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Shattered Under Midnight
Raina escaped to Freeport with a tour booked under a stolen ID, and a plan to lose herself in the city. Instead, she found a city in revolt, and now both sides are after her to control the alien gifts engineered into her DNA.
Her only ally is an offworld investigator trying to get to the bottom of the explosive mix of on-planet and alien politics... but his secrets are even deadlier than her own.
From the back alleys of the souk to the depths of alien ruins, they're now in a desperate fight to stop the revolution before everything is lost!
Her only ally is an offworld investigator trying to get to the bottom of the explosive mix of on-planet and alien politics... but his secrets are even deadlier than her own.
From the back alleys of the souk to the depths of alien ruins, they're now in a desperate fight to stop the revolution before everything is lost!
- GenresScience Fiction
162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 21, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 8, 2018
This was a rough read. Something I praised in Dorothy Grant's other sci-fi romance venture, Scaling The Rim (FIVE stars!), was how the story didn't leak out much detail at the beginning, allowing suspense and familiarity to unravel specifics. In Shattered Under Midnight, this same device was much less successful. I was lost in the world-building for most of the book. The politics didn't make sense to me. Why was there unrest and uprising? Who are the protagonist aliens? Or more accurately, WHAT are they? Why does an undercover -- uhh....guy (who does he work for?) -- attach himself with such alacrity to Raina? Just so confused......
Things finally click into place in the last quarter of the book or so, which was too late for this reader's satisfaction. The romance didn't click for me either. I have absolutely no idea why these two fell for each other in only a few days. The personal bits just weren't there. Plus, the enDEARments (using "dear" at the end of the dialogue) made me cringe each time it landed on the page. So stilted.
Grant does excel with plotting out several suspenseful and exciting scenes. Our H/h on the run encounter danger nearly everywhere they turn, which made this book a page turner despite its shortcomings. Secondary characters are plentiful and interesting, and the veterinarian impersonating a doctor made me laugh out loud. The futuristic twist on the "ruins" takes a while to even slog through (again, so confusing), but it was pretty imaginative.
My take away on this is uneven. If this had been my first book by this author I would probably have shut off my Kindle the 3rd time I went, "Huh?" However, given how much I liked Scaling the Rim, I persevered, and will certainly give another SFR by Grant a try.
2.5 rounded to 3 stars.
Book source: Kindle Unlimited
Things finally click into place in the last quarter of the book or so, which was too late for this reader's satisfaction. The romance didn't click for me either. I have absolutely no idea why these two fell for each other in only a few days. The personal bits just weren't there. Plus, the enDEARments (using "dear" at the end of the dialogue) made me cringe each time it landed on the page. So stilted.
Grant does excel with plotting out several suspenseful and exciting scenes. Our H/h on the run encounter danger nearly everywhere they turn, which made this book a page turner despite its shortcomings. Secondary characters are plentiful and interesting, and the veterinarian impersonating a doctor made me laugh out loud. The futuristic twist on the "ruins" takes a while to even slog through (again, so confusing), but it was pretty imaginative.
My take away on this is uneven. If this had been my first book by this author I would probably have shut off my Kindle the 3rd time I went, "Huh?" However, given how much I liked Scaling the Rim, I persevered, and will certainly give another SFR by Grant a try.
2.5 rounded to 3 stars.
Book source: Kindle Unlimited
October 13, 2018
Interesting with a few flaws
I like her take on alien ruins and her characters were pretty whole, though sometimes confusing. She definitely writes people well. She has a distinctive writing style and my only issue was the excessive use of dear and sweetheart. The two main characters using terms of endearment in front of others, yes but behind closed doors, not so much. They are strangers and both are hiding big secrets for different reasons. They aren't courting. She's fleeing a death sentence and he's an agent infiltrating a hostile planet.
The background peeks through but except for a general description, there's a lot of detail missing. The Alliance strength is not even clear in terms of parity with the aliens. The structure of the Alliance is unknown. The politics that allows a planetary government to openly conduct DNA experimentation with human embryos is shaky. These are all things that will rub most readers the wrong way, I suspect. There are a lot of questions but I think there might be a decent, maybe even offbeat series in the making. Five stars for style, four stars for world building with the expectation of more volumes.
I am hoping that she gives it a go.
I like her take on alien ruins and her characters were pretty whole, though sometimes confusing. She definitely writes people well. She has a distinctive writing style and my only issue was the excessive use of dear and sweetheart. The two main characters using terms of endearment in front of others, yes but behind closed doors, not so much. They are strangers and both are hiding big secrets for different reasons. They aren't courting. She's fleeing a death sentence and he's an agent infiltrating a hostile planet.
The background peeks through but except for a general description, there's a lot of detail missing. The Alliance strength is not even clear in terms of parity with the aliens. The structure of the Alliance is unknown. The politics that allows a planetary government to openly conduct DNA experimentation with human embryos is shaky. These are all things that will rub most readers the wrong way, I suspect. There are a lot of questions but I think there might be a decent, maybe even offbeat series in the making. Five stars for style, four stars for world building with the expectation of more volumes.
I am hoping that she gives it a go.
September 25, 2018
3.5*
Mostly because while the story’s got an interesting premise, not a lot actually happened in it. I liked the beginning and all the way until they reached the city. At that point their relationship changed too dramatically without enough interaction to make it seem real. The new bond simply happened when he just started calling her ‘Dear’ and she let him. Unlike other reviewers the timeframe of the relationship didn’t really bother me. Given the press of danger and need to depend on one another for survival, getting that close in only three days seemed possible. I did have real issues with the way the relationship developed (or didn’t):
1: ‘dear’ is a very old fashioned pet name that didn’t fit their characters at all. It’s old, they’re not and made him sound like someone’s grandpa being courtly. It just made them seem like very different people than they were, and made the supposed affection behind it seem fake or off.
2: The changed relationship didn’t seem to develop out of anything, as there weren’t the sort of bonding experiences or conversations that could support that radical a shift in how they saw one another. She doesn’t trust him, doesn’t trust him, is defensive...and then she’s just fine with him. Click. Didn’t work for me.
The plot: resolving the bad stuff was just too easy. Yes, a very few times the bad guys managed to put them in real danger, but every time they just walked out of the trap, no problem. All of it was too easy for them, especially the climatic (Not) battle at the end. It wasn’t quite a cakewalk, but it was overly simple and almost entirely risk-free. The battle scenes just weren’t exciting or even particularly interesting.
Last issue: lack of a real resolution. Yeah they ride off into the sunset, but we don’t find out very much about the attempted coup or its settlement. Yeah, we get a list of what the good guys are doing, but it felt more like a memo than a resounding success in keeping something terrible from happening. And there was only a hint that the bad guys in the lab towns would be punished and the genocide stopped. I both expected more, and thought the story’s resolution would have more emotional resonance than it did.
It’s not a bad book, it’s just missing some things that could have made it better and fulfilled the promise of its beginning.
Mostly because while the story’s got an interesting premise, not a lot actually happened in it. I liked the beginning and all the way until they reached the city. At that point their relationship changed too dramatically without enough interaction to make it seem real. The new bond simply happened when he just started calling her ‘Dear’ and she let him. Unlike other reviewers the timeframe of the relationship didn’t really bother me. Given the press of danger and need to depend on one another for survival, getting that close in only three days seemed possible. I did have real issues with the way the relationship developed (or didn’t):
1: ‘dear’ is a very old fashioned pet name that didn’t fit their characters at all. It’s old, they’re not and made him sound like someone’s grandpa being courtly. It just made them seem like very different people than they were, and made the supposed affection behind it seem fake or off.
2: The changed relationship didn’t seem to develop out of anything, as there weren’t the sort of bonding experiences or conversations that could support that radical a shift in how they saw one another. She doesn’t trust him, doesn’t trust him, is defensive...and then she’s just fine with him. Click. Didn’t work for me.
The plot: resolving the bad stuff was just too easy. Yes, a very few times the bad guys managed to put them in real danger, but every time they just walked out of the trap, no problem. All of it was too easy for them, especially the climatic (Not) battle at the end. It wasn’t quite a cakewalk, but it was overly simple and almost entirely risk-free. The battle scenes just weren’t exciting or even particularly interesting.
Last issue: lack of a real resolution. Yeah they ride off into the sunset, but we don’t find out very much about the attempted coup or its settlement. Yeah, we get a list of what the good guys are doing, but it felt more like a memo than a resounding success in keeping something terrible from happening. And there was only a hint that the bad guys in the lab towns would be punished and the genocide stopped. I both expected more, and thought the story’s resolution would have more emotional resonance than it did.
It’s not a bad book, it’s just missing some things that could have made it better and fulfilled the promise of its beginning.
July 18, 2018
A TIGHTLY-WRITTEN story that could almost be a Hitchcock suspense drama (in space).
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
A word about the cover art: I don't know who designed this, but they are quit skilled. There are a lot of design elements that show through without being obscured by the titles, and they do a good job of representing the elements of the book. The face of character is superimposed on a ringed planet, and that works really well; the single tower rising well above a city lit for the night reflect the fact that the buildings themselves are going to be a character in the work. My sole objection is the hair color of the depicted character. It's a central point in the plot that the MC has red hair; does the young woman on the cover have red hair? It's not a red that I am familiar with.
Ummm...I don't understand the title. Not a big deal, though. In the book, 'shattered' is a term meaning exhausted. It makes just as much sense as 'From Here To Eternity' and 'Gone With The Wind,' at any rate.
Raina is the heroine, and she has a mysterious past, present, and future. She's little, and on the run.
Seth/Akrep is the hero, and he also is a figure of mystery. He's big, though.
The planet was once the home of a long-vanished race, and currently much income is derived from the tourist trade. In addition to the folks on vacation from planets far away, there are other factions with interest in the ruins. One of those factions is the Preservationists, who may be thought of as the most severe sort of ecology freaks you can imagine. They don't want the nasty hands of humans to sully anything, anywhere, and they are perfectly willing to blow everyone to pieces to get their point across.
Raina is the child of genetic engineering, designed by a shadowy entity that seeks to control the universe, or something. She is part of the plan, but as is the case when plans are developing, she is about to be discarded. Not wishing termination, she runs. And, as she is fleeing through a transportation hub, she encounters Seth. And circumstances soon reveal that he is also in run & hide mode, although his cause is different.
When a bomb attack, and the subsequent police intervention, threaten to expose them both, Seth/Akreb convinces Raina that they will be less suspicious if they travel as a couple than they will as two single people. What starts as a simple bond of convenience develops quickly into an alliance.
There is more to the ruins than is apparent to Seth/Akrep. He discovers that when Raina drags him through a wall. Not by knocking the wall down; she just pulls him through the wall, much as an elephant seal does not go through a barrier of lime jello.
In addition to the main story, there is homage to Heinlein, and to either the Princess Bride or Monty Python. I read it, smiled, and turned the page, and now I can't find it again, and I have to leave an go pick up the basset hounds to dog sit them this afternoon.
The book could almost be used as an example of what tight writing is. The plot moves FAST, and if you are sleepy when you read it, you are going to find yourself in a situation you don't remember entering. It's THERE, but blink your eyes, and miss it. One day, I will start looking at page counts before I start reading a Kindle, and this won't take me by surprise. That day was not this day, however.
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
A word about the cover art: I don't know who designed this, but they are quit skilled. There are a lot of design elements that show through without being obscured by the titles, and they do a good job of representing the elements of the book. The face of character is superimposed on a ringed planet, and that works really well; the single tower rising well above a city lit for the night reflect the fact that the buildings themselves are going to be a character in the work. My sole objection is the hair color of the depicted character. It's a central point in the plot that the MC has red hair; does the young woman on the cover have red hair? It's not a red that I am familiar with.
Ummm...I don't understand the title. Not a big deal, though. In the book, 'shattered' is a term meaning exhausted. It makes just as much sense as 'From Here To Eternity' and 'Gone With The Wind,' at any rate.
Raina is the heroine, and she has a mysterious past, present, and future. She's little, and on the run.
Seth/Akrep is the hero, and he also is a figure of mystery. He's big, though.
The planet was once the home of a long-vanished race, and currently much income is derived from the tourist trade. In addition to the folks on vacation from planets far away, there are other factions with interest in the ruins. One of those factions is the Preservationists, who may be thought of as the most severe sort of ecology freaks you can imagine. They don't want the nasty hands of humans to sully anything, anywhere, and they are perfectly willing to blow everyone to pieces to get their point across.
Raina is the child of genetic engineering, designed by a shadowy entity that seeks to control the universe, or something. She is part of the plan, but as is the case when plans are developing, she is about to be discarded. Not wishing termination, she runs. And, as she is fleeing through a transportation hub, she encounters Seth. And circumstances soon reveal that he is also in run & hide mode, although his cause is different.
When a bomb attack, and the subsequent police intervention, threaten to expose them both, Seth/Akreb convinces Raina that they will be less suspicious if they travel as a couple than they will as two single people. What starts as a simple bond of convenience develops quickly into an alliance.
There is more to the ruins than is apparent to Seth/Akrep. He discovers that when Raina drags him through a wall. Not by knocking the wall down; she just pulls him through the wall, much as an elephant seal does not go through a barrier of lime jello.
In addition to the main story, there is homage to Heinlein, and to either the Princess Bride or Monty Python. I read it, smiled, and turned the page, and now I can't find it again, and I have to leave an go pick up the basset hounds to dog sit them this afternoon.
The book could almost be used as an example of what tight writing is. The plot moves FAST, and if you are sleepy when you read it, you are going to find yourself in a situation you don't remember entering. It's THERE, but blink your eyes, and miss it. One day, I will start looking at page counts before I start reading a Kindle, and this won't take me by surprise. That day was not this day, however.
January 29, 2026
This is 2.5 stars rounded up to three. I read the book in one sitting and had the paperback version.
Up until page 30 (end of chapter 7), plot and transitions flow smoothly. Then, as chapter 8 begins, things start jerking around. There are logic and plot jumps. The characters are still great, the action SCENES are excellent especially the mountain pass at night, the science fiction aspects build nicely.
The transitions suck. The thriller-to-thriller scene transfers jerk one out of the story. The romance is lackluster. People connect in ways you feel as a reader like only half the conversation happens on the page. The political structure driving the thriller is an incomplete puzzle even at the end.
The book is 150 pages and should have been 250 pages to even out the transitions, with a rewrite to add additional scenes starting at chapter 8.
I liked the story of Raina and Akrep, but I think I would have really enjoyed the story if the gaps had been filled in.
PS - The character has red hair. It is a major plot point. The cover should reflect this.
Up until page 30 (end of chapter 7), plot and transitions flow smoothly. Then, as chapter 8 begins, things start jerking around. There are logic and plot jumps. The characters are still great, the action SCENES are excellent especially the mountain pass at night, the science fiction aspects build nicely.
The transitions suck. The thriller-to-thriller scene transfers jerk one out of the story. The romance is lackluster. People connect in ways you feel as a reader like only half the conversation happens on the page. The political structure driving the thriller is an incomplete puzzle even at the end.
The book is 150 pages and should have been 250 pages to even out the transitions, with a rewrite to add additional scenes starting at chapter 8.
I liked the story of Raina and Akrep, but I think I would have really enjoyed the story if the gaps had been filled in.
PS - The character has red hair. It is a major plot point. The cover should reflect this.
August 12, 2020
Did you miss Mary Stewart?
This is the author you've been waiting for. A you g woman with secrets on the run. An dangerous man trying to stay hidden while tried breaking a vicious conspiracy: Two paths collide. Yes romance ensues. No, unlike in the romance genre there is NO cringe. Yes, the action, the mystery, and the plot stands on its own. And also yes: on an alien planet. For SF fans this is pure catnip (Think Shards of Honor or Agents of Change) but even if you've never really cares for SF that much (but you loved Stewart and Heyer) Mrs Grant builds her foreign setting as skillfully as 1810's England, or 1940's Greece. Highly recommended
This is the author you've been waiting for. A you g woman with secrets on the run. An dangerous man trying to stay hidden while tried breaking a vicious conspiracy: Two paths collide. Yes romance ensues. No, unlike in the romance genre there is NO cringe. Yes, the action, the mystery, and the plot stands on its own. And also yes: on an alien planet. For SF fans this is pure catnip (Think Shards of Honor or Agents of Change) but even if you've never really cares for SF that much (but you loved Stewart and Heyer) Mrs Grant builds her foreign setting as skillfully as 1810's England, or 1940's Greece. Highly recommended
February 16, 2021
Yowzer
I would really like it if this author would flesh out her books a bit more. She drops you into the action and you experience the plot in real time. There isn’t any background information and the reader has to figure it out as you go.
Likable characters and snappy dialogue!
I would really like it if this author would flesh out her books a bit more. She drops you into the action and you experience the plot in real time. There isn’t any background information and the reader has to figure it out as you go.
Likable characters and snappy dialogue!
February 21, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2019
I loved Scaling The Rim, and Shattered Under Midnight was equally satisfying. This story doesn't spoon feed the reader answers and requires some careful reading. I had a migraine and had to re-read several sections to figure out what I had missed. I read it on KU but will now buy it.
Two years later, a third or fourth reading is just as good.
I loved Scaling The Rim, and Shattered Under Midnight was equally satisfying. This story doesn't spoon feed the reader answers and requires some careful reading. I had a migraine and had to re-read several sections to figure out what I had missed. I read it on KU but will now buy it.
Two years later, a third or fourth reading is just as good.
November 30, 2021
Much better than “Scaling the Rim”. Some really interesting “alien-world” ideas. Only wish the author would develop them in a future story. After this, I was willing to try her trilogy “Combined Operations” which (so far) is off to quite a good start, tho some bad habits from “Scaling the Rim” are creeping in.
December 9, 2023
Dorothy Grant does it again!
While a little more background on the Alliance and how that connected to the other books would have been nice, it didn't diminish the fun and adventurous nature of the story. Even if the love story is very much the same in each of her books, it never seems like a copy and paste and so, it's still a fun read I hate putting down until its over!
While a little more background on the Alliance and how that connected to the other books would have been nice, it didn't diminish the fun and adventurous nature of the story. Even if the love story is very much the same in each of her books, it never seems like a copy and paste and so, it's still a fun read I hate putting down until its over!
April 29, 2024
Suspense and action
Alternate universe, SF advanced tech, alien tech, genetic engineering
The focus shifts every chapter between the two protagonists, Raina and Akrep. A few typos, but mostly punctuation issues. Good characterization, pacing, scenes, and suspense. Some mysteries revealed, but a lot unanswered. Glad there's a sequel. Enjoyed.
Alternate universe, SF advanced tech, alien tech, genetic engineering
The focus shifts every chapter between the two protagonists, Raina and Akrep. A few typos, but mostly punctuation issues. Good characterization, pacing, scenes, and suspense. Some mysteries revealed, but a lot unanswered. Glad there's a sequel. Enjoyed.
June 30, 2018
Another winner
Grant writes stories that are engaging and make you think. In depth, real characters, lots of action, and the world building is well thought out. Reminds me of a good C.J. Cherryh story line. Can't wait until her next one!
Grant writes stories that are engaging and make you think. In depth, real characters, lots of action, and the world building is well thought out. Reminds me of a good C.J. Cherryh story line. Can't wait until her next one!
July 5, 2020
Well written, keeps moving and no bloody cliffhanger!
This is a stand alone novel. It’s well worth your time to read and is on a par with the Sequoyah series and the Touchstone series which are favourites for me
This is a stand alone novel. It’s well worth your time to read and is on a par with the Sequoyah series and the Touchstone series which are favourites for me
November 17, 2021
Love this author!
Something about the sci-fi and characters is so great! I will say the cover art doesn't represent anybody in the book, the heroine is red haired,green eyes and freckled.
Something about the sci-fi and characters is so great! I will say the cover art doesn't represent anybody in the book, the heroine is red haired,green eyes and freckled.
March 22, 2023
Great book!
I love the world the author built. Ancient Aliens, DNA splicing, gene phobia, space, space ships, different planets, a handsome warrior and a brave woman all combine to make a great book. I couldn't put it down.
I love the world the author built. Ancient Aliens, DNA splicing, gene phobia, space, space ships, different planets, a handsome warrior and a brave woman all combine to make a great book. I couldn't put it down.
June 25, 2018
Looking forward to more
This was a little short, but a good introduction to the characters and technology. Compelling story, well told.
Highly recommended.
This was a little short, but a good introduction to the characters and technology. Compelling story, well told.
Highly recommended.
July 24, 2018
A Winner
Fast-paced and entertaining. I read it in one day. It was a fun read, I hope that there is a sequel.
Fast-paced and entertaining. I read it in one day. It was a fun read, I hope that there is a sequel.
July 25, 2018
Great read!
If you enjoy a little adventure, a little romance with a dash of science fiction this is the book for you.
If you enjoy a little adventure, a little romance with a dash of science fiction this is the book for you.
August 11, 2018
Read through KU. Liked it a lot. Will be buying a copy when budget permits.
October 9, 2018
Enjoyed, wishing there was more back story. Well done.
April 27, 2019
So good!
I want more! Please keep on writing more stories Ms. Grant...we need more good writing like this. I will be standing in line for more of your books. Thank you!
I want more! Please keep on writing more stories Ms. Grant...we need more good writing like this. I will be standing in line for more of your books. Thank you!
September 21, 2019
Dorothy can write!
Strange abilitys, good action, a way to make napalm and a low key love story. It shows the truth that forced together ness can cause love or hate.
Strange abilitys, good action, a way to make napalm and a low key love story. It shows the truth that forced together ness can cause love or hate.
November 4, 2023
Mystery upon mystery
Starting with the question as to how the two main characters actually get together, it just keeps on building up.
Starting with the question as to how the two main characters actually get together, it just keeps on building up.
May 7, 2024
A good read
A good, quick read. I would have liked more at the end, seemed fast, but I always like more. A great author I’ve found and purchased a few books of.
A good, quick read. I would have liked more at the end, seemed fast, but I always like more. A great author I’ve found and purchased a few books of.
May 21, 2025
I was delighted that Shattered Under Midnight was related to Dust of the Ocean. I hope there is more in this universe as the cultures, discoveries, and settings are fascinating.
November 24, 2025
An excellent stand-alone story with 2 terrific characters. Would love a sequel, but the story stands on its own. Will certainly add Dorothy Grant to my list of authors to read more of.
August 22, 2022
I enjoyed this book tremendously, although scaling the rim is still my favorite. This book had an intriguing premise and wonderful characters but I felt the history of the planet/political situation/protest issues with the government could have been a bit more detailed as some questions were not really answered. Still, this will be re-read and enjoyed multiple times and I look forward to another book by this author.
October 6, 2023
A bit vague on the aliens and special circumstances of the MC, but I enjoyed the story and rythm, so it's ok.
Read
July 9, 2018Great story
Full disclosure I obtained this book through kindle unlimited. Great story with an interesting setting and well paced character revelation. The love story was organic and enjoyable even though it's not what brings me to a book.
Full disclosure I obtained this book through kindle unlimited. Great story with an interesting setting and well paced character revelation. The love story was organic and enjoyable even though it's not what brings me to a book.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews