for this book. Many said how it was poorly done, without enough detail and climax, tagged on with a "slow" setting. Some, were rather good reviews, and I agree.

One of the best fantasy books I have ever read. The plot was new, not mainstream, and exciting. There was buildup, and then climax, and then the settling down. It flowed perfectly. Not to mention the many latent sub-plots that tie into the bigger picture towards the end. The details were impeccable. Descriptions of places, events, attire, people in general, all fit together more than nicely. I'll admit, the book had it's flaws, and I think there could have been more symbolism than there was, but overall it gave a good amount, I suppose. Also, she could have given more of a build-up or show of how Lune falls in love with the other main character (not going to say much on the matter, don't want to make it a spoiler).

I can't say I know that much about how correctly she portrayed the history in the setting of England in the 1500's, however you can tell there was superfluous information and research behind the writing. Whether the writing was accurate or inaccurate, I wouldn't know, however it seemed very plausible and as true to the real partaken events as it could have. The Fae research done was very meticulously done as well. She could have easily infused Irish/Celtic, Scottish, or Welsh Fae myth and culture, but she took care enough to keep it strictly to English Fae mythos.

All important characters were all dynamic, which is important to keep a novel interesting and flowing, especially when the story is supposed to be paced in a way that shows how the times, places; everything really, are changing. It also shows relation between characters and events that weren't there when you first encounter them, again, showing latent plots that surprise you.

Overall, just a book that keeps you riveting through the pages looking for the answers to the mysteries and plots so carefully laid out, you just can't help putting it down before reading through half of the book!(less)

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Sep 18, 2009 Gigi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical-fiction

In my search for new takes on faerie tales and fantasy, this is a lovely little gem. A fast read, but filled with details so rich you'll really believe there is a faerie kingdome beneath London! Brennan beautifully weaves the complicated web of intrigue and ambition in Elizabethan court life with an equally compelling and infanitely more dangerous faerie version. Let's just say if you were a courtier in this time period, Lizzy's volitle moods and temper were extremely preferable to Invidianna's...more

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Marie Brennan is the author of the Doppelganger and Onyx Court series of fantasy novels.

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Midnight Never Come (Onyx Court #1)

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