Anaïs was supposed to die. And she did. But she keeps reliving the same evening, the same ball, over and over again, each time doomed to die and for the cycle to repeat itself. As a girl from a small province with a mother who just wants to marry her off to one of the many courtiers found at the kingdom’s party of the century, the night repeating on loop is the last thing Anaïs wants. But when her desire to change her fate leads to some upsetting political revelations, she discovers that repeating her last night alive might just be her only way to avoid dying. For realsies this time.

This book had fairytale vibes from the get-go – and wound up being an actual fairytale, who would have thought? The story doesn’t waste any time to get going – Anaïs’s first death occurs at the end of chapter one. The plot, however, slows considerably as the same night starts repeating itself – so too does the action. Despite being centered around the night repeating itself, it just seems like there should have been a solution to it feeling so repetitive. A hard ask, I’m sure, but something I do expect in a traditionally published novel.

All the pieces were there but their construction never felt quite natural, the prose being the prime example. Anaïs is prone to dramatic inner dialogue. I could see it working every now and then, but her one liners (that are most definitely Written To Land) are so constant that they lose all value when you look at the sheer volume of them. And, something that Anaïs herself comments on, the stakes just aren’t that high when she knows every choice she makes can be forgotten/forgiven because she’s doomed to relive it anyways.

The romance aspect was very insta lovey if often adorably with some cutely written moments; it’s just hard to believe an actual connection could develop between two individuals when one of them only has a few hours of memories to base it on. Though I will applaud the author for a sensibly vague ending as far as the main couple is concerned; very well done given the characters’ circumstances.

The story’s wrap-up wasn’t exactly earthshaking but did its job well enough– though there were a few very contradictory moments involving the main antagonist that just didn’t sit right with my logical brain. Overall, it was a fun read. I enjoyed it. And I was invested enough to want to know how Anaïs would get out of her predicament – but I never cared more than a surface amount.

Content warning: death, murder, bombings, self-harm, suicide, torture, graphic violence, gore.

When first reading the synopsis for Midnight Strikes I was new I needed to read it for the time loop aspect. When I started reading I was worried that it was going to be a straightforward romance story, but it expanded into a mystery that did not end in a happy romance, but a happy ending altogether. This story takes you for a ride in the funniest way possible, and you feel the frustration of the main protagonist when nothing goes the way it needs to for her to end the loop. With different magic structures in the story, it makes for a compelling tale to read. I give it a solid 4 stars in delivery, the only thing that stopped me from giving more is the confusing use of titles.

This book was a fantastic journey through time and space, with tons of thrilling fantasy and a touch of romance.

Anais, the main character, was a surprisingly reluctant hero, and I really appreciated how her character was written and her natural responses to the events that occurred. Her strong desire to do the right thing made her stand out. Seeing her face the enemy with magic and through wit and help from others was great.

The impressive world-building combined aspects of historical power struggles and current social issues such as racism and caste systems. There was a great balance of magical elements, which really added to the story without being used to defeat the villain.

The plot would have felt slow and dragged out if not for the sub-plots that made it much more intriguing and kept my eyes glued to the pages. This book was full of excitement and had me at the edge of my seat.

I was captivated by the romance that was gently laced throughout; it was a refreshingly slow burn between Leo and Anaise. The writing was able to evoke feelings whenever they interacted.

In summary, this YA Fantasy read enthralled me with its vivid world-building plus its exploration of the complexities of politics, culture, and what is right versus wrong.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for my e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ✨4.5/5✨
Spice: Mostly 😘😘😘
Plot: Fun and unique. Time loop done well!
Genre: YA Fantasy
Tropes: magic system, strong FMC, time loop, slow burn

I finished reading an ARC of Midnight Strikes last night by Zeba Shahnaz and I'm excited to share my thoughts with y'all.

First of all, the time loop aspect of the book was incredibly well done. The author weaves in the repetition of time seamlessly into the plot, making it both terrifying and heartbreaking. Anais, the main character, is stuck in a loop that resets every night at midnight. The way she copes with this never-ending cycle is both relatable and complicated. It's also so hard to watch her deal with the literally neverending trauma.

Anais's character development throughout the book was amazing. We see her evolve and change as she tries to break the cycle and uncover the secrets of the same night. The way the author depicts her emotions and inner struggles is incredibly powerful and left me rooting for her throughout the book. I didn't really know who done what or when. I was just as confused as Anais. It was fun to put it together with her...and Leo. ♥️

I also enjoyed the romance in the book between Anais and Leo, but I had one small issue with it. While I loved the chemistry between the two characters, the insta-love aspect of their relationship felt a little rushed. I understand that there's only so much you can fit into a book, but I would have loved to see their relationship develop more organically. Despite that, I was rooti g for them in the end. I'm hoping there's a book two because sis did not satisfy me with that ending.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. It's a thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the characters are well-developed and relatable. Midnight Strikes is set to be released on Tuesday, so make sure to mark your calendars!

#MidnightStrikes #ZebaShahnaz #TimeLoop #BookReview #Bookstagram

If Happy Death Day and Cinderella had a book baby, this would be it. I'm a huge fan of fairytales and retellings, and this one was definitely a lot of fun. The time loop aspect made the story interesting, and I loved the darkness in the story.

Shahnaz also does an excellent job with her world building, masterfully explaining the magic system without making it an info dump like some authors do. The imagery is so vivid, and I could easily see the world Shahnaz had created as if I was watching a movie in my head.

I do wish that there was a bit more closure at the end. The story definitely felt a bit lonely, which is completely understandable since she's the only one reliving these experiences, but I wanted a little bit more at the end. I could definitely see there being a sequel or maybe a bonus epilogue or something to truly tie everything together.

Happy Monday y’all! I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was super busy, but in a fun, good way! Today’s my stop on the TBR and Beyond Tours tour for Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz. Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours for having me on this tour!

Midnight Strikes 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

In this explosive fantasy debut with a time-loop twist, a provincial girl must work with a roguish prince to stop an attack on the royal family and escape a nightmarish curse that forces them to relive the same night again and again.

Seventeen-year-old Anaïs just wants tonight to end. As an outsider at the kingdom’s glittering anniversary ball, she has no desire to rub shoulders with the nation’s most eligible (and pompous) bachelors—especially not the notoriously roguish Prince Leo. But at the stroke of midnight, an explosion rips through the palace, killing everyone in its path. Including her.

The last thing Anaïs sees is fire, smoke, chaos . . . and then she wakes up in her bedroom, hours before the ball. No one else remembers the deadly attack or believes her warnings of disaster.

Not even when it happens again. And again. And again.

If she’s going to escape this nightmarish time loop, Anaïs must take control of her own fate and stop the attack before it happens. But the court’s gilded surface belies a rotten core, full of restless nobles grabbing at power, discontented commoners itching for revolution, and even royals who secretly dream of taking the throne. It’s up to Anaïs to untangle these knots of deadly deceptions . . . if she can survive past midnight.

Midnight Strikes was such an interesting book! I really liked some of the aspects around the court politics and the world building. I also liked the whole premise of everything blowing up and Anaïs being the only one who keeps reliving the day again and again, and then us finding out why it’s happening. It did feel a little monotonous in the middle with all of the combinations she tried to save things with nothing new happening, so I did feel as though I had to push myself to get through parts of the middle, but overall it was definitely an enjoyable book. The extended character list was a bit long and forgettable, but the important characters were great. And the magic system/lore within the book was pretty cool- I definitely enjoyed that! I wish the author had dug a little more into the revolution part or the motivations behind why the person who was blowing everything up was doing it, because while we were told a surface level reason, that didn’t feel satisfactory enough for me. In general though, Midnight Strikes was a fun read that explores getting stuck in a time loop and what one girl would do to save everyone and get out of that time loop. I’d definitely recommend picking it up when it comes out tomorrow! Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

WOW. that’s all i have to say. after a while of bad books, i was getting desperate and this book was the best thing that could come out of that desperation.
you want time loop? got that
you want mystery? got that baby
you want morally grey romance? got that too
you want character arcs? dang it has that
you want a magic system so complex and relatable to real life? YES MAAM SHE HAS THAT
this book completely took over my mind the last two weeks, and during midterms i was so annoyed i couldn’t read it!
i read over 200 pages today because i just needed to know what happened this book got me THAT down bad.
i am so excited for everyone to read this magnificent debut novel, the writing was amazing and i loved Anaïs and Leo. the side characters of Gaspard and Jacinthe were a delight to read through, and i just want MORE.
that’s how you know a story has got you in its clutches.

Midnight Strikes is a YA fantasy among glittering ballrooms and an impending revolution, with a time-loop twist!

I was a bit worried at first, since I found the first 2-3 chapters really repetitive, not because of the time-loop but because nothing really seems to happen in them. But then every new “day” something new happens, that adds a new puzzle piece to the mystery puzzle of who’s done this and why. With another aspect of the palace being explored, with another potential lead investigated, and new clues everytime. The time-loop concept reminded me of a book version of the old school point and click adventure games where you have to go back and forth, collecting new clues and items to finally reach the goal. This book had me constantly guessing who was truly behind it all. Had some suspects, but no-one ever really fitted the identity. Even when the culprit is revealed, there’s still so much suspension left since now Anaïs needs to find a way to stop them.

Speaking of Anaïs, the mc, I love how she grows over the course of the story. She’s constantly exposed to such traumatic events, again and again, and it’s harrowing and tragic to see how the other character’s treating her when she’s trying to save their ungrateful lives. But the story also shows how this makes her go from scared and helpless to brave and determined, without losing her humanity and kindness. As well as learning the lesson to accept that everything never can be perfect, because life is flawed. The biggest thing that didn’t quite resonate was her relationship with Leo. Since the day constantly resets and only Anaïs remembers, everything that happens between them is only remembered by her. So it feels a bit weird that he gets more and more smitten with her, which isn’t logical in this setting and just makes it seem like insta-love on his part. Don’t get me wrong, I like them together - but it just doesn’t feel believable within the limits of the story.

This was a very unique and entertaining read, with a great execution of the concept and main character at its heart. I would love to see more from this world, and these characters in the future. So fingers crossed for a novella.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC of this!

I adore a time loop and this was no exception, giving the main character time to learn and grow during the course of one repeated evening. There was just the right amount of magic and romance, without taking away from the excitement and tension of the explosion they are trying to prevent. I was a little confused by the ending, to be honest, it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting once the loop was ended. Overall I enjoyed it - perfect for fans of Neverworld Wake or Before I Fall

This was a pretty fun debut from this author. I haven’t read many stories with a time loop so that made it both interesting and frustrating at times. I felt like the time loops carried on for a bit too long but perhaps that was to echo the frustration Anais feels as well. Anais is a great main character - I loved how determined she was and that she struggled with the morality of her decisions. I wanted her relationship with Leo to be more developed and felt where it ended was a little abrupt. I’m hoping that there will be some sort of novella to show what has happened between the two of them. There’s a lot to be enjoyed with the story and I’m looking forward to what the author writes next. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the arc.

𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒐𝒘, 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒚.

I really enjoyed the ride. I’m a sucker for time-looping and Midnight Strikes offers an original take on this trope, spiced up with deadly court intrigue and magic.
I loved how Anaïs was in a race against time, having just a few hours to literally save the day. The fact that she was the only one retaining her memory made the challenge to unravel the murderous conspiracy even more daring and compelling.

𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎.
𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.

Living that cursed night over and over again, Anaïs got to know one of the main male characters better and started to get attached to him. Even though there was a touch of romance (and I appreciated how it was dealt with), don’t expect an epic love story — as the love interest’s memory was wiped out every time, it wouldn’t have been very credible for him to fall head over heels for Anaïs and reciprocate her feelings. Nonetheless, as an incurable romantic, I would have loved it if he could remember what happened through the time loops and forge a deeper connection with our heroine.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓?

The magic system was pretty interesting and unique, even though I felt it could have used more depth.

All in all, Midnight Strikes was a fast and enjoyable read. Definitely recommended if you like time loop stories.

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Many thanks to @tbrbeyondtours for having me on the tour!⁣ Check #TBRBeyondTours website (https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/) to follow the tour schedule.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions

This book is a Cinderella fairytale retelling. So many of these have been done that I shoved it into my TBR list and put off reading it for quite a while.

This one, however is told with a time travel twist which made it unique.

The magic system is beatifully done and the time loop made it super exciting. Everyone dies and is immediately transported back to a time before their deaths!

My only big complaint and nothing to do with the book itself is the book was very hard to read in the NetGalley app. The font is super tiny and was not able to be downloaded to Kindle. Super annoying for this 61 year old reader with poor eye sight. It took me forever to read!

Recommend.

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

This book has a great combination of fantasy and sci-fi elements with magic and the time looping. It also gives off the fairytale vibes.
Even though, it can get a bit dark with some of the violence shown where the FMC – Anais has to die in different ways every day to restart the day.

I really like the world building, it has the fairytale vibes with the fancy ballroom, the beautiful dresses, the dancing and courting. It’s well described and easy to envision, the magic system is also easy to understand.

As for the characters, I admire Anais’s bravery and I like seeing her grow from being scared and helpless to this determined and brave woman.

While I like most part of the story, there are some things that I wish for more in this book. For example, the romance between the two MCs – Anais and Leo.
I kinda wish Leo is also inside the time loop with Anais to figure out how to break the looping and uncover secrets. That way, we could see the progress of their relationship instead of restarting to square one every day.

The second part, for a time looping story things would start to feel slightly repetitive if the story went on for too long. I felt the same way during the middle part of the story nevertheless, I still enjoy seeing how Anais finds each puzzle pieces until she can unite them all and see the big picture. I was pretty surprised with the big reveal.

Overall, for a debut novel this is pretty good. Some things still needed development but it's still an enjoyable read - magical with a slight darker touch.
I’m looking forward to read books from this author in the future!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Death, Violence and a bit of gore

I really liked this one! I’m not usually one that likes a timeloop story, but this was super compelling and I liked the mystery that was leading it all. Highly recommended!

Think Cinderella meets Groundhog Day–or maybe more aptly Live, Die, Repeat. This book has an angle that is both interesting and a challenge for the author. Basically, how do you keep the same thing interesting to the reader? Written in first person and usually in quite short scenes and chapters (almost all the chapters are numbered “Chapter One”), it is a little disorienting and confusing to fill in the gaps of magic systems, politics, and people with only snippets. The staccato, repetitive nature is both a problem for the pacing and a way to embroil the reader into the protagonist’s entrapment. As frustrating as it feels to be stuck with Anais, if the reader hangs in there, they will find it worth it. As Anais begins to develop some grit and identity, then the plot begins to progress. Anais’ love interest is unexpected and although not the main driver of the story, a positive element. A somewhat unconventional, but somehow appropriate ending wraps up this young adult fantasy, which ultimately charmed me.

This book is definitely geared for teens. Normally I like such books, but the time loop trope has been overused, and I really didn't find this to have much originality. It's not bad, but it's not great. Things seemed to drag on longer than they should. Too many failed attempts. She seems to have realized that her attempts to save people would not be successful, so why did she keep trying for so long? The magic in the book was interesting - blood magic If you really like time loop/groundhog day types of stories, you would probably like this. I got bored with it.

This is the first young adult fantasy novel I have enjoyed this much in quite some time. I loved the typical fantasy royal ball with the twist of a time loop (one of my fave sci-fi tropes) mixed in. There are also several Mysteries for Anais to uncover: who is behind the bombing of the castle at midnight that kills everyone, Why is she the only one who realizes they keep re-living the same day and of course how to stop all of it?

The story is not perfect but it was so entertaining and genuinely captured my attention throughout. Personally I was not fully satisfied with the ending and would have performed another chapter or two to explore the consequences of the final events.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an advanced reader copy for review.

Plot: 1
Writing: 1
World Building: .5
Characters: .5
Themes: 0
3/5

Midnight Strikes is a time loop story about a girl trying to stop a bomb going off during a ball and killing people.

Let me start off by saying that Time Loop stories are not my favorite. I don't think I have the patience to re-live the same moments over and over (had to quit Tokyo Revengers) but I wanted to give this one a try because it sounded interesting.

Well, I didn't hate it. But it also isn't the one that changes time loop stories for me. I think the premise is interesting but we're so limited on what information we can get on the world and characters due to the limited nature that I just felt like we missed out on so much.

I also was not emotionally invested in any of the characters or relationships. How in the world did she fall in love? There were a couple of relationships that stood out, Anais and her mother's moment was important and a good moment for them.

There's a lot of death in here. A LOT. In all manners. It's not overly graphic but it was a little tiring reading about death every chapter.

Speaking of chapters, the way the chapters are laid out is kind of confusing. I think I would have preferred "The Beginning" or something like that rather than "Chapter One" when the day starts over again. The roman numerals depict the chapter you're actually on and the title tells you where you are in the story. This threw me off so many times.

If you like time loop stories, you might enjoy this one. If you don't, you're not going to like it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eArc for an honest review. You can't win 'em all.

Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz, 448 pages. Delacorte Press (Random House), 2023. $19. lgbtqia
Language: R (89 swears, 30 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
This ball is the best chance for Anaïs to solidify a marriage that her parents want for her, but Anaïs is tired of being looked down on for her culture and magic. The night only gets worse when bombs go off at midnight and Anaïs dies after having watched everyone else die. Anaïs wakes up from her nap before the ball and lives the horrific night over again. Every night, Anaïs dies; and, every night, Anaïs grows less confident that she can stop the cycle.
While this story is fun and enjoyable, those words don’t encompass the depth of Anaïs’s story. She struggles with the never ending cycle of death, with reasons for attempting to save the people who conquered and look down on her people, and with building relationships that no one else remembers. The secrets and plots that she uncovers go deep, and she can’t do it alone – but what if Anaïs can’t find a perfect solution? When do you choose to accept mistakes you can live with and let time move forward?
Anaïs is implied White, but skin tones throughout the book are not explicit. The mature content rating is for alcohol use, innuendo, intense makeout scenes, partial nudity, and implied sex. The violence rating is for gun use, fantasy violence, blood and gore, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz is an explosive debut in the fantasy genre. This well-written novel will transport readers to a world of magic and romance. The author's unique storytelling style and attention to detail make this book a must-read.