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| Plot Summary of A Stroke of Midnight |
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"
Ballantine, April 2005, 23.95, 367 pp.
ISBN 0345443578
The attempted assassination of Princess Meredith of the faerie Unseelie Court failed and the coup to unseat the Queen of Air and Darkness, Andais, was thwarted. The princess gives a press conference in the sithen (faerie mound) because a human policeman under the spell of a sidhe (faerie) had attempted to kill her and that has to be explained. After the conference is over, Merry and her harem of sexy and beautiful guards found a dead photographer and a sidhe, both the victims of murder by one of more of the sidhe.
Merry convinces her Aunt to let the police into the sithen because the reporters know one of their own is missing. Anais agrees but intends to conduct her own investigation. Merry and her guards are the focus of another assassination attempt and while they struggle to stay alive, Merry's presence in the sithen brings it to life recreating features that have withered away centuries ago. Merry also gives back the powers the sidhe lost when they were allowed entry to this country by President Jefferson. This makes the queen jealous because Merry can do what she can no longer perform and when a predator is angered, anything can happen.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"This is the 4th book in the series about Princess Meredith of the faerie Unseelie Court. The faeries are broken up into the Seelie Court of Light and Illusion and the Unseelie Court of Air and Darkeness. To become heir to the throne of the Unseelie Court the Queen has set both Meredith and her sadistic son Prince Cel on a race to become/get someone pregnant, to insure that the blood lines will survive. Once someone is pregnant they will marry the mate and that will be the future ruler.
Merry and her entourage of Raven Guards (who are also her lovers) are called back to the Unseelie sithen. On the way Princess Meredith avoids and attempted assignation and thwarts a coup attempt. The princess gives a press conference about the assassination attempt in the faire mound, unheard of before as the Queen is concerned about the Princesses safety. Unfortunately a photographer and another are found dead.
Merry convinces the Queen to allow local police into the sithe, under her and her guard's watchful eyes. As the investigation is underway Merry and her guards thwart another assassination attempt. In addition Merry has gained another power to go with her Hand of Blood and Hand of Flesh powers and those who have had sex with her are coming back into their ancient powers, once thought lost.
As the powers are brought back to individuals this causes the Queen to become very jealous and cruel. Merry on the other hand is doing what she can to protect her guards and any of the other Ravens that she is able to.
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Tanya, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of A Stroke of Midnight |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- fantasy story on current Earth
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- unraveling a conspiracy
Political power play
Yes
Political plotlets
- factions fight within govt for control
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- private investigator
- mage/magician
Age:
- 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- magical being
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
- long-lived adults
Profession/status:
- Prince/Nobleman/King
- mage/magician
Has magical powers?
Yes
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- mentally ill
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Terrain
- Domed/Underground City
Earth setting:
- current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- descript of kissing
- descript of touching personal anatomy
- licking
- orgies
- society controls main character's sexing
- actual description of sex
- description of breasts
- descript. of private male anat.
- rape/molest (yeech!)
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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