Book Review: The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

At nineteen, Nirrim is everything her foster mother wants her to be. She is patient, dutiful, and a hard worker—traits that benefit her low status. She has never tasted anything sweet or worn color; those things are reserved for the High Kith, the rulers her people serve. More importantly, she has never left Herranth, the militarized city that she calls home. There is no room for questioning anything in Herranth. Should any citizen step out of line, they are made to pay a tithe. The tithe can be anything from a few lost pieces of hair to actual fingers. Nirrim knows to keep her head down and has learned to do so from a young age. 

Then, the unthinkable happens: a rare bird appears in Herranth, and for the first time, she finds herself truly longing for something. However, she makes a potentially fatal mistake that sends her to prison. There, Nirrim meets the charming Sid who makes her a once in a lifetime offer: leave Herranth behind and work as a maid in the city of the High Kith. Desperate for answers, Nirrim agrees to go with her and is quickly thrown headfirst into a deadly yet decadent world. During her stay with the High Kith, Nirrim learns several secrets—some that threaten to destroy her. 

I really enjoyed this book; it provided a dreamy, almost fairytale-like setting, making the book hard to put down. The imagery used is absolutely beautiful. Author Marie Rutkoski compares and contrasts the vibrancy of the High Kith’s city with the drab coloring of Herranth masterfully. Readers who enjoyed The Midnight Lie might also like Jaye Robin Brown’s The Meaning of Birds; Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s This Is How You Lose the Time War; and Claire Legrand’s Sawkill Girls. Please note that The Midnight Lie contains scenes of physical and emotional abuse.