The Midnight Queen

I am always up for a new magic filled novel.  I have enjoyed fantasy fiction since I was a young girl when I first read the Dragon series by Anne McCaffrey.  Since that time I have read so many series, with my all time favorite being the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  Perhaps I have loved Rowling's series most because I shared this one with my children, as they devoured the books and movies during their childhood years.  I read every genre of fiction, but fantasy provides pure escape reading as one enters a world of  amazing creatures and abilities.

My love of this genre lead me to choose  Sylvia Izzo Hunter's novel, The Midnight Queen, from the Blogging for Books website.  Hunter's book is set in rural Britain and historical Regency England.  Oxford's Merlin College is the location of a school of magic for the most affluent and talented students. The main characters Sophie Callender and Gray Marshall learn about themselves as they learn magic from the hallowed halls of Merlin College.

I am certain that I chose this book because of my penchant for books similar to the Rowling series, and as so many that I have tried in the past, it falls short of my hope.  I don't want to discourage those wanting to read a good bit of escape fantasy fiction.  The Midnight Queen is a perfectly fine book. The characters are interesting, the concept is good, the plot is fine, if not super exciting as it tends to lag a bit here and there, but it doesn't rank as one of the best I have read.

That being said, I would encourage all readers to try The Midnight Queen by Hunter, as a light summer read in the fantasy genre, it is a good selection.


FTC disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.