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Reviewed by David Jaggart for Readers' Favorite
In Midnight Reverie by Hermione Lee, Cyndi Osmond wakes up from a dream of a royal wedding to the nightmare of her real life as a housemaid. In this version of the Cinderella story, there was no magic to get her to the ball, so her cruel stepsister Charlotte is the one set to marry Prince Xavier. Cyndi is hauled off to the palace to serve Charlotte, where she is eventually demoted to the kitchens. Desperate and isolated, Cyndi attempts to run away twice but is thwarted by the mysterious Lady Perrault. Everything changes during a royal ball when Cyndi witnesses Charlotte in a shocking embrace with Grand Duke Ferdinand. Armed with this "weapon of mass destruction" and bolstered by her only friend, Patty, Cyndi stops fleeing and starts plotting. At the same time, she finds herself falling for the charms of Prince Xavier, who changes from a cold stranger to an unexpectedly vital ally. Can she really dismantle her stepsister’s lies, or will the palace’s secrets bury her first?
If you’re looking for a refreshing YA fantasy, Midnight Reverie by Hermione Lee is such a great subversion of the genre. It breathes fresh life into a tired archetype, and I wholeheartedly love this new stance. Instead of all the usual fairy tale glitter, Lee focuses on the actual harshness of Cyndi’s life. The prose is very direct—none of that over-the-top window dressing—which makes the whole servant hierarchy feel realistic and intriguing. Cyndi is a great protagonist because she isn't some one-dimensional heroine. No, in this fascinating tale, she’s a courageous survivor whose internal battle between hope and trauma feels very authentic and raw. The pacing takes a little time to establish the power dynamics and romantic angle, but the move from domestic drama into a captivating political thriller is handled perfectly. It’s a brutal takedown of status that challenges expectations without losing any of the emotional heart. Very highly recommended.
