Cheryl Low

A ghost story that’s not at all what I expected (for better or worse…but mostly better).

I love a subtle tale of tragedy and grief, but I also love a nonstop thrill ride of spooky scares. Rarely can books manage to handle both in a way that is balanced and believable, but The Midnight Lullaby certainly comes close!

This book covering a lot of ground in less than 200 pages, but it manages to do so in a way that hits a range of circumstances, conflicts, and emotions. Not everything lands perfectly, but what sticks is really good!

I really liked the set up of Benedict being the only member in a family full of exorcists who can’t see ghosts. It immediately allows for interesting conflict and character development. I also really liked the relationship between Benedict and Emmeline. I didn’t fully understand it at first, but as the story progressed I really began to care about them and the connection they have. It’s sad and beautiful, but it also leaves an undercurrent of ferocity and mystery to keep the book moving forward. By the end of the story, when I finally realized the full extent of what had happened to Emmeline and what was currently happening to the other characters, I was completely shocked and surprised.

The book also has a fair amount of family drama, which I didn’t expect but I ended up enjoying. The side characters might not be fully fleshed out, but their relationship to Benedict and each other pretty well is, and that’s what really matters here.

As far as spooky moments go, there were less than I expected. I had to adjust expectations as the first half of the book is fairly fright-free. But then a particular seance happens in the middle, and the scares and gore are quickly ramped up for the second half of the book. The climax and the resolution of the story are incredibly grim and depressing. So much so that it almost affected my rating of the book it was so dark. But after taking time to process and think about the book as a whole my qualms seemed to ebb and I ended up liking it quite a lot!… (mais)

They're creepy and they're kooky,
Mysterious and spooky.....
Oh wait, wrong family, but the Lyons are most definitely a scream. Poor Benedict has never quite fit in with the rest of his spiritualist family. They see dead people, and he sees just one. A single spirit who has been sharing his home for some time now. Emmeline is somehow cloaked from everyone's view but Benedict's. Since she is a spirit she can see what Benedict can not, thus relaying this information to him much like the fake psychics who have a microphone in one ear, being told all the little details about the people they are trying to con. When Benedict is forced to return home for his mother's funeral he fears his family may discover that he is a fraud, but it is Benedict who will uncover far darker secrets than his own.
This was a fast paced, blood splattering, bone cracking tale.

I received a complimentary copy for review.… (mais)

The Publisher Says: In the Realm there are whispers. Whispers that the city used to be a different place. That before the Queen ruled there was a sky beyond the clouds and a world beyond their streets.

Vaun Dray Fen never knew that world. Born a prince without a purpose in a Realm ruled by lavish indulgence, unrelenting greed, and vicious hierarchy, he never knew a time before the Queen’s dust drugged the city. Everything is poisoned to distract and dull the senses, even the tea and pastries. And yet, after more than a century, his own magic is beginning to wake. The beautiful veneer of the Realm is cracking. Those who would defy the Queen turn their eyes to Vaun, and the dust saturating the Realm.

From the carnivorous pixies in the shadows to the wolves in the streets, Vaun thought he knew all the dangers of his city. But when whispers of treason bring down the fury of the Queen, he'll have to race to save the lives and souls of those he loves.

I RECEIVED A REVIEW COPY FROM THE PUBLISHER. THANK YOU.

My Review: As with all fantasy novels, there's a 50/50 chance I'll resonate to the story harmoniously enough to enjoy the read; odds got us to 60/40 for QUILTBAG themed stories and higher still if there's a bisexual man.

We stalled at 60/40 and never got going again. All the sex is implied; the point of the world's sexual fluidity is played as increasing the sensual options of these decadent people; and in the end, the male MC goes back to his hetero roots. So, disappointments all around. There's also a certain glacial pace issue. There's also a dearth of evidence that a professional proofreader saw the MS (eg, "sooth" ≠ "soothe" nor "horde" substituting for "hoard"), which honestly bothered me quite a lot. Still, a read I'm not sorry I made time for.… (mais)