As a member of the Half Kith (the lowest, most oppressed caste in society), Nirrim is focused on avoiding the notice of the militia, who extract tithes of blood, hair, and teeth from Half Kith they claim have broken laws. When a magical bird flies into the Ward, Nirrim is arrested trying to return it to the militia. She ends up in jail with a charismatic scofflaw named Sid, whom she mistakes for male. Sid gets her out of jail (at which point Nirrim realizes her mistake). Now no longer content with her unadventurous, risk-averse life, she forges herself a passport, goes along with Sid, and together they make a compact to discover the source of the magic the High Kith get to use. Soon, Nirrim falls for Sid. The mysterious connection between magic and the tithes is spun out with excellent suspense, which, along with the assured writing and wealth of fantasy invention, will keep readers avidly turning pages, while the romance (including Nirrim's internalized homophobia) has enough twists to be both sensational and satisfying. Nirrim's foster mother's "love" will ring alarm bells for anyone who's known an abusive relationship; meanwhile, Nirrim's progression from timid victim to dogged activist unfolds powerfully. Don't expect a happily-ever-after from Rutkoski (the Winner's trilogy, set in this same world), but do grasp at the remaining loose ends in hope of a sequel. Anita L. Burkam May/June 2020 p.131(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Memory and illusion, truth and liesall paths lead to heartbreak in this first of a fantasy duology."It is as it is." That's always the response in isolated Herrath when anyone questions the oppressive caste system. Once that was enough for Nirrim, who is plagued by visions of a different past; but after meeting the cocky, nosy, and confusingly attractive traveler Sid, Nirrim discovers how dangerous it can be to want. Set some 20 years later in the same world as Rutkoski's acclaimed The Winner's Trilogy, the baroque (almost purple) prose begins in medias res, which Nirrim's naively unreliable narration does little to clarify. Although clever and kind, her passivity and desperate neediness make brown-skinned, green-eyed Nirrim an atypical YA heroine. While fans of the earlier books will easily guess her secrets, dark-eyed, fair-haired Sid presents at first as careless, arrogant, and as confident in her sexuality as Nirrim is shocked by Sid's attraction to other women. But this facade eventually proves to be another "midnight lie": a truth intended to mislead. When their almost instantaneous mutual desire develops quickly into a prickly friendship and (discreetly) consummated romance, both acknowledge it cannot last. Yet the relationship's developmentcombined with the genuinely shocking revelation of Herrath's historyleads Nirrim to a horrific choiceone that will leave readers clamoring for the next entry. Lush, swoony, painful, enraging, and as cathartic as a good cry. (Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

When she meets Sid, Narrim has been living a quiet yet dangerous life in the Ward, never questioning her limited opportunities, but never quite settling into them either. Sid is exotic, mysterious, capable in every situation, and yet, somehow, she's intrigued by Nirrim, a girl from the worst part of town. As the two pursue mutual interests involving magic and espionage, Nirrim begins to trust the abilities that make her unlike most Ward folk and to fall in love with the other young woman. It is difficult to find teen fantasy novels where LGBTQ+ romance isn't tangential, but in this adventure set in the same world as Rutkoski's Winner's series, girl-girl love and attraction drive the plot as much as Sid's secret mission and Nirrim's need to understand her uncommon talents, and each narrative thread complements the others. Read it for the romance, for the adventure, for the underlying commentary on divided societies--nothing disappoints. This is a treat for LGBTQ+ readers and the ending, happily, seems to indicate more to come.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Rutkoski's Winner's trilogy was both critically acclaimed and a best-seller. It's likely that this will be the same!

Rutkoski returns to the world of the Winner's Trilogy with elaborate descriptions and lush worldbuilding. Nirrim, a Half Kith, has lived with the Ward's motto, "It is as it is," never questioning the harsh rules that govern her kind or the walls that separate her from the Middling and High Kith grounds. She keeps her head down, justifying the forged passports she makes for her caretaker, Raven, through "midnight lies," falsities "told for someone else's sake," meant to help those seeking to escape the Ward. When turning in a magical bird lands her in jail and Nirrim meets Sid, an attractive traveler avoiding an impending marriage, Sid questions why no one remembers the city's history or its gods. The harder Nirrim falls for Sid, the closer she gets to uncovering the truth about herself and her city, a truth that many are desperate to keep hidden. Despite uneven pacing, Rutkoski offers a captivating LGBTQ love story, atmospheric in the vein of Bardugo's Six of Crows. Charismatic characters and compelling chapter cliffhangers build intrigue throughout. Ages 14--up. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary. (Mar.)■