The Girl at Midnight was first published in 2015 and is Melissa Grey’s debut novel. It a fantasy story about a human teenager caught in the middle of a war between two ancient races. While the novel is currently out of print, it is due for re-release next month and its sequel – The Shadow Hour – is expected to be published in July.
Far away from human eyes, a magical war has raged for centuries. The Avicen – feather-haired and bird eyed – have done battle against their sworn enemies the Drakharin, descendants of dragons. The battle has been going on for so long that neither side truly remembers how it began but there is one thing that is believed to bring it to an end: the Firebird. The trouble is that nobody knows what the Firebird is and many believe that it is just the stuff of legends. That is, until Echo finds the map.
Echo is a human teenager who has somehow found herself as part of the magical world. She has been raised by the Avicen since she was a child and, although she has never truly felt welcome in their nest, still relates more to them than she does her own kind. When Echo finds the map, she realises that it is just the first part of a larger puzzle and she follows it to Kyoto to learn more.
The trouble is that Echo isn’t the only one searching for the Firebird. It is believed that the person in control of the relic will be able to decide the outcome of the war. For it to fall into the hands of the military commanders on either side, this would certainly spell even more bloodshed and death. Caius, the Dragon Prince, has grown tired of war and wants to find the Firebird before his savage sister can get her hands on it. However, this means that he will have to join forces with Echo and the Avicen…
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