The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Title: The Girl at Midnight
Author: Melissa Grey
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication date:  April 28, 2015
Pages: 368
Source/format: e-ARC from Netgalley

Rating: ☆☆☆☆ 1/2

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war. 

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act. 

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it. 

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire. 

My Thoughts

The Avicen, an ancient race of magical bird like people who live underground in NYC, took Echo under their wings and raised her since she was little. Echo met Ala when she was a child at the library. Echo was never called Echo until she met Ala. Upon Ala's advice, she renamed herself since she disliked her birth name. Names have power and so does Echo. Although Echo sometimes feels uncomfortable living among the Avicen, she befriends Ivy and Rowan. She lives in a library in NYC and she is a master thief. Echo finds a music box which holds a clue about the Firebird. The Firebird is the only way to end the blood war between the Avicen and the Drakharin, the ancient race of Dragon like people. However, the one who finds the Firebird holds the power.

I was hooked on this book from the first paragraph. Melissa Grey does a tremendous job writing beautiful and evocative description in The Girl at Midnight. It makes me want to jump into the books and experience everything that Echo experiences. The characters are likable and the world building is fantastic and enchanting. Grey's writing is captivating! I love how Grey intertwines mythology and magic within her novel while creating fascinating races, the Avicen and the Drakharin.

Echo is sassy, resourceful and my kind of main character. Caius and Tanith remind me of Enzo and Enzo's sister in The Young Elites. Tanith is just like Enzo's sister. Both deem their brother not worthy to rule the kingdom. I love Ivy, Dorian and Jasper as secondary characters. Friendship bonds are strong within the novel which I enjoy reading about. Echo, Caius, Ivy, Dorian and Jasper make an excellent team. Despite their differences, they are able to come as one to embark on this incredible journey. The only thing I disliked in the novel is the love triangle.

So I may be a bit of a nerd but is it sad that I was excited when I read about the bacon waffles? It reminds me of the bacon pancake song that Jake sings from Adventure Time. I enjoyed reading about using shadow dust to teleport through the means of the in-between. It reminds me of Floo Powder and fireplaces in Harry Potter. The blood payment to Echo's door to her room and the blood payment to see the Oracle is reminiscent to the blood payment in the cave scene in Harry Potter as well.

I am a big fan of urban fantasy and The Girl at Midnight does not disappoint. This is the first book in The Girl at Midnight series which makes me happy because I cannot wait to pick up the second book. The cover art captures the novel well and I love how it depicts the Avicen and Drakharin races. The purple is majestic and glowing of the typography is perfect. I would love to see this novel in a film adaptation depending on the casting and the director. The writing is very animated and will transfer well on screen.