Books › A Stroke of Midnight
A Stroke of Midnight
416 pages
A dark, decadent plunge into fae politics where power is paid for in blood, magic, and unapologetic desire.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping into a shadowy, velvet-draped throne room where every glance is a seduction and every shadow hides a blade. The atmosphere is thick with danger and decadence, balancing the gritty reality of a murder investigation with the opulent, lethal politics of the Unseelie Court. It moves at a brisk, breathless pace, sweeping the reader through visceral action sequences and intensely steamy, polyamorous encounters. The narrative revels in its own darkness, asking what parts of one's humanity must be sacrificed to survive a world ruled by cruelty. It will thoroughly delight readers who crave unapologetically fierce heroines, intricate magical world-building, and a heavy, intoxicating dose of paranormal romance.
- Mood
- decadent
- dangerous
- shadowy
- erotic
- tense
- Tone
- sensual
- dramatic
- unapologetic
- intense
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- embracing darkness · the burden of legacy · polyamorous devotion · courtly intrigue · power and sacrifice
- The writing
- Lush and sensory-driven, the prose lingers equally on the visceral details of bloody violence and the opulent textures of erotic encounters.
- The arc
- The protagonist shifts from a defensive struggle for survival to a fierce, sensual acceptance of her own dark power and unconventional desires.
- Who it's for
- Fans of dark urban fantasy who love intricate fae politics, reverse harem dynamics, and heroines who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty.
Content notes
- graphic sexual content
- graphic violence
- blood and gore
- assault
- polyamory
About the book
I am Meredith Gentry, P.I., solving cases in Los Angeles, far from the peril and deception of my real home--because I am also Princess Meredith, heir to the darkest throne faerie has to offer. The Unseelie Court infuses me with its power. But at what price does such magic come? How much of my human side will I have to give up, and how much of the sinister side of faerie will I have to embrace? To sit on a throne that has ruled through bloodshed and violence for centuries, I might have to become that which I dread the most.Enemies watch my every move. My cousin Cel strives to have me killed even now from his prison cell. But not all the assassination attempts are his. Some Unseelie nobles have waited centuries for my aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, to become weak enough that she might be toppled from her throne. Enemies unforeseen move against us--enemies who would murder the least among us.The threat will drive us to allow human police into faerie for the first time in our history. I need my allies now more than ever, especially since fate will lead me into the arm of Mistral, Master of Storms, the queen's new captain of her guard. Our passion will reawaken powers long forgotten among the warriors of the sidhe. Pain and pleasure await me--and danger, as well, for some at that court seek only death.I will find new joys with the butterfly-winged demi-fey. My guards and I will show all of faerie that violence and sex are as popular among the sidhe as they are among the lesser fey of our court. The Darkness will weep, and Frost will comfort him. The gentlest of my guards will find new strength and break my heart. Passions undreamed of await us--and my enemies gather, for the future of both courts of faerie begins to unravel.From the Hardcover edition.
Description from Open Library.
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