Midnite's Daughter

Midnight Girl, Book 1

By: Rick Gualtieri

Narrated by: Tess Irondale

A child of two worlds - belonging to neither, dangerous to both.

All Kisaki really wants is to belong somewhere, but there are few places half demons can safely call home. Raised in isolation within the celestial palace, she longs to escape and explore the strange planet below - Earth. So when an opportunity presents itself, she takes it, inadvertently stealing her mother's greatest treasure in the process - the Blade of Heaven.

Exploring a whole new world is terrifying enough, but hot on her heels is her so-called guardian, the tiger-spirit Shitoro. If he catches her, he'll drag her straight back home. She thinks it's to punish her. But in actuality it's to save her.

She doesn't know it yet, but there's a very good reason Kisaki has been kept hidden away. Half-breeds such as her are not tolerated by the demon lords. If they find her, they'll stop at nothing to take the blade and use it to erase Kisaki, her mother, and everyone she cares about from existence.

A new adult urban fantasy.

Midnite's Daughter is book one of the Midnight Girl Saga, a manga inspired fantasy series by Rick Gualtieri - author of Bill the Vampire.

©2017 Rick Gualtieri (P)2017 Rick Gualtieri

Best in class; could be the teacher!

I have listened to and read several dozen or more of similar books, some about magic, some about half human cross species, and some other wise supernatural. This is the first that impresses me so wonderfully without dazzle. No cheap tricks are used to make this story spectacular. Both cross culture, cross species, and maybe cross genre this is a story capable of being engaging without odd cliffhangers or lascivious immorality.

loved it

well written, masterful plot. suspenseful keeps you hanging on every scene highly recommend great book

awesome story telling!

I loved the book, but the audio book really gave life to the characters! Tess Irondale is a good vocal actor.

Disappointed

I don't usually choose a book with a female narrator because I often don't like how a man's voice sounds but I did give this one a shot. I felt that she didn't make me want to stop listening to it because of her voice like others in the past. The story is what lead to the bad review. I've listened to other of Rick gualtieri books that I've enjoyed. I finished this book by the sheer will that it would eventually get better. Sadly it did not. At least not to me compared to his other works.

A little different from Rick Gualtieri’s other books, still very enjoyable.

I’ll admit that the beginning of this book did not feel like the Rick Gualtieri I’m familiar with through his other works. It had a more serious tone and I kept waiting for characters to develop some personality.
Then, there was a change (no spoilers) and the storytelling became a little more light-hearted and the main character developed into a relatable and likable protagonist. She gained friends and enemies, and learned much about herself as the book progressed.
I felt like the narrator did a fantastic job.
I hope that Rick continues the story of Midnite Girl, as I’m curious what happened next.

This one takes a bit of time to adjust to the style but worth it.

A little different. Takes some time to adjust to the Japanese names and phrases. Feels a bit like a comic book. There should be little pictures to fill in some of the gaps. I thought maybe someone else was writing every other chapter. A chapter or section would feel a bit amateurish then the next would draw you right in then it would feel totally different the next chapter. Later in the book it catches its stride and runs to the finish line. I started this one thinking it was a series so with an hour or so I intended to grab book 2 in fact I was ready to trade in or sell anything to get the next one only to find there are no others. I’ll have to look into this. I’m definitely wanting to know where this story is going.

Midnite's Daughter - Meh

So, I really enjoyed Rick Gualtieri's Tomb of Bill series. It is a fun and laugh out loud read. I enjoyed the characters, the snarky banter, and the progression of the story. Bill got a little tiresome, but I was willing to overlook some of the self-doubt repetition to hang onto the overall story. And in the end, it was worth the wait.
Here in Midnite's Daughter, the overall story was a little predictable but not unpleasant. I could hear "Vampire Bill" similarities in the character development. Kisaki had the Bill Ryder rashness with Sheila "Shining One" self doubt. There were no big guffaws, like in Vampire Bill, but the characters were mildly likable. My son, who read all of Vampire Bill with me, recently finished his 4th year of Japanese and when listening to the story he questioned some of the phrasing and use of words that were supposed to be Japanese-like. But, he, like myself, hung in there to finish the story.
I'd say overall, this is an okay, beach, or at the pool read. I used it for my morning walk with the dog. Kept me listening and not focused on how far or how fast I was walking. Not deep, not intriguing, not revelatory, just a "keep you engaged" read.
Tess Irondale was solid as ever. Her reading in "Shining Fury" was good and so was this reading with her ability to create excitement and drama and embarrassment and wisdom all in her voice. I enjoyed her performance as the last reading.
Mr. Gualtieri created a new world with a new twist in BigFoot Hunters and in The Tomb of Bill series. Midnite's Daughter didn't create that same newness. It was, as my son says, Meh.