Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dhonielle Clayton absolutely never misses, and this book is just further proof of this. I’ve been interested in the concept of this series since I first heard of it, and Clayton’s addition just brings it all to new heights that I didn’t even expect, and making me wish that the third book was already out. This book takes a great premise and develops it in a new and amazing environment, drawing you in with tension, drama, and great main characters.

SHATTERED MIDNIGHT is a continuance of THE MIRROR series, this time following the story of Zora Broussard as she escapes to New Orleans after her magic causes too much trouble to stay in the city of New York. Faced with the expectations of her mother who doesn’t want her to use magic, her aunt who wants her to be another perfect debutante, and a white society that doesn’t care for Black girls, it might seem like she’d be crushed under the pressure. But holding her afloat is her music, as intwined with her blood as her magic, two things that will take her to places, and people, she never thought she’d get to.

So often when multiple authors write a series in which each author writes their own book, the parts can feel disjointed. Clayton works with this masterfully, subtly weaving in Julie C. Dao’s BROKEN WISH and the characters that set this story in motion. Multiple times, I genuinely was shocked at all the little details coming together, and I absolutely loved how the connections weren’t the exact ones that you would guess going in, but still kept that entanglement. Even further, she furthered the premise beautifully, but gave it a breath of fresh air in the New Orleans setting instead of rural Germany. Not to mention the genuine delving into the multi faceted parts of Zora’s identity and how they interact with the various situations that she was placed in.

Truly, Zora in herself is one of this book’s most ultimate triumphs. Her character has so much nuance and is absolutely beautiful in her imperfections. She’s resolute in her love of music, family, and resolute in her own thoughts and ideas. But she’s still only eighteen and that comes to light in the fact that she’s still learning to control her magic, and her emotions, especially since both have been forcibly repressed. She has real feelings and thoughts that exist in and off the page. Probably the best moments with Zora are when she’s in tune with her music or her magic, when it’s clear that both flow through her veins as easily as blood. And both clearly influence the path she ends up on. At the price of staying spoiler free, I won’t get too deeply into the specifics of her relationships, but her views on Phillip and Christophe show the true nuance and complexity of what a character she is.

The second thing I just have to rave about is the world. Obviously this exists as both historical fiction and magical realism intertwined, and I think that Clayton does such a good job of working with these two journeys. The experiences of being a Black girl in the 1920s in America comes alive on the page, for better and worse, but also the intricacies of society. Even further is the undercurrent of magic throughout all of this, with real magic showing up in tricks and trades where those who aren’t aware wouldn’t truly notice it. All of these come together to craft such a rich and beautiful story that’s difficult to put down.

However, as rich as Zora’s character is, it feels as if so many of the other characters are flat in comparison. We only get glimpses into the lives of Jo, Evelyn, Christophe, and even seemingly sometimes Phillip. While I could argue that Evelyn, Christophe, and Phillip would be less detailed because of the story being told through Zora’s perspective only, it seems like Jo just fell victim to a lack of real character work, becoming a body in the work that it’s possible could be removed or replaced with someone else.

Additionally, some of the pacing was a little bit off for me. Though it’s harder to measure without a physical copy, a good chunk of the book felt like setup with little real hint toward the tension that closed out the last 15-20% of the book. Some things flowed together well, while others felt as if they had been introduced at the last moment as a means to an end, without any other real importance.

Ultimately, I really did like this book. It had some great depth and worldbuilding while also being light and easy enough to read without feeling bogged down. I truly loved the character of Zora and the general premise of generations passing down magic is just so good, along with what Dhonielle Clayton did with this premise. ( )

Shattered Midnight is book 2 in the stunning and unconventional Mirror fantasy series. This series centers on a family as a curse follows it from generation to generation. In Shattered Midnight, Zora Broussard is the protagonist. Readers follow her as she arrives in New Orleans with her belongings, gorgeous voice, and magic red shoes. She arrives in NOLA running from her past and hoping to remain unnoticed. Her voice is one of her main means of survival and escape, but Zora toys with giving it up as it could help her blend in, despite being a Black woman in the South.

Zora gets the chance of a lifetime to perform in one of the most well-known jazz clubs, and in doing so, she meets Phillip, a kind (and magical) white pianist. Phillip possesses a mirror that can predict the future, and it predicts his relationship with Zora. Their relationship, while secret, quickly allows them to discover a potentially cataclysmic fact about their families. While trying to manage the struggles that accompany segregation and speakeasies Zora has to figure out how to fight for her relationship or lose everything.

I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I saw it because I love Dhonielle Clayton's writing. This book did not disappoint. I think that the concept of the series is fascinating and can't wait to read book 3! It isn't necessary, but I definitely recommend that you read book 1 prior to reading Shattered Midnight, as there is some background that can aid in understanding the story. Zora was a super compelling protagonist and I wanted to continue reading her story long past the end of this book.

Overall rating: 4/5

Shattered Midnight will be available for purchase on October 5th. Be sure to add it to your Goodreads shelf and see where it's available to buy. Also, be sure to check out Dhonielle Clayton’s website!
I was lucky enough to be able to read this Advanced Reader's Copy through my partnership with NetGalley. All opinions are my own. ( )