People are committing
suicide at the Midnight crossroads. Once is tragic, twice unlikely and three
times definitely more than a coincidence
There’s a dark
presence under the crossroads. It’s been there for centuries - but it’s waking
up. The inhabitants only clue to what it is and what it wants is in a book that
none of them can read. They’re running out of time and the dark voice Fiji
hears is growing louder
Meanwhile Olivia’s
family may have finally caught up with her - with lethal repercussions and
increased suspicion about the true motives of her neighbours
I really do like the
concept of Midnight - a small town in rural Texas where the supernatural
gathers, where people with secrets gather to build their new life. Over the
last few books this has developed further as the members of the community have
grown closer together. And this is something Charlaine Harris has always been
very very good at: building a community, building all those little social
interactions, those visits and family histories and little gossips that gives a
real sense of community
This does, in some
cases, slow the pacing as various characters discuss their issues with each
other, then discuss those issues with other characters and all pry into each
other’s business - especially since we have a lot of characters all with their
own back stories and issues (which I, again, really like). But it works here
because the overall story of this small town is the community that has been
built here. So I don’t mind that we spend what appears to be a truly
unnecessary amount of time discussing Lemuel’s human life even though it adds
absolutely nothing to the plot. Or that we have Manfred’s old cronies from Las
Vegas living nearby. Or the time spent gossiping around tables discussing what
Chuy and Joe are (which is not known for most of this book and these are
somewhat peripheral characters - which is a little weird given what they’re
facing). It works because that’s what these books are.
I do think Olivia’s
story is a little…. Weirdly convoluted. But hey, it’s not completely out there
so I can run with it.
At times it seems the
characters are somewhat distracted from the main plot, largely waiting for
Lemuel to translate a convenient book he’s found - convenient in that it has
all the answers and plot convenient in that it’s written in a convoluted
ancient language for no good reason (and, honestly it makes little sense and
really is just a method of drawing out the main plot so they can focus on the
smaller side plots and relations. But it works).
The plot itself does
have those convenience issues and does sort of circle slowly towards the ending
rather than run for it - and it has some weird road bumps with Olivia’s story
kind of running mundanely across the main supernatural - there’s something dark
and evil under the crossroads plot line.
But the plot was
interesting, contained a lot of hooks and some nice diversions and was an
excellent vehicle for these characters and the world. Especially Fiji - this
book does a really good job of developing the town witch, bringing her past and
letting us explore her character but also her growth as she both hardens and
decides to live up to her potential: there’s definite character growth there.
And her cat is awesome too.
I am a little bemused
why everyone is super suspicious that Madonna manages to keep her restaurant
open with limited custom, yet Bobo has a pawn shop, Chuy and Joe have a combine
antiques/nail salon and Fiji runs a new age shop. I mean… there’s not enough
custom to keep a restaurant open (despite half the locals eating their
regularly) but a magic shop does?
There are some…
unfortunate lines in this book. I’ve said before that this series has massive
improved on the other worlds in terms of less problematic depictions of
marginalised people - we have multiple female characters with Olivia and Fiji
and even the more minor characters of Madonna and Lenore all feel decent and
quite respectful and Olivia and Fiji actually grow together and like each other
and may even come close to friends. We have Madonna and Teacher and Chuy and
Marie as POC and Joe and Chuy as a gay couple and, while not perfect, they’re
so much better than what I’ve seen before. We even have a female vampire who is
angry at a man FOR GOOD REASON and this is actually acknowledged as reasonable!
There’s definite
trying here - but occasionally we do have lines like people saying if more gay
couples were like Chuy and Joe they would be happier and more accepting which
is… an issue. Or we introduce a Native American character… who is a shaman and
full of woo-woo. Or how Madonna and Teacher are considered outsiders in
Midnight despite being there for 2 years: longer than Mannfred by far. Yes they
have secrets… but that’s the whole point of Midnight. At least towards the end
of the book that changes.
Most of this book is
from Fiji’s point of view and it’s actually a little damaging: because Fiji is
supposed to be a nice lady and part of the plot is that Fiji becomes harder as
a person. But it’s like the author had… trouble writing a nice person from
their pov? Like her sister arrives and she’s supposed to be a grossly
stereotypical awful woman who infuriates Fiji… but we’re told it without it
being well shown. Like she’s left her husband and needs somewhere to stay but
doesn’t want to live with her parents because their dad has alzheimers and she
doesn’t want to become a carer… but then Fiji says she doesn’t want to either
so it’s kind of weird she gets all judgemental about it. And she complains that
Kiki hasn’t given her any money or contributed to the house… which is true. But
she spends about a week with Fiji - I can’t imagine my brother visiting me for
a week and me charging him board! In the end we have her mainly growling at her
sister because she’s a slutwhorejezebel who FLIRTS with attractive single men
(except Teacher. Because Kiki doesn’t regard Black men as potential partners:
again she’s attacking Kiki for not paying rent and flirting with attractive
guys but she just HANDWAVES this blatant racism).
Later Fiji has a
regular visit her shop who she cannot stand because she’s pretentious and
carries a bag with her shop label on it where people can see so they ask her
about it. Ugh, these terrible customers who buy things regularly and then
regularly tell other people about your business! UGH HOW AWFUL. I also found
her whole anger at Bobo kind of… immature and weird? She’s effectively having a
tantrum because she thinks he’s friendzoned her
I also still don’t
think that the idea that this book shares a world with all Charlaine Harris’s
other series actually works. Apart from anything else whether or not the
supernatural is well known to the public and we seem to jump back and forth
between everyone knowing about vampires et al, to no-one believing in magic
which is jarring. Apart from anything else, I’m not sure if the point of Midnight
- a town where supernatural creatures gather and hide their secret.
