Title: THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT
Author: Melissa Grey
Pub. Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 368
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, iBooks,
Kobo,
Indiebound, Powell’s,
Goodreads
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For readers of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.
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, but 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.
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
Now on to the post!
Influences and The Girl at Midnight
Every author is influenced by something: books they've read, plays they've seen, movies they watched. We -- and the books we write -- evolve from the stories we've consumed throughout the years. Here are a few of the works (only 33% literary!) that influenced the world and characters of The Girl at Midnight.
1) NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman
I read this book when it came out ages ago (I was still in high school) and its stayed with me ever since. The idea of a subterranean world, hidden beneath the streets of one of the world's most populous cities, inhabited by creatures both magical and mundane captivated my imagination and the way Gaiman envisioned his world beneath London played a big role in how I approached the Avicen's home, the Nest, beneath the streets of New York.
2) STAR WARS
This one hardly needs an introduction. There's a reason for the enduring nature of its story -- spelled out nicely when you consider Joseph Campbell's THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES -- and I think the notion of a hero rising from unlikely circumstances is one of them. There is an element of fate to Luke Skywalker's story but more importantly, he is defined by the choices he makes. He chooses to do good in the face of overwhelming odds and that's a really powerful message.
3) FINAL FANTASY VII
This game was a life-changer for me. You can read more about how FF7 influenced my approach to storytelling in general but when it comes to The Girl at Midnight, it helped me develop my cast of characters. Having a strong protagonist is vital but it's just as important to have that person surrounded by a strong and diverse crowd. In FF7, Cloud was the central focus of the story but what would he be without Aeris, Tifa, Barrett, Red XIII, Cait Sith, Cid, Vincent, and Selphie? A lot less interesting, that's for sure.
Every author is influenced by something: books they've read, plays they've seen, movies they watched. We -- and the books we write -- evolve from the stories we've consumed throughout the years. Here are a few of the works (only 33% literary!) that influenced the world and characters of The Girl at Midnight.
1) NEVERWHERE by Neil Gaiman
I read this book when it came out ages ago (I was still in high school) and its stayed with me ever since. The idea of a subterranean world, hidden beneath the streets of one of the world's most populous cities, inhabited by creatures both magical and mundane captivated my imagination and the way Gaiman envisioned his world beneath London played a big role in how I approached the Avicen's home, the Nest, beneath the streets of New York.
2) STAR WARS
This one hardly needs an introduction. There's a reason for the enduring nature of its story -- spelled out nicely when you consider Joseph Campbell's THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES -- and I think the notion of a hero rising from unlikely circumstances is one of them. There is an element of fate to Luke Skywalker's story but more importantly, he is defined by the choices he makes. He chooses to do good in the face of overwhelming odds and that's a really powerful message.
3) FINAL FANTASY VII
This game was a life-changer for me. You can read more about how FF7 influenced my approach to storytelling in general but when it comes to The Girl at Midnight, it helped me develop my cast of characters. Having a strong protagonist is vital but it's just as important to have that person surrounded by a strong and diverse crowd. In FF7, Cloud was the central focus of the story but what would he be without Aeris, Tifa, Barrett, Red XIII, Cait Sith, Cid, Vincent, and Selphie? A lot less interesting, that's for sure.
Melissa Grey was born and raised in
New York City. She wrote her first short story at the age of twelve and hasn't
stopped writing since. After earning a degree in fine arts at Yale University,
she traveled the world, then returned to New York City where she currently
works as a freelance journalist. To learn more about Melissa, visit
melissa-grey.com and follow @meligrey on Twitter.
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AT MIDNIGHT! US Only.
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