The Midnight Bargain

Written by C. L. Polk

Narrated by Moira Quirk

From the beloved World Fantasy Award-winning author of Witchmark comes a sweeping, romantic new fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency England, where women’s magic is taken from them when they marry. A sorceress must balance her desire to become the first great female magician against her duty to her family.

Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them, by securing an advantageous match before their creditors come calling.

In a stroke of luck, Beatrice finds a grimoire that contains the key to becoming a Magus, but before she can purchase it, a rival sorceress swindles the book right out of her hands. Beatrice summons a spirit to help her get it back, but her new ally exacts a price: Beatrice’s first kiss . . . with her adversary’s brother, the handsome, compassionate, and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

The more Beatrice is entangled with the Lavan siblings, the harder her decision becomes: If she casts the spell to become a Magus, she will devastate her family and lose the only man to ever see her for who she is; but if she marries—even for love—she will sacrifice her magic, her identity, and her dreams. But how can she choose just one, knowing she will forever regret the path not taken?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705011638

C. L. Polk

C. L. Polk is the author of the World Fantasy Award winning novel Witchmark, the first novel of the Kingston Cycle, and the Nebula Award winning novella, Even Though I Knew The End. After leaving high school early, they have worked as a film extra, sold vegetables on the street, and identified exotic insect species for a vast collection of lepidoptera before settling down to write fantasy novels. Polk lives near the Bow River in Calgary, Alberta, in a tiny apartment with too many books and a yarn stash that could last a decade. They spend too much time on Bluesky.

Reviews for The Midnight Bargain

[Zsofia Hanko · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The audiobook itself doesn’t work. It skips forward, if I stop anywhere it starts from another point. Never had this problem on Scribd before.

[Roxana Herran · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book! I absolutely loved it. The characters are relatable and interesting and the storytelling is enthralling

[Gerard Neaux · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fabulous feminist story, tightly plotted, clever, and with excellent character voice. The plot is tied into the magic system, not just tacked on top. Highly recommended to those who want to learn to write strong women, or generally women who deserve to be written about.

[Jennifer boyd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good. A little slow at times and I wouldn't consider it a "romance". The narrator was perfect .

[Shellan Ward · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a lovely read. 5 out of five would recommend!!

[Shanghai Vang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. Cute and simple and entertaining!

[amberwitch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nice little historisk fantasy. Nothing outstanding, but an average-to-good worldbuilding, sympathetic characters and a very modern romance. The heroine had a good clear voice and presence right from the start, and fortunately the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope alluded to in the blurb was quickly subverted, and a much more heartwarming story unfolded.

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another really interesting magical system -- this on focused on possession -- and another alt-regency romance structure that veers off into fantasy. I particularly liked how the racial snobbery was reversed, with the sophisticated Lavan siblings more than a little horrified at the backward ways of the basically-British isle. There was an awful lot of angsty drama, but the world is interesting. I don't quite understand how everything works out ok in the end, given all the dire warnings, but it was clever, and interesting, and I like to see women manage to chart their own courses, so it was a good read for me -- fair warning, I like Regency Romances, so I had less trouble with the insta-love. If that annoys you, you won't care for this book.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.

[fionaanne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Theoretically this was a great tale but the execution of it seemed terribly heavy-handed with whole feminist angle constantly being explained. I would have liked the story to simply reflect what the author wanted to impart but I felt like I was constantly being told it instead. Annoying.

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsBeatrice wants to spend her life learning magic, doing magic, and becoming a mage. With this, she wants to help her merchant father. Unfortunately, society (and her father) have other plans for her: marriage and children. And as soon as a woman is married, on goes the collar to stifle all magic because it might hurt any forthcoming children. So, women don’t get to do magic (only men) until they are beyond childbearing years. In a bookstore, as Beatrice hunts for grimoires (textbooks) to help her learn magic, she runs into a brother and sister from a wealthy family who could have an influence on her father’s business. The sister, Ysbeta, wants the same grimoire Beatirce has her hands on. Playing peacemaker, Ysbeta’s brother suggests Beatrice and Ysbeta learn together, but Ysbeta buys the book and walks out without providing an invitation/calling card for Beatrice to meet her to study. In the meantime, it is bargaining season when the eligible men come to woo the eligible daughters and/or bargain with their fathers. This was good. Fantasy can be hit or miss for me, depending on the type of fantasy. This was urban fantasy, so more my “thing”. There is also a romance mixed in, but not too much romance for my liking, either. Overall, I liked it.

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a patriarchal society that collars female mages to prevent their unborn children from being possessed by spirits, a young woman studies magic and hopes to avoid collaring with the help of the secretly printed grimoires for women. There’s love and loyalty and, possibly my favorite, dedication to helping people put above personal romance. It’s generally good fun though perhaps a bit sanguine about the easiness of big social change.

[gypsysmom_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thank Goodness for Canada Reads. Otherwise I probably would never have considered reading this book since fantasy is not high on my list of favourite genres. But Rosey Edeh did such a great job of advocating for this book that I put a hold on it at my library. And I loved it. It's sort of Jane Austen with magic and a lot of female empowerment.Beatrice Clayborn is the elder daughter of a merchant and his wife. Her father invested in a shipment of rare orchids and convinced many of his friends and neighbours to do so as well. Unfortunately by the time the ship returned with the orchids the fickle whims of society had moved on to some other rarity and he lost a great deal of money. Now the family has come to the bargaining season where young ingenues are brought to find a suitable marriage match. Beatrice, however, has no desire to get married. She is a sorceress and in order to bear healthy children all women with magic powers must wear a circlet around her neck that negates her magical powers. She has learned quite a bit about expanding her powers by reading coded books called grimoires and she has just sensed another one as she is on her way to a dress fitting. Just as she has picked it up a young man and woman appear and she can tell from their auras that they also have magical powers. The couple are a brother and sister called Ianthe and Ysbeta Lavan who are heirs to a very wealthy family from another land. They have also come for the Bargaining Season but, like Beatrice, Ysbeta has no desire to marry. Beatrice is convinced to give the book up to Ysbeta when she promises to share it with Beatrice although it becomes apparent that she has no intention to do so. Beatrice summons a helpful spirit to get the book back which sets up further meetings between herself and the Lavans. The spirit required that Beatrice let her experience things like a piece of cake and the sight of stars in the sky and a kiss from a handsome man in return for her help. Of course, the man that she kissed was Ianthe Lavan and there was a spark of desire on both parts. As days go by and the opportunities to meet increase Beatrice becomes increasingly torn between her desire for Ianthe and her plan to devote herself to magic. She understands Ysbeta's wishes and wants to help her achieve them. It simply is not fair that women must give up their magical powers in order to marry and have children. If only there was some way to have both.CBC has posted a list of 8 books to read if you loved The Midnight Bargain. I think I'm going to have to check some of them out. One of them is by Ausma Zehanat Khan who is the author of an interesting mystery series so I think that will be my first try (The Bloodprint)

[citizenjoyce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my favorite kind of fantasy with lots of magic and assumed sexism. Well actually I did get kind of distressed at one point about the oppression of women in this magical culture, but I kept telling myself that it was only a story. The book centers around bargaining season when families bring their marriageable daughters to a round of parties so they can find rich husbands and rich men can find women to pass their magical bloodlines on to their children. In order to avoid giving birth to demon-like children, women wear a collar that destroys their magic. Some only wear it when they're pregnant, but in the main character's society, the collar is worn from the day of marriage until menopause. For obvious Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott reasons our main character, Beatrice, doesn't want to get married. She wants to live her life using her magic and assisting her father in his business. And for these same reasons, of course, her family is having none of that.

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I checked out this book from my library as part of my reading of Nebula finalists for this year.I LOVE THIS BOOK. LOOOOOOOVE. It hits all of my sweet spots. A regency-inspired original world, with magic! Women striving for independence against societal expectations! A central romance with a guy who is a respectful, smart, supportive person, not a jerk! Smart heroines! Everything about this book is glorious and wonderful, including an ending that delivered a multitude of surprises and immense satisfaction.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is not a book I would normally read, but did so because it is one of the Canada Reads contenders for 2021. It held my interest, which says a lot for a book of this genre! I commend C.L. Polk on her imagination. This was a blend of Jane Austen meets magical fantasy. Debutante balls, making a good marriage, money issues...etc. It also dealt with the choice so many women still have to make in our world between family and career. Granted, most of us have it much easier than the women in this novel, but the questions are the same: why does the burden fall solely (in this novel) on women? Why does no one question this? So, good writing that provokes an examination of our own world...for that I give it high marks.

[jillrhudy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thank you to Erewhon Books for sending me a dARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.C. L. Polk gets top marks for imagination in this fantasy novel about sorcerers and spirit possession. I love the bratty minor spirit, Nadi, who possesses the main character, Beatrice Clayborn. Nadi is like a second id, a hedonist running amok in Beatrice's head and very hard to control Nadi was by far my favorite character. She overshadows the main character and makes Beatrice herself seem a little dull.The world-building in "The Midnight Garden" receives short shrift. The author throws the reader headlong into the plot with no background info about the world the main character inhabits; the reader must piece it together as the novel progresses. Beatrice jumps out of a carriage in an unknown country on page one and runs into a bookshop where she finds a magical grimoire. A rival for the purchase of the book appears in the shop, Ysbeta Lanvan, who also a sorcerer from a rich and powerful family of Llanandari, and Beatrice feels that she must surrender the grimoire to Ysbeta.Ysbeta has a sexy brother, happily (and yet unhappily) for the conflicted Beatrice. Due to the weird social strictures on female sorcerers, neither Beatrice nor Ysbeta has any desire to get married, and yet this is the whole point of "bargaining season," a sort of debutante marriage market thing with balls in which sorceresses are basically sold off and bound with a collar that dims their magical powers. The collars ensure that no spirit-possessed children (a. k. a. monsters) will be born. Beatrice and Ysbeta are determined to go in the opposite direction from the path society has chosen for them: to harness powerful spirits, and to become Mages—a privilege reserved for men.Various business and political subplots are also included in the novel but given a light touch by the author, and I found myself ignoring these subplots to get back to the far more interesting spirits-and-sex elements, and then becoming confused later when I encountered those subplots again. World-building in a plot-driven novel is a delicate balance, and the failure to strike it is the novel's only weakness. "The Midnight Bargain" is fun, original and surprising.

[midnightbex_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Midnight Bargain is a beautiful blend of original fantasy and regency tinged romance with a backbone. At once an engaging tale of romance, magic, and an examination of women’s lives under a patriarchal society, The Midnight Bargain will sweep you away. All Beatrice Clayborn has ever wanted is to become a Magus. She has a strong gift and the dedication to study, but women aren’t allowed to practice the higher magics. Ladies with the talent must marry. And in this world, marriage means being locked away in a collar that will suppress a woman’s magic for the rest of her child bearing years. Forced to take part in the Bargaining Season, Beatrice is determined to track down the secret grimoires that can teach her how to become a Magus before her father completes a deal for her hand in marriage. Things quickly get complicated when another sorceress snatches the very tome Beatrice needs from her hands - and introduces Beatrice to her brother. Torn between her only chance at a life of magic and a man she grows to realize she may love, Beatrice finds herself in a quickly closing trap that will save her family but spell the end of her study of magic - and her freedom.Female empowerment is an often neglected theme in fantasy novels, more frequently books casually support male dominated societies that are a reflection of our own. The Midnight Bargain chooses instead to examine what it means to be a woman living under the thumb of her father or husband. What freedoms must be sacrificed for a family when women’s lives are a black or white choice? Why are women the ones who have to make this sacrifice? Isn’t there a better way? Placing this examination against a familiar feeling background with rules any woman who grew up on Pride and Prejudice will recognize, makes that argument hit harder. This is a society with rules we understand because it’s so close to that of our own culture’s past.Written in an open engaging style, The Midnight Bargain is a fast paced novel that draws a reader in and keeps them turning the page. That’s not to say it is entirely without flaw - the plot is often predictable and hits all the expected beats. However, while more creativity in plotting would have served this book well, it is still an enjoyable storyline with interesting world building that is a satisfying read. Once started, you’ll want to see it to the end.A digital galley of this book was provided by Erewhon Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[bethyacoub · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This magical period piece was incredibly charming! It was charming and one heck of a fun, bumpy rollercoaster ride. The pacing was all over the place at times. I originally thought this book was going to be on the slow side (which was true in spots) with loads of women fighting misogynistic societal views regarding what type of person they were expected to be, who they were allowed to associate with and whether or not they should be permitted to perform Magic (especially after marriage in this case). All in all those topics were there but so too were my Victorian(ish) era cravings like social coming out seasons, Debutant Balls, lessons on proper etiquette and the age old dilema of whether to fulfill family obligations vs doing what your heart desires most. There were many charming facets and honestly, I couldn't put the book down. I read it in one night--> day. I started at bedtime, then bedtime turned to dawn which later saw me romping through the house (ereader in hand) trying my best to look busy while also trying not to look like I was helplessly Crazy Glued to this book avoiding my chores.On the technical side: the writing was very well done. The world building was grand except for the Magic. The Magic system didn't get as much page time and explanation as I would have liked. I feel a bit cheated in that respect. Then there were the characters. The character's depths ran from shallow, vapid puffs of useless space to fantastically deep, rich, evocative personas. There were great characters like the spirit Nadi (who was AWESOME!!) and our MC Beatrice who was equal measures relateable, bold and vexing. She did things that made me scream at my poor ereader, begging her to see what was SO plainly laid out before her... ahem, Ianthe. Ahhhhh Ianthe! Ianthe couldn't be more delicious if he was dipped in chocolate and rolled around in whipped cream with a huge, ripe cherry on top! Their glaring Insta-love (gallant as it was) somehow managed to sweep me into its romantic fervor. Though, in my humble opinion, this ardent amore would have worked MUCH better as a slow, seductive burn. But, c'est la vie! Another beloved character was Ianthe's sister Ysbeta. Ysbeta was an incredibly dynamic character that won me over early on and I wholeheartedly rooted for her and her quest for her happily ever after.And then there was that ending. There are too many spoiler pitfalls to navigate with regards to the ending so I will only say this... that ending was satisfying! Overall:This wonderfully written period piece was much better than I expected it to be... and that's saying a lot because I was over the moon about getting my hands on it to begin with. Bottom line is that I enjoyed this book so much I'd gladly buy it for a friend, myself or even my tween daughter! I highly recommend you do the same.~ Enjoy *** I was given a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I was offered an eGalley of this to review through Edelweiss.Story (4/5): This was well written with some beautiful description, but slow. Beatrice is desperate to bind with a Greater Spirit and become a full-fledged Magus but women are not allowed to pursue magic. Her family’s hopes of escaping poverty lie in her value as a bride and the hope she will make a good match this season. When Beatrice summons a lesser spirit to grant her luck in her endeavors, the spirit demands her first kiss...which just happens to be with an amazing man who is sympathetic to her views. Now Beatrice is stuck; will she marry and give up her dreams of magic and her freedom, or will she destroy her family by pursuing magic against society’s will?This was a beautiful story but the pacing was inconsistent. Some parts were long and boring while others felt rushed. At times this also feels a bit preachy about women’s rights. I ended up enjoying the resolution to everything but this took me a while to get through and wasn’t the easiest read.Characters (3/5): I felt like the characters were underdeveloped here and their relationships grew in jumps and starts. Ianthe and Beatrice seem to fall suddenly, deeply in love after dancing around each other quite a bit and it made me feel like I had missed some of the story. Beatrice can be very overbearing about her women’s right views and I felt like this was just being pounded into the reader over and over. I also thought Beatrice came across as very selfish and immature, she could have communicated better from the get-go and half of this story wouldn’t have even been needed.Setting (4/5): I enjoyed the setting. It’s a fantasy world with a very Victorian London-like feel to it. The world is well built out and we are introduced to multiple countries and cultures. I thought the way magic worked and the push and pull between how women and men used it was well done and intriguing.Writing Style (3/5): As mentioned above parts of this story are beautifully written but the pacing was just so inconsistent. There were also parts of the story where things just didn’t quite fit together right and I felt like I had missed something. It was decently written but could have definitely used some more polish and editing.My Summary (3.5/5): Overall this was decent story but could have used a bit more polishing. I liked the magic system, liked the idea behind the story, and enjoyed the unique world-building. However the inconsistent pacing, leaps in character development, and overbearing preachiness from Beatrice on women’s rights made it so I just couldn’t love this. This should have been a short and fun read but it felt very very long.

[nbmars · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In this richly-detailed fantasy, a woman must give up magic when she marries. (This is not the result, as you first suspect, of misogyny. In this world, a woman must give up magic to protect her unborn children from vicious spirits.) Beatrice Clayborn wants above all to be a Magus, and so she is determined not to marry in order to realize her dreams. Her family, on the other hand, is determined that she find a man of means during the yearly “Bargaining Season” so that she can help them get out of debt.While pursuing a grimoire that may help Beatrice overcome obstacles and become a mage, she encounters the male and female Lavan siblings, magical in every way, who complicate Beatrice’s desires. In fact, it is unclear at first which sibling, Ysbeta or Ianthe, attracted Beatrice more. In any event, the choices for Beatrice are now not so clear cut. Can the allure of love win out over the allure of magic?The world building was fascinating, but the characterizations less so. Nevertheless, it was mildly diverting, and I liked the Regency vibe.