I am such a fan of the recent time loop stories. And Midnight Strikes combines time loops and fantasy in a spectacular debut. It’s also a story about rebellion, family, and ambition. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Seventeen-year-old Anaïs just wants tonight to end. As an outsider at the kingdom’s glittering anniversary ball, she has no desire to rub shoulders with the nation’s most eligible (and pompous) bachelors—especially not the notoriously roguish Prince Leo. But at the stroke of midnight, an explosion rips through the palace, killing everyone in its path. Including her.
The last thing Anaïs sees is fire, smoke, chaos . . . and then she wakes up in her bedroom, hours before the ball. No one else remembers the deadly attack or believes her warnings of disaster.
Not even when it happens again. And again. And again.
If she’s going to escape this nightmarish time loop, Anaïs must take control of her own fate and stop the attack before it happens. But the court’s gilded surface belies a rotten core, full of restless nobles grabbing at power, discontented commoners itching for revolution, and even royals who secretly dream of taking the throne. It’s up to Anaïs to untangle these knots of deadly deceptions . . . if she can survive past midnight.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: suicide
Midnight Strikes is a book that balances action – hello time loops – and character development. On the one hand, I immediately loved the time loop aspect. Waking up every day and wondering what you can do differently? Trying to figure out the ‘key’ the ‘mystery’ to why you’re stuck? And for each story, it’s a bit different. In Midnight Strikes, the mystery and action go hand in hand. As we see Anaïs struggling to make sense of the loop, she discovers more about not only the people around her, but also her own family.
On the action front, I loved how much information was portrayed. The ways Shahnaz explores and goes down the paths of these side characters, nooks and crannies, and secretive glances. But on the other hand, I deeply appreciated the ways in which Midnight Strikes observes Anaïs and her relationship to the court. All the slights, the ridicule, and the condescending glances against her. How a large question of Midnight Strikes is why Anaïs is even bothering to save this kingdom which is so determined not only to look down on her, but on others like her.
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As Midnight Strikes progresses, I admired the ways Shahnaz is able to develop this question and Anaïs’ character journey. Because the world we are introduced to the beginning merely reflects the barest of cracks above the surface in this world. The injustices, lack of representation, and inequities. This YA fantasy debut also explores the different ways we can be caged in families or situations. It’s a book which asks who should have power and what people are willing to do for it. While I wanted a bit more space at the ending – especially considering the lead up – Midnight Strikes is unique and captivating.
Find Midnight Strikes on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org, & The Book Depository.