A review by phoenixinthecity
The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk

3.0

I discovered Polk through last year’s TRR after seeing their novella Even Though I Knew The End which I loved rec’d everywhere and have wanted to see what they could do in a full length novel ever since. The Midnight Bargain is set in a rich and reimagined Regency-ish fantasy world where our ingenue, Beatrice has made her debut in the “bargaining season” to find a wealthy husband, although her heart’s desire is to become a full-fledged magus, which is strictly prohibited for women. This title was one of the picks for Canada Reads 2021 and in an article about the competition, they explain how they’re inspired by anger and that The Midnight Bargain was written in response to a number of US states introducing anti-abortion legislation in 2019, which is so clear given the themes explored here. The romance between Beatrice and Ianthe was a slowburn which was fine since it was secondary to the plot anyway, so any romance readers going in will have to manage their expectations. Moira Quirk did a great job narrating here.

https://www.cbc.ca/books/c-l-polk-s-fantasy-novel-the-midnight-bargain-is-about-feminism-identity-capitalism-magic-adventure-1.5889660