Midnight Jewel

Midnight Jewel is certainly a case in which a sequel was better than the original. Now, The Glittering Court was a good book, but like me, a lot of people will admit that the book did not have consistency in theme. It was a finishing school romance, then a Wild West themed adventure - I mean, the concept was probably good, but it didn't execute properly. But it did lay the foundation for this book, and for that I am glad. This story takes alongside The Glittering Court, but has only a few overlaps with it - the girls were, for the most part, hiding their own secrets, like Adelaide being a noblewoman, and here, as we find out, Mira being in the Glittering Court just so she can help earn money to free her brother.

Mira's story is part adventure, part spy romance: she is initially a part of the Court just to get a rich and pliant husband who would help free her brother who is like an indentured laborer in Adoria. She is best friends with Adelaide and Tamsin, and you can see how she adores the two of them, and how the rift between them tears her on the inside. She is also the daughter of a freedom fighter, and has heroism in her blood. When she meets Grant Elliot, an agent of a detective agency who is also a fellow traveler on her journey, she asks to become his insideperson in the Adorian society, mostly because she is out for adventure and daring. She is a bit idealistic when it comes to heroism, and learns through the course of the book what it means to be a hero and a beacon of light for the people.

While most of it takes place in Adoria, the politics of Osfrid cannot be avoided. In this book, we see more about the other countries involved in this world, and how Osfrid has damaged them, with war as well as their crusade against religious freedom. Mira, herself a refugee from Sirminika (I don't remember how it was spelled and this was an audiobook so forgive me for any errors), understands firsthand the persecution of the Alonzans, and despite having been drawn into well-intentioned schemes before, she also realizes in the end of the novel (through a Robin Hood sort of character), that she can make her own path and she doesn't owe anyone anything.

Now, onto the romance - yeah, this one was full of chemistry and passion. But unlike Adelaide and Cedric (whose love story is barely a blip in this book), the two involved here don't really have the luxury of love at first. Mira wants only a passionate and physical relationship at first, love is secondary for her as she has resigned herself to a marriage of convenience. Grant, meanwhile, is closed off and has other priorities in mind. They have a tumultuous go at it - they have different paths, and it looked for a while they won't end up together; the journey was worth the ending, but considering where these characters were at the start on the stance of love and marriage, it also felt a little rushed and eager to wrap up their romance in this book. (Considering there is still Tamsin's story to come, I would have been fine with resolving their romance in the finale, too)

The world of this series has definitely expanded, and we get a more political perspective on the players that were involved with the plot in the first book. An in-depth exploration of the different cultures mingling in Adoria was also seen, like how Belonquan society was much more accepting than Osfrid in way (did I mention there is a lesbian side character?) but also had different prejudices. I would have certainly liked a map of the different countries mentioned, though, since I couldn't make sense of the distance and journeys mentioned in this book. Plus, I was getting a little lost when it came to which country is on which continent, and how their relationships with each other work. Mira is also a frequent victim of xenophobia, and it is a minor storyline in this book how her being from Sirminika puts her at a disadvantage.

Overall, it is an enjoyable sequel, and one I would definitely recommend the audiobook for. Kyla Garcia does an amazing job with Mira, and also with the different accents of the various characters used in this book.