BETRAYAL.CONSPIRACIES.MAGIC.Amy has only known one life. Now she needs to put it all on the line to save what is precious to her. Can this simple farm girl survive court-life? Can she stop a war from burning down her world? And what of the mysterious princess of Hazel Wood and her covert glances…? Not to mention the prince of Acacia Wood who might or might not be involved with the prophecies … the prophecies ruling their kingdoms. With mysteries and secrets threatening the life she longs to return to, can she separate her feelings from the mission?
TO WHAT LENGTHS WILL SHE GO TO SAVE HER LOVED-ONES?
*Book club questions included.
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This coming of age, young adult fantasy is a very quick read. It may be less than a hundred pages, but it certainly doesn’t lack depth. The story is full of the things we expect in a fantasy, but the author also tackles some gender inequality, sexual orientation intolerance, facing the unknown in spite of fear, and growing into the person you are with pride. Now, don’t get me wrong, those issues are all present, but the author handles it all terrifically and they flow right in with the world she’s created. They’re also addressed in a way that doesn’t distract from the magic of the Pegasi or the wonderful personalities of the characters. The story is fast-paced and fantastical with magic, royalty, a pending war, a conspiracy, a bit of romance, and secrets, big secrets. Ronel Janse van Vuuren took me by surprise with Magic at Midnight. She gave me some pretty deep topics to ponder while mixing them seamlessly into a thoroughly engaging tale. Admittedly, I don’t read as much fantasy as I used to, so there may very well be other stories like this one out there, but I will say that this one definitely deserves notice.
In Ronel Janse van Vuuren’s Magic at Midnight (2019), Amy has an unusual job. She takes care of a herd of Pegasi–cleans their stables, feeds them, befriends them, and keeps them safe. It’s hard work and takes all day every day but she likes the peace and quiet as well as the uninterrupted time with the Pegasi, some of which have become closer friends than any human she knows. Though she possesses magical powers, she never uses them to make her job faster or easier because part of what she gets from working with these amazing spirited almost-horses is the reality of a job well done for an important purpose.
That changes one day when she is called on to assist her country by donning the garb and the attitudes of a royal princess and competing for the hand of the prince. Though it is as far from her reality as anything she’s ever done and holds no interest, she agrees because if she doesn’t her Pegasi herd will be in danger. She is whisked off to a castle where she is scrubbed and shined, trained and teased, until she is prepared to join the rest of the princesses who are part of this competition.
That’s where it gets complicated. She thought wearing fancy dresses and pretending to be selfish and disinterested in anything but herself would be the hardest part of what she has been asked to do. Not even close.
This is a delightful, fun mix of Pretty Woman and Cinderella with its own clever twists and turns. It’s a quick read–ninety-eight pages, easily completed in a few days. I highly recommend it for those times you just want to escape reality and find a happily ever after ending.
I LOVE this book. Remember Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah’s couch? The bisexual gal who runs a stable of pegasi and has to do a covert mission as a princess to prevent war — yeah, that’s freaking awesome and worthy of jumping on a couch. Oh, and the magic castle that actually is a character because (spoiler reasons), give me more of that! This is exactly my kind of book. I’m not saying there aren’t similar books in the fantasy genre, I’m saying that this a worthy addition. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, flying horses with personality, the idea that a princess is more than just a title, and anyone looking for an LGBTQ+ twist on fairy tale type fantasy.
The book was free in July on Amazon, which is how I got my copy. There’s some romance, a happily-ever-after, controversy, action, plot twists, and it’s entertaining. I read the whole book because I really wanted to know how it would turn out for Amy. I mean, one minute she doesn’t even know what an indoor bathroom is, and the next she has to convince people she’s a princess. Man, I love this girl so much. I want to hang out with her and her pegasi for a month. Just toss me into the pages.
“Every couple of months, a group of human monsters would descend on her herd…” I love the phrasing of this line.
And then there’s this passage, where the LGBTQ+ part really makes the fantasy line blur to reality. It really holds a mirror up to real society. :
“Our society forces arranged marriages on people who might never be compatible. And not because they aren’t attracted to each other; but because they might never be attracted to someone from the opposite sex.”
I never encountered the expression “shout rent the silence” before, but I loved how it was used. I did not find errors in the book. (*As a reminder, Ronel is from South Africa. Therefore, words like “skilfully” aren’t spelled wrong.) I even love the formatting, the drop caps inside the chapters that are used as scene separators.
The cover is great and it matches the book climax perfectly. I’ve read books and stories by this author before and fully intend to read more soon. She’s becoming one of my favorites. (Yes, we do follow each other’s blogs and social media, and do some of the same online challenges. But we’ve never met.) This book isn’t listed as part of a series, but it certainly left me wanting a second! I can’t say I’m “team Rachel,” because she has a HEA already. Does that make me “team Francois”? I don’t know. Maybe there should be a second book with poly relationships. Perhaps another character as an option?
It passes the Bechdel test in that it has women who talk to each other about something besides a man. They talk about magic, war, conspiracies, how to handle a winged horse, etc.
I loved this story. I think anyone with a passion for horses and/or mythology will enjoy it. I was touched that the dedication included her horses. This novella takes an old theme and, adds a new twist, along with its own unique storyline.
Amy lives on a farm and cares for the winged-horses to which she has a strange affinity. Besides this affinity she has magical abilities which she’s learned to hide. Her entire world is turned upside down when a stranger shows up at the farm and whisks her away to a castle where danger and intrigue abound. Amy must keep her wits about her to save the kingdom, herself and her beloved pegasi. I recommend this lovely read.