Midnight City

Out of nowhere Barton delivers a story that is surprisingly simple though at the same time intriguing. This does not mean the world building is poor though. The concept is novel in itself. Rarely do you have multiple sets of aliens fighting for territory on in this case the Apex. But within all of that Barton, still manages to capture the complexity i.e human society. So all in all a highly recommended read.

After sitting here, writing and rewriting the same sentences, I'm still at a loss as to how to accurately describe my feelings about Midnight City. The words bouncing around in my head range from “wow” to “stunning” so if this review is a slight rambling, please forgive me. Now that the PSA is out of the way, on to the good stuff.

For the first time ever I was given both a strong male and female protagonist. From the moment that I met Holt I knew I'd love him. His humanity is evident, even through the hard outer shell that he has built in order to survive. Here's a guy who is the perfect mix between a knight in shining armor and a lone wolf. Then I met Mira and my whole world flipped upside down. When these two characters interact, there are literally sparks. Two evenly matched, survival-minded individuals, who also happen to be of two different genders. Do you sense that there might be chemistry? Oh, you'd be right my friends.

Which brings me to my next talking point, the lack of what we all like to call “insta-love”. Holt and Mira definitely clash at first. However the further the reader follows them into the story, the more these two come to rely on one another. This is a slow, sweet, and completely believable build up. Unfortunately for you, I won't go any deeper than that. I truly believe that this is something you need to read to really appreciate. Let me just say that this romance was so fulfilling for me. It wasn't overdone, but simply added another layer to this expertly woven story.

Now I'm sure there are those of you who are balking at the idea of an alien invasion as the main premise of a book. I can assure you that the writing in Midnight City is gorgeous. It builds a world that is ravaged by invasion, and held together by only the younger generation. Even if you aren't generally a reader of science fiction, there is a strong dystopian element as well. Everything that J.Barton Mitchell writes flows just perfectly, and allows the reader to get lost in the struggle. Thus the reason I read this straight through.

Never in my bibliophilic life have I been as floored after reading a book as I was upon finishing Midnight City. This book is the whole package. A lightning fast plot, two equally matched and well-fleshed out characters, plus writing that draws you in. I loved absolutely everything about this book. More please. As soon as humanly possible.

Edit: The audio book is also pretty good! I'd suggest reading it if you can, but the narrator isn't too shabby. Still a five star read for me!