Midnight Queen

Gray Marshall's Britain is a fragmented kingdom of many tongues, many gods and many magics. But all that concerns Gray is returning as soon as possible to his studies at Merlin College, Oxford and setting right the nightmare that has seen him disgraced and banished to his tutor's home.Sophie Callender may not have magic herself and a father who forbids his daughters a magical education, but her bookish rebellion and growing friendship with Gray are the first steps of a journey. A journey that will involve them in a conspiracy at the heart of the kingdom and into the legend of a young queen who vanished without a trace years before.Sylvia Hunter has created a world that is both only slightly different and a far cry from the England we know of the 1800s, teeming with depth in language, myth and religion that defies easy categorisation.

Praise for The Midnight Queen Trilogy: 'Innovative and intriguing ... The plot is creative and suspenseful - and never predictable. Your affection for the dynamic heroes will only grow as Hunter's characters face challenge after unexpected challenge. The Midnight Queen is a novel that readers will be unable to put down' Romantic Times 'The Midnight Queen keeps taking fresh turns. A fresh and inventive historical novel ... I can't wait to see what Sylvia Hunter does next' Marie Brennan, author of A Natural History of Dragons 'Elegantly written, fast-paced and highly original - a stunning story of magic, scholarship, and true love' Juliet Marillier, author of Daughter of the Forest 'Hunter's entertaining second Midnight Queen novel ... will delight fans of strong women. Hunter's charming world, just a few steps off-centre of our own, continues to offer many possibilities for future adventure' Publishers Weekly '[The Midnight Queen is a] well balanced, fantasy/historical read ... With a breathtaking cover and a great slow to start romance this one will have you reading until the owls hoot. I have to say that Sylvia blew me away with this debut novel and I will definitely be looking for more. Each element in this story grows and becomes important as the story progresses. It was a great read' Night Owl Reviews 'The Midnight Queen is insanely original and imaginative... [it] combines action, adventure, intrigue, mystery, magic and romance, but it also features a lot of other cool things. I'm definitely going to be needing to read the other books!' Reality's a Bore; 'There’s a lot packed into this book, the plot is definitely something you can get your teeth into. Intrigue, murder, magic, love, a hidden princess and a tragic secret or two. I really enjoyed this, the writing is pacey, the characters strong, and the plot kept me rapt.' Rambling Mads;

Sylvia Hunter lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter and their slightly out-of-control collections of books, comics and DVDs. When not writing, she works in scholarly journal publishing, sings in two choirs and reads as much as possible.