Title: The Midnight Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Plot: Lilith Montgomery is the new head witch of the Lazarus Coven as the title passed from father to daughter. To accept the title of head witch, she must pass the ceremony and tests. But even after these tests, life is not easy for Lilith. She’s torn between what’s excepted of her and what her heart wants. Lilith knows she should marry Louis, a childhood friend, fellow witch, and a fellow noble. But she’s in love with Bram Cadel, a penniless artist. To top it off, an ancient enemy has resurfaced. The Sentinals want the Lazarus Coven’s greatest secret, to raise the dead to life. But only Lilith know the key ingredients and ways to make the spell work. The Sentinals will use whatever methods to get her information. When they threaten Lilith’s family, she fights back only to face deadly consequences. Lilith shuts down and focuses her efforts on helping with WW1 efforts. This only delays plans. The Sentinals are patient. How will achieve their new plans? Will they get the information they seek? At what cost? Or will Lilith stop them? Who will she chose? Will she follow her head or her heart?
Rating: 3.6 – a good historical historical fiction mixed with fantasy
Opinion: This was a great historical fiction book. The magic in the book was well written. The author knows what she’s talking about and has done her research. There is a lot of good details about the magic, but the author doesn’t overload the reader with the magic all at once. The author is known for her use of pagan magic in her books. This is no exception. It’s a different style of magic that I enjoy learning about. With other authors creating their own magic systems, I like that she uses magic systems that are used in real life. The history in this book is accurate as well. While I’m not as familiar with upper class life in this time, it is well done and well researched. I tend to forget that Britain was bombed in both World Wars. I know that they’re bombed in WW2, but not in WW1. This book also has a cute sappy romance. While it’s truly unlikely that Lilith would have ended up with Bram, but it was a cute added subplot to the book. I also enjoy that this author adds this to her books without overdoing it. Overall I’d recommend this book for those who enjoy historical fiction mixed with fantasy.
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