The Girl At Midnight Blog Tour {review & giveaway}

I'm so very excited to have The Girl At Midnight Blog Tour stopping by today...

The Girl at Midnight (#1)

by Melissa Grey

4/28/15

Random House

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

goodreads / amazon / b&n / indiebound

Praise for The Girl At Midnight

"Grey’s energetic debut offers a strong protagonist…[and the] well-built world, vivid characters, and perfect blend of action and amour should have readers eagerly seeking the sequel." — Kirkus Reviews, Starred 

"Sparks fly...This first novel will please fans of Cassandra Clare and Game of Thrones watchers with its remarkable world building; richly developed characters...[and] a breathtaking climax that...cannot come soon enough!""—Booklist starred review 

"Inventive, gorgeous, and epic—Grey dazzles in her debut." —Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die 

“A stunning debut. Equal parts atmosphere and adventure … positively divine.” – Victoria Schwab, author of A Darker Shade of Magic 

A runaway and pickpocket, Echo has no one until she is adopted by the Avicen, a magical race of feathered beings who live beneath the city. Echo survives by selling the treasures she steals and has come to love the Avicen like family. So when the fate of the Avicen is threatened by an old enemy, Echo is determined to do what it takes to save them and to finally prove that she belongs with the Avicen. Ancient legend tells of the mystical Firebird, a creature who will bestow ultimate power to the one who controls it. Echo and a band of unexpected allies set out to find the Firebird before it falls into the wrong, very dangerous hands and end the bloody war...but this journey forces Echo to face truths she’s not ready for and makes her question everything she thought she knew about the enemy.

Melissa Grey’s The Girl At Midnight was such a pleasant surprise and such a joy to read! Grey has crafted a lush, fantastical world full of exciting elements, engaging characters, and lovely writing. The Girl At Midnight’s unique; refreshing premise is woven together with captivating and addicting storytelling. The world within The Girl At Midnight, from the enchanting Avicen to their fiery enemy; the streets of fascinating cities; and everything in between; is richly developed and described and fiercely beautiful. The fantasy elements, from magic doorways; enchantments; seers; fire conjuring; and more, are darkly whimsical and enthralling. While somewhat predictable, I found the story within The Girl At Midnight to be quite the page-turner anyway.

However, I have rather mixed feelings about the romantic elements in this book. There are some super cute flirtations and genuine feelings being explored between characters...these things I really liked! Although I wasn’t thrilled with the whole  “love-triangle-ish-sorta-insta-love” thing the heroine experiences...fortunately, these romantic elements don’t dominate the story and didn’t hinder my ability to really dig the book!

And anything lacking in the storyline and the romance is made up for with the three main young characters: our heroine Echo and her two friends, Ivy and Jasper. I just LOVE Echo! She’s smart, funny, delightfully brash, independent, and feels refreshingly real. Ivy is full of as much feist and spunk as her BFF, Echo, and proves to be an admirable, brave heroine in her own right. Jasper, with his laugh-out-loud musings and adorable ways, is probably my favorite character! Grey fills this world with an eclectic and intriguing mix of characters, some- readers will fall in love with, some- readers will love to hate.

my final thoughts: With stellar world-building, wonderful storytelling, and fun characters, The Girl At Midnight is a fantastic addition to YA Fantasy...I will eagerly be awaiting book two!

my rating

4/5 yummy cupcakes

website * goodreads * twitter * instagram

Melissa Grey penned her first short story at the age of twelve and hasn't stopped writing since. As an undergrad at Yale, she learned how ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow at the same time, but hasn't had much use for that skill since graduating in 2008. 

Her debut novel, THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT, will be published by Delacorte/Random House in spring 2015.

Win a brand new copy of

The Girl At Midnight!

Random House has generously offered 2 copies for two winners.

Details

-US/CAN only

-ends 5/22

-each winner will get one copy

please read full rules below rafflecopter form

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