The Midnight Sea - Kat Ross

The Midnight Sea

By Kat Ross

  • Release Date: 2016-09-29
  • Genre: Historical Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 555 Ratings

Description

They are the light against the darkness.
The steel against the necromancy of the Druj.
And they use demons to hunt demons….

Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they bind wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister.

Scarred by grief, she's willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he's possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other's emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close.

As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius's past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake…

Praise for The Midnight Sea

"A spellbinding fantasy with some moral weight and a meatier narrative than usual, one likely to leave readers quite satisfied... Ross conjures an epic of demons and daevas, family, loss, and the turmoil of a kingdom in peril."-Kirkus Reviews

"An addictive, action-packed, glorious page-turner!" -Am Kinda Busy Reading

"For a world of shifting alliances and trusts, fully realized and multi-faceted characters, and a fantasy that takes place in a little touched upon setting in young adult literature, The Midnight Sea delivers on all fronts and starts off a new series of romance, magic, and a well-written and captivating story." -Bibliobibuli YA

"GUARD YOUR HEART. For in The Midnight Sea, Kat Ross delivers a riveting fantasy of unparalleled proportions that stole a piece of mine." -Flylef Reviews

"I really hate the word ‘epic’ because, let’s face it, it’s so overused and it’s lost its true meaning, but this book deserves that word." -Book Reader Chronicles

"The Midnight Sea has everything I enjoy in a fantasy and more. I highly recommend it for readers who love elemental magic, kick-ass heroines and a captivating story." -Cover2Cover Reviews

"Kat Ross creates a rich fantasy world, full of new and scary creatures, lots of magical powers, and an intricately woven plot that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page." -Book Briefs

Reviews

  • Not for anyone who knows much about the ancient world

    3
    By straea
    I understand that writers of historical fantasy tread a fine line. However if you want your world to be based on a real historical world, you need to be aware that completely making up major things will eventually lead readers who already know about the historical period to be jarred into no longer suspending disbelief. Alexander the Great practiced slavery, including selling some of the people he conquered into it, and for me the last straw was when the book posited that he was so heavily anti-slavery that (I’ll redact the rest for spoilers). This after there were already a number of other things over the course of the book that were ahistorical. If you want to make up a new world or a counterfactual world, please do, just don’t pretend it’s the history of the world that your readers live in. I came to this book after reading the entire Nightmarked series (my first books by Ross) in only a week and I finished this one very disappointed.
  • Eventfully addictive and exciting!

    4
    By Poojaxshah11
    Initially difficult to follow, The Midnight Sea thrusted me into a completely different world of magic, politics and religion. Nazafareen’s journeys and battles are filled with adventure and mystery that held my attention throughout. After learning about the empire and collection of various beings throughout the chapters, I was able to link together seemingly unrelated events all while getting to know Nazafareen better. I loved the arcs that certain characters demonstrated and can’t wait to read the next in the series, Blood of the Prophet!
  • I couldn’t put this book down!!!

    5
    By Malibu Moon
    I loved this book great start to the series. So many twists and turns always keeps you guessing how things will turn out for the main characters. Onto the second book in the series. Can’t wait!
  • Love

    5
    By Other fish in the sea
    I love this book! I would stay up all night reading it. Highly recommended
  • Excellent

    5
    By JezSweetPea
    Masterfully written. Enthralling from the very first pages, heart in your throat for most of the rest; a well-crafted and satisfying read.
  • I agree with Kat...

    5
    By gerbodie
    ...Daēva is such a beautiful word! I loved how the true nature of the daēvas was the exact opposite of the teachings of the magi, and look forward to tagging along with Nazafareen and Darius as the search for the prophet.
  • The Midnight Sea

    4
    By PalatableDinner
    This book was overall a good read. Research is evident in the writing, as it’s loosely based on the region and events east of the Mediterranean Sea in the time of Alexander the Great, with an infusion of magic and undead. The way in which the author navigates the “bury your gays” trope demonstrates an awareness I don’t often see. Although I found much of the plot fairly predictable, the inclusion, exploration, and development of a diverse cast of complex characters more than made up for it. If I had to complain it would be that there are times in which the author falls into the “sex-track mind” cliche which detracts from the moment at hand, granted they are few. If age group is a factor for you, the story begins when Nazafareen is thirteen and ends when she is nineteen going on twenty, with time skips being relatively early on. If cussing matters to you there is some, but it’s minimal.
  • Ashleigh Massey

    5
    By Ashleigh Massey
    This is a very good read. I found it had the perfect mystical /real aspect to it. I felt like I was carried away into the book like a fly on the wall. It was so intense and mesmerizing I feel like I could feel the bond and I was craving more and more of this book! I couldn’t hardly put it down.
  • Idk

    4
    By djehdnd
    Idk
  • Stellar!!

    5
    By Dizzy_is
    How the author weaves together heavy problems of morels along with the inspiration from really history!!! Fabulous!!!! By far one of the best books I have read in a VERY long time. Many times fiction books have a similar plot but this one does not. It leave you hanging and wanting for more, each word ravenously eating the next until the next book!!!! I love it!!! Thank you for making me want to read again!!!